Who: “Subscription Services” — Present-day subscription services (i.e., streaming, music services, meal kits, audiobooks, razors) that ask you to sign up and receive their product automatically over weeks and months, for a recurring charge.
What: The two big ripes about such subscriptions services is . . .
1- “negative-option” billing: The service does NOT ask you to provide a positive indication that you want to renew the product. You have to provide a negative response TO NOT be billed again. Often, the fact that you have signed up for this-or-that service is forgotten, and/or the recurring charge date slips by with no action taken. It may have started out free for one “cycle” and/or the first free product line was delivered, but the next cycle and delivered product results in a charge.
2- “cancelation”: It is difficult to find the link, phone number, contact needed to cancel the service. There is no simple way to cancel it. You have to search all over the webpage or find a contact number you can call to stop the subscription.
These are not only the two big gripes of customers, but they are also the two Achilles heels that these subscription services purposefully lean on in order to repeatedly sell their goods! . . . .
√ Failing To Remember: They understand that most people forget and/or fail to record the subscription renewal date.
√ Difficulty In Exiting: They understand that if they can make it difficult to cancel, you may #1 – give up, #2 – be stuck for at least another month by the time you figure out how, or #3 – not be able to cancel at all without personally contacting them.
The subscription service relies on #1- your failure to remember, and #2- the purposeful withholding of a simple mechanism for immediate cancellation.
Key Biblical Thoughts:
- temptation
- Satan
- sin
- false prophets / teachers
- trials
- addictions
- forgiveness
- confession
. . . . .
Sermonic Example:
Though he is finite, the Devil has been around far longer and has seen every kind of situation you can imagine. If men have figured out how to tempt and allure people into buying, Satan has it down pat. Men are not wiser than Satan himself.
Have you dealt with businesses that sell subscriptions? — Like food, cosmetics, books, and streaming services which charge a monthly fee — and you can “quit at any time.” There are literally 100’s of them and detailed instructions on how to start your own [1]. They rely on two components to generate their profits . . . .
First of all, they hope you forget to cancel your subscription in time to prevent the next payment for that service.
Second, they make it difficult — and on purpose difficult — to find out how to cancel your subscription — if you do remember!
Let me say again, Satan is no less wise when it comes to sin. He hopes that you have forgotten where sin leads, and if you remember, he makes it difficult to cancel your subscription to sinful pleasures.
At other times, he counts on you forgetting I John 1:9 – that step of breaking away from your sinful choices — and makes it more and more difficult to break out of the vicious circle and cycle of sinful choices.
Other Information & Links:
1. https://www.cratejoy.com/sell/blog/over-100-monthly-subscription-services-how-to-start-your-own/
https://www.bestproducts.com/home/a31940651/best-subscription-services/
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