6 ms·

I'm listening to hold music right now, 30 minutes into my attempt at cancelling 3mbps home DSL service (not a typo), for which the price has crept up to $71 USD

I'm listening to hold music right now, 30 minutes into my attempt at cancelling 3mbps home DSL service (not a typo), for which the price has crept up to $71 USD/mo. I first spoke with a customer service agent whose accent I couldn't understand very well. I have him ALL my account information. He mumbled something about being unable to forward me to the actual customer service agent (then what is your role, dude?), then came back on and said he couldn't forward me and so I would have to call them myself. He gave me the same number I had already called. I pointed this out to him and he gave me some other number, which is where I'm listening to on-hold music now. Right now the on-hold music is interrupted to sell me shit.

shlomo_z 1y ago
I feel your pain. This is extremely annoying. I wish you the best of luck!
- arwhatever 1y ago
  Done, and done. 14 + 44 minute phone calls, gave all of my information to 3 redundant people, including explaining to confused agents that I don't recall the account pin, well you have to have the account pin, well actually the previous person accepted my answer to my personal security question and the person before that texted me a temporary pin but now for some reason those alternate methods don't work for you?
accrual 1y ago
I wonder what would happen if one sent a cancellation letter via certified mail, then just stopped paying. If they come after you, well - you canceled.
- arwhatever 1y ago
  Perhaps the letter alone would be adequate. But frustratingly, the AT&T website appeared to allow you to replace your current (auto-pay) billing method with some other billing method, but I didn't see any way to remove all current billing methods, which makes just stopping paying nigh impossible. :-(
  - zaphod12 1y ago
    most credit cards allow you to create a temporary card number. Create one, set it to be the billing method, and then revoke it. crazy that we need to resort to that sort of thing, but it does work!
    - kamarg 1y ago
      Does this fix whatever method companies use to continue billing you monthly when you are issued a new card because the old one was lost/expired/etc?
    - barbazoo 1y ago
      I have several credit cards, none of the providers allow me to create a temporary number. Plus, one wouldn’t be enough because you’d need one for every vendor you might want o cancel in the future.
    - Suppafly 1y ago
      Canceling your credit card doesn't magically get you out of owing money that you're contractually obligated to pay. It might get them to eventually cancel your service for non-payment, but it's not a guarantee. They might just keep billing you until it's worth thousands and then mess up your credit or pursue you in court for payment.
      - thechao 1y ago
        I've talked to my rep about the idea of "credit card cancellation": the idea that you should be able to go through your bank (or you credit card provider's web app) go to a recurring charge and click "cancel" from there. I'm pretty sure most major credit card companies would be on board; what's stopping them is the legal thicket of contracts that are in the way. What the CC providers need is a clear framework from the legislature to support them. The FTC ain't enough.
        Suppafly 1y ago
        Actually that is probably one thing that credit cards could do without legislational changes, by modifying their merchant agreements. Businesses would be salty about it, but the value of being able to accept credit cards would mean they'd have to suck it up and accept it. They'd have to put something about how by accepting cards, they agree that that agreement supersedes any other and that a payment cancelation or chargeback constitutes acceptance of cancelation for whatever service was being paid for by that card or something along those lines.
- Suppafly 1y ago
  >If they come after you, well - you canceled. Then you have to go court to decide which of you is right, much easier to sit on the phone for a couple hours.
catlikesshrimp 1y ago
Non US Call centers can't handle cancellations. If they can't convince you to postpone, they have to transfer you to some US Call center specifically for Retention or something like that. The transfer process impacts the metrics of the agent. You know, like call length, customer survey, customer callbacks, etc Well transfers are also a metric. That specific agent might prefer a "callback" over a "transfer" that month. W/e Your best strategy is to open the call with: "hi, I want to cancel my service" And don't give details about any problem, you just want to cancel. Period. If the agen't "can't transfer" ask for a supervisor. Could be 5 - 15 more minutes but at least you don't have to call again. If you ask for "an American" or "someone who can speak english", depending on the call center company, you can get a call drop, a soft retention, a transfer to the agent beside, or a transfer to a call center in the US. YMMV my two cents
tgsovlerkhgsel 1y ago
Why not send a registered letter?
- justin66 1y ago
  That will work. Because it's registered.
- mrguyorama 1y ago
  Because without any form of regulation, the ISP has no requirement to honor that letter? The whole point of "click to cancel" was to deal with the fact that a business, by contract law, can make it almost entirely impossible to stop owing them money through entirely legal means. The courts do not consider being on hold for 18 hours onerous enough to void a contract, so it's perfectly legal to require you to follow the "cancellation process", whatever that is. Welcome to a world without consumer protections beyond basic contract law! American courts have long held the position that, if you agree to a contract, it really doesn't matter how onerous it is. Fuck you, caveat emptor and all that. If you want to improve the situation without new regulation, we should push for courts to take a more reasonable stance: That contract law does not protect absurd contracts. This is supposed to be the current situation, but what it takes to get your contract declared null because it's unfair or onerous is just insane right now, because our courts have spent at least 50 years praying at the alter of "let businesses do literally anything they want under contract law"
  - tacon 1y ago
    >Because without any form of regulation, the ISP has no requirement to honor that letter? Is this your personal exerience, or are you making assumptions? I would love to hear how this process possibly fails to unsubscribe anyone: 1. Go to your state's corporate website and get/buy the name and address of the corporate registered agent for your ISP or whatever. In Texas that costs $1. 2. Write or ask ChatGPT to write a demand letter that they cancel your service as of the date of your letter. If they don't, threaten to sue them in small claims court. In Texas, threaten triple damages under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. (ChatGPT will help you write demands using the "laundry list" of deceptive acts.) 3. Send letter return receipt requested. 4. A lawyer on their side is now involved. They will never ever show up in any small claims court for this. And if they do, the judge is so on your side for this! Heck, this works for a bunch of things, once you assert your rights. For example, I made a Coinbase account when they first existed and played with $10 of bitcoin. There it sat for six years or so, and then I tried to log in again. Their identity bullshit was demanding to use a phone number from an older phone and they stonewalled. So I sent a demand letter as above and, surprise!, my account was magically re-enabled for my $3 of bitcoin.
awalsh128 1y ago
Sorry, this sucks as someone who has experienced this themselves. As a former customer support person, ask for a supervisor. Also be firm and serious without being rude or berating. Lastly never buy the "our systems are having trouble". That is support speak for "I have no clue, call back and talk to someone else".
grvdrm 1y ago
Can you do a fraude dispute on your CC?
const_cast 1y ago
> Right now the on-hold music is interrupted to sell me shit. Jesus Christ, this is like those gasoline pumps that blare ads at you while you pump. On that little screen right above the plaque that says "you better not go in your car or this whole place will fucking explode or something". Since when is it chill to hold people hostage for ads, let alone LOUD ads? I don't want to hear this! PS: little tip for gasoline pump ads: one button always mutes them. Think it's a compliance thing. Almost never labeled, so just try all the buttons.
- p1mrx 1y ago
  > gasoline pump ads: one button always mutes them I don't think this is true anymore. I've pushed all 8 buttons on a pump near me, and it didn't mute. Almost purchased a car wash though. Thankfully my primary car is electric.
  - thrtythreeforty 1y ago
    I leave one star reviews for those places with the text "gas pump ads can't be muted." Hopefully others will too... one can dream anyway.
- foobarchu 1y ago
  You know, I actually haven't encountered this at a gas station in a year or two. I hadn't realized until now that my local gas stations just don't have those little TV interludes anymore. I haven't heard the dulcet tones of Maria Menudo or Mario Lopez in so long.

