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California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

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

#261

Post by ghayes »

mltony wrote: post #246
wittjeff wrote: post #208

I've only used this a couple of times but I think it works: "I'd like to cancel my service. I'm going to say this really clearly for the recording, in case I have to subpoena this for evidence. I want to cancel my service, effective [date]. When I hang up this phone, I want there to be no financial relationship between myself and your company of any kind. None. I don't want any further communication from you other th…

But recording phone conversations is illegal in most states, so unless you live in a state where it's legal, they might know that you are bluffing.

Isn't it legal in every state so long as you disclose that the call is being recorded?

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

#262

Post by djrogers »

dawnerd wrote: post #108
jchw wrote: post #94

Cancelling by phone sound bad? Planet Fitness will only let you cancel in person or by certified mail. I moved to California recently, and I still had a Planet Fitness subscription (it was the closest gym to me and it was open 24/7, I won't be doing it again) and now I'm curious if I can use this against them.

They'll likely find some loophole around not calling it a subscription. "You're timesharing with our gyms"

Well lucky for us, the law doesn’t call it a subscription either.

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

#263

Post by imgabe »

mltony wrote: post #246
wittjeff wrote: post #208

I've only used this a couple of times but I think it works: "I'd like to cancel my service. I'm going to say this really clearly for the recording, in case I have to subpoena this for evidence. I want to cancel my service, effective [date]. When I hang up this phone, I want there to be no financial relationship between myself and your company of any kind. None. I don't want any further communication from you other th…

But recording phone conversations is illegal in most states, so unless you live in a state where it's legal, they might know that you are bluffing.

Usually the company is recording the call for "quality assurance purposes". They've already notified you of this and by staying on the call you consent to the recording. It is always legal to record if both parties consent.

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

#264

Post by tacon »

mygo wrote: post #81
harryh wrote: post #12

For places that require a phone call I came up with a trick to cancel via email. If they reply back via email and say I have to call them, I tell them I'm deaf and can't talk on the phone. Works every time.

I actually have a speech impairment (a stutter) and you’d think people would be willing to accommodate. I can speak just fine when I have complete agency over the words I choose to say, but it’s the absolute worst when I have to read out some long specific access code or account number and say it 100% correct. Stutter even once and they think I meant 2 P’s when I just wanted to say a single P. And then it becomes thi…

I suggest creating a form letter where you threaten to file an ADA action against them, as well as notifying your state's attorney, etc. Plus cc: the local TV station consumer reporter. When they give you static, they get a copy of that letter sent to their registered corporate agent, return receipt. Their lawyer has to handle all such legal threats. ADA actions are extremely expensive for corporations.

People without an ADA issue should send their cancellation notice to the registered corporate agent, return receipt, which sets the date of cancellation and gets their (expensive) lawyer involved. Threaten to sue them under your deceptive trade practices statutes if they continue to bill your account. Lawyers shed these kind of nuisance things quickly and cut through the bureaucracy. Your file will be stamped "service terminated" posthaste. There is no better way to communicate your desire to terminate service than to notify their registered agent in writing.

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

#265

Post by mb_72 »

leekyle333 wrote: post #17

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

This is exactly why I changed my payment method with them to a virtual credit card. When I want to stop my sub I'll just block the VCC via my online banking. There is no way I'm spending time and money calling internationally to unsubscribe.

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

#266

Post by [deleted] »

bb88 wrote: post #89
rdiddly wrote: post #18

OK now here's an excellent use for Google Duplex. Using a robot to fool a person: annoying. Using a robot to fool someone annoying: fine!

Google has since changed this. Google Duplex will not "fool" humans any more. They announce that they're the "Google Assistant" calling on behalf of a customer. I think unfortunately what will happen is that people will just hang up on the google assistant because it's not a real human. It'll be kind of like what happened to the "glassholes". Maybe not as mean though.

[deleted]

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

#267

Post by dgudkov »

harryh wrote: post #12

For places that require a phone call I came up with a trick to cancel via email. If they reply back via email and say I have to call them, I tell them I'm deaf and can't talk on the phone. Works every time.

How about just sending a notification of cancellation by snail mail?

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

#268

Post by Karunamon »

wittjeff wrote: post #255
mltony wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But recording phone conversations is illegal in most states, so unless you live in a state where it's legal, they might know that you are bluffing.

In some states only one party needs to know about the recording. In some state all parties need to know about it. If you tell them up front, they can refuse, but then it's just evidence that they're being difficult. Certain keywords like "lawsuit" can break the strictly regimented conversation tree too.

Be a bit careful with the "l" word - many companies instruct their reps to immediately stop dealing with people that threaten legal proceedings over the phone and tell them to contact the company attorneys.

Remember that any company that doesn't empower the phone support people to help you probably didn't empower them enough to go off-script.

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

#269

Post by testvox »

mltony wrote: post #246
wittjeff wrote: post #208

I've only used this a couple of times but I think it works: "I'd like to cancel my service. I'm going to say this really clearly for the recording, in case I have to subpoena this for evidence. I want to cancel my service, effective [date]. When I hang up this phone, I want there to be no financial relationship between myself and your company of any kind. None. I don't want any further communication from you other th…

But recording phone conversations is illegal in most states, so unless you live in a state where it's legal, they might know that you are bluffing.

Recording phone conversations secretly without the prior consent of all participants is illegal in many states. No state I am aware of disallows the recording of phone conversations entirely. For instance the law in my "two party consent" state, MA, defines the offense as

> 1. Interception, oral communications prohibited. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section any person who? willfully commits an interception, attempts to commit an interception, or procures any other person to commit an interception or to attempt to commit an interception of any wire or oral communication shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned in the state prison for not more than five years, or imprisoned in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one half years, or both so fined and given one such imprisonment.

and defines interception as

> 4. The term 'interception' means to secretly hear, secretly record, or aid another to secretly hear or secretly record the contents of any wire or oral communication through the use of any intercepting device by any person other than a person given prior authority by all parties to such communication;...

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Cha...

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

#270

Post by brunoborges »

harryh wrote: post #12

For places that require a phone call I came up with a trick to cancel via email. If they reply back via email and say I have to call them, I tell them I'm deaf and can't talk on the phone. Works every time.

You can also say: "Because I was convicted and I am going to prison by next week."
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