OohDaLolly
44511
1226
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Marked mature for spicy language. Went to cancel my Sirius XM subscription (got an amazing year-long deal) and they forced me to chat with an AI bot in order to cancel the subscription. Fuck. That. Noise.
Shaodyn
How else will they get anybody to use the AI chatbot they spent way too much money on (that nobody wants to use)?
Manse84
You forgot chat with the bot, who makes you 3 different offers, then connects you to a human who tries two additional deals before finally cancelling.
JohnnyLawlessEsq
"Today, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling that the FTC's 'One-Click-Cancel' rule is unconstitutional because the founding fathers didn't mention it in the Constitution. During oral arguments, the solicitor general pointed out that AR-15s aren't mentioned in the Constitution, to which Justice Alito replied 'lol.'"
Renuvian
I wonder if this extends to companies that require a written letter to cancel.
SJBSavageInk
I would honestly be happier if they stopped letting companies sell our information and demanded that anywhere people can opt into giving information or joining lists default to not opted in automatically.
Seanspeed
More ethical maybe, but people are so freaking unaware and unappreciative of how much of the internet they get to use and access for free. If we stopped this, it would be insanely disruptive, and far more consequential than most people would imagine. Losing access to tons of what we take for granted on the internet, just for some better peace of mind? I honestly think it would backfire and be massively unpopular after a short while.
RummageSaleBubbler
When does the new FTC rule begin?
OohDaLolly
According to the article, business have 180 days to get their stuff together. But that also means 180 days to fight the ruling.
sfrinlan
If you want to sign up, you can do it over the web in 3 clicks! If you want to cancel, simply send a self-addressed stamped envelope via certified mail using an all-white carrier pigeon named Domingo along with 6 shelled and 4 unshelled peanuts harvested on a partly cloudy Thursday in September in the coastal plains of Georgia by a team of workers that is comprised of at least 25% Belizean heritage.
VaultBoy2319
In our Xbox 360 era, we couldn't get my wife unsubscribed from Xbox Live Gold, because there was literally no option to do so, until we found a workaround online, where someone said in Wisconsin, you HAD to have an option to cancel a subscription, so we set her account's address to an abandoned warehouse in wisconsin they had suggested.
gummbunn
When they try to give you a "deal" when you try to quit really sets my blood on fire.
bardman135
Even when speaking to an agent on the phone, their tactics are disgusting. "Okay, you want to cancel, I'm just going to sign you up for our promotion at 99¢ a month for 6 months then billed at regular pricing, okay? Anything else?"...back up, cancel entirely, fuck ALL the way off with this "assume I want to stay subscribed," gaslighting bullshit!
SaintSleepyWeasel
Ever tried to leave an MLM? They straight up hunt you down and commit identity theft.
Tomigami
Having worked in Customer Retention for RunFast Mobile, I cannot support this hard enough. Make it easier to cancel, force companies to have quality products to keep customers, make them value at-risk customers as much as or more than new ones - put the power back in the hands of the customer. Yes to ALL of this.
PeteyVonWho
I remember when I bought my car, SiriusXM gave me a 3 month trial offer. They called me 6 months later to ask why I never used my free trial. "Because I don't want it"
"Why not? We can offer you a great deal, blah blah blah"
"Because I'm not going to pay for something I already get for free, dumbass"
They left me alone after that.
WenTheEternallySurprised
Sirius is famous for this. Their standard price is only available from the chatbot if you unsubscribe. Every other price is wickedly inflated.
jojoyojimbi
that's because they bought XM radio and "pinky promised" the FTC they wouldn't price gouge customers since there was no competition anymore
LetThemEatPie
They let you change your payment method easily. A credit card with virtual numbers you can disable is super useful. An empty prepaid gift card will do if you don't have that.
WenTheEternallySurprised
I don't subscribe.
TheDickWhisperer
They have to attempt to get you to stay on three times, if you are very direct and politely decline each time they eventually will cancel it. It just takes forever.
badbmc
Good work USA. Lets hope this is repeated in Canada.
CarlBassett
The Tories in the UK did this last year. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-markets-competition-and-consumers-bill-supporting-documentation/enhancing-consumer-rights-policy-summary-brief Makes companies warn you a renewal is coming, give you the chance to cancel, and makes cancelling as easy as signing up was.
bozthekiller
SiriusXM was the hardest service for me to cancel good riddence.
76000BatteryLlamas
I use privacy.com for stuff like this. Every subscription gets a separate card. If I don't want the service anymore, I just close the card
idrinkwineoutofsolocups
Some major debit and credit card providers offer a service for merchants to retrieve updated card details without the user's consent so this doesn't always work.
