5 ms·

What is the technology to stop them?

vbezhenar 5y ago
I can cancel any subscription on paypal web site. Banking system should adopt that: list every subscription on bank website and allow one-click cancel.
- jjoonathan 5y ago
  It's not the Banking system's choice. It's a matter of contract law between the customer and the service. Once the contract law is changed, the Banking system can implement the feature.
ethbr0 5y ago
Non-payment by credit card networks But they'll never take that leap of faith absent a law mandating it. There's not enough competition between the major issuing networks.
- jjoonathan 5y ago
  Nah, CC providers would love to provide subscription management and cancellation services. They implement dumber and more expensive gimmick services all the time. They'd implement this one in a heartbeat if they could. Right now, they can't, because they have no privileged way to cancel a service on the user's behalf. They can withhold payment, yes, but under current consumer contract law withholding payment doesn't imply cancellation. We should change the law so that it does. Once the law changes, they would implement "cancel buttons" and "subscription management" so fast your head would spin -- and then they would flood TV and youtube with ads about it, and they would bug you every time you logged into your CC statement for the next year.
  - ethbr0 5y ago
    The self-interest on the credit card company's part requires they have a financial incentive. I don't think they care about customer satisfaction enough. ... the way to do it would be to disincentivize subscription companies from having credit card companies involved in cancellations. (1) Pass laws to empower credit card companies to cancel services on a user's behalf, if the user so requests + (2) Allow CC companies to collect a fee from the subscription service when they do so. CC companies will implement the feature as a profit source, but subscription services will also be incentivized to flow cancellations through themselves (because it's cheaper) thus leading to more streamlined cancellation.
    - medvezhenok 5y ago
      It could also become a competitive / marketing advantage for the card that implements it first, so I don’t even think it’s needs to be made into a profit source.
CogitoCogito 5y ago
This problem doesn't require a technological solution. A legal solution is perfectly adequate. In Sweden, for example, you can inform a company of your wish to cancel a service by email or letter or phone call or...probably there are more options I'm unaware of. Given such a right, you never need to play the games that companies want you to play.

I can cancel any subscription on paypal web site. Banking system should adopt that: list every subscription on bank website and allow one-click cancel.

jjoonathan 5y ago
It's not the Banking system's choice. It's a matter of contract law between the customer and the service. Once the contract law is changed, the Banking system can implement the feature.

ethbr0 5y ago

Non-payment by credit card networks But they'll never take that leap of faith absent a law mandating it. There's not enough competition between the major issuing networks.

jjoonathan 5y ago
Nah, CC providers would love to provide subscription management and cancellation services. They implement dumber and more expensive gimmick services all the time. They'd implement this one in a heartbeat if they could. Right now, they can't, because they have no privileged way to cancel a service on the user's behalf. They can withhold payment, yes, but under current consumer contract law withholding payment doesn't imply cancellation. We should change the law so that it does. Once the law changes, they would implement "cancel buttons" and "subscription management" so fast your head would spin -- and then they would flood TV and youtube with ads about it, and they would bug you every time you logged into your CC statement for the next year.
- ethbr0 5y ago
  The self-interest on the credit card company's part requires they have a financial incentive. I don't think they care about customer satisfaction enough. ... the way to do it would be to disincentivize subscription companies from having credit card companies involved in cancellations. (1) Pass laws to empower credit card companies to cancel services on a user's behalf, if the user so requests + (2) Allow CC companies to collect a fee from the subscription service when they do so. CC companies will implement the feature as a profit source, but subscription services will also be incentivized to flow cancellations through themselves (because it's cheaper) thus leading to more streamlined cancellation.
  - medvezhenok 5y ago
    It could also become a competitive / marketing advantage for the card that implements it first, so I don’t even think it’s needs to be made into a profit source.

CogitoCogito 5y ago

This problem doesn't require a technological solution. A legal solution is perfectly adequate. In Sweden, for example, you can inform a company of your wish to cancel a service by email or letter or phone call or...probably there are more options I'm unaware of. Given such a right, you never need to play the games that companies want you to play.