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I'm in the process of closing some web accounts myself. Here's what worked for me: 1. Block all charges or cancel the card, but do NOT issue charge backs just

I'm in the process of closing some web accounts myself. Here's what worked for me: 1. Block all charges or cancel the card, but do NOT issue charge backs just yet (there's no point burning your relationship and I've recently learned that many SaaS share a list of evil charge-backers, so it wouldn't just affect hulu). 2. Send them a registered letter, I always ask to be refunded any charges from after my first support ticket as well as refunded for the letter itself. They rarely do the latter but they always do the former. But yeah, it's a total hassle and I've come to hate the internet lately...

zmgsabst 3y ago
I believe that organized, mass-scale petty crime will only be fixed when executives are charged under RICO.
paxys 3y ago
[flagged]
- JohnFen 3y ago
  > You signed a contract and owe them the money regardless True, but blocking the charges is also very effective at getting the account closed, and a debt collector isn't likely to take your payment as a signal to keep the service active. I haven't had the problem very often (mostly, I think, because I rarely sign up for services), but the last time when it was basically impossible to cancel the service, cancelling the card did the trick. > I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed Oh? You've done a study about this? At least some of the time, being "weak-willed" has nothing to do with it.
- jzebedee 3y ago
  What a snivelling, condescending attitude toward others. Of course people are able to say no and cancel, it just doesn't work. That's the whole point of this thread! The appeal of sending a letter isn't to avoid human contact, it's to avoid the time suck of aggravation and frustration that these dark pattern schmucks throw in the way. If it were _possible_ to tell someone on the other end of the phone to fuck off, everyone would do it. You'll get an IVR, multiple HUCAs, and if you're lucky, someone who confidently assures you that your service is now cancelled; until you go away for a month and realize you're still being billed. The letter is both a paper trail and a recognition that it's the fastest and sanest way to get a problem resolved. That we have to resort to an anachronism is a consequence of the fucked nature of these parasitic companies and the total power imbalance between them and consumers, not a failure of will!
  - lgregg 3y ago
    > The appeal of sending a letter isn't to avoid human contact, it's to avoid the time suck of aggravation and frustration that these dark pattern schmucks throw in the way. It also very likely goes through a different pipeline to get solved and is immediately escalated internally.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- plagiarist 3y ago
  I can do that. But I don't need to wait on the phone for half an hour when they can make it available behind a button, as the sign-up was.
  - paxys 3y ago
    I just called Hulu support to test it out, and it took less than 3 minutes to talk to a person.
    - plagiarist 3y ago
      Yes, of course, a single point of data from one service disproves the general statement. Good job!
      - paxys 3y ago
        That one service is what this discussion is about
        plagiarist 3y ago
        > I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed to say "I don't want your offers, cancel my subscription immediately" to a person on the other end. If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get. This you?
        epcoa 3y ago
        The post you replied to: "I'm in the process of closing some web accounts myself." And if we're in anecdote territory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX6WN-qsBFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX6WN-qsBFI
- epcoa 3y ago
  > Blocking charges to your card, chargebacks, cancelling your card, changing the number etc. are all pointless. Pointless would imply useless. It’s not though. I have never in years had a problem with expiring virtual credit cards (effectively canceling a card). These are usually for prepaid services with no term contract. The company can’t charge, they cancel the service automatically, none of my time wasted. > You signed a contract and owe them the money regardless Thank you for your expert legal advice. > If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get. You are a total piece of shit.
- tredre3 3y ago
  > I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed to say "I don't want your offers, cancel my subscription immediately" to a person on the other end. If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get. I am indeed very weak-willed and I hate hate hate "fighting" a rep to get my account closed. But many services that I've been trying to cancel I have no contracts with and no money owed, they just drag the process for no reason. Frankly if I'm in a yearly contract that is paid monthly, and I'm on month two, I'm 100% willing to pay the rest of the year. All I want is for them to close my dang account. Send me a single bill, I pay it, then delete me forever. Why does it make me a bad person?
rubyn00bie 3y ago
> I've recently learned that many SaaS share a list of evil charge-backers That sounds concerning, as the list likely has no proof and could easily be used to ban and discriminate against folks. In fact any startup passing that list around is one I’d never want to do business with because it seems pretty gross.