shlomo_z 1y ago

I feel your pain. This is extremely annoying. I wish you the best of luck!

arwhatever 1y ago
Done, and done. 14 + 44 minute phone calls, gave all of my information to 3 redundant people, including explaining to confused agents that I don't recall the account pin, well you have to have the account pin, well actually the previous person accepted my answer to my personal security question and the person before that texted me a temporary pin but now for some reason those alternate methods don't work for you?

accrual 1y ago

I wonder what would happen if one sent a cancellation letter via certified mail, then just stopped paying. If they come after you, well - you canceled.

arwhatever 1y ago
Perhaps the letter alone would be adequate. But frustratingly, the AT&T website appeared to allow you to replace your current (auto-pay) billing method with some other billing method, but I didn't see any way to remove all current billing methods, which makes just stopping paying nigh impossible. :-(
- zaphod12 1y ago
  most credit cards allow you to create a temporary card number. Create one, set it to be the billing method, and then revoke it. crazy that we need to resort to that sort of thing, but it does work!
  - kamarg 1y ago
    Does this fix whatever method companies use to continue billing you monthly when you are issued a new card because the old one was lost/expired/etc?
  - barbazoo 1y ago
    I have several credit cards, none of the providers allow me to create a temporary number. Plus, one wouldn’t be enough because you’d need one for every vendor you might want o cancel in the future.
  - Suppafly 1y ago
    Canceling your credit card doesn't magically get you out of owing money that you're contractually obligated to pay. It might get them to eventually cancel your service for non-payment, but it's not a guarantee. They might just keep billing you until it's worth thousands and then mess up your credit or pursue you in court for payment.
    - thechao 1y ago
      I've talked to my rep about the idea of "credit card cancellation": the idea that you should be able to go through your bank (or you credit card provider's web app) go to a recurring charge and click "cancel" from there. I'm pretty sure most major credit card companies would be on board; what's stopping them is the legal thicket of contracts that are in the way. What the CC providers need is a clear framework from the legislature to support them. The FTC ain't enough.
      - Suppafly 1y ago
        Actually that is probably one thing that credit cards could do without legislational changes, by modifying their merchant agreements. Businesses would be salty about it, but the value of being able to accept credit cards would mean they'd have to suck it up and accept it. They'd have to put something about how by accepting cards, they agree that that agreement supersedes any other and that a payment cancelation or chargeback constitutes acceptance of cancelation for whatever service was being paid for by that card or something along those lines.
Suppafly 1y ago
>If they come after you, well - you canceled. Then you have to go court to decide which of you is right, much easier to sit on the phone for a couple hours.

