Subscriptions

[Davyc]

Is there a setting to prevent a member from manually ending a subscription in Commerce?  I've looked and can't seem to find such a setting.  This is not for me, but a client of mine who wants subscribers to write him when they want to cancel - he's writing something into his T&C's that requires notice of cancellation - so that he can manually cancel and then remove the member from the members list as it is a requirement that members must be subscribers; the site is for Union members.  Guests can browse, but benefits and services are for members only.  

The problem of members cancelling themselves has revolved around people joining for a specific purpose and then cancelling once they have gotten what they wanted.

Anyone know of such a setting to prevent members cancelling without notice?

With thanks

[opentype]

40 minutes ago, Davyc said:

Anyone know of such a setting to prevent members cancelling without notice?

no. 

[Davyc]

40 minutes ago, opentype said:

no. 

Succinct and to the point - I love that lol.

I'll raise this as a suggestion with IPS as when used as a business model it makes sense to have a notice period for cancellation as most other businesses do, such as telephone, TV subscriptions (BT, SKY, etc) there is always a minimum term contract and I believe (rightly or wrongly) that the same should apply to subscriptions on the IPS platform.

Thanks @opentype for assuring me that my eyesight remains sound 🙂

 

[opentype]

13 minutes ago, Davyc said:

I'll raise this as a suggestion with IPS as when used as a business model it makes sense to have a notice period for cancellation as most other businesses do, such as telephone, TV subscriptions (BT, SKY, etc) there is always a minimum term contract and I believe (rightly or wrongly) that the same should apply to subscriptions on the IPS platform.

Well, I think we are mixing the subscription terms with the payment schedule. If you set up a 1-year subscription in IPS it does behave like expected and like all the services you mentioned. I think the problem is that people want something like monthly payments for a 1-year subscription, so to do that, they actually set up monthly subscriptions, which of course can be cancelled within any month, even the first one. So yeah, that is something iPS could improve. Either allowing to spread out payments or to allow to force a certain amount of renewals. 

[Davyc]

I agree, my client has two subscription models - a 1-year membership that costs significantly less than the monthly with less benefits, but the same basic services.  That's not a problem, but the monthly which, as @opentype says can be cancelled within the first month causes much concern as the perks package assigned to a member is for a minimum term and if a member cancels before that minimum term is reached, my client still has to pay for the package and so ends up out of pocket.

A simple optional switch to allow manual or automatic cancellations would be a solution that could serve everyone.

[opentype]

I don’t think “a simple switch” is the solution. Putting it int he hands of the admin might be of questionable legality in certain jurisdictions.

I would say the problem your client has is just a symptom. The cure, i.e. solution, needs to be somewhere else. 

Edited October 6, 2020 by opentype