zmgsabst 3y ago

I believe that organized, mass-scale petty crime will only be fixed when executives are charged under RICO.

paxys 3y ago

[flagged]

JohnFen 3y ago
> You signed a contract and owe them the money regardless True, but blocking the charges is also very effective at getting the account closed, and a debt collector isn't likely to take your payment as a signal to keep the service active. I haven't had the problem very often (mostly, I think, because I rarely sign up for services), but the last time when it was basically impossible to cancel the service, cancelling the card did the trick. > I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed Oh? You've done a study about this? At least some of the time, being "weak-willed" has nothing to do with it.
jzebedee 3y ago
What a snivelling, condescending attitude toward others. Of course people are able to say no and cancel, it just doesn't work. That's the whole point of this thread! The appeal of sending a letter isn't to avoid human contact, it's to avoid the time suck of aggravation and frustration that these dark pattern schmucks throw in the way. If it were _possible_ to tell someone on the other end of the phone to fuck off, everyone would do it. You'll get an IVR, multiple HUCAs, and if you're lucky, someone who confidently assures you that your service is now cancelled; until you go away for a month and realize you're still being billed. The letter is both a paper trail and a recognition that it's the fastest and sanest way to get a problem resolved. That we have to resort to an anachronism is a consequence of the fucked nature of these parasitic companies and the total power imbalance between them and consumers, not a failure of will!
- lgregg 3y ago
  > The appeal of sending a letter isn't to avoid human contact, it's to avoid the time suck of aggravation and frustration that these dark pattern schmucks throw in the way. It also very likely goes through a different pipeline to get solved and is immediately escalated internally.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
plagiarist 3y ago
I can do that. But I don't need to wait on the phone for half an hour when they can make it available behind a button, as the sign-up was.
- paxys 3y ago
  I just called Hulu support to test it out, and it took less than 3 minutes to talk to a person.
  - plagiarist 3y ago
    Yes, of course, a single point of data from one service disproves the general statement. Good job!
    - paxys 3y ago
      That one service is what this discussion is about
      - plagiarist 3y ago
        > I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed to say "I don't want your offers, cancel my subscription immediately" to a person on the other end. If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get. This you?
      - epcoa 3y ago
        The post you replied to: "I'm in the process of closing some web accounts myself." And if we're in anecdote territory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX6WN-qsBFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX6WN-qsBFI
epcoa 3y ago
> Blocking charges to your card, chargebacks, cancelling your card, changing the number etc. are all pointless. Pointless would imply useless. It’s not though. I have never in years had a problem with expiring virtual credit cards (effectively canceling a card). These are usually for prepaid services with no term contract. The company can’t charge, they cancel the service automatically, none of my time wasted. > You signed a contract and owe them the money regardless Thank you for your expert legal advice. > If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get. You are a total piece of shit.
tredre3 3y ago
> I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed to say "I don't want your offers, cancel my subscription immediately" to a person on the other end. If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get. I am indeed very weak-willed and I hate hate hate "fighting" a rep to get my account closed. But many services that I've been trying to cancel I have no contracts with and no money owed, they just drag the process for no reason. Frankly if I'm in a yearly contract that is paid monthly, and I'm on month two, I'm 100% willing to pay the rest of the year. All I want is for them to close my dang account. Send me a single bill, I pay it, then delete me forever. Why does it make me a bad person?

rubyn00bie 3y ago

> I've recently learned that many SaaS share a list of evil charge-backers That sounds concerning, as the list likely has no proof and could easily be used to ban and discriminate against folks. In fact any startup passing that list around is one I’d never want to do business with because it seems pretty gross.