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Companies Must Let Customers Cancel Subscriptions Online, California Law Says (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

A California law that went into effect July 1 is aimed at making it easier for customers to cancel their subscriptions online. From a report: The law states that customers who accept an automatic renewal or continuous service offer online must be able to cancel the service online. That could include a pre-written "termination email" provided by the company that can be sent by the consumer without the need for more information. The law means you won't have to make anymore phone calls to obscure customer service hotlines to cancel services like news subscriptions, music streaming or meal plans, for example. One person tweeted about trying to cancel a New York Times subscription on the phone and being put on hold for 15 minutes -- twice.

4 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. GOOD by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's too difficult to cancel services. Anything that makes it easier is good.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    1. Re:GOOD by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's too difficult to cancel services. Anything that makes it easier is good.

      Yes... all too many times, the only way to cancel a service is be on hold for an hour- and then listen to a "retain the customer" sales pitch for 10 minutes- tell them no, I'm not interested a dozen times- wait another 30 minutes to be transferred to the real person who can cancel the service... etc. - and you can't just hang up on them because you NEED them to cancel the service.

      Companies know what they're doing when they make it nearly impossible to cancel.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  2. Use PayPal where possible by magzteel · · Score: 5, Informative

    Where possible I use PayPal as the payment method for an automatic renewal service.
    Then I cancel the payment agreement on PayPal, which is very easy to do.

  3. Re: Another way of doing it ... by Alain+Williams · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In England you don't even need to pay; you can get a 'proof of posting' certificate for no charge if you post the letter at the Post Office counter. The courts will deem the letter received 2 working days later, I have done this many times.