4 ms·

I always cancel the subscription after entering in those trials, because if I don't like the service I will forget about this service and probably will be bille

by m45t3r 8y ago

I always cancel the subscription after entering in those trials, because if I don't like the service I will forget about this service and probably will be billed at the end of the next month, generating a nunnecessary headache. If I like the service and want to continue to use it after the trial period, I simply re-added my billing information. Cancelling the trial if I remove my billing information during it is unfair because it is just another mechanism to make consumers forget about the service and being billed by a service they don't even use.

Silhouette 8y ago
You seem to be arguing that you've started a trial because you're genuinely interested, you're aware enough of the trial to remove your billing information, yet stopping the service when you do so is unfair because you might forget and then be billed for a service you're not using. If you're not using it, why is it a problem for you to have the service stopped when you remove the billing information?
- m45t3r 8y ago
  genuinely interested != want to continue to use the service. Yeah, I may be genuinely interested enough in a new service to create an account and even put my CC information to have access to the trial [1]. However it does not mean that I will like the service and want to continue to use it. The best way to avoid having a surprise in my CC at the end of the month is to simply subscribe to the trial and afterwards cancel any automatic billing. If I don't do it when I am creating my account, I will forget it later. Yet I will continue to test the service until the end of my trial. Now if you simply stop my trial is unfair. Why would you want to keep my billing info until the end of trial is beyond any good reason except to maybe try to make me forget about the whole thing and gain some money on people that forget to unsubscribe for services they don't use. [1]: Multiple times they ask CC information to know if it is a genuine prospect (a.k.a. someone that can really pay for the service later, instead of a bot or something). So it is ok to ask for CC information for trial periods, it is not ok to cancel my trial just because I removed my CC information.
  - Silhouette 8y ago
    This still doesn't make sense to me. How are you genuinely interested and continuing to actively test the service for say a month of trial period, and yet somehow simultaneously forgetting all about it and not cancelling before the end of that period if you decide it's not for you?
    - sascha_sl 8y ago
      You got this the wrong way around. What reason do they have for charging me automatically at the end of the trial period? Okay, payment info is a neat way to prevent starting new trials somewhat, but why the automatic charging if they want to convince me of the value of the subscription? The only reason they do this automatically is because they want to charge the people who forgot to cancel. What other reason would there be?
      - Silhouette 8y ago
        What other reason would there be? Because any friction in the sign-up process reduces conversion rates, often dramatically in cases like this. Importantly, that applies to customers who would otherwise decide to continue just the same as to those who want to cancel but forgot to do so. Remember, the only reason a business is offering you a free trial of anything is normally to increase the chances that you'll decide to stay with them and pay them money. If you don't like that arrangement, no-one is forcing you to sign up for the free trial! Obviously it's scummy behaviour if a business signs you up for something in the small print and then makes it unreasonably difficult to exercise your right to cancel. I don't see anyone disputing that. But if someone has knowingly signed up for a trial, if it was clearly stated up-front that if they don't cancel before the end of the trial period then they'll start paying to continue using the service, and if a reasonable means to cancel was provided, I just don't see the problem here.

by m45t3r 8y ago

Silhouette 8y ago

You seem to be arguing that you've started a trial because you're genuinely interested, you're aware enough of the trial to remove your billing information, yet stopping the service when you do so is unfair because you might forget and then be billed for a service you're not using. If you're not using it, why is it a problem for you to have the service stopped when you remove the billing information?

m45t3r 8y ago
genuinely interested != want to continue to use the service. Yeah, I may be genuinely interested enough in a new service to create an account and even put my CC information to have access to the trial [1]. However it does not mean that I will like the service and want to continue to use it. The best way to avoid having a surprise in my CC at the end of the month is to simply subscribe to the trial and afterwards cancel any automatic billing. If I don't do it when I am creating my account, I will forget it later. Yet I will continue to test the service until the end of my trial. Now if you simply stop my trial is unfair. Why would you want to keep my billing info until the end of trial is beyond any good reason except to maybe try to make me forget about the whole thing and gain some money on people that forget to unsubscribe for services they don't use. [1]: Multiple times they ask CC information to know if it is a genuine prospect (a.k.a. someone that can really pay for the service later, instead of a bot or something). So it is ok to ask for CC information for trial periods, it is not ok to cancel my trial just because I removed my CC information.
- Silhouette 8y ago
  This still doesn't make sense to me. How are you genuinely interested and continuing to actively test the service for say a month of trial period, and yet somehow simultaneously forgetting all about it and not cancelling before the end of that period if you decide it's not for you?
  - sascha_sl 8y ago
    You got this the wrong way around. What reason do they have for charging me automatically at the end of the trial period? Okay, payment info is a neat way to prevent starting new trials somewhat, but why the automatic charging if they want to convince me of the value of the subscription? The only reason they do this automatically is because they want to charge the people who forgot to cancel. What other reason would there be?
    - Silhouette 8y ago
      What other reason would there be? Because any friction in the sign-up process reduces conversion rates, often dramatically in cases like this. Importantly, that applies to customers who would otherwise decide to continue just the same as to those who want to cancel but forgot to do so. Remember, the only reason a business is offering you a free trial of anything is normally to increase the chances that you'll decide to stay with them and pay them money. If you don't like that arrangement, no-one is forcing you to sign up for the free trial! Obviously it's scummy behaviour if a business signs you up for something in the small print and then makes it unreasonably difficult to exercise your right to cancel. I don't see anyone disputing that. But if someone has knowingly signed up for a trial, if it was clearly stated up-front that if they don't cancel before the end of the trial period then they'll start paying to continue using the service, and if a reasonable means to cancel was provided, I just don't see the problem here.