7 ms·

I cancelled my years long nytimes subscription a few years ago once someone told me that they had to call in and suffer through customer service retention reps

I cancelled my years long nytimes subscription a few years ago once someone told me that they had to call in and suffer through customer service retention reps in order to cancel their sub. I just couldn't stand the thought of being bled for cash due to their making it too inconvenient for subscribers to cancel.

LanceH 4y ago
I used to tell the newspaper I was moving to Madagascar because they wouldn't have that on their script. Now they'll just push the electronic edition. One of the big problems is the CSR's only have incentives to retain people now. There is no extra penalty for alienating someone from ever coming back, it's the same as a non-renew. With the web versions of this, every app that badgers me gets a 1 star review for badgering me by insisting that I review it. Every cancellation, I select "other" and tell them I don't do business with people that hold my subscription hostage until I answer questions. Personally, I feel there is some fraud (or some other legal term here) going on when I press a "Cancel Subscription" button and it doesn't cancel. A regular confirmation box is fine and understandable, but they can't help but change the default colors and text on those, or word them oddly to make me want to back out. Bu "cancelling" followed up by mandatory questions/answers about why I'm quitting is forcing me to work for them building their data sets without compensation. Maybe I should send them a bill.
- koofdoof 4y ago
  Try telling them you're going to prison instead. I can't imagine they'll have an inmate edition.
  - ROTMetro 4y ago
    They're piloting a tablet program in the Feds. The tablet is free. They even offer free books. Nice, right? What they don't advertise is that the system also charges something like a dollar a minute to 'use'. Wonder what those free books actually come out to costing. So far this is only in the womens prisons. I'm sure they will use it as an excuse to get rid of the actually library that inmates donate all the books sent from home to. Wrote way too much to say soon they might.
    - anigbrowl 4y ago
      It's in some county jails too.
- noasaservice 4y ago
  "I'm going in for assisted suicide tomorrow, and getting my affairs in order."
  - LanceH 4y ago
    I appreciate this as darkly humorous, but there is the off chance they send the police around to check on you.
    - b112 4y ago
      Rotfl, the ultimate in customer retention.
      - yencabulator 4y ago
        Customer detention.
    - copperx 4y ago
      I've used "I was a temporary worker and my visa expired" with great success.
heartbeats 4y ago
Does it work to repeat "I'd like to cancel my subscription" over and over again, without answering their questions? If so, why isn't this more prevalent?

LanceH 4y ago

I used to tell the newspaper I was moving to Madagascar because they wouldn't have that on their script. Now they'll just push the electronic edition. One of the big problems is the CSR's only have incentives to retain people now. There is no extra penalty for alienating someone from ever coming back, it's the same as a non-renew. With the web versions of this, every app that badgers me gets a 1 star review for badgering me by insisting that I review it. Every cancellation, I select "other" and tell them I don't do business with people that hold my subscription hostage until I answer questions. Personally, I feel there is some fraud (or some other legal term here) going on when I press a "Cancel Subscription" button and it doesn't cancel. A regular confirmation box is fine and understandable, but they can't help but change the default colors and text on those, or word them oddly to make me want to back out. Bu "cancelling" followed up by mandatory questions/answers about why I'm quitting is forcing me to work for them building their data sets without compensation. Maybe I should send them a bill.

koofdoof 4y ago
Try telling them you're going to prison instead. I can't imagine they'll have an inmate edition.
- ROTMetro 4y ago
  They're piloting a tablet program in the Feds. The tablet is free. They even offer free books. Nice, right? What they don't advertise is that the system also charges something like a dollar a minute to 'use'. Wonder what those free books actually come out to costing. So far this is only in the womens prisons. I'm sure they will use it as an excuse to get rid of the actually library that inmates donate all the books sent from home to. Wrote way too much to say soon they might.
  - anigbrowl 4y ago
    It's in some county jails too.
noasaservice 4y ago
"I'm going in for assisted suicide tomorrow, and getting my affairs in order."
- LanceH 4y ago
  I appreciate this as darkly humorous, but there is the off chance they send the police around to check on you.
  - b112 4y ago
    Rotfl, the ultimate in customer retention.
    - yencabulator 4y ago
      Customer detention.
  - copperx 4y ago
    I've used "I was a temporary worker and my visa expired" with great success.

heartbeats 4y ago

Does it work to repeat "I'd like to cancel my subscription" over and over again, without answering their questions? If so, why isn't this more prevalent?