Signing Off Made Simple

I think it's great that they don't pull the AOL sale on you. That said, I'd be worried about the future of a company that doesn't even ask a single question of "why do you want to cancel." Perhaps they've found that the answer is usually "I just do", but I would think that some number of customers would tell them a decent reasons (couldn't get it to work; don't have use for it; too expensive) that would help them improve the product.

Hopefully Presto's CRM software told the rep that you were a journalist and the account was linked to a review unit, not something you actually purchased.

I remember having a good experience with Dish Network a few years ago. They asked me why, I said I was moving and wouldn't be able to get satellite again at my new place, and they accepted it without question.

It's not just tech companies that can be problematic, though. Earlier this year I wanted to cancel a Discover card, that was an absolute nightmare that ended with me just yelling at the guy who wouldn't stop with the offers and pleas and refusing to accept "no" for an answer.

For the last 3 years when I've gone on vacation, I've signed up for an MSN dialup account. The first two years they had 3 month free trial periods going and I canceled after a month with no problems and received no pressure from the customer service reps I talked to. This year there was only a 1 month trial period and I went over that and was billed--but I can't hardly complain about that, after what amounted to a few months free the first 2 years (I'm mostly retired and take about a month visiting relatives). Again this year no pressure when I cancelled the account.

Rob, in your write-up, you said you explained the situation. This seems to mean they heard, "I'm a reporter who tested this for an article, not because it was something I was interested in..."

Yes, they might still have asked why you weren't keeping it, but most likely, your initial description filled in enough blanks.

btw, despite what I'd heard about AOL's notorious quitting nightmare, when I finally quit, several years ago, I was closing an account that I'd had since AOL's inception. The fellow on the phone noted my length of service with surprise and an apparently sincere, "we're sorry to be losing you!" And that was it. Canceled.

Make sure you save all correspondence or even your notes and record of their names while talking on the phone with the company, as it may be useful to prove the cancellation. I canceled one account with Verizon 2 years ago and was thankful I saved all the information, as they tried telling me I still had the original account in addition to a new family account! I was sure glad I had all the paperwork to prove my cancellation.

Years ago, I canceled AOL when I first got a cable modem. When the CSR asked why I wanted to cancel (I was actually getting a discount from AOL as a "charter member") I told him it was because I was going to cable internet. He told me he was jealous, and canceled with no further questions!

I had little trouble canceling my AOL account years ago when DSL finally became available in my neighborhood. I told the guy that I was getting DSL, he pointed out that you could use AOL over broadband and I replied: "I know, but you guys don't have anything I want." No further hassle and it was gone.

I've heard the nightmare stories and always wondered how I dodged the bullet.

Rob,
Thanks again for coming out to the Loudoun Tech 2012 event put on by the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. Great stuff. I even own a MacBook thanks to your advice. I look forward to your Presto review. I just gave one to my grandmother yesterday. She's 96 and loves it.

Adam, I canceled my credit cards earlier this year, and the fellow I spoke to at American Express must have been working under the same ruleset as your Discover guy. After about the third go-round when I had to start ratcheting up my ire, his response was, "I'm just doing my job" - and I missed a zinger of a response: "Then please transfer me to the person whose job is to close accounts!"

The person at Citibank (whose 'cash rebate' credit card I would like to have kept, but that's another story) was quite professional and stayed on target, however; just a 'sorry to see you go / thanks for your business / have a good day'-type exchange.

Yeah, I would go with the theory that there might have been some notation in your account that it was for a review, etc. Otherwise, while it's nice not to get the "hard sell," it would hardly be good business practice not to at least ask why you were leaving or ask if you'd fill out some sort of "why are you quitting" questions on your way out. While annoying, they are one of the best ways to determine what you're doing wrong.

Of course, some people are always unhappy, and quit things all the time because they aren't "just so," and interviewing those people might be a waste of time...

I can't say that I've ever had an easy time concelling tech service. I had a compuserve account for years, but I finally cancelled it. They still kept charging me. Many phone calls didn't resolve the situation. I actually cancelled the credit card they were charging to, but somehow they forced the charges through! It took multiple calls to my bank, and the threat of a fraud case, to get the charges stopped, and a refund made.