Canceling Services

One way to save money when you have little coming in is to cancel those extraneous services that you've decided you can live without.

I just got off the phone with The New York Times. As much respect as I have for their journalistic skills, I have absolutely no respect for their sales department. The woman on the other end of the line supposedly "pulled up" my account information and told me she could offer me the paper at half price for 6 months only charging me $13.60 per month. I pointed out that I was already paying $13.60 per month and she insisted I was paying $27.20. Just to refresh my mind and prove to myself that I wasn't going crazy, I pulled up my credit card bill online and saw that I was indeed paying just $13.60 per month. Then I said I would like to keep the crossword puzzle access like I used to have and I believed that cost $35.99 per year. She told me that the crossword only access would cost $179 per year. I told her that was ridiculous and to cancel the whole thing. I went online to try to find out the actual cost of the crossword puzzle access and I couldn't confirm it because it still recognizes me as a member. I'll wait until they cut me off and then sign up again (unless it really is $179 per year). She pissed me off even more when I asked for a confirmation e-mail or snail-mail. She said they don't do that so now I have to wait until next month to check my credit card bill to make sure they really canceled it.

Back at the beginning of the year I restructured my communications options and needed to cancel my old services for TV, phone and internet. Dish network was very sympathetic and although they offered me a deal citing that they hated to lose me after 9 years of service they canceled with no problem.

Comcast, with whom I had internet service, canceled me with no questions asked. They just wanted their equipment back so I had to drive over to their office and drop off the cable modem and cables.

Vonage was another story. I knew they were going to be difficult because I tried to use it at the Club to save some money but it wouldn't work properly with the wireless internet service I had at the Club so I had to cancel. They really didn't want to cancel me at that time, instead offering me a "hold" for $5 a month. I explained to them that it just wouldn't work and I wanted to cancel outright but it still took several minutes of arguing to get them to cancel it completely.

So when I went to cancel my personal Vonage service I was prepared or so I thought. They told me I was going to have to answer 2 out of 5 security questions to verify my account. One was the amount of my last bill so I had to do a quick credit card search to find that. Then they wanted to know the name of my plan. The NAME of my plan? I told them it was their basic plan but I didn't know what they called it. I couldn't answer the next two questions either (I don't remember what they were) and was beginning to feel like scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the troll under the bridge is asking questions to let them pass. What's your favorite colour? What's the capital of Assyria? Fortunately the last question for me was What's your e-mail address? and I knew that one.

Then she started in with the offers. They'll pay my bill for one month, they'll pay my bill for two months, they'll keep my phone number active for a small monthly fee. At every turn I held my ground and told them no, I wanted to cancel outright. Finally, after about 15 minutes I prevailed. They really do try to wear you down, putting you on hold at length (while they supposedly check with supervisors) but my advice is to hang in there and hold your ground.

If you tell them you're not working, they'll be sympathetic but still persistent. I still think the best tactic is to tell them you're dead. I discovered that one 10 years ago when I was canceling my father's cable TV service after he passed away. They have no answer for death...remember that.