IHaveGreatKittenRecipes
Yup yup yup, thankfully my bank let me know this when I was cancelling a card due to reocurring fraud on it from a single merchant, you can opt out of the service but you *gotta* tell them you're opting out.
FeIineDisrespectFromBehind
Sounds illegal.
skittlefartsandjigglytits
Perfectly legal. It’s in terms and conditions when you sign up for the line of credit.
LetThemEatPie
They only do that when you get a new card number (like, you lost your card). Virtual card numbers are intended to be forcefully deactivated by you at any time.
skittlefartsandjigglytits
Thank you. This happened to me. Thanks Synchrony bank.
xizar
Don't services like that generate fake cc numbers? How would they get the "real" number that the fake one is hiding?
VodkaReindeer
The users are probably confusing two different cases.
preventerfire
ANY time you are replacing a card, request Account Updater Opt-out. VAU for Visa. It has to be manually done and not everyone knows how.
qtRaven
.
Wolfwod
Prepaid credit cards are the best, just keep them with the amount you'll use. Next time they try to charge you, the card will automatically cancel the transaction due to not having money.
badgerZ505
Planet Fitness got me. They wanted an actual letter. Nope, I had the bank cut them off.
Seanspeed
That's exactly the kind of shit that precipitated this move. Sure, it's annoying to cancel certain subscriptions services where they ask you some questions but otherwise let you do your thing. But some companies take it WAY too far and have necessitated legislation over it. Right wingers hate regulation, but regulation is basically the only thing that keeps businesses in check.
TheLiteraryMachine
Sirius XM's propensity for not allowing people to cancel is 100% the reason why I refused to subscribe to them to begin with.
CapttainKillJoy
I once signed up for a car warranty. Yes, it was one of THOSE car warranties. And after I didn’t needed it anymore trying to cancel it was like completing one of the feats of Hercules. I actually had to call the company that signed me up which wasn’t the home warranty company itself. Never again.
tomasquinones
Sweet jibbers...I bought a used 2017 truck that had an XM receiver....These fuckers won't leave me alone constantly offering trials, emails, letters, calls. I even called them and chatted with them to remove me from their lists... still trying to give me trials. LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE. I'm NEVER going to get SiriusXM.
Twinklepot
My bank lists my subscriptions so I can check them regularly. Very useful.
melni
If the service is as easy to cancel as sign up then I'm coming back in the future. If you make me waste more than 5 minutes then I'm nuking everything to do with you forever and will use word of mouth to affect your future sales.
Strangely Microsoft does this pretty easily for game pass, want to cancel -> Okay, immediately with partial refund or after this sub period ends?
Amazon Prime -> Are you sure x7, with increasingly deceptive patterns to make you restart.
fnoigy
IONOS has a wonderful, unique "talk to five different people in different departments and we'll still tell you that your verbal contract says you can't cancel" policy
IIikethecutofyourjib
It took me an hour to cancel SiriusXM. It had come free with our car and they started charging like, $30 a month (my hubby didn't notice) fuck Sirius ALL THE WAY
RevRagnarok
Yeah and the car manufacturer SOLD THEM your info. They gave me shit about it and I said "I never signed a subscription contract with you, I bought a car from Toyota. Fuck off."
RevRagnarok
Dude SiriusXM is like a crazy ex. They send stuff in the mail unmarked to try to convince you to open it, etc.
kgirl924
I got a "free trial" automatically in a used car I recently got from a dealer. I'm still getting mail about my expired subscription months after the trial ended. I never concented to give them my information and it bugs the crud out of me that they have it.
JeremyGabbard
I never even activated the subscription when I bought this car 10 years ago, and they STILL send me shit. (granted, it has slowed down, but I used to get different mailers approximately monthly begging me to join)
I have a smartphone and the car has Bluetooth - what the fuck would I ever need satellite radio for?
RevRagnarok
The car dealership sold it to them. I have my own domain so I KNOW that's what happened because all my Sirius spam comes to toyota@mydomain.
xizar
Why did the car dealer have your email address to being with? (my last car purchase was a long time ago.)
RevRagnarok
As part of the "courtship" when I was researching most likely.
xizar
Much as i fantasize about one day being able to get a hybrid, I don't think I could take an internet connected car with no buttons or dials.
GiantFlyingLabia
If Trump is elected, expect this effort to die very quickly.
bardman135
Or he'll write in an exception for surveys that ask you if you support freedom-loving Republicans or the Evil Trans-Socialist agenda.
unluckyandbored
He'll gut the FTC along with every other regulatory body.
