Subscription services who force you to phone up to cancel

[SueEllen]

The irony being for quite a few people that might be the only time they visit the gym

If it's a DD that's easy to cancel though isn't it? Or can they reinstate it?

They can reinstate it and if you tell your bank not to accept it under the Direct Debit guarantee. companies will send you a letter threatening debt collectors.

The trick is before joining is to google how difficult they are to cancel with. If enough people say they managed to cancel after doing giving x months notice in writing including by snail mail then join.

[woohoo]

The irony being for quite a few people that might be the only time they visit the gym

If it's a DD that's easy to cancel though isn't it? Or can they reinstate it?

I know some Gyms can be pretty vindictive if you just cancel. Honestly, I used to go most days just have a mental block on going in and cancelling.

[d000hg]

I tried to cancel the gym membership, they won't do it over the phone. Told you have to come in. Pointed out that in the contract it states we can email in and terminate the agreement but there isn't an email. So they gave us an email and guess what it doesnt work. They said if we come in and prove it's not working we can cancel and not pay the following month direct debit.

Nuffield Gym if anyone is thinking of joining, they like you to come in if you want to cancel

The irony being for quite a few people that might be the only time they visit the gym

If it's a DD that's easy to cancel though isn't it? Or can they reinstate it?

[woohoo]

I tried to cancel the gym membership, they won't do it over the phone. Told you have to come in. Pointed out that in the contract it states we can email in and terminate the agreement but there isn't an email. So they gave us an email and guess what it doesnt work. They said if we come in and prove it's not working we can cancel and not pay the following month direct debit.

Nuffield Gym if anyone is thinking of joining, they like you to come in if you want to cancel

[Zigenare]

Create a disposable virtual card for each of your your subscriptions and then cancel the card if and when you wish to cancel the service.

[pr1]

Bit mumsnet but it's a PITA that you have to waste 10 minutes on hold to talk to someone (who will try and convince you not to leave). Puts me off using such companies at all.

They all use credit card payments rather than DD. Is there a way to just cancel a repeated CC payment so they will fail to take payment and stop bothering me

Yes there is a way

I had an issue like this with a recurring subscription with Apple on a device I no longer had access to, but to be honest you will end up having to waste 10 minutes on hold to talk to someone at your bank who can add a restriction/block for any future payments to a certain company (based on your previous transactions)

[cojak]

Sorry, I thought it was one of those ‘free 3 months’ ones.

I don’t have many subscriptions to start with, so it’s not much of an issue.

[d000hg]

You’ll just have to suck it up - nothing in this world is free…

Who mentioned free?

In my experience it's generally a sign of a company I will like that they have a simple online cancel button. Means they don't feel any need to make it hard to leave.

[eek]

You would have to cancel the whole card, and they can be aggressive gits if you try that route.

You’ll just have to suck it up - nothing in this world is free…

Even that may not work depending on how the subscription service is set up.

Best way would be to call the credit card company and dispute a subsequent transaction but it's a right faff for everyone involved...

[cojak]

You would have to cancel the whole card, and they can be aggressive gits if you try that route.

You’ll just have to suck it up - nothing in this world is free…

[d000hg]

Bit mumsnet but it's a PITA that you have to waste 10 minutes on hold to talk to someone (who will try and convince you not to leave). Puts me off using such companies at all.

They all use credit card payments rather than DD. Is there a way to just cancel a repeated CC payment so they will fail to take payment and stop bothering me