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> disabling a subscription should be able to happen from a central location with a click or 2. Paypal

nerdjon 5y ago
Any optional third party option is not a solution. As long as it is a choice for the developer, it doesn't fix the issue. The only reason Apple (and I assume Google) are able to make it this easy is because the app developers are forced to allow it. But if they are no longer forced, why would an app developer choose make it easy to cancel?
- babypuncher 5y ago
  Apple could make easy in-app service cancellation a requirement for store approval. This does not solve the problem of users needing to provide their CC info to additional payment providers, but it at least solves the problem of dark patterns being used to keep users from unsubscribing.
  - nerdjon 5y ago
    Maybe I am just jaded, but after the fighting and the shady practices done by Facebook to try to get around the app tracking. I don't really see that going over too well, and a court case being brought up about control or whatever. I mean I agree, that would be a fantastic rule and if it was enforced and allowed. Then sure, that fixes at least the dark pattern cancelation issue.
alimov 5y ago
Ok, what if you don’t use paypal. Or if one app uses pay pal, but another wants you to use some other payment solution. You’re still stuck registering to new services and sharing your CC info. So now you also have to remember what service is used by whatever app you are trying to cancel billing for.
- usrusr 5y ago
  You might just as well insist on never linking up your Google account with payment. This might not apply to a random pay to win candycrush clone, but Spotify is enough of an outlier they they likely have quite a few subscribers (or would be subscribers) who never accepted their phone as an app store payment mechanism. I know quite a few people who I'd suspect to be far more willing to hand over they CC data to Spotify than to Apple/Google.
  - alimov 5y ago
    Sure Spotify can do it and people will pay through whatever system.
- lxgr 5y ago
  I believe that we'll see a centralized subscription cancellation service for credit and debit cards before too long.
prophesi 5y ago
Could also use privacy.com though iirc it only works at masking debit cards. But yeah, this burden shouldn't be offloaded to users to make sure they're using a different centralized service to actually cancel subscriptions.

Any optional third party option is not a solution. As long as it is a choice for the developer, it doesn't fix the issue. The only reason Apple (and I assume Google) are able to make it this easy is because the app developers are forced to allow it. But if they are no longer forced, why would an app developer choose make it easy to cancel?

babypuncher 5y ago
Apple could make easy in-app service cancellation a requirement for store approval. This does not solve the problem of users needing to provide their CC info to additional payment providers, but it at least solves the problem of dark patterns being used to keep users from unsubscribing.
- nerdjon 5y ago
  Maybe I am just jaded, but after the fighting and the shady practices done by Facebook to try to get around the app tracking. I don't really see that going over too well, and a court case being brought up about control or whatever. I mean I agree, that would be a fantastic rule and if it was enforced and allowed. Then sure, that fixes at least the dark pattern cancelation issue.

alimov 5y ago

Ok, what if you don’t use paypal. Or if one app uses pay pal, but another wants you to use some other payment solution. You’re still stuck registering to new services and sharing your CC info. So now you also have to remember what service is used by whatever app you are trying to cancel billing for.

usrusr 5y ago
You might just as well insist on never linking up your Google account with payment. This might not apply to a random pay to win candycrush clone, but Spotify is enough of an outlier they they likely have quite a few subscribers (or would be subscribers) who never accepted their phone as an app store payment mechanism. I know quite a few people who I'd suspect to be far more willing to hand over they CC data to Spotify than to Apple/Google.
- alimov 5y ago
  Sure Spotify can do it and people will pay through whatever system.
lxgr 5y ago
I believe that we'll see a centralized subscription cancellation service for credit and debit cards before too long.

prophesi 5y ago

Could also use privacy.com though iirc it only works at masking debit cards. But yeah, this burden shouldn't be offloaded to users to make sure they're using a different centralized service to actually cancel subscriptions.