Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

imgur.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 845 posts

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#21

Post by jrockway »

tambeb wrote: post #19
thgaway17 wrote: post #5

Not paying the bill worked for me.

Haha yes! Right around the time I decided I didn't want the sub anymore was luckily right around when I cancelled (for unrelated reasons) the credit card they had on file. Super easy!

My credit card expired and they sent my account to collections. I still subscribe because I like the work their journalists do, but when I read an article about how they're dying I don't really feel bad for them.

(I am also tempted to cancel my Wall Street Journal subscription when I accidentally read an opinion column. Not sure why real journalists let partisan hacks put their opinion columns right next to their real work. Strange business model!)

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#22

Post by rawtxapp »

I've never been able to cancel any subscription with ease, so nowadays I always use Privacy to get temporary credit cards. When I want the subscription cancelled, I try the provider's website, if it doesn't work, I just cancel the card all together.

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#24

Post by bavell »

vidanay wrote: post #13
chris_wot wrote: post #11

When they ask why you are cancelling say "No reason". There is literally nothing they can say to prolong the whole experience. Don't volunteer any information. Don't tell them what is wrong with their website. Don't tell them anything. You will make the whole process go longer.

I always chose "other" for any question of this type. If there is a text box that must be filled out to describe "other", I always write "Other".

Love it, definitely gonna start doing that now! Thanks!

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#25

Post by whoisjuan »

Imagine having a business model so fragile that your only line of defense is to obscure the cancellation process through these tactics. Do they really think that they can curve their churn this way?

I mean best you’re doing is getting maybe another month or so of revenue from a customer who is just pushing the pain of cancelling because they are busy or lazy.

And at the end instead of getting what could be a dormant customer who can sign up later again, what you get is someone who hates your company.

What an incredibly stupid way to erode the brand of a publication, whose major asset to survive is precisely its brand.

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#26

Post by bwag »

salex89 wrote: post #3

General advice when subscribing to NYT is to do it through PayPal. Once you cut them loose from their funding from PayPal, they let you go without hesitation.

This. I've been using privacy.com for all my online subscriptions. I just cancel the card I used to sign up and call it a day.

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#27

Post by leesalminen »

aerovistae wrote: post #17

Honestly only case where I'm willing to overlook it. It's so hard for them to stay in the black. I can't imagine, in this age. For a serious newspaper that does good investigative journalism, I'll accept some desperate measures to keep subscribers and not hold it against them. Any other company and I'd call them garbage, but the NYT does a lot of good. (Same would go for other top investigative journals that have pub…

> For a serious newspaper

Unfortunately this is now a debatable topic. Their headlines have been trending towards the National Enquirer for years.

IMHO, they should crash and burn.

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#29

Post by hitekker »

I recommend http://privacy.com for guarding against greedy, software subscriptions.

1. Create a virtual credit card for one merchant

2. Set the monthly payment limit just above the merchant's monthly charge

3. When you no longer feel like paying the charge, decrease the limit to $1 a month or just cancel the card.

4. Any future charges will be blocked!

5. Let the merchant's systems go through the hassle of terminating your account.

Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it

#30

Post by perryizgr8 »

I always hate it when a customer service person asks me why I'm canceling their subscription.

I called my mobile phone carrier to cancel and they asked me why. I said "I don't like your TV advertisements". That put a quick end to that line of enquiry.

Post reply on HN