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Don't Subscribe So Casually

thebestworstcase.substack.com

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Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#51

Post by lo_zamoyski »

3form wrote: post #18
orsorna wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some don't treat months as discrete units. Uber revokes your membership immediately.

Also a common practice for free trials. Adobe does that if I'm not mistaken. Love seeing companies worth tens or hundreds of billions acting like they couldn't spare a cent from underhanded shit like that. Scrooge McDuck type of behavior, except he also had some redeeming qualities.

Somewhat tangential, but I am reminded of a quote about an adjacent problem with analogous flavor from the pen of the venerable G. K. Chesterton...

'It is really not so repulsive to see the poor asking for money as to see the rich asking for more money. And advertisement is the rich asking for more money. A man would be annoyed if he found himself in a mob of millionaires, all holding out their silk hats for a penny; or all shouting with one voice, “Give me money.” Yet advertisement does really assault the eye very much as such a shout would assault the ear. “Budge’s Boots are the Best” simply means “Give me money”; “Use Seraphic Soap” simply means “Give me money.” It is a complete mistake to suppose that common people make our towns commonplace, with unsightly things like advertisements. Most of those whose wares are thus placarded everywhere are very wealthy gentlemen with coronets and country seats, men who are probably very particular about the artistic adornment of their own homes. They disfigure their towns in order to decorate their houses.'

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#52

Post by [deleted] »

noja wrote: post #4
sa-code wrote: post #2

I would go a step further, cancel as soon as you subscribe. It's still valid for a month because you've paid for it! If you ever need to use the service again just re-subscribe (and re-cancel) In fact, what is stopping you from cancelling all your subscriptions right now? You can always buy back in when you like

Because for some subscriptions the price goes up.

[deleted]

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#54

Post by 0x59 »

I think generally people have trouble not subscribing casually which could be why so many services are setup the way they are. In US society we give people the Freedom of choice with all of the beautiful and ugly side-effects that comes along for the ride.

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#55

Post by 3form »

II2II wrote: post #41
3form wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also a common practice for free trials. Adobe does that if I'm not mistaken. Love seeing companies worth tens or hundreds of billions acting like they couldn't spare a cent from underhanded shit like that. Scrooge McDuck type of behavior, except he also had some redeeming qualities.

With free trials, I can understand revoking the benefits once the subscription has been canceled. While I can understand the consumer's perspective of not wanting to be billed for future months (say if they forgot to cancel), free trials are intended to attract future customers. If a person signals that they are not going to be a future customer, why should the business offer the free service?

Sorry, but they set their signaling mechanisms so that that signal is worthless. How many people who don't cancel want to signal they are going to be a future customer, as opposed to it being an accident? How many people who do cancel do it to signal they don't want to be a customer, and not because they don't want to be automatically billed? I believe the answer for both is "not many".

I think the companies do it because it benefits them, and because they can.

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#56

Post by 3form »

jonathanlydall wrote: post #47
3form wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also a common practice for free trials. Adobe does that if I'm not mistaken. Love seeing companies worth tens or hundreds of billions acting like they couldn't spare a cent from underhanded shit like that. Scrooge McDuck type of behavior, except he also had some redeeming qualities.

Apple TV free trials due to new hardware (e.g. new iPhone) is like this too, I just set a reminder on my phone and cancel it one day before they’ll start billing me. The UI for cancelling is also painless.

Uber is ahead of you. You need to cancel two days prior, or something on that note (I don't remember the exact timing).

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#57

Post by radium3d »

sa-code wrote: post #2

I would go a step further, cancel as soon as you subscribe. It's still valid for a month because you've paid for it! If you ever need to use the service again just re-subscribe (and re-cancel) In fact, what is stopping you from cancelling all your subscriptions right now? You can always buy back in when you like

[dead]

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#58

Post by 3form »

lo_zamoyski wrote: post #51
3form wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also a common practice for free trials. Adobe does that if I'm not mistaken. Love seeing companies worth tens or hundreds of billions acting like they couldn't spare a cent from underhanded shit like that. Scrooge McDuck type of behavior, except he also had some redeeming qualities.

Somewhat tangential, but I am reminded of a quote about an adjacent problem with analogous flavor from the pen of the venerable G. K. Chesterton... 'It is really not so repulsive to see the poor asking for money as to see the rich asking for more money. And advertisement is the rich asking for more money. A man would be annoyed if he found himself in a mob of millionaires, all holding out their silk hats for a penny;…

A nice summary, he would get quite a shock from seeing how advertisement business ended up. I wonder what addendum would he have to the oft-repeated claims of "we're genuinely helping people meet their needs", too.

Re: Don't Subscribe So Casually

#60

Post by massysett »

m463 wrote: post #45

I think costco membership has two reasons... Yes, the people who "subscribe" to costco are more loyal, etc. But it also excludes. The general public is probably a lot more labor-intensive for costco, and they eliminate that.

Their "shrink rate" is low. Members are less likely to steal.
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