‎Why can't I cancel the subscription | SimpliSafe Support Home
 
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Monday, June 21st, 2021 5:57 PM

Why can't I cancel the subscription

I need to cancel my interactive monitoring subscription as I'm moving abroad but Simplisafe make this process incredibly difficult. There seems no way to do this apart from waiting for 40+ minutes to speak to a customer service representative

Be aware of this before you subscribe to their services. They do all they can to lock you in and prevent you from being able to cancel

Official Solution

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

3 years ago

Hi folks,

Yes, unfortunately we do need you to call in so we can verbally confirm your Safe Word passcode - as we would for any change that could negatively impact your security.

And yes, you are absolutely right that it shouldn't take so long for our Support team to take care of. They're seeing some extremely high call volumes right now, but we're all working together to get the response times back down to normal.

nickwilkins, looking at your account I'm glad to see that you were able to get through. We sincerely hope that the next time you need to reach out, you'll have a much smoother experience.

(edited)

2 Messages

FTC has issued a policy statement making clear that firms that trick customers into signing up for subscriptions or trap them when they try to cancel are breaking the law. To comply with the law, businesses must ensure sign-ups are clear, consensual, and easy to cancel. Specifically, businesses should provide cancellation mechanisms that are at least as easy to use as the method the customer used to buy the product or service in the first place.

Simplisafe makes it easy to upgrade. You have to call be placed on hold transferred and pitched to cancel the subscription. A clear violation of FTC rules

1 Message

@davey_d​ I called in and cancelled my service in August. It’s November and I am still being billed.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@jkunz36​ I'm very sorry to hear about this. I've forwarded your case to our escalated Support team. A Specialist will reach out to you soon to help - keep an ear out for their call! 

3 Messages

@jkunz36 I had exactly the same issue. the customer service guy adamantly claimed that they saw no record from me, which is BS, because last time some customer service people had me stay in line for 20min to pitch me to not cancel. 

@emily_s please help with my case, too. otherwise this company is so despicable.

4 Messages

@jkunz36​ 

We tried to cancel in Jun and all we were able to get was a suspension for few months ( the guy will not cancel under any circumstances!!). Now I got billed again and they won’t wave, refund or help to cancel.

@emily_s 

197 Messages

3 years ago

As I understand it, the requirement to call is to protect someone else from making changes to your account.  I can accept this.  

However, you should not have to wait so long to speak with someone.  That is frustrating and something that Simplisafe should fix.

38 Messages

3 years ago

Only takes me a few minutes to get someone in customer service when I called. Had to call twice, once on my account and once on my daughter's. Maybe you just called at a bad time and should have hung up after five minutes and called back later.

3 years ago

I have called a number of times, each time I was put on hold for hours. I gave up. I have reached out to Simplisafe on twitter and email. Trying here to see if I get lucky and someone from support contacts me and helps me cancel the account.

1.3K Messages

3 years ago

Well, ya know, you are on a month-by-month basis not a long term contract. I'd much prefer to see people exit gracefully and on good terms but, worst case, you contact your CC company to stop the payments.

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

3 years ago

sundeep.maithani,

You might have seen my reply above. Our Support team is experiencing some extreme call volumes right now, and we're all working hard to get it under control. It's possible that if you reached out on Twitter, one of my colleagues might have set up a call from a Specialist for you. But even then, it might be a while before they can get to your call. It's all hands on deck over there!

The best path, unfortunately, is just waiting on the line.

- Johnny M.
SimpliSafe Home Security

1 Message

Sorry, but that is not an acceptable answer, and you are ignoring the fact that your company is intentionally making it difficult to cancel service. As mentioned above, this is a violation of Federal law. My suggestion - do the right thing and make it simple to cancel. If many people cancel, perhaps that means there is something wrong with your service (e.g., it cannot handle a modern 5 ghz wifi network). 

Captain

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6.2K Messages

3 years ago

@Johnny M  Appears SS is back where it has been historically...and not in a good way.  Your former new "Gucci" phone system was to offer scheduled call backs when a customer opted for it, was shortly deployed and then pulled back. That was well over a year ago and would be a partial solution to customers wanting to cancel or modify monitoring subscriptions.  

I don't know if online chat that once was in the help center would be an acceptable alternative, hiring of temps, outsourcing etc but this really has to be addressed. Thank you for your ongoing efforts.

1 Message

2 years ago

Of course you can upgrade your monitoring service online but have to call to downgrade and cancel. Gives sales a chance to talk you out of it. Tactic used by many companies, not unique to simply safe. But annoying as heck, and I avoid doing business with these types when I can. Saying it's a security precaution is just an company policy answer to avoid creating a secure way of doing it. I've had monitoring services, and frankly more highly secure critical systems that were easier to cancel than having to wait 30 minutes on the phone. It's easier to make a trade or transfer funds between financial institutions then cancel your simply safe monitoring subscription.  

1 Message

2 years ago

I can't remember the safe word. I moved from the address two years ago. The system was taken down and removed from the address. What do I do now?

This comment has been converted into a post

1 Message

1 year ago

So true!

Captain

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6.2K Messages

@info_6f733f​ Call SS to cancel. They have other processes to confirm  your identity without the safeword.

