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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

#531

Post by rogual »

niklasd wrote: post #467

I also just canceled my NYT subscription (or, more accurate: I am in the process of doing that) and it is just terrible. I am in Germany, and basically they do not accept your cancellation via writing to the customer support, but require you to call a callcenter, which is extremly hard to reach (either they do not pick up, or the connection quality is so bad that they don't understand what you're saying). In short, I…

As far as I'm concerned, I don't need the company to "accept" my cancellation. I simply need to inform them, in writing, that I have cancelled, and to stop paying.

Life's too short to jump through these hoops with abusive corporations.

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

#532

Post by tobsterius »

I vaguely remember that at one point the NYT provided a way to just simply cancel your account through a link on the NYT account portal -- no need to chat with a specialist. Though, it could have been another paper subscription that allowed for that, I don't remember fully, it was probably 4 years ago at this point.

Anyway, I cancelled my NYT subscription a few months ago and received no push back from the specialist. While this tactic might be something that's expected from management, I don't think everyone is willing to do it... or maybe the specialist I chatted with met their retainment quotas for the month (if that's a thing.).

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

#533

Post by thinkingemote »

Lindsay Anderson the British film director with strong left wing or anarchist views only read the Daily Telegraph ( right wing paper) as "it makes it easier to see the lies".

A good tactic to avoid retreating into one's own news bubble.

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

#535

Post by fimdomeio »

Making a subscription that by default lasts forever should be ilegal. Users should always have a choice to subscribe by a certain amount of time or undefinitely. Personally the fact that services start a business relationship with me trying to trick me into forgeting to unsubscribe is the main reason why I avoid subscriptions at all.

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

#536

Post by rogual »

andix wrote: post #368
rawtxapp wrote: post #22

I've never been able to cancel any subscription with ease, so nowadays I always use Privacy to get temporary credit cards. When I want the subscription cancelled, I try the provider's website, if it doesn't work, I just cancel the card all together.

It only works if you didn't give them your name and address. At least in Europe some debt collection agencies will track you down and charge an enormous fee, and will leave you with a bad credit score.

Happened to me. Cancelled Sky Broadband, CS reps wouldn't acknowledge it. Got sick of the back-and-forth. Sky don't just make you wait on hold for 30 mins, they play ads at you while you wait. Fuck that. Stopped the direct debit.

Debt collectors got in touch years later asking for £50.

I said, "fine, send me a copy of whatever bill I supposedly didn't pay."

They didn't have it. "We don't have any documentation, just pay us."

Escalated to a complaint and they dropped it.

I'd do the same again, but could totally understand why some people wouldn't. YMMV.

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

#537

Post by olliewagner »

I’ve had this frustration with a number of subscriptions over the years, but there’s a great workaround—subscribe from the App Store. I get access to the NYT website, and cancellation is one button press away in my subscription settings.

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

#538

Post by dbetteridge »

mfDjB wrote: post #439
oliwarner wrote: post #405

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Incidents like this make me wonder why there isn't an appetite for better consumer rights in the US. If this had happened in the UK, you'd have the option to pro-actively block the payment, recover it, and legal standing to defend getting your money back. Letting companies redefine the rights of their customers seems bizarre to me.

Currently in the UK, I had a really bad experience with 3, where I tried to cancel, I was informed that I had my account cancelled and then they kept billing me (for months). I consulted with some lawyers and they told me since I had only done business on the phone (the only way the company does this business by the way) that was essentially my word against the companies. There was no way to email them and even when…

Historically I've had good luck emailing/live chatting them stating 'This message confirm xyz, please confirm within X days. Lack of response will be taken as confirmation.'

Keep a record of that and when it comes down to having to make a complaint you can present it to the ombudsman.

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

#539

Post by christophilus »

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…

This is what throwaway credit card numbers are for. I'd like to see that concept become more mainstream. If you make it hard for me to cancel a service, fine. It's a single click in a well-designed financial app: delete card.

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

#540

Post by gcbirzan »

deusex_ wrote: post #298
uka wrote: post #147

I just unsubscribed using web form. There are some dark patterns involved but not too dark. E.g. first option is the chat with representative, second is the call by phone and third option is the web form. After I have navigated 3 pages using "default button" for canceling the unsubscription process - it is done. It's not the best experience, but not the nightmare the OP described.

They only have the form for people in California or Europe. long live strong consumer protection laws

I'm in the EU and I don't have a form.
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