Live data from Hacker News

California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

niemanlab.org

51–60 of 554 posts

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

#51
post #48

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.

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

First of all, he said "deaf", not "hard of hearing".

Second ̶o̶n̶e̶, so you're fine with lying to get services you otherwise wouldn't if no one can actualy prove you're lying?

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

#52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Let me clarify. The bank accepted a 7 figure wire transfer but I wasn't allowed to pay the full amount. I had to pay the leftover in person, even after I got the payoff statement.

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

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Parking in a handicapped spot takes resources away from people who need it. This gets around an unethical business practice designed to charge money from people who no longer agree to receive services.

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

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's not like that at all, because it encourages more services for people with disabilities, instead of taking them away. Every site should be more prepared to accommodate people who can't or don't want to talk on the phone.

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

#55
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

> "I'm hard of hearing." Prove that I'm not. At that point it's one dark pattern against another. First of all, he said "deaf", not "hard of hearing". Second ̶o̶n̶e̶, so you're fine with lying to get services you otherwise wouldn't if no one can actualy prove you're lying?

Profound question: can you act unethically against unethical people?

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

#56

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

Excellent point!

People with fully functioning hearing should have to sit through 2 hours of comcast customer service trying to cancel their service.

Only the lucky people who have handicaps should be able to easily cancel their subscriptions.

When you sign a subscription, no one promised it would be easy to get out of it. They're lucky not to have to pay a cancellation fee.

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

#57

The New York Times doesn't allow you to cancel your subscription online.

As with someone else's report about the LA Times: they say they don't, but you don't have to care what they say.

I did it this way. I went to their live help chat. The moment I said "cancel", I was redirected to another representative, who was clearly trained in customer retention. I held my ground (which is so much easier for me in chat than on a phone call!) and cancelled.

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

#58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

More like pooping in a handicap stall.

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

#59
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It's not like that at all, because it encourages more services for people with disabilities, instead of taking them away. Every site should be more prepared to accommodate people who can't or don't want to talk on the phone.

> It's not like that at all, because it encourages more services for people with disabilities, instead of taking them away.

I mean you could argue the same for parking right? If everyone parked in the disabled section then you'd encourage having more such parking. And this also requires paying a representative more hours to deal with emails etc. It's not like there's zero cost.

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

#60

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

> exceptions that are meant for the disabled

The cool thing about disability accommodations is that they're also super handy for the able-bodied, too.

Post reply on HN