Do you no longer like that online streaming service, are you flooded with (useless) notifications from the one social network you want to get rid of or do you simply no longer want to be bothered by your old energy company? Then you would think that canceling or canceling is the best option, but that turns out to be more difficult than expected.
Research by the Consumer Association shows that canceling or canceling an online account is made unnecessarily difficult. Information to cancel online is often tucked away deeply on the site and if this information is already findable, it is often driven by telephone contact.
One in three companies investigated works in this way and it is mainly energy companies, newspapers and charities that make it difficult for users to cancel. Webshops also have a helping hand. “Some web stores are bothering customers when they delete their (free) account. For example, customers of Blokker and Fonq must send an e-mail if they want their account deleted. But this procedure is almost impossible to find because it is tucked away in the privacy statement, “said Joyce Donat of the consumer association.
The organization has examined 125 companies and after the investigation, 10 companies adapted their website immediately. The vast majority waved the results away mainly with excuses if customers prefer to call or if they have never received complaints about the cancellation procedure.
Not all bad
Incidentally, it is not all doom and gloom. “In particular, financial institutions, such as banks and non-life insurers, make canceling easy. This is usually possible from your own customer environment. The same applies to streaming services such as Netflix, Pathé Thuis and Videoland, and most dating sites, “writes Donat.
The Consumers’ Association advises users to cancel by e-mail, even if the site in question does not allow this.