my trick is to replace the credit card with an expired one.
Why is canceling a subscription so hard?
- Thread starter Bipolarcy
- Start date
As the executor of an estate, I’ve been cancelling and recalling companies since last August. The house has been sold and the new owners got a free furnace and AC checkup and their lawn fertilized because the cancellation information didn’t make it down to the workers
Actually, Congress did pass a law making 'cancellations' easier.
But, to answer the original question, our educational system is so weighted on 'margins' that the 'quality' and 'customer satisfaction' is always sacrificed to meet this educational construct. Or what is becoming more popular is loading the product with features and charging more for repairs.
Money is all that matters and customer service doesn't matter if you can have the money instead.
The "click-to-cancel" rule, approved in Oct 2024, is still in effect and was scheduled to be enforced on May 14, 2025. However, the enforcement date has been extended to July 15. The FTC has been sued to stop the rule by three trade groups representing Comcast, Charter, Cox, Disney, Warner Bros , etc., etc. The FTC is vigorously fighting the lawsuit.
Reuters: Click-to-Cancel rule to be enforced July 15
Reuters: Click-to-Cancel rule to be enforced July 15
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I canceled SiriusXM not long ago. First time I tried, I entered a bit of info in a form and got a "This page is not working" message. I just reloaded the page and miraculously it worked again. Anyway I ended up going through an online chat (which was clearly just a chatbot). Overall it was easy, but that "Page not working" message seemed a little sketchy.
This or just contact your credit card company and tell them to stop the recurring payment. Not that CC companies are saints, but when the company on the subscription end is unresponsive, I'll go this route.
Same thing for returns or product issues. If the company won't get back to me, I'll just contact my CC and have them pull back the payment.
I'd have a 247 subscription for several months a year, but they made it such a pain in the ass to quit last time that I just won't. I don't think they understand how much business they lose like that.
here’s a crazy story:
I bought a month subscription to the DM Rag to get two opinion articles to use for my Journalism class. $1. Cancelled with no problem
But…
Now my school email is in their database. I’ve clicked on Unsubscribe many times to get a Page Not Found error message. I sent an email with a screen shot and still no response. Going to return in the fall with 134 days of Register emails in my inbox.
Sigh.
I bought a month subscription to the DM Rag to get two opinion articles to use for my Journalism class. $1. Cancelled with no problem
But…
Now my school email is in their database. I’ve clicked on Unsubscribe many times to get a Page Not Found error message. I sent an email with a screen shot and still no response. Going to return in the fall with 134 days of Register emails in my inbox.
Sigh.
For free trials that require a card number then start charging after X months I've used pre-paid Visa cards with a few bucks left in case I forget to cancel.
They have a cancel button now bc I reminded them that federal law requires being able to cancel a service as easily as signing up. If 247 allows online subscriptions, they can't require you to call to cancel; they have to allow online cancellation.
I just cancelled my credit card they were billing me after several unsuccessful calls. They emailed me that you could now cancel online, and I resubscribed.
I just cancelled my credit card they were billing me after several unsuccessful calls. They emailed me that you could now cancel online, and I resubscribed.
There was none on mine. I tried three different times over a couple of days to cancel it before the promo expired and never saw a cancel membership button.
Every time a company gives you a run around like this make sure you contact the Better Business Bureau. Also let the company know you are contacting the Better Business Bureau. It helps the bad actors get a bad name in the business.
Also make sure you are telling your story to everyone you can. The best way to screw businesses who try to screw you is to stand in the way of their new business leads with negative referrals.
I had a terrible experience with Republic the solid waste company. I had a small mom and pop garbage hauler. A few years ago we got notice that they had been bought out by Republic. I won't go into great detail but:
Also make sure you are telling your story to everyone you can. The best way to screw businesses who try to screw you is to stand in the way of their new business leads with negative referrals.
I had a terrible experience with Republic the solid waste company. I had a small mom and pop garbage hauler. A few years ago we got notice that they had been bought out by Republic. I won't go into great detail but:
- A late charge appeared on the very first bill from Republic. I learned that they added this late charge to every single customer who came over from the mom and pop company. When protested, they removed this charge. But how many customers just paid a bogus late charge?
- They said I still owed money from the previous hauler. We had paid them off completely. We produced cancelled checks. They said we had to take it up with the mom and pop. When you call the mom and pop's number they have a message that they are now out of business and you have to call Republic.
- We quickly got a new hauler. New hauler said they would cancel Republic for us. We signed a form authorizing them to do it. New hauler sent them a letter cancelling along with our form. Republic continued to bill us and said they didn't accept cancellations via US Mail. You had to find the hidden cancellation tab on their website or call them and sit in a queue for an hour before someone answered.
- I cancelled again and they were going to charge us until they could pick up our Republic garbage can. I offered to bring it to their yard myself and they said they couldn't have non-employees at their yard due to safety concerns.
- Republic is a racket who piss off so many customers with shady practices that they have to buy out smaller haulers to get their customers.
I cancelled Mediacom over 5 years ago and they will flood my mailbox with stuff, daily. i loathe Mediacom now.
"media" companies need subscriber numbers to show to their advertisers and shareholders. of course, it has ended in tears. newspapers, especially, played this all wrong.
My bank atm machine ate my card.
Had to go through some easy-peasy protocol in order to get a new card.
Given that my card account # was the ONLY source for various
subscription account withdrawals, ALL of my subscriptions became null n void.
If subscription accounts are based on checking account routing #'s, you're in for a cancelation headache, no matter the service.
Simple, despite a Minor headache, ask your bank for a new debit card, for whatever reason(s).
Ps. No cost to you, tho one might have to wait a few days, for a new card.
Had to go through some easy-peasy protocol in order to get a new card.
Given that my card account # was the ONLY source for various
subscription account withdrawals, ALL of my subscriptions became null n void.
If subscription accounts are based on checking account routing #'s, you're in for a cancelation headache, no matter the service.
Simple, despite a Minor headache, ask your bank for a new debit card, for whatever reason(s).
Ps. No cost to you, tho one might have to wait a few days, for a new card.
Edit. Cancel account withdrawls, via your checking account and bank routing #.
Have subscription/whatever payments processed via your debit card.
Again, ask for new card, for whatever reasons.
The card # change results in the inability for card processing via whatever entity.
Ps. Via my bank, once the atm eats a card, it's over. Bank employees have no access to the "guts"-retrieve. New card and # required.
This policy has allowed me to save a considerable amount of subscription-based waste, minus the bs associated with attempting to cancel numerous subscriptions.
Have subscription/whatever payments processed via your debit card.
Again, ask for new card, for whatever reasons.
The card # change results in the inability for card processing via whatever entity.
Ps. Via my bank, once the atm eats a card, it's over. Bank employees have no access to the "guts"-retrieve. New card and # required.
This policy has allowed me to save a considerable amount of subscription-based waste, minus the bs associated with attempting to cancel numerous subscriptions.
