Web Law: It Must Be Easy To Cancel Online
By Craig Danuloff
AOL hit the New York Times today, because something they probably do every day and have done for months or years, was recorded, blogged, and digged. They put a subscriber through 21 minutes of hell in a nearly vain attempt to cancel his AOL account.
As an example of the power of word-of-mouth, this joins the web hall of fame along with Jeff Jarvis' Dell Hell, the Kryptonite Lock Picked by a Bic, and others. I'm sure these examples cost their companies real money and hopefully others are learning from their anti-examples.
But from this specific example I'd like to propose, in the spirit of those new Burt Reynolds 'Man Law' commercials, a new Web Law: If you allow online signup, you must allow cancellation with approximately the same visibility and simplicity.
Just last week I needed to cancel two accounts created online, one with GoToMyPC and one with Iron Mountain's Connected backup service. Both required phone calls and a whole lot more time than a few clicks on a web page and email confirmation. Both lied and said it was "for my security." Both had a very real shot at future business and recommendations from me, but will now get neither. I have a hosting plan with a european ISP that I've been trying to cancel for about two years - but $30 a month on my Visa just keeps going and going.
There's only one reason to not provide online cancellation: to delay or prevent cancellation. It's a trick that contributes hundreds-of-millions to online subscription firms everywhere. It's time for it to stop. All in favor, signify by saying 'Web Law'.
BTW: Anyone know if there is a 'real world' consumer protection law that could be used to force 'online cancelations' to become more universal?
Comments
here, here! i always felt that the worst offender of this was consumer reports. for a consumer not-for-profit to make it nearly impossible to cancel a subscription was unconscionable. the site has been updated and does now allow you to do it online but it's nearly impossible to find.
Posted by: Lucinda | July 2, 2006 4:10 PM
It is hard to argue with the sentiment since we've all been frustrated like you. Nevertheless, making it simple to unsubscribe is not the same thing as making it equally simple to subscribe as unsubscribe. One is an action that we want to incent the other is an action we want to discourage. Should we really treat them exactly the same or should we simply be satisfied with removing the hassle from unsubscribing?
Posted by: Jeffrey Eisenberg | July 2, 2006 11:47 PM
Ah trying to trick me into an argument with the master? Well knowing that I am doomed to failure, I would just say that it could be simple without being encouraged. I would of course settle for the hassle removal you suggest.
Posted by: Craig Danuloff | July 3, 2006 12:29 AM
Ah trying to trick me into an argument with the master? Well knowing that I am doomed to failure, I would just say that it could be simple without being encouraged. I would of course settle for the hassle removal you suggest.
Posted by: Craig Danuloff | July 3, 2006 1:08 AM