So far I was using 1and1 as my internet service provider. I changed my voice provider at home, and wanted to put voice and data in the hand of one provider (in addition, the new provider offers a less expensive service). While we are at that topic of price: 1and1 is offering a cheaper and faster data service for DSL in my area for about a year now. Although they announced it with an email a couple of years ago (‘Will be available in your area soon’), they never informed me about the actual availability. This is a business behavior I do not support anyway – but a total different story … let us just assume I had decent data service with 1and1 over the years (which I had), and I switched because I wanted to simplify my accounting (the main reason anyway) …
Ok – I call the 1and1 hotline in February as soon as I had the new provider deal locked in and working. They told me I had to cancel the contract in writing. I did so with a fax sent to the given number and request to inform me when the contract will actually be terminated (they have a strange contract clause: you cancel the contract and it will ran for another 90 days or so … another different story I don’t want to get into here). Today I received another 1and1 bill (not unexpectedly), but I could not find any notification of my contract cancellation (which was a month ago with the above mentioned fax). I call the 1and1 customer service number, and they tell me, that I have to call a 900-number for contract cancellation (a type of number I have l locked on my phone system for reasons you can probably guess). Well, let’s try the 1and1 customer web site…
Checking my account information on their web site: looks like my contract is still active! No information about any fax I sent to cancel the service! But fortunately there is a link to a site to cancel the service, looks like there is customer demand for it! I follow the link, and request a service cancellation. Then I have to go through 3 or 4 screens describing why I want to cancel the service. I appreciate their interest in getting feedback from leaving customers, I want to get the service cancelled at this time, I don’t want to participate in a (leaving-)customer survey. To annoy me totally, I can’t leave the forms unfilled – therefore I have to give some information to actually submit the cancel request (how useful is this information going to be?). Well – finally I make it to the submit button. Phew – done, canceled, good-bye!
You wish: Another page…
We are sorry that you want to cancel the contract; you will have to call our customer service center and tell the person on the phone the authentification code you see on the bottom of the screen
K-<12-digit-number here> …
Great – I’m on MY account page, with MY user name and MY password, and now I still have to call someone. Well, for security reason this might make sense. I don’t want anyone guessing the information and just canceling my account – but if he can call the customer service number, how should he convince the person on the other side of the line that he is actually me? Let’s ignore this, smile and call this number. After failing to cancel my contract over the phone in February, sending a fax without any response, learning that I can do this through a web page, filling pages of information I did not want to provide, calling a real person to verify my request for service cancellation seems like a small burden to pay (although my blood pressure was rising at this point a bit).
Dialing a number and listening to nice elevator music (I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but this music and being on hold is not really soothing to me ….) in a wait-loop on the phone (all operators are busy ….) finally someone picked up the phone.
<nice and polite greetings exchange>
1und1-Person: Why are you calling?
Me: I want to give you my authentification code to cancel my service
1und1-Person: Can you please give me that code?
Me: K-<12-digit-number here> …
1und1-Person: Thank you, I can verify this code. Can you please tell me why you are canceling your service?
Me: WHAT? I just entered all this on you web page!
1und1-Person: I’m sorry, I can’t see this information here, can you please tell me why you are canceling your service?
Dear 1und1-Person, you got my information, I don’t want to go through it again, I don’t want to have a discussion with you why I canceled and how you can convince me to stay your customer. I’m ready to move on!
Me: For a start – I canceled 4 weeks ago by sending a fax, and haven’t heard from you
1und1-Person: Let me check ….
Me: …
1und1-Person: I’m sorry, but I don’t see that information here …
Me: I got my fax machine conformation right in front of me
1und1-Person: Well, I can’t verify that, can you please tell me why you are canceling your service?
Me: <Blood pressure going up quiet a bit> Let’s just say that this kind of questioning and responding to my fax is part of it. I want to cancel, no questions asks, I think we are done.
1und1-Person: …. <something –still nice and polite- but the roaring of blood in my ears made it hard to hear> …
Me: Yes, we are done – have a good day.
1und1-Person: <Still nice and polite> Have a good day
That was difficult… but I’m done, and I don’t feel bad about it. What sucks is that my initial cancellation has been lost (or ignored), but now I’m out … finally. Not bad: After failing to cancel my contract over the phone in February, sending a fax without any response, learning that I can do this through a web page, filling pages of information I did not want to provide, calling a real person and do a secret handshake with him I have finally canceled my 1and1 service!
5 minutes later I notice 3 emails in my email-inbox, all titled with ‘contract-cancellation’ in one form or another. Looks like I’m really done, let me erase those, I’m done, one last look! Something like:
We received your request for service cancellation. The cancellation can only be effective if you sent us a signed cancellation form within 7 days. You can find the prepared cancellation form under https://vertrag.1und1.com....
Are you kidding me? Why did I jump through all the hoops, now I have to sent you a signed cancellation form? You gotta be kidding, I did this in February!!! Some of the previous steps must have been unnecessary! At this point let me just mention the words ‘blood pressure’!
Ok – there is another mail, with an attachement, this seems to be the needed document, I print it, sign it in blood, and then I see a fax number on the document. WOW – this is even the same fax number I did sent my original cancellation to. This has no calming effect on my ‘blood pressure’, but on the positive side really confirms my desire to cut all connections with 1und1 ASAP. I get this document into the fax machine, sent it, keep the machine sent confirmation, and hope that the contract is now finally being cancelled…
Let me repeat:
After failing to cancel my contract over the phone in February, sending a fax without any response, learning that I can do this through a web page, filling pages of information I did not want to provide, calling a real person and do a secret handshake with him, receiving an email notifying me that I have to cancel in writing, printing, and filling, and signing a form, and finally faxing this form, retaining the fax sent confirmation, I have finally canceled my contract. I just have to pay to 2 more bills without actually using the service …
Great experience! Don’t hold your breath to acquire me as a new customer ever again!
BTW: I’ll send the signed cancellation with ‘receipt-request’ via regular mail also – I want to be sure!