5 ms·

Online signup and then forced phone cancellation is an infuriating pattern

7 points by mojoe 4y ago

I just got off the phone with the Wall Street Journal. They have no option to cancel online, even though I signed up online. Forcing me to call a phone number to cancel my subscription so you can put me through a sales pipeline will turn me off your service forever. I might have renewed my subscription to the WSJ at some point, but no longer. If you run an online subscription service, don't be like the WSJ.

m348e912 4y ago
The first credit card company that allows me to cancel a service through a their billing website has my immediate business. The flow would go something like this: I want to cancel my WSJ subscription so I look for my latest WSJ charge on my online credit card statement. On the right hand side there would be an option that allows you to "cancel subscription". Once cancelled, WSJ is notified by the credit card company the customer has cancelled their subscription and WSJ no longer can charge the particular credit card. If there are contracts involved you might be still on the hook for payment but in this case the provider (WSJ) can no longer charge your the card they had on file for you.
- deanmoriarty 4y ago
  > If there are contracts involved you might be still on the hook for payment but in this case the provider (WSJ) can no longer charge your the card they had on file for you. What if you get sent to collections by your provider and your credit is dinged as a result? I don’t believe it is a hypothetical question, it is not too unlikely to happen.
  - m348e912 4y ago
    That is certainly a possibility, but for non-contracted services like WSJ that shouldn't be an issue.
dv_dt 4y ago
If you are a consumer in California, I recall there was a law passed that required online cancellation if it was an online signup. https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/companies-must-let-customers-cancel-subscriptions-online-california-law-says/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/companies-mu... (2018)
nullfield 4y ago
Privacy.com. Burn the card, and they can die in a fire. Yes, you can change your address to anywhere in CA, and suddenly the “unable to process” issue with cancellation online goes away. This is only a problem, maybe, if you’re getting physical delivery elsewhere. Overall though, it’s a shitshow. I’m curious how their sales funnel works there, and if they have any desire to, say, keep getting $4/month for digital stuff vs. $0/month and eternal hatred, when they try to replace the $4/month (for one year) with $38.99/month.

7 points by mojoe 4y ago

m348e912 4y ago

The first credit card company that allows me to cancel a service through a their billing website has my immediate business. The flow would go something like this: I want to cancel my WSJ subscription so I look for my latest WSJ charge on my online credit card statement. On the right hand side there would be an option that allows you to "cancel subscription". Once cancelled, WSJ is notified by the credit card company the customer has cancelled their subscription and WSJ no longer can charge the particular credit card. If there are contracts involved you might be still on the hook for payment but in this case the provider (WSJ) can no longer charge your the card they had on file for you.

deanmoriarty 4y ago
> If there are contracts involved you might be still on the hook for payment but in this case the provider (WSJ) can no longer charge your the card they had on file for you. What if you get sent to collections by your provider and your credit is dinged as a result? I don’t believe it is a hypothetical question, it is not too unlikely to happen.
- m348e912 4y ago
  That is certainly a possibility, but for non-contracted services like WSJ that shouldn't be an issue.

dv_dt 4y ago

If you are a consumer in California, I recall there was a law passed that required online cancellation if it was an online signup. https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/companies-must-let-customers-cancel-subscriptions-online-california-law-says/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/companies-mu... (2018)

nullfield 4y ago

Privacy.com. Burn the card, and they can die in a fire. Yes, you can change your address to anywhere in CA, and suddenly the “unable to process” issue with cancellation online goes away. This is only a problem, maybe, if you’re getting physical delivery elsewhere. Overall though, it’s a shitshow. I’m curious how their sales funnel works there, and if they have any desire to, say, keep getting $4/month for digital stuff vs. $0/month and eternal hatred, when they try to replace the $4/month (for one year) with $38.99/month.