“Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

Re:“Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says by ghostpepper on Wednesday November 17, 2021 @11:34AM (#29255236)

I eventually opened a case with VISA to get them to stop payment to the Wall Street Journal because every time I called to cancel, I got a message that their call centers were closed due to COVID. As far as I can tell there was literally no way to cancel for several months during 2020. I do enjoy their reporting as a more right-leaning alternative to the New York Times but I have learned my lesson and will never again subscribe to WSJ.

Meanwhile, the I have cancelled the NYT several times relatively painlessly (via online chat) and even been offered a discount to remain a subscriber, which I view as a much more consumer-friendly retention tactic.

If anyone from WSJ reads this (unlikely, ha), you should know that it does not matter how good your reporting is - if you use predatory tactics to prevent cancellations you will turn off many potential readers simply out of principle.

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Re:“Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says by brandon272 on Wednesday November 17, 2021 @12:47PM (#29256280)

I called to cancel last year. Then I had to call again a couple months later because I noticed that, despite calling, waiting on hold, requesting to cancel and then being told that my subscription was cancelled, they didn't cancel it, and the charges continued to go through on my card.

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Re:“Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says by patorjk on Wednesday November 17, 2021 @01:30PM (#29256902)

I was able to cancel my WSJ subscription last year through an online chat (it was almost identical to how I unsubscribed from the NYTimes). I definitely would have preferred a cancel button though. A few months later I resubscribed after they offered me a deal. My only issue with them is that they're kind of expensive.

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