What a snivelling, condescending attitude toward others. Of course people are able to say no and cancel, it just doesn't work. That's the whole point of this thread!

The appeal of sending a letter isn't to avoid human contact, it's to avoid the time suck of aggravation and frustration that these dark pattern schmucks throw in the way. If it were _possible_ to tell someone on the other end of the phone to fuck off, everyone would do it. You'll get an IVR, multiple HUCAs, and if you're lucky, someone who confidently assures you that your service is now cancelled; until you go away for a month and realize you're still being billed.

The letter is both a paper trail and a recognition that it's the fastest and sanest way to get a problem resolved. That we have to resort to an anachronism is a consequence of the fucked nature of these parasitic companies and the total power imbalance between them and consumers, not a failure of will!

> I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed to say "I don't want your offers, cancel my subscription immediately" to a person on the other end. If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get.

I am indeed very weak-willed and I hate hate hate "fighting" a rep to get my account closed. But many services that I've been trying to cancel I have no contracts with and no money owed, they just drag the process for no reason.

Frankly if I'm in a yearly contract that is paid monthly, and I'm on month two, I'm 100% willing to pay the rest of the year. All I want is for them to close my dang account. Send me a single bill, I pay it, then delete me forever. Why does it make me a bad person?

> Blocking charges to your card, chargebacks, cancelling your card, changing the number etc. are all pointless.

Pointless would imply useless. It’s not though. I have never in years had a problem with expiring virtual credit cards (effectively canceling a card). These are usually for prepaid services with no term contract. The company can’t charge, they cancel the service automatically, none of my time wasted.

> You signed a contract and owe them the money regardless

Thank you for your expert legal advice.

> If you can't do that, you really deserve what you get.

You are a total piece of shit.

> You signed a contract and owe them the money regardless

True, but blocking the charges is also very effective at getting the account closed, and a debt collector isn't likely to take your payment as a signal to keep the service active.

I haven't had the problem very often (mostly, I think, because I rarely sign up for services), but the last time when it was basically impossible to cancel the service, cancelling the card did the trick.

> I find that people who have trouble cancelling subscriptions are simply too weak-willed

Oh? You've done a study about this? At least some of the time, being "weak-willed" has nothing to do with it.

I can do that. But I don't need to wait on the phone for half an hour when they can make it available behind a button, as the sign-up was.