Netflix does something similar. It won't let you remove your credit card so you don't get billed automatically after the first month.
Can't you just cancel your account at any time? https://help.netflix.com/en/node/407
Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
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Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#42Honestly 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.
Also then drama in the newsroom. It does not inspire optimism about the professionalism and objectivity of their coverage.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#43Honestly 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…
You must really like the NYT. These dark patterns are never excusable.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#44I signed up in app for they $1 a week or whatever offer during the election cycle and also had to go through this ordeal, although it wasn't as bad.
Initially it sounded like you had to call them or fax your cancellation, so I was already happy when I found the chat option.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#45Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#46I subscribed to the NYT a couple years back. I had to talk to a rep to get canceled, and at one point he offered something like half a year for free if I'd keep the subscription. I insisted on canceling, because I was getting irritated, and he laughed out loud that I refused the free offer. Right then they lost me forever as a customer. But it was a valuable lesson on looking at the exit strategy for a service before…
There is value to them in having you as an active subscriber on a paid plan, even if they've given you a discount.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#47Honestly 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…
If they really need to rely on dark patterns just to survive - which I highly doubt is the case - then they simply don’t deserve to survive.
Yes, it sucks, but that’s how the free market works.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#48I'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.
Woah, I had no clue that Privacy existed before but it looks really cool! What do you think of the service? Have you had any problems with it?
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#49Imagine 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…
This isn't the first time I've seen NYT cancellation process in my social feeds. It has to be a negative feedback loop cycle. People that read HN are absolutely the type that would consider paying for NYT (or at least the two cohorts have great overlap).
This cancellation process never considered the impact of internet cancel culture and rage reactions. It's far easier to damage a brand than it is to build it up.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#50Netflix does something similar. It won't let you remove your credit card so you don't get billed automatically after the first month.
Can't you just cancel your account at any time? https://help.netflix.com/en/node/407
When most people see "cancel membership" they will think it is immediately. They will just wait to cancel until the last possible day and when they forget it's free money for Netflix. It's smart/shady. I'm sure it contributes to their decreasing churn.