RevRagnarok
While true, I'll have other things to worry about.
HeywouldJablowme
Oh that will be the very least of our problems.
Trelis
His presidency was mostly undoing all the stuff Obama put in place, did very little addetive or productive. Quite expected a second term would be the same for anything put in place under Biden, yeah
CanOnlySayYes
Oh my god stop making everything about Trump you guys have no fucking life.
TorvicEsSanta
That's not very OnlySayYes of you
SeraphinV
We won't if Trump gets elected
GiantFlyingLabia
When the leopards eat your face, I won’t be there to say “I told you so,” but I’ll be thinking it
Seanspeed
This is an explicitly political post, about what the current administration is doing. It's 100% relevant to talk about how a potential Trump win could reverse such a decision in the name of favoring businesses over consumers as Republicans basically do as a rule.
KennyBlankenshipandVicRomano
I know people have had a terrible time cancelling Comcast. My never-failed-me-yet technique is to just straight up :lie:. “Hi, yeah, I’m moving out of my apartment so I need to cancel… no, I don’t want to schedule a transfer of my service, well I *can’t transfer it actually - I’m going to rehab/I have a court date and I’m not sure how long I’ll be in county, really depends on what the bail is set at… mhmm. So it’s cancelled? Great, thank you.”
ZackWester
Another I heard is to say that I be deployed to Europe/Japan/Korea on a permanent basing (make sure to state that its not a tour because then they will not close it just pause it for 1-2 month even though most tours are in 6+ time periods)
digiorno88
The easiest way I've had is first upgrading my contract, then you have a 10 day window to close the contract with no penalties or payment due so I just close it out.
WeatherWiz
I’m excited by this. I’ve run into some pretty predatory companies. One made me actually talk to a person over the phone to cancel. Like wtf?
ZackWester
oh thats nothing several servises have that you need to go to there office and unsubscribe at here office/location guess what there time they are open are mon-friday 10.30-15.30 (closed between 11.30-12.30 (lunch). and its never manned so even then its hard. and that is if there even is a office in ones state, how to subscribe one of 30 different way.
PithyCommentBelow
T-Mobile is making me do that. Have a business account. Pretty much ensures I’ll never be their customer again.
Snowf1ake
Fucken tax department.
jaggcomputing5
Yeah, I was on the phone to some skank in America trying to cancel a subscription. I'm I. Australia. I threatened to jump on a plane and go and beat the shit out of her. Subscription was cancelled.
hoefty
I paid a whole year for a service I didn't use once because of that.
probablyshouldbedoingwork
I've worked for subscription based app companies for years in CS, higher ups always think the way to reduce churn is to make it difficult to cancel: wrong. The only way to reduce churn is to a) go after a demographic that actually finds value in your service and then b) spend thoughtful time making sure they're always getting that value, finally c) you can't change someone's mind after they've made it, reinforce their decision to sign up before they leave, don't fight their decision to quit
TinyBadger101
We had to mail a signed paper copy to a home security company to cancel. And do it no more than 30 days before the end of the contract with very specific details. It was awful.
LeonardLChurch
Get bent if you're deaf huh? Companies that do this need to be burned to the ground as the CEO is tarred and feathered. Maybe if the other companies see the consequences they'll stop too
fillerbunny9
Deaf people use relay services for this sort of thing. I did technical support for well over a decade, and handled several calls this way.
Now, this isnt to say that these practices aren’t shitty, because they most certainly are, just to state that deaf people have options for when they do need to make a phone call.
Bloodsense
I've flat out hard an argument trying to cancel my cable back up in NY. They refused cancel me until they got to do their pitch.
bamblebimble
Ever tried to cancel a gym membership? They make you have to come in person on a day and time when they have a manager in office. Those hours are more restrictive than even a 9-5, so good luck. Especially if you moved
3nd3rwiggin
I had one start screaming at me, as if his very job/existence depended on me not cancelling.
cdlong
It's a possibility
MoonRiverFrost
I had worked at a Books-A-Million and they threatened our jobs if we didn't get people to sign up for the card. One coworker was in literal tears over it in front of customers.
BDBottom
A friend had a hell of a time ditching his New York Times subscription after one too many trump sanewashings (I may have pointed out their noxiousness). The person on the other end of the line asked why he wanted to cancel. "I just do, cancel my subscription." "There must be a reason." "I want to cancel my subscription." "Tell me why." "I no longer want the Times." etc etc etc.
