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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

#221

Post by jrockway »

Karunamon wrote: post #91
jrockway wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My credit card expired and they sent my account to collections. I still subscribe because I like the work their journalists do, but when I read an article about how they're dying I don't really feel bad for them. (I am also tempted to cancel my Wall Street Journal subscription when I accidentally read an opinion column. Not sure why real journalists let partisan hacks put their opinion columns right next to their rea…

How is that not fraudulent? Obviously they're not giving you online access anymore or sending you papers once your card gets declined for a month-to-month subscription.

No, I resubscribed. They made a mistake by aggressively collecting on an open account.

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

#222

Post by function_seven »

JohnTHaller wrote: post #153
whoisjuan wrote: post #25

Imagine 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…

I said the phrase "I want to cancel cable but keep internet" 23 times to a Time Warner retention specialist then their supervisor, and I may have talked to her supervisor, too. They get paid to ignore you and read back canned responses like "but what about your favorite channels?", "what about watching sports?", etc. It was the first time my girlfriend had ever seen me angry.

I have a similar story with Spectrum/Charter.

I already had them for Internet access, but had DirecTV at the time for my TV.

They must have a quarterly quota to upsell to their subscriber base, so I'd get a call like clockwork every three months, pushing a cable TV package. Each time I'd tell them that the only reason I'm with DirecTV is because of Sunday Ticket (NFL package; exclusive to DTV). That always worked, until one day.

This sales rep responds with, "We have Redzone". I reply that it's not the same, and I really need the package I have with DTV. Then he says, "You know there are websites that stream all the games for free, right? Why not do that?"

Yeah, basically telling me to pirate the games.

... "That's a good point! Hell, I don't need any TV service at all then, right?"

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

#223

Post by dagenix »

jjcon wrote: post #182
jimmaswell wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like some kind of fraud, or at least an easy way to tank your credit and get debt collectors after you if caught. For what it's worth I've never had trouble canceling anything I've subscribed to.

For anyone wondering - no this definitively isn't fraud - no it will have no impact your credit (there isn't even a mechanism for this to happen), nor will it get debt collectors after you (you don't owe a subscription continual payment, failure to pay only means they can terminate your service).

Those are some pretty strong generalizations that I'm not convinced are true all the time.

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

#224

Post by jrockway »

jmckib wrote: post #156
jrockway wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My credit card expired and they sent my account to collections. I still subscribe because I like the work their journalists do, but when I read an article about how they're dying I don't really feel bad for them. (I am also tempted to cancel my Wall Street Journal subscription when I accidentally read an opinion column. Not sure why real journalists let partisan hacks put their opinion columns right next to their rea…

I canceled WSJ a little while ago and it was a total nightmare. Had to call a number, got put on hold for about 45 minutes, then had to answer a bunch of questions and deal with an aggressive sales pitch. Never subscribing again because of that. I'm sticking with Washington Post for now because it's a lot cheaper, has better politics coverage, and the cancelation process is more reasonable (I think, haven't had to do…

My plan was just to change my address to California, where they have an online cancellation option that's apparently required by law.

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

#225

Post by vntok »

websites2323 wrote: post #120
1shooner wrote: post #28

Most of this chatlog is "you" adding more noise than is necessary for this transaction.

Yes. Stick to the business at hand: this is who I am, this is how you can look me up in your system, this is what I want to do. Feedback doesn't help, they're not going to take your advice, don't waste your time. For example: "Please tell us the reason for your call today?" Should be met with the answer, "Please cancel my subscription." "May I ask why you want to cancel?" "Please cancel my subscription." "Have you ev…

This should be met with a combination of "Sir, are you having an aneurysm right now?" and "I'm sorry, our staff only speaks English. Non-English speakers should send a letter to postal address xxx".

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

#226

Post by brrrrrm »

jeffbee wrote: post #106

This is amusing but if you aren't trying to make memes, just email unsubscribe@nytimes.com, include all the necessary info about your account (account number, billing address), and in my experience they'll do it right away. Of course my experience has N=1, but there it is. Don't waste your time, use email.

I feel this is maliciously burdensome compared to the relative ease of signing up.

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

#228

Post by gsibble »

I have something like 4 subscriptions that I cannot figure out how to cancel on my AMEX. So I cancelled my AMEX. They now have a feature where your subscriptions will follow you any way. I literally have no way of getting rid of like $200 worth of fucking subscriptions unless I want to close my credit card account.

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

#229

Post by kortilla »

nkozyra wrote: post #172
vincentmarle wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting collections to your door for not paying your internet bill is mostly a European thing. I haven’t seen it in the US.

What does "to your door" mean here, because it's exactly how the process works in the US. Typically if don't pay a bill you'll get a few months to rectify with fees tacked on, then internal collections will happen or it'll be sold to a collection service. In both cases you'll get letters and eventually if the amount is high enough or the debt other otherwise motivated, a summons for pre trial mediation and then a civ…

Most of these subscriptions (nyt, prime, etc) are not debt. They are a service you pay monthly in advance for.

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

#230

Post by function_seven »

Ygg2 wrote: post #148
websites2323 wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Stick to the business at hand: this is who I am, this is how you can look me up in your system, this is what I want to do. Feedback doesn't help, they're not going to take your advice, don't waste your time. For example: "Please tell us the reason for your call today?" Should be met with the answer, "Please cancel my subscription." "May I ask why you want to cancel?" "Please cancel my subscription." "Have you ev…

Ah, yes. Treat others as souless automatons option.

Well, yeah. They're following a flowchart that labels common objections and the responses to overcome them. You're in a pipeline. Your job is to get to the end of that pipeline without being shunted off in long and meandering side paths.
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