Canceling

credit cards

It's Impossible To Cancel Arcot's SecureCode On Your Mastercard

Be wary of Arcot, a credit card security company that's devoid of customer service.

Nels had to sign up for Arcot's SecureCode to complete an online purchase. Now he wants to cancel it, but can't find anyone at Arcot who can help him. The web pages he's sent to are dead ends, and he left messages with Arcot's executives that were never returned. More »

9:51 AM on Thu Apr 17 2008
By Chris Walters
4,434 views, 33 comments

cellphones

9 Confessions Of A Retentions Representative

Retentions representatives are the cellphone company's last line of defense between you and freedom. One brave retentions representative has come forward to teach us how to craft a direct, earnest request that will lead retention reps to do your bidding. Rivaled in effectiveness only by executive customer support, retentions reps are empowered to strike down nuisance fees and bargain liberally, all to keep you as a customer. If you were ever tempted to threaten your cellphone company with cancellation, this one is a must read. More »

10:09 AM on Sun Mar 16 2008
By Carey
19,446 views, 37 comments

Latest by nytmare: @oakie: You're a hypocrite. You are criticizing people for swearing and insulting CSRs, while you yourself are swearing and calling us names in your very own post. You ought to make up your mind whether or not swearing and insulting more »

irony

Bad Customer Service From A Customer Service Solutions Provider. What?

What part of "CANCEL THE MONTHLY LEASED LICENSE NOW" did customer service solutions provider Kayako misunderstand? Reader Chance's request wasn't unexpected. He tried to cancel his account three times and switched service providers before Kayako decided to renew his lease and issue a new bill. The full debacle, inside. More »

10:13 AM on Sun Feb 10 2008
By Carey
6,325 views, 31 comments

fees

Unplugging Your DirecTV Box Could Cost You $79.95

A DirecTV CSR claimed that reader Mark changed his installation by following troubleshooting instructions to unplug and reconnect his box, and now owed $79.95. Mark, who paid $6 per month for DirecTV's protection plan, refused to pay the fee and asked to cancel to his service. More »

11:37 AM on Sat Feb 2 2008
By Carey
15,120 views, 43 comments

complaints

Charter Bills For Returned Equipment, Sends Account To Collections

Charter accused Kevin of failing to pay for unreturned equipment, even though Kevin paid his final bill in full and has a receipt for a returned cable box. Charter customer service representatives were happy to play whack-a-mole whenever the bogus charges for the equipment appeared on Kevin's bill, but Charter eventually tired of the infuriatingly unwinnable game and sent Kevin's account to collections. More »

1:45 PM on Sat Dec 8 2007
By Carey
5,562 views, 29 comments

whoops

T-Mobile Loses Cancellation Letter Twice, Sends Account To Collection Agency

T-Mobile sent reader Ivan's account to collections after he twice cancelled his service. He first cancelled in August, but T-Mobile mysteriously lost the cancellation letter. Ivan faxed over a second cancellation letter while a CSR waited on the phone to confirm receipt. Having switched to Verizon, Ivan didn't care when in September, someone stepped on the T-Mobile phone lying in his car, breaking the screen. T-Mobile is now demanding that Ivan pay a bill that lists only a reinstatement fee. Ivan writes: More »

11:04 AM on Sun Nov 11 2007
By Carey
5,773 views, 33 comments

Latest by n/a: Furthermore, I suggest you bark up the CEO's tree on this one. I can't tell you how sorry I am that I work with some folks who are incompetent, but this is so, so, so NOT out of T-Mobile's hands. more »

customer service

Vonage CSR: "Customer Lacks The Courage To Stay With Us Due To Litigation"

Reader Tony was called a coward by a Vonage customer service representative for canceling out of fear that Verizon's unstoppable legal onslaught would result in service disruptions. Tony canceled only after Vonage was unable to explain their contingency plans for handling an interruption. One Vonage CSR didn't realize that Tony was exactly the sort of customer that might return to Vonage if ever they prevail against Verizon's team of ber-lawyers. The CSR explained as he typed that he was listing Tony's reason for canceling as: "Customer... lacks... the... courage... to... stay... with... us... due... to... litigation." Tony's letter to Vonage, after the jump: More »

