Stamps.com - trying to cancel service, account unused for over one year

# 11 for January 11, 2002

Complaints.com received the following e-message on January 10, 2002:

From: Shanna Evans [Email User]

Stamps.com - trying to cancel service, account unused for over one year I have tried for almost a year to cancel a stamps.com service which I haven't used for over a year. My computer crashed, so I don't have copies of any emails to them prior to October, but I sent them an email on 10/10/2001 telling them that I had been telling them for months to cancel my account. I sent one also on 12/13 telling them the same thing. Now they mail me telling me I owe them $28.37 for past service. I can send you copies of the emails that I have sent to them if you need them. I haven't used the service since 12/2000 at all and have been trying to cancel it since then. There is an 800 number that I finally received today, where this can be cancelled by calling 1-888-434-0055 and choosing option 1 on the phone menu. I finally got an email from them this evening confirming that my account has been closed, but do not feel that I should be charged for a year of service that I have not had. Thank you, Shanna Hawley Email User

Comment On This

I know how you feel! I called to cancel Stamps.com after exhausting my "free trial" offer with "$5 free postage" I never received the free postage, my card was charged $15.99 for their "Pro" account, and I never mailed a single thing. When I called the 800 number to answer, a man who spoke poor English softly (can you speak up, please?) told me that my next billing date was on the 10th of January. As it was the 4th of January, I had already entered a new billing cycle and they could not cancel the account until after I had lost another sixteen bucks. When I told him that I would not be using it for another month he replied that their terms require that the account be paid "regardless of usage" and that they were going to charge me another month. I protested and asked again to be canceled immediately, he countered with an offer to charge me $7.99 for another plan AND finally give me the $5 "free" postage. My anger and disbelief were lost on him as my responses were not in his English script, but he understood me perfectly well when I asked him to do the following:

1. Change my plan to the $7.99 plan

2. Cancel my plan now so I am only charged another month

3. Be prepared to provide documentation of this transaction as I was preparing to turn everything over to our Indiana State Attorney General Steve Carter to investigate this consumer fraud issue. While their terms may state that they can charge users for canceled accounts, I was certain that this practice wasn't allowed in my state and know that our Fraud division would look into it on my behalf.

Amazingly, after request #3, the now-audible man took a few seconds to put me on hold and speak to his "supervisor." He then had permission to cancel my account and not charge me for anything else. My confirmation code is 1-650-76003. Good luck to anyone canceling this horrid service, I'm using PayPal shipping online for FREE from now on!