It started innocently enough, a mysterious $12.99 charge on my credit card labeled “Monthly Premium Access.” Premium access to what? I hadn’t knowingly “accessed” anything in months, unless you count repeatedly hitting “remind me tomorrow” on software updates.
After a brief scroll through my inbox, I realized it was a subscription I thought I canceled three months ago. Apparently, I didn’t click the final “yes, really cancel” button.
So I returned to the company’s website to finish what I started. That’s when the real adventure began.
First, I was greeted by a chatbot named “Sophie,” who seemed helpful—until I realized Sophie was just looping me through the same three unhelpful answers:
Me: “How do I cancel my subscription?”
Sophie: “Did you know we offer great value? Try our annual plan!”
Me: “No, cancel.”
Sophie: “Let me transfer you to our FAQ page.”
Spoiler: the FAQ page did not include “How do I cancel this never-ending charge?”
There was no “Contact Us” page. No phone number. No email. Just Sophie, and a contact form labeled “feedback,” which felt more like a suggestion box in a black hole.
So I did what any rational adult would do—I took to social media. I posted a mildly unhinged tweet:
“Hey @ThisCompany, why is it easier to unsubscribe from a gym in 1998 than it is to cancel your service in 2025?”
To their credit, they responded. But the reply said, “We’d love to help! Please DM us your account number, full name, the last four digits of your credit card, and your first pet’s maiden name.”
It took five days and a follow-up tweet (plus a screenshot of Sophie’s betrayal) to finally connect with a human. Within 10 minutes, the subscription was canceled, and a refund was issued—because apparently, when a person gets involved, things can be resolved quickly.
Even using a trendy AI chatbot, this experience highlights a few classic customer service fails:
- Hiding help behind bots and broken loops
- No direct way to contact a real person
- A cancellation process designed by evil geniuses
- Delays and confusion that turn minor annoyances into brand-ending drama
Customers don’t expect magic, but we do expect a clear, human way to say, “Please stop charging me for this thing I haven’t used since the Taylor Swift album drop.”
Businesses, take note:
If canceling your service feels like solving a riddle in a locked room, you’ve got a customer service problem. Make it easy to reach you. Train your team to fix things fast.
When customers feel stuck, they don’t just leave—they bring humor, frustration, and screenshots with them.
Need help making your customer service less like a haunted house and more like a helpful neighbor? Let’s chat. No Sophie chatbots involved.