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California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online

niemanlab.org

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

#131

While I like the spirit of this law (rare for me with CA laws), I expect it to be ruled unconstitutional as attempting to regulate interstate commerce, whose so jurisdiction is under US Congress.

Generally, laws made by the legislature are well thought out. It's that nearly-immutable laws passed through initiative that screw up California law.

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

#132
post #81
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…

Have you tried text to speech dictation? macOS has this built into accessibility options under the speech category. You can assign a keyboard shortcut speak from highlighted text, simple as that. I use it to read faster cause I'm a slow reader.

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

#133
This was already required in the Visa Merchant agreement. If you signed up online. The merchant must provide an online way to cancel which could be email, webpage or chat. If they don't just call up your card issuer and file a "canceled recurring" dispute as the merchant doesn't provide a visa acceptable way to cancel the subscription.

https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/about-visa/15-April-2...

Section: 5.9.8.2

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

#134
post #43

Ring (the video doorbell) is exactly like this and I haven't gotten rid of my subscription because I keep forgetting and their hours are like 9 to 5pm. Hopefully this changes so that I can get rid of that crap.

I'm sorry, maybe it's my IoT-get-off-my-network/lawn hackles being raised here, but why does your doorbell need a subscription in the first place?

Basically because of NAT. Because the devices on your network can't all have public IP addressed, you have to have them all connect to a central public server. Public servers cost money->ring costs money.

Of course the reason things are architected this way is so that more people can make money...

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

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If more people do this, the scammers may stop supporting this workflow and force deaf users to get their friends to call.

Wouldn't that actually be illegal? Deafness is a medical condition and I doubt "get a friend to do it" would be a suitable accomodation.

Well, if they're scammers, do you think they'll care?

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

#137

Are you actually deaf? Or is lying to get exceptions that are meant for the disabled actually legal?

"exceptions that are meant for the disabled " Since when was the ability to cancel something online meant for the disabled? Either you or a loved one is disabled, and that's why you're so sensitive (if so, I cut you some slack). Otherwise, I have no clue why you're throwing such a hiss about this. Many businesses (like cable companies) are being complete assholes by making it hard for you to cancel their service. Som…

Not going to comment on whether I have loved ones who are disabled since its really nobody's business here and I don't need anybody "slack", but in any case, I wasn't "throwing such a hiss about this" -- I was asking if it was legal, and if you actually read the rest of my comments, you'll see I explicitly acknowledged that the other side's practice is scummy and that lying to 'get back at people' seems like potentially the most legitimate argument people are making here. Everyone else seems to be raging over this rather than me, so it's weird to give me the credit for it. The companies' practice angers me too; it's not like I'm on their side. But if I'm providing an outlet for everyone's anger then I guess I'm... glad to be of service?

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

#138
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> Stutter once and they think you meant 2 P’s when you just wanted to say a single P. And then it becomes this long drawn out process of “after AF6, it’s just a single P, but the rest of it is right” because you really don’t want to have to read out the entire code again Have you tried using the NATO alphabet? I don't know if that would be easier or more difficult for you to say, but it's worth a shot, since it'd be…

Generally speaking people working in call centre, or that deal with client all day long, like the NATO alphabet, especially people that have to deal with random code, or need to get names spelled right. People that I know worked in call centre love it, and carry on using it decades after they left that job.

It seems a bit more tedious, but the slower pace with reduced ambiguity means you almost never have to repeat yourself.

Worth giving it a shot, speech impairment or not.

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

#139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"exceptions that are meant for the disabled " Since when was the ability to cancel something online meant for the disabled? Either you or a loved one is disabled, and that's why you're so sensitive (if so, I cut you some slack). Otherwise, I have no clue why you're throwing such a hiss about this. Many businesses (like cable companies) are being complete assholes by making it hard for you to cancel their service. Som…

If more people do this, the scammers may stop supporting this workflow and force deaf users to get their friends to call.

Then in Europe, the US and Canada at least, they’ll be in violation of various laws and open to be sued.

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

#140
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.

Did you sign up online? The article says that they have to offer a way for you to cancel online if you originally signed up online .

I did, yes. I both signed up for a plan and entered my payment information online.
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