Increasingly, modern life means juggling an ever-pricier collection of subscriptions. Want to listen to music on demand? That’s a subscription. Want to use a particular suite of software? That’s a subscription. Want to keep up with the latest TV? That’s a bunch of subscriptions.
All these monthly fees are putting a strain on our wallets, and if you want it to stop, it seems like your only option is to cancel some of them. Which you should, if you don’t use them. But sometimes, you don’t even need to go that far—you only need to threaten to cancel them.
Subscription services do not want to lose you
If you find a subscription is getting a little too pricy for what it’s worth to you, begin the cancellation process. For most subscriptions, it’ll go something like this: The service will ask if you’re sure you want to cancel. They might even give you a summary of all the benefits their program adds to your life (only a fool would cancel!). Nevertheless, continue on.
If the service asks for a reason why you’re cancelling, be sure to say it’s because the subscription is too expensive. That clues the automated cancellation process in to the fact that you might be swayed to stick around by a financial incentive. At this point, your attempt to cancel will probably go one of two ways: Either the company will give up and let you end your subscription, or it will start pulling out the promotions.
“Oh, we couldn’t offer this to you before, but because you’re so very special to us, how about you enjoy one month for free going forward?”
If this isn’t enticing enough, choose “Cancel subscription” again.
“Okay, fair enough. That was a shit offer. Never mind! Actually, we can offer you the same plan you currently have for half the price you were paying before! Pretty sweet, right?”
You choose “Cancel subscription” anyway.
“WE WILL PUT YOU ON OUR PREMIUM TIER. ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES. A DOLLAR A MONTH. ONE. DOLLAR. PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE.”
Congrats! You just turned your expensive, difficult-to-justify subscription service to something totally reasonable.
Research the company before you threaten to cancel
Of course, not all companies are going to behave the same when you hit that initial “Cancel subscription” button, so do a little research before you try this move. That way, you can optimize your “cancellation” plans. If you know a company offers more than one deal, don’t take the first offer that comes your way. If you find out they only give you a single out before cutting ties, it’s best to take the money and run.
In my experience, newspapers and digital media subscriptions are more likely to reflect the above scenario, insisting on better and better prices until you walk away paying nearly nothing for a subscription that might have once cost you $15 or more a month. It almost becomes impossible to actually cancel the subscription, especially when you’re forced to do so over the phone.
Other companies might give you just one offer before letting you cancel. Adobe is infamous for slicing the cost of its subscription in half as soon as you threaten to cancel. On the flip side, Hulu used to offer a free month when you tried to cancel, but the company offered one Redditor six months of service for $2.99 a year ago.
You might even luck out trying this with non-traditional subscriptions. If you have a credit card with an annual fee, for example, give the card company a call before the card renews. There’s a decent chance you can get them to drop the fee entirely when you threaten to cancel—not a bad deal, even if you have to call back every year.
The real reason to do your research is to avoid losing access to your subscription altogether (unless you’re OK with that). Some companies are content to not only let you cancel without offering anything, but won’t let you resubscribe after the fact. AMC’s A-List subscription, for example, doesn’t let you renew your subscription for six months after you cancel. You don’t want to cancel a subscription you actively use in the pursuit of a better deal, only to find yourself locked out of the service for an extended period of time.
But if you’re sure the company doesn’t have a similar policy, there’s no risk to cancelling the subscription and resubscribing if you get through the process without being offered a sweeter deal. You’re already paying for it. In the worst case scenario, you’ll simply continue to pay what you were already being charged. Just remember to keep tabs on the new deal: If they offer you a good price for six months, for example, don’t let it lapse—when month seven comes around, who knows what they’ll charge you.
