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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

#411

Post by vinay427 »

HenryBemis wrote: post #402
8note wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I cancelled audible, it wouldnt even let me use the app, let alone use credits I had

Stating the obvious here: it is a Service. When you stop the provision of a cellular service, you immediately lose access to the the service. If you have not consumed the remaining of your points/credit/etc. I find it hard that the service provider would be nice enough to let you consume them points/credit/etc. Exceptions will exist, but the general rule is such.

That's not how Audible works. You buy the credits with your subscription unlike an unlimited-consumption model such as Netflix. As a result, they have a policy of allowing credits to be used for a limited time after canceling: https://help.audible.com/s/article/do-i-keep-my-credits-if-i...

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

#412

Post by byecomputer »

gnopgnip wrote: post #349
dealforager wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use Privacy.com for this reason and to not worry about my cards getting leaked. I create a card per-subscription and set the monthly limit to exactly the cost of the subscription. When I want to cancel, if it's not easy I just destroy the virtual card.

Cancelling a card and not paying a bill doesn't mean you no longer owe the underlying debt. A real company like the NYT will still pursue collecting the debt

You typically get charged in advance for periodical subscriptions. If the charge doesn't go through, they simply won't send you the paper anymore.

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

#413

Post by smangold »

I went through this process last month, and I was shocked to the bottom. Absolutely unprofessional. Thank you for spreading the word. I didn't even think of contacting NYT and complaining, because I knew from this experience that all I could ever reach would have been those awful robots. Thanks for sharing this. NYT, let's please fix that and move on.

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

#414

Post by ianbooker »

kristianc wrote: post #144
e-clinton wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Normal? What other business does that? I can’t think of one.

If you don’t use Amazon Prime during the trial period (or over the year if you sign up for a year) Amazon auto refund you.

But canceling prime does not make you a non-customer for amazon. People tend to forget that. You can still order, you still have your account and the refund is an incentive to "come back" -- although you never left.

Not to criticize this behavior, just to set it into the proper context. Its just smart to see the potential customer in your cancellations anyway.

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

#415

Post by gwd »

Spivak wrote: post #62
rawtxapp wrote: post #22

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.

There is some danger to this since just because your card is declined doesn’t mean that you stop owing them money. Gyms like to take advantage of this.

You don't owe someone money just because they say you do. If you've given notice to someone that you want to cancel in a reasonable way, then you don't owe them money any more. Keep documentation of your efforts to cancel, and if they try to put something on your credit report, go to court.

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

#417

Post by wickedsickeune »

andix wrote: post #368
rawtxapp wrote: post #22

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.

It only works if you didn't give them your name and address. At least in Europe some debt collection agencies will track you down and charge an enormous fee, and will leave you with a bad credit score.

There's a "credit score" in Europe???

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

#418

Post by vinay427 »

oliwarner wrote: post #405
pottertheotter wrote: post #151

I had a similar issue with the Wall Street Journal a few years back, and despite having spent the majority of my career working on Wall Street, I’ll never buy a subscription again. I signed up for a really good deal for 6 months of digital + paper delivery, but my paper always arrived a day or two late, so before my 6 months were up I tried to cancel, but couldn’t figure out a way to do so on their website. I message…

Incidents like this make me wonder why there isn't an appetite for better consumer rights in the US. If this had happened in the UK, you'd have the option to pro-actively block the payment, recover it, and legal standing to defend getting your money back. Letting companies redefine the rights of their customers seems bizarre to me.

This does exist for credit cards in the US. There are guidelines by which credit card issuers must abide by customer requests, and they're seemingly always happy to side with the consumer when it's even somewhat reasonable.

> Letting companies redefine the rights of their customers seems bizarre to me.

Maybe it's just what I was used to, but I think it's far more annoying in many European countries (not sure about the UK but at least the one I live in) where it's harder to return products without specific proof and following strict guidelines, virtually impossible to get a credit or debit card that covers all fees for normal international use, difficult to get a fraud or improper charge on a card statement immediately rescinded, etc.

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

#419

Post by sporkland »

I've been looking into cancelling my NYT subscription for reasons. Everytime I look at their page to cancel they say they have no online agents available and I can call them instead. Which causes me to delay further. But the fact that it's been so hard to cancel is making the probability that I will cancel and never resubscribe 100%.

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

#420

Post by noir-york »

drzoltar wrote: post #376
chmod600 wrote: post #278

I just cancelled and it was relatively painless, to their credit. When they asked the reason, I said that political coverage was unfair. Left is OK, unfair is not. I don't consider myself "on the left" but I really don't mind a publication being left of center or right of center. If it's good, I will pay for it (I subscribed tp The Atlantic at least twice, and the New Yorker once, and probably others in a mix of prin…

Which other paid news publications do you prefer over the NYT?

Consider this another vote for the Financial Times and the Economist. I am subscribed to both, and Foreign Affairs.
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