I am working on moving back to America in a few weeks and have to cancel all of my subscriptions. Luckily, I only have two; my cell phone and my gym membership. After spending about an hour trying on my cell phone, I learned that I can only cancel on the day I want my service to stop. Yes, I can't quit on the 26th to stop my service on the 1st of May. I have to go back on the 30th to stop service on the 1st of the next month. OK, not a big deal, but a real waste of time for everyone.
Here's where they got me. I signed a two year contract to get an iPhone 4S for 10,000 Yen ($100) three years and a half years ago. I never heard from them after my contract ended, but my service continued at a month by month basis, I thought, but they told me today, after my contract ended they automatically renewed my two year contract. Now I want to end my service and I have to pay 10,000 Yen cancellation fee.
They explained to me that unless I came in to change my original contract when it ended it was in the contract that it would automatically renew. I asked them how they informed me that my contract was over and they told me by email. Hooray and email to determine my cell phone future for two years.
Yes, I didn't have interrupted service, but it seems a little shady to not have me come in and sign something. And the part that makes me the most upset is not that they gave me a new contract without my renewed permission and now I have to pay for the privilege to end that contract, but I never got the chance to upgrade my 4S to something newer. I've been working with this piece of junk phone for the last year when I could of signed a new contract and got a 5S, probably I'm not sure what the latest model was a year and a half ago, maybe a 6, but a 5S would of been cheaper at the time, especially with more memory.
This is the same thing that all corporations do. They put fine print in their contracts that can work for those who follow the rules, but for those who need to escape because of special circumstances get screwed out of their hard earned money. Money that could be used to feed their children, feed themselves, get help with depression, get a teeth cleaning, pay their health insurance. Something good, instead of corporate greed. Although, you could argue that those fees go to pay for their companies employees' benefits and expenses.
But those fees are sneaky and back stabbing, and that is why it's wrong. And it is also very legal. Corporations have been able to lobby the legislation for years and years to manipulate the law to be able to hide extra fees, terms and limitations in their contracts to take advantage of people who choose to be your customer.
Is that fair? I don't know. Ethical? No (that's my opinion). Will that $100 matter five years from now? No (or I hope not). Time will heal my financial wounds. I'll make more money, I'll spend more money, get scammed out of money and maybe scam someone out of their hard earned cash (but probably not because I'm not a scumbag and I might not be smart enough to do something like that). Time will also give corporations a way to fortify and keep a stronghold on the fine print to continue taking advantage of our consumer needs.
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