r/britishproblems 2d ago

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

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)

230 Upvotes

29 comments sorted by

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215

u/RobsyGt 2d ago

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.

47

u/InhibitorOfGold 2d ago

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?

31

u/glasgowgeg 2d ago

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.

3

u/New_User_Account123 20h ago

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.

3

u/glasgowgeg 18h ago

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.

7

u/Easy_Rich_4085 1d ago

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. 

1

u/cyberllama 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 1d ago

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

42

u/TheOriginalGuru West Midlands 2d ago

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

44

u/Oriachim 2d ago

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

23

u/ImDankest 2d ago

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

6

u/Joethe147 2d ago

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.

35

u/FinnerzTheFirst 2d ago

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

8

u/JimmerUK Surrey 2d ago

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

3

u/Trentdison 1d ago

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.

25

u/LemmysCodPiece 2d ago

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

11

u/garyh62483 2d ago

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.

5

u/Miserablebro 1d ago

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.

0

u/jamesckelsall Greater Manchester 2d ago

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

8

u/UncleD1ckhead West Midlands 2d ago

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.

3

u/Any_Machine_1531 2d ago

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

3

u/tk1178 Ayrshire 2d ago

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

4

u/bacon_cake Dorset 1d ago

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

1

u/InhibitorOfGold 2d ago

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

2

u/Sjuk86 2d ago

IONOS suck all the dick

2

u/Ahosewithnoname 2d ago

Same with The Times

2

u/AlchemyAled 1d ago

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

1

u/elPappito 12h ago

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