Scum like WSJ still practice the call to cancel timewaste practice
California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
201–210 of 554 posts
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#202Another consumer first law I would like to see is that if a service detects you haven’t used it in the previous period, they refund your subscription fee. There is so much wasted money on zombie subscriptions that people forget about.
Doesn't work for services like Dropbox where they are giving you non refundable goods.
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#203Earlier quoted context omitted.
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...
Can this be solved by using IPv6 and addressing everything publicly?
Probably not:
1. NAT provides a basic level of security for your network. The same could be achieved with a firewall, but it isnt the norm.
2. Even without nat, there would still have to be _some_ computer that does the processing on the raw data from the IoT device. There is no reason that couldnt be your PC or Phone, but the precedent has been set that these tasks are performed on a managed device in the "cloud".
3. The companies involved will make less money.
A better solution would be to have an IoT gateway device publicly accessible that proxies access to the individual IoT devices. This would create a better security story. If this device were standards based, then each IoT vendor could integrate with it, and router vendors could add the capability to their devices. Of course there is no financial incentive for things to work this way.
I guess I only bring up NAT because it is yet another example of the "server" lie. There is no such thing as a computer that is a "server". Programs act as servers. Computers might be "server-class", but all that means is that they are high quality. Driving a wedge between "servers" and normal PCs just pushes more control out of individual's hands.
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#204Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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 y…
My name has an unusual spelling, so I always have to spell it on the phone. I've had issues every time I try to use the NATO alphabet for this, because several of the phonetics are names. E.g. someone named Matt might say:
"Matt, spelled Mike-Alpha-Tango-Tango"
And get the response:
"Ok Mike, now I need..."
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#205This 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
so the solution to having to call a merchant to cancel a subscription is to call your card issuer to cancel a subscription?
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#206Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am fairly certain that it isn't generally illegal to lie to people. Maybe a little shitty, but isn't it shitty to not let people unsubscribe from a service in the same manner they signed up?
This isn't just lying though, it sounds closer to fraud to me (lying go receive services you otherwise wouldn't). It also sounds a bit like parking in the disabled section. And I don't know if there are legal ramifications for using services that are for the disabled but I wouldn't be surprised if there were.
So I didn't downarrow you, but I think I can explain why you have been. You are conflating morality with law. Law can be amoral, and illegal actions can be moral.
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#207Earlier quoted context omitted.
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...
Can this be solved by using IPv6 and addressing everything publicly?
If you can convince your monopoly ISP to implement IPv6, among other hurdles.
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#208I've only used this a couple of times but I think it works:
"I'd like to cancel my service. I'm going to say this really clearly for the recording, in case I have to subpoena this for evidence. I want to cancel my service, effective [date]. When I hang up this phone, I want there to be no financial relationship between myself and your company of any kind. None. I don't want any further communication from you other than a final statement showing a zero balance due. Now we can make this call as long as you'd like. No. Financial. Relationship. We're done." Then go silent, and if they try to pitch you any products of any kind, interrupt and ask "Are you refusing to cancel my service? Speak clearly for the recording."
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#209This 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
so the solution to having to call a merchant to cancel a subscription is to call your card issuer to cancel a subscription?
I think the implication is that your card issuer won't fight you on the cancellation, whereas the service provider that is trying to make your life difficult has additional, phone-based hoops for you to jump through.
Re: California law requires businesses to let you cancel your subscription online
#210I hope this forces the NYTimes to allow online cancellations too.
You can unsubscribe via chat. The caveat is that it's a horrible experience which takes over an hour. I guess they want to make sure that if you leave you never want to come back. This makes them feel like such a shady company.