Finally my friend said "I can cancel my card and tell Visa why or do chargebacks until you give up, whatever works."
Wolfos
Couple years ago (maybe 2018) one required me to cancel via FAX.
bestleftalonetwice
I worked for an alarm company who had recurring terms in their contract. Like, if you didn't cancel within 4 days of renewal, it would auto renew and you'd be stuck with it for another year. I never held anyone to that. I'm not gonna be a prick.
Quizz25S
I signed up for an extended vehicle warranty by mistake and when I called to cancel it I sat through 30 minutes of some chick explaining to me why my car's going to break really soon. I finally got fed up and said "Let me stop you right there. It sounds like you're trying to scare me and I REALLY don't appreciate it. Please just cancel the warranty" Like what do I have to do? Do you WANT me to yell and scream and swear at you? Fucking hell I'm trying to be nice.
bobbobbybobbington
yeah, sometimes it feels like such companies are just trying to trap people with social anxiety
Albertorius
..."feels"?
paintbullits
Yes. feels. It feels that way even though neither the person you replied to nor myself have any PROOF of it being factually true
bobbobbybobbington
yeah xD
feels is nice and safe and personal, hard to argue someone doesn't feel one way or another <3
Cmbyrd0001
It feels like that because it *is* like that. Also trap people who have limited time or patience to deal with that bullshit.
wrincewind
or disorganised people that 'can't make that call right now, i'll try and remember to when i have a minute'.
Traquaire
I upgraded our phones like 2 years ago and was supposed to get the upgrades for free after mailing back our old phones. Did all that and never got the credit. I've been paying xx per month for the 2 phones now this entire time. The longer it goes the worse the anxiety gets about trying to talk to someone to get it fixed. Started off saying give it 3 months for the credit to show up, then you forget for a month or 3 and now 6 months is too long and and and ....yea
sarahrienzi33
I would LOVE to be able to contact a company and actually reach a human!
My generation didn't grow up texting. We text now out of necessity.
bobbobbybobbington
Sure, but we are not suggesting one /not/ be able to ring a person, we just want an option which makes it possible to do it without fighting through crippling social anxiety, or spending energy waiting in a call queue.
If you want to ring a dude rather than click a button, then ring away my friend <3
ZackWester
oh about the call que never call the unsubscribe line they got 1 agent for 1000 costumer. call the I want to subscribe line its 100 agents for 50 user. so you go from a que time of 1-2 hour to a que time of none.
bobbobbybobbington
depends a bit, because some companies will transfer you to the "correct" queue when they find out what you seek.
sofako41404
My generation didn't grow up texting either. I text now because it's what I prefer and is far more convenient.
bobbobbybobbington
I am glad that you have an easier way now <3
paintbullits
Funny enough I had a problem yesterday with eBay and they connected me to a real person almost immediately, it was a refreshing change
SquidBaitBadgerDroid
Just tell them you’re going to prison. That flips the script pretty quick
Frederf
"Recurring billing don't care"
bobbobbybobbington
*makes note and nods* I've also found bursting into tears about mental illness really helps too.
jaysjunkymail11
My go to is "I lost my job and your service isn't making the cut of bills I'm going to actually pay"
sofako41404
I just tell them I'm canceling because I choose to and that I will not be sharing any further details about my decision making process.
Kreviathan
Cox is fucking terrible. You have to call or go to their physical locations to cancel and they try to upsell you all sorts of bs
Aperaturetestaccount
Grammarly was nearly impossible to quit. I had to put a hold on my card to get the service to stop. Website says to call this number, I call number it tells me to go to the wesbite.
zuken
Had a gym once I had to send in a letter to cancel. If I had had more cash I would have considered legal action when they wouldn't let me cancel with a phone call. I was livid.
Thresholdpush
Canceling Sirius XM was like that. It's so they can employ high-pressure sales tactics to try to keep your business. Utter bullshit. I got "promo" junk mail from them for years after.
Rodville
I bought a 2010 and I am still getting mail from them. 25 years later. For clarification the car was a 2010 but was purchased in 2009 and the 3 month trial ended in 2009
OohDaLolly
LOL, this was Sirius XM ;)
Thresholdpush
Of course! I somehow completely missed the caption below the post.. XD
Athanar
And literally half of the post, but hey, what's a few words anyway?
Thresholdpush
I only read the first image. Have a wonderful day.
HandoB4Javert
Better than talking to them over an open fire.
michiyl
Remember kids: Don't use water when oil is burning!
MuffinProof
But can I use oil when water is burning?