California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online • Hacker News Board

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#41

Post by ebikelaw » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:00 PM UTC

My bank allows me to cancel my credit card online, which is good enough for me.

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#42

Post by mehrdadn » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:01 PM UTC

Are you actually deaf? Or is lying to get exceptions that are meant for the disabled actually legal?

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#43

Post by dv_dt » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:01 PM UTC

docker_up wrote: post #28

Ring (the video doorbell) is exactly like this and I haven't gotten rid of my subscription because I keep forgetting and their hours are like 9 to 5pm. Hopefully this changes so that I can get rid of that crap.

I'm sorry, maybe it's my IoT-get-off-my-network/lawn hackles being raised here, but why does your doorbell need a subscription in the first place?

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#44

Post by mistermann » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:02 PM UTC

fishbone wrote: post #19

danso wrote: post #8

I recently had to cancel an ongoing subscription I had with Equifax, which requires you to call by phone. Unbelievably frustrating. I had to dial the service at least 10 times. Each time, the automated responder would make me go through a very slow menu selection process, only to randomly fail to acknowledge either my correct SSN or zipcode or street number, which I entered using a keypad. As a consumer, I've had to…

Please listen closely, our menu options have changed

We are experiencing higher than normal call volume.

Every. Single. Day.

I would like to give executives the option to stop this or go to prison for this never ending nonsense. I think most would choose to stop.

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#45

Post by Skunkleton » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:02 PM UTC

mehrdadn wrote: post #42

Are you actually deaf? Or is lying to get exceptions that are meant for the disabled actually legal?

I am fairly certain that it isn't generally illegal to lie to people. Maybe a little shitty, but isn't it shitty to not let people unsubscribe from a service in the same manner they signed up?

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#46

Post by thelastidiot » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:04 PM UTC

docker_up wrote: post #28

Ring (the video doorbell) is exactly like this and I haven't gotten rid of my subscription because I keep forgetting and their hours are like 9 to 5pm. Hopefully this changes so that I can get rid of that crap.

And interestingly "9 to 5pm" CENTRAL time. So here is my theory. Most service calls for the same company will be 24/7 out of India, Philippines, etc, where cost is low but ROI is good. Then cancellation done in the USA at "normal" biz hours to make it a real PITA.

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#47

Post by LeifCarrotson » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:04 PM UTC

jjoonathan wrote: post #13

danso wrote: post #8

I recently had to cancel an ongoing subscription I had with Equifax, which requires you to call by phone. Unbelievably frustrating. I had to dial the service at least 10 times. Each time, the automated responder would make me go through a very slow menu selection process, only to randomly fail to acknowledge either my correct SSN or zipcode or street number, which I entered using a keypad. As a consumer, I've had to…

We really need some kind of consumer protection against IVR gauntlets.

Interactive Voice Response System, to save a trip for others who didn't know the acronym.

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#48

Post by 13of40 » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:06 PM UTC

mehrdadn wrote: post #42

Are you actually deaf? Or is lying to get exceptions that are meant for the disabled actually legal?

"I'm hard of hearing." Prove that I'm not. At that point it's one dark pattern against another.

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#49

Post by thelastidiot » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:07 PM UTC

rebuilder wrote: post #31

kelukelugames wrote: post #26

I wish this applied to banks too. I tried to pay off my mortgage this week and I had to go to a physical bank and handle them a check for seven hundred dollars. So stupid.

That seems very weird to me. I'd think it's more expensive for the bank to process a check than an electronic transaction.

Not if there is fraud involved.

Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

#50

Post by mehrdadn » Thu, Jul 05, 2018, 9:07 PM UTC

Skunkleton wrote: post #45

mehrdadn wrote: post #42

Are you actually deaf? Or is lying to get exceptions that are meant for the disabled actually legal?

I am fairly certain that it isn't generally illegal to lie to people. Maybe a little shitty, but isn't it shitty to not let people unsubscribe from a service in the same manner they signed up?

This isn't just lying though, it sounds closer to fraud to me (lying go receive services you otherwise wouldn't). It also sounds a bit like parking in the disabled section. And I don't know if there are legal ramifications for using services that are for the disabled but I wouldn't be surprised if there were.