[ur_tech_friend]

This feels backwards—if the service gets worse, simply cancel your subscription.

If it were a one-time purchase, wouldn't that encourage the service provider to make it worse over time because they've already taken your money?

[fusslo]

I agree with you in theory

> If it were a one-time purchase, wouldn't that encourage the service provider to make it worse over time because they've already taken your money?

Couldn't it encourage the provider to make it better because their revenue comes from new customers?

> if the service gets worse, simply cancel your subscription.

There's plenty of examples of subscriptions that are nearly impossible to cancel, or have a giant fee for cancelling early. Adobe, Comcast, siriusxm spring to mind. Anecdotally, streaming services are partly funded by people who subscribe for a particular film/tv show and just never cancel.

[miyoji]

> This feels backwards—if the service gets worse, simply cancel your subscription.

It's not backwards. I've canceled many subscriptions because software has gotten worse. I occasionally check back in with those services to see if they've gotten better, or at least back to as good as they used to be and they are always, inevitably, worse.

I'd love to hear about a subscription that gets better over time but I haven't had that experience. I've also heard how product managers talk about subscribed users and I don't like being thought of that way by the businesses I give money to.

[zetsurin]

That's the rub, numerous times you can't cancel until the x is done (for gym memberships it used to be a whole year). Or alternatively look at prime cancelling is made difficult.

Another issue is they tend to get more unnoticed as time goes on and little additional fees start creating in.

Just avoid subscriptions when possible has served me well

[JKCalhoun]

I have not hiked this month. Note to self: cancel AllTrails subscription.

I might hike this coming weekend. Note to self: reinstate AllTrails subscription.

etc.