12:03 PM on Sun Aug 12 2007
By Carey
5,698 views, 41 comments

Latest by MonsterToe: @killavanilla: Thanks. On a side note, I've studied Krav Maga for over 7 years, now. I love it and I try to get anyone interested in studying a martial art involved in Krav. I also fought 3 MMA fights back more »

complaints

TiVo Won't Cancel Your Account, Even If You Tell Them You're Moving To The Moon

A TiVo CSR insisted that Jerry explain why he was canceling his account, so Jerry said he was moving to the moon, an explanation that might earn sympathy from a company whose logo is a martian. The CSR was not amused, and did not cancel Jerry's account. Instead, taking him for an astronaut, the CSR gave him free service for three months, which Jerry discovered only when he presciently called the next day to verify that his account had been canceled. Jerry writes: More »

5:59 PM on Thu Jul 26 2007
By Carey
31,832 views, 65 comments

Latest by n/a: Just got off the phone with TIVO. I loved this company and the product until I had to deal with their customer service. It defines bad. Had bought several TIVO Series 3's last year and rolled over my lifetime memberships on more »

telephony

Vonage: Sorry, You Can't Cancel Without Speaking To The Retention Department

Mark tried to cancel his Vonage service outside of normal business hours, but Vonage wouldn't let him go unless he called back to speak with the customer retention department. Mark had tried to call the previous day during business hours, but Vonage's computers were down. How convenient.

Vonage: Why are you canceling the account.
Mark: Because we no longer need the second line.
Vonage: Unfortunately I can't do that for you. You will have to call back during regular business hours and talk to Customer Retention
Mark: But I don't want to be retained I just want to close my Vonage account.
Vonage: I'm sorry sir I can't do that, you have to call back during regular business hours.

Watch out, Vonage. We thought Verizon held the patent for the cancelation gauntlet of doom. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER More »

5:32 PM on Fri Jun 15 2007
By Carey
4,540 views, 40 comments

Latest by n/a: I had a similar incident with Vonage. I was moving from MO to VA (movers were in the house) and I called during bus hours to cancel. Was subjected to sales pitch (why not take your phone number more »

disney

Above And Beyond: Disney Makes Canceling Easy And Fun!

In today's installment, Disney shows us the classy way to bid a customer farewell. Mike called to cancel several Toontown accounts his kids were no longer using. Mike is an Operations Manager for a call center, and knows and expects "every trick in the book." Mike didn't realize Disney has their own book collection.

Disney: "May I ask why you're canceling?"
Mike: "We don't use it any more"
Disney: "Ok, now I see that you're already 10 days into a month you've paid for."
Mike: "OK" I expect to pay for the month, even if I don't use it.
Disney: "I'll go ahead and credit back that month's payment to your cc"
Mike: "ok......"
Disney: "Thanks for calling"

Mike writes, "I love to go off on bad service more than most because of my job, but here's to your frozen head in jar Walt, that rocked." More »

2:45 PM on Sat Mar 10 2007
By Carey
5,618 views, 15 comments

Latest by sillybgoat: I almost feel like signing up with them just so I can cancel. more »

top

AOL Fires Infamous CSR

The AOL customer service rep who tried so very hard to prevent Vincent Ferrai from cancelling his service has been fired. More »

6:46 PM on Thu Jun 15 2006
By Ben Popken
451 views, 3 comments

aol

The Best Thing We Have Ever Posted: Reader Tries To Cancel AOL

This is the best thing we have ever posted. It's so good that we almost don't want to comment on this mp3 that Consumerist reader Vincent Ferrari recording him trying to cancel his AOL account. Like that sublime moment of virginal penetration, it's too beautiful to sully with our flatulent verbiage. Unfortunately, that sublime moment of virginal penetration happened upon the puckered lips of Vincent's own sphincter, and the penetrator was a trick named John, the most idiotic and persistent CSR to ever grace the trade. More »

1:40 PM on Tue Jun 13 2006
By consumerist.com
30,940 views, 37 comments

Latest by 46hillbilly: I had to completely wipe the pc's disc to get that cancer called AOL out of my systems. It invades everything in your pc and cannot be removed short of a complete reboot from a cleaned disc. more »

customer retention

AOL Wants to Eat the Dead

A reader well versed in customer service shares with us this following anecdote about how much AOL cares about servicing your dead relatives. David writes: More »

5:57 PM on Wed Jun 7 2006
By popkin
898 views, 6 comments

Consumerist

Golden Poo Award For Worst Company In America Unveiled

Gawker Media Network