1 Message

1 year ago

Horrible experience cancelling the plan. It's like cancelling a gym's membership. When you signup you can do everything in 5 minutes online, to cancel it, it takes HOURS if not DAYS. DO not buy simplysafe. I can not recommend them because they are a SCAM

Captain

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6.2K Messages

@thisgeorge did Simplisafe ask you for your safe word and were you able to provide it to the agent?

Sirrius Radio, Comcast, my local newspaper subscriptioin, amongst others, have hard to cancel subscriptions. For those, and others, I call, recording active and I identify myself, confirm info quickly, say cancel. The agent start sales pitch, I repeat cancel and then ask to confirm if they heard me. I hear yes, I say thank you and hang up. If and when any cc charges show up, I dispute them. Done in under two minues.

SS should just ask for your safe word, that's why I asked the question above. If so, you give, it, say cancel. If they start sales pitch or ask for further information (which would be very sad) ask if they heard you. Once they say yes, say thank you and hang up.

I am hoping that SS has not gone beyond that one question.

(edited)

2 Messages

1 year ago

FTC has issued a policy statement making clear that firms that trick customers into signing up for subscriptions or trap them when they try to cancel are breaking the law. To comply with the law, businesses must ensure sign-ups are clear, consensual, and easy to cancel. Specifically, businesses should provide cancellation mechanisms that are at least as easy to use as the method the customer used to buy the product or service in the first place.

Simplisafe makes it easy to upgrade. You have to call be placed on hold transferred and pitched to cancel the subscription. A clear violation of FTC rules and against thelaw

Captain

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6.2K Messages

@dgkahl57​ I know you won't agree, but SS doesn't trick people. At times they may be incompetent and mess things up, but in the end try to do the right thing. And, yes, I despise "loyalty" depts and have been very vocal against SS setting one up. In this thread I have shown an easy process that if things do go south, how you can stop the subscription being paid against your credit card. Again, SS is not in the same camp with the likes of Sirius Radio, Comcast or ADT.

And now, SS, your next: I despise, completely, reading posts like those in this thread where customers have this kind of experience from your "Loyalty Dept".  You never needed a "Loyalty" dept and you don't need one now. Technical support and customer service teams, definitely. I don't want to wish a lump of coal on anyone this time of year. but please make sure your loyalty team is easy to work with, don't use high pressure sales tactics and gets customers cancellation requests done cordially, quickly and effectively!

(edited)

1 Message

11 months ago

@dgkahl57 Is there any way to file a complaint against Simplisafe for their customer service practices. I moved, and can not take the SS subscription with me, I've called them 3 times, once they were without system, second time, it was gonna take 30 minutes for someone to pick up, 3rd time, and I am currently on the phone, on hold for over 1 hour, waiting for the customer service guy to reach out to someone else inside the organization who would manage the cancellation. This obviously needs to be reports to the FTC, BBB, and any other agency possible.

Captain

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6.2K Messages

@jignacio​ Complaints are easy online at the BBB or FTC website but, no disrepect, why bother? It's like putting your phone number on the Do Not Call List; spammers ignore and still call. I have posted several times my way of handling hard to cancel subscriptions, and works like clockwork. Call company; can't get through, send email with request. Call company, can't get through, send email and then dispute item when it hits credit card. Done.

BTW, I never, ever had an issue reaching SS, although I have never wanted to cancel my subscription in 13+ years. One other suggest: Customer Service and or "Loyaty Dept" backed up. Chat support or phone support are on recorded lines, go there, authenticate, give safeword, confirm you are on a recorded line, say great, cancel my monitoroing, thanks and then hang up. Send confirming email, done.

My wife describes this methodolgy as me "going Jersey" on the offending company, but worked fine with Sirius Radio, Chicago Tribune Newspaper etc. Truth be told, wouldn't work with ADT and took much more work due to their legal contract. For me, at least, Simplisafe is very reputable and a great company but no where near as ADT to cancel.

Happy Holidays.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@jignacio​ I am sorry to hear about all this trouble. I've gone ahead and forwarded your details to our escalated Support team. A senior specialist will reach out to you soon to help with your subscription plan so keep an ear out for their call.

11 months ago

I called and "cancelled" 2 subscriptions on November 10th, 2023, and I'm still being charged to this day. I even put a claim in with my bank and they are still charging me. Simply Safe, what's the deal here? 

Captain

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6.2K Messages

@bernardinowedding1025 Suggest you pick up the phone and call SS Customer Service and ask for a supervisor. SS is a reputable company (yes, I know you will not agree) and get them to straighten this out. If they don't, and its on a credit card, then just dispute it. send an emaiil to SS and you are done. If a dr to your account directly, then its a bigger issue. Please post your outcome here if you get a chance.

(edited)

1 Message

11 months ago

I just called SS to cancel my subscription.  I called at 3:20 pm and my subscription was cancelled by 3:30 pm.  Based on the reviews, I will monitor to see if I am billed again.  Otherwise, I wanted to let folks know that unlike most of the reviews I did not have an issue canceling my subscription.  

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

@laurenwylie​ thanks for reporting your experience. That's definitely how smooth we want it to be! If you have any trouble though, let me know and I'll make sure you get a call from a senior agent.

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