4 ms·

so the solution to having to call a merchant to cancel a subscription is to call your card issuer to cancel a subscription?

by khc 8y ago

slededit 8y ago
If your vindictive this is a great way to increase their card processing costs.
- qaq 8y ago
  You seriously believe this will increase processing costs to say Verizon or Comcast?
  - slededit 8y ago
    They are not the only ones using this dark pattern, and it does get escalated to more expensive employees even at Comcast.
  - coryfklein 8y ago
    Of course it does. With a provider as large as that they surely engage in negotiations with credit card providers, and you can bet that the fraudulent charge rate is a huge part of that discussion. Verizon/Comcast's handling of recurring cancellations is directly tied to Visa's cost of doing business with them.
adrr 8y ago
My bank doesn't make me sit on hold for 20 minutes and isn't staffed by min wage employees who are incentivized to retain you including lying to you or hanging up on you. I don't blame the employees, they are just trying to make rent. Also chargebacks penalize the merchants both in fines/fees but if they rack of enough, they'll pay higher processing fees.
- kchoudhu 8y ago
  > My bank doesn't make me sit on hold for 20 minutes and isn't staffed by min wage employees Lucky you.
  - oh_sigh 8y ago
    Get a better bank.
  - dionidium 8y ago
    There are literally thousands of banks and credit unions in the United States. If your bank sucks, then you have no reason not to take your business to a different one. Banks seem to occupy a weird space in the minds of consumers. You can open as many accounts as you want at as many banks as you want. If you're paying fees, switch to a bank that doesn't have those fees. If you can't get somebody on the phone, switch to a bank that staffs its call centers. If their website sucks, switch to a bank with a good website. Try a few out. See what you like. It's just like any other consumer product.
zymhan 8y ago
Sometimes you can file the dispute entirely online.
gervase 8y ago
I think the implication is that your card issuer won't fight you on the cancellation, whereas the service provider that is trying to make your life difficult has additional, phone-based hoops for you to jump through.
rmc 8y ago
if you/lots of people have call a merchant a lot to cancel, then it doesn't matter. If the bank/credit card companies get lots of calls about one merchant, they might tell the merchant to get it's act together or risk higher fees. "Fix your cancellation process or we'll turn off your ability to charge anyone next month" tends to get more powerful people to take note.

so the solution to having to call a merchant to cancel a subscription is to call your card issuer to cancel a subscription?

by khc 8y ago

so the solution to having to call a merchant to cancel a subscription is to call your card issuer to cancel a subscription?

slededit 8y ago

If your vindictive this is a great way to increase their card processing costs.

qaq 8y ago
You seriously believe this will increase processing costs to say Verizon or Comcast?
- slededit 8y ago
  They are not the only ones using this dark pattern, and it does get escalated to more expensive employees even at Comcast.
- coryfklein 8y ago
  Of course it does. With a provider as large as that they surely engage in negotiations with credit card providers, and you can bet that the fraudulent charge rate is a huge part of that discussion. Verizon/Comcast's handling of recurring cancellations is directly tied to Visa's cost of doing business with them.

adrr 8y ago

My bank doesn't make me sit on hold for 20 minutes and isn't staffed by min wage employees who are incentivized to retain you including lying to you or hanging up on you. I don't blame the employees, they are just trying to make rent. Also chargebacks penalize the merchants both in fines/fees but if they rack of enough, they'll pay higher processing fees.

kchoudhu 8y ago
> My bank doesn't make me sit on hold for 20 minutes and isn't staffed by min wage employees Lucky you.
- oh_sigh 8y ago
  Get a better bank.
- dionidium 8y ago
  There are literally thousands of banks and credit unions in the United States. If your bank sucks, then you have no reason not to take your business to a different one. Banks seem to occupy a weird space in the minds of consumers. You can open as many accounts as you want at as many banks as you want. If you're paying fees, switch to a bank that doesn't have those fees. If you can't get somebody on the phone, switch to a bank that staffs its call centers. If their website sucks, switch to a bank with a good website. Try a few out. See what you like. It's just like any other consumer product.

zymhan 8y ago

Sometimes you can file the dispute entirely online.

gervase 8y ago

I think the implication is that your card issuer won't fight you on the cancellation, whereas the service provider that is trying to make your life difficult has additional, phone-based hoops for you to jump through.

rmc 8y ago

if you/lots of people have call a merchant a lot to cancel, then it doesn't matter. If the bank/credit card companies get lots of calls about one merchant, they might tell the merchant to get it's act together or risk higher fees. "Fix your cancellation process or we'll turn off your ability to charge anyone next month" tends to get more powerful people to take note.