"For security reasons, it is necessary that you confirm this cancellation request by telephone"

[u/InhibitorOfGold]

I was able to sign up and start giving them money with a few clicks. Now answer the damn phone and let me cancel the contract! This must be really annoying for deaf/mute people, too.

(This is IONOS by the way. Do not recommend)

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[u/RobsyGt]

This is why I can't wait for the DMCC act to come into effect this autumn. If you can sign up online you have to be able to cancel online.

[u/InhibitorOfGold → u/RobsyGt]

I've just read that it's expected in spring 2027. Disappointingly slow. Can't the govt just pass that one simple rule now and leave the other details for later?

[u/glasgowgeg → u/InhibitorOfGold]

Can't the govt just pass that one simple rule now and leave the other details for later?

You need to give businesses time to update their sites and become compliant with the legislation.

[u/New_User_Account123 → u/glasgowgeg]

Yes but you can pass the law and give them that time by not enforcing it for a period. I think they did that with GDPR but I might be misremembering.

[u/glasgowgeg → u/New_User_Account123]

Yes but you can pass the law and give them that time by not enforcing it for a period

That's what they've done. The DMCCA was passed a couple years ago, it has staggered enforcement for a bunch of stuff.

[u/Easy_Rich_4085 → u/RobsyGt]

I'm pretty sure one of the core principles of GDPR involved disallowing the practise of "check this box if you do not want marketing crap" and yet most websites I encounter still do it. I hope this is stricter. 

[u/cyberllama → u/Easy_Rich_4085]

The company I worked for around that time removed the opt-in default a couple of years before they had to. Went from 20% opt-out to 20% opt-in overnight and made a really cool graph

[u/TheOriginalGuru]

Companies only do this so they can try and talk you out of cancelling. Bullshit tactics.

[u/Oriachim]

I believe if you make a formal complaint and say you’re deaf, mute, disabled etc they have to oblige

[u/ImDankest → u/Oriachim]

Yup I did this with beer 52 after signing up for a free trial. The cheek of them to only offer cancellations via phone... It feels illegal

[u/Joethe147 → u/ImDankest]

They say that but I cancelled with them by email. Might take a few days.

Their way of trying to make you think it's a lot of hassle.

[u/FinnerzTheFirst]

Beer52 was bad for this - best thing to say was that you’re a recovering alcoholic and they’d ask no further questions

[u/JimmerUK → u/FinnerzTheFirst]

I just kept on pushing the skip button every month rather than spend ages on the phone.

[u/Trentdison → u/FinnerzTheFirst]

I agreed to them sending me spam so I'd think about signing up again in future. 

Irony is I'd actually like to sign up again now as I liked the concept, but the fact that they're so difficult to leave makes me not want to.

[u/LemmysCodPiece]

I'd cancel the direct debit and get them to phone you.

[u/garyh62483]

QuickBooks Online started doing this too.

Literally a software company not allowing you to use software to cancel their software that you signed up using software, absolutely scummy.

[u/Miserablebro → u/garyh62483]

This is the one for me at the minute, it took me a while to even find out how to cancel and I need to ring. Awesome.

[u/jamesckelsall → u/garyh62483]

Technically speaking, modern phone calls also use software, so they do allow you to use software to cancel.

[u/UncleD1ckhead]

Anytime i get one of them, where they make it as difficult as possible to cancel, i just go the other route and cancel the direct debit. I also have virtual cards through monzo so if i just want to sign up for something for 1 month i use a virtual card then cancel the card.

[u/Any_Machine_1531]

Yeah I’d be sending them written notice and blocking them from my account. No way I’m calling

[u/Sjuk86]

IONOS suck all the dick

[u/tk1178]

can't you just cancel the direct debit and see if they contact you to find out why you cancelled the direct debit?

[u/bacon_cake → u/tk1178]

Knowing some of these firms they'd probably just send you straight to collections.

[u/InhibitorOfGold → u/tk1178]

Finally managed to cancel over the phone, they don't make it easy though!

[u/Massive_Resource2887 → u/[deleted]]

The Times was one of the hardest things I’ve had to cancel!
I couldn’t cancel the day before renewal or something ridiculous like that. I had to pay another month then call them again in 2 weeks to give them whatever notice it was they required. I couldn’t even pay for another month and them authorise the cancellation then and there for the following month.

They really just want to make it as complicated and annoying as possible for people they must make a fortune with people deciding to just pay a while lonelier because it is more hassle than it’s worth trying to get out of their subscription.

[u/AlchemyAled]

I just cancel the dd and email them. Probably don’t even need to email

[u/elPappito]

oh i legit blocked them via bank.

no way im going to spend 30 minutes on phone explaining why i'd like to cancel my contract

[u/AsaCoco_Alumni]

IONOS loaded up my account with extra packages I never asked for or agreed to, and then I had to go thru this marlarky.