What BS. you know it's BS b/c there's no symmetry.
Where are the account managers gate-keeping NYT subscription to make sure it's really what you want?
Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
511–520 of 845 posts
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#512Earlier quoted context omitted.
Have you read it recently? There certainly are trollish (but not insane) rightwingers like Rod Liddle and Toby Young, and Taki must be published solely to wind up left-wingers. But the main editorial slant is basically Cameron-conservative/New Labour types like Nick Cohen, Katy Balls, Isabel Hardman, Matthew Paris etc. It's definitely right-of-center and doesn't mind cocking a snook at left-wing holy cows, but it's n…
The Spectator routinely publishes misinfo.
Would you like to provide an example? Or, better, several examples to establish a pattern that couldn't also be found in, for example, The Guardian or NYT?
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#513This was exactly my experience with The Economist. I tried for a few weeks to get through to someone because the queues were long, and I didn't have the time to wait around, checking the chat box every minute.
It is absolutely unacceptable to have to chat to someone in order to cancel your subscription and I lost all my respect for the publication since.
It is very sad to see this is industry-wide.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#514Anyone else get email saying "Please subscribe for 15 something. And offer ends in 48 hours". But you get same offer everyday :D
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#515Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've no experience with the bank named and assume it is in the US, but for what it is worth, in the UK people hardly ever pay for bank accounts. It does appear to be viable, although I'm not sure how it works.
Revenue from account fees must be peanuts, they make their money lending/investing/etc. deposits, in normal times interest rates are positive, so they might even pay for custom, getting more deposits, giving them more capital to make their money from. Charging for bank accounts in North America is just like commission on retail brokers - everyone else is doing it, so why not? Eventually probably 'fintech startup chal…
The big US banks each make over $1.5B in overdraft fees yearly. Fees on consumer accounts make up about 3-4% of the big banks annual income. Not as much as they make on consumer interest payments, but those are still some pretty big peanuts. I think they'd feel it if they scrapped fees.
https://money.cnn.com/2017/02/22/investing/atm-overdraft-fee...
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#516I 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…
> they want to persuade me to hold a set of opinions Glad more people are realizing this. It's harder to spot/acknowledge for people on the left since the biased coverage feeds into their worldview...in my opinion it's artificially solidified their confidence on how "correct" they feel they are about political topics. The next step in this realization is nothing to do with one-sided reporting, it's the massive scale…
I'm an outsider to US politics (in that I'm Australian), but I'm really interested to know what widely held "left" views you think are "incorrect"?
The topics I understand as being pushed by the left in the US just seem so centerist to me, based on the political landscape that I'm living in.
Single payer health care, minimum wage increases, increases in social support nets... So many topics I'd love to hear the argument against from any stand point that isn't pure capitalist greed.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#517Reading the horror stories in this thread, I am asking myself if this is only the issue with US based companies. I have never had this kind of problem with EU based company. Fellow Europeans, what is your experience? Have I just been lucky?
Here in The Netherlands there's a law that you should be able to cancel the same way you signed up. Signed up through a web form? Should be able to cancel through one. If they don't offer it, the closest alternative is valid. Just send them an e-mail with the relevant information and you've legally canceled. Doesn't matter whether they like it, accept it or respond to it, the subscription is void. If they keep collecting money, just reverse the charges. They'll have to sue to actually get your money, which they'll never do, because their lawyers aren't stupid and know that they'll lose (it has actually happened).
It wouldn't surprise me if this actually originated as an EU regulation instead of national law.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#518Earlier quoted context omitted.
Speaking from Australia, we have outstanding customer protection and rights, and no massive hoops or hurdles to go to get it that would be more significant than anything in the US. It’s really much more just. Fraud or improper charges are also easily immediately rescinded if using a credit card. What kind of cover for fees for international use are you talking about?
> Fraud or improper charges are also easily immediately rescinded if using a credit card. I'm not sure how exactly it compares, but every credit card at least in my lifetime in the US has been bound by these same protections. > What kind of cover for fees for international use are you talking about? Sorry, this is more of a tangent that I should have denoted, as it's not specifically related to fraud or consumer righ…
> At least compared to the major European and Asian countries in which I've traveled or lived in, credit card and bank/debit card offerings in the US are extremely generous in benefits, rewards, fees, etc.
That's true in my experience. It's hard to find a card that doesn't charge ridiculous fees for foreign transactions (even in local currency), for example.
There's the other side of the medal though. Which is that somebody is going to pay for this generosity by the card companies.
Either merchants pay ludicrous fees, which are severely capped in Europe. Or card companies outright rip off the less fortunate members of society by usurious interest rates and fees. Fees, which may be outright criminal[1] if charged in some of the European countries.
[1] That's not hyperbole. For example: Interest rates in Switzerland are capped at 15% annually. If you charge more than that for a loan it's usury, which is part of the criminal code.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#519I wish I was surprised to see this.
Re: Before buying a NYT subscription, here's what it'll take to cancel it
#520I subscribed last year via the app, so the subscription and payments were handled by Apple. When the NYT jacked up the price, it was quite straightforward to unsubscribe. I had heard horror stories like this before, so I'm glad I did it through Apple.
(It wasn't completely straightforward. I did have to search for how to do it -- I wouldn't have found the option otherwise!)