catlikesshrimp 1y ago

Non US Call centers can't handle cancellations. If they can't convince you to postpone, they have to transfer you to some US Call center specifically for Retention or something like that. The transfer process impacts the metrics of the agent. You know, like call length, customer survey, customer callbacks, etc Well transfers are also a metric. That specific agent might prefer a "callback" over a "transfer" that month. W/e Your best strategy is to open the call with: "hi, I want to cancel my service" And don't give details about any problem, you just want to cancel. Period. If the agen't "can't transfer" ask for a supervisor. Could be 5 - 15 more minutes but at least you don't have to call again. If you ask for "an American" or "someone who can speak english", depending on the call center company, you can get a call drop, a soft retention, a transfer to the agent beside, or a transfer to a call center in the US. YMMV my two cents

tgsovlerkhgsel 1y ago

Why not send a registered letter?

justin66 1y ago
That will work. Because it's registered.
mrguyorama 1y ago
Because without any form of regulation, the ISP has no requirement to honor that letter? The whole point of "click to cancel" was to deal with the fact that a business, by contract law, can make it almost entirely impossible to stop owing them money through entirely legal means. The courts do not consider being on hold for 18 hours onerous enough to void a contract, so it's perfectly legal to require you to follow the "cancellation process", whatever that is. Welcome to a world without consumer protections beyond basic contract law! American courts have long held the position that, if you agree to a contract, it really doesn't matter how onerous it is. Fuck you, caveat emptor and all that. If you want to improve the situation without new regulation, we should push for courts to take a more reasonable stance: That contract law does not protect absurd contracts. This is supposed to be the current situation, but what it takes to get your contract declared null because it's unfair or onerous is just insane right now, because our courts have spent at least 50 years praying at the alter of "let businesses do literally anything they want under contract law"
- tacon 1y ago
  >Because without any form of regulation, the ISP has no requirement to honor that letter? Is this your personal exerience, or are you making assumptions? I would love to hear how this process possibly fails to unsubscribe anyone: 1. Go to your state's corporate website and get/buy the name and address of the corporate registered agent for your ISP or whatever. In Texas that costs $1. 2. Write or ask ChatGPT to write a demand letter that they cancel your service as of the date of your letter. If they don't, threaten to sue them in small claims court. In Texas, threaten triple damages under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. (ChatGPT will help you write demands using the "laundry list" of deceptive acts.) 3. Send letter return receipt requested. 4. A lawyer on their side is now involved. They will never ever show up in any small claims court for this. And if they do, the judge is so on your side for this! Heck, this works for a bunch of things, once you assert your rights. For example, I made a Coinbase account when they first existed and played with $10 of bitcoin. There it sat for six years or so, and then I tried to log in again. Their identity bullshit was demanding to use a phone number from an older phone and they stonewalled. So I sent a demand letter as above and, surprise!, my account was magically re-enabled for my $3 of bitcoin.

awalsh128 1y ago

Sorry, this sucks as someone who has experienced this themselves. As a former customer support person, ask for a supervisor. Also be firm and serious without being rude or berating. Lastly never buy the "our systems are having trouble". That is support speak for "I have no clue, call back and talk to someone else".

grvdrm 1y ago

Can you do a fraude dispute on your CC?

const_cast 1y ago

> Right now the on-hold music is interrupted to sell me shit. Jesus Christ, this is like those gasoline pumps that blare ads at you while you pump. On that little screen right above the plaque that says "you better not go in your car or this whole place will fucking explode or something". Since when is it chill to hold people hostage for ads, let alone LOUD ads? I don't want to hear this! PS: little tip for gasoline pump ads: one button always mutes them. Think it's a compliance thing. Almost never labeled, so just try all the buttons.

p1mrx 1y ago
> gasoline pump ads: one button always mutes them I don't think this is true anymore. I've pushed all 8 buttons on a pump near me, and it didn't mute. Almost purchased a car wash though. Thankfully my primary car is electric.
- thrtythreeforty 1y ago
  I leave one star reviews for those places with the text "gas pump ads can't be muted." Hopefully others will too... one can dream anyway.
foobarchu 1y ago
You know, I actually haven't encountered this at a gas station in a year or two. I hadn't realized until now that my local gas stations just don't have those little TV interludes anymore. I haven't heard the dulcet tones of Maria Menudo or Mario Lopez in so long.