So I was forced to sign up for eFax. Didn’t want to, didn’t really have an option, so oh well.

So last night I went to cancel. Of course your can’t really cancel online - you have to talk to a real-live operator.

So today I initiate a chat. This is the first time I have ever come across a live-chat that is actually embedded in the browser window. If there ever was a case for popups, its live-chat - browsing multiple tabs, it is easy to forget you have a live chat window open.

So I fill out the info (including my email), and ask to cancel. I explicitly state ‘I want to cancel my account, xxx@xxx.com is my email’. I get the usual ’sorry to see you cancel’, and then get asked for my email (alongwith other info). Now I assume the person is using a script, but I already put my email when I initiated the chat, and I just told you my chat roughly 15 seconds ago.

So then my good friend ‘Scott’ asks me why I want to cancel with a list of 8 options. Best of all, he says he cannot proceed unless I pick an option.

Of course, while talking to him, I have one of those ‘talk to a live operator’ popup appear. Sigh!

And then the credit sell. What really infuriated me (and thus sparked this post) was the complete evasiveness. It went like this:

  1. I ask that my account be cancelled.
  2. Scott said it would be in my interest to keep an account, they are willing to credit me $33.90 for ‘2 months of service’. I won’t be charged then. (note the amorphous language regarding being charged)
  3. I ask him explicitly if I will be charged again (I have absolutely no interest in their service, I have my own fax machine now)
  4. “Please be assured your eFax account will be credited with $33.90 so you will not be charged any monthly fee for next 2 months.”

You bastard. I didn’t ask for free two months, and I asked for my account to be canceled.

And this went on. I was given more credits, a ‘gift’ usage of $10.00, the ability to send ‘100 pages of faxes for free’, and so forth. I felt like I was talking to AOL.

I’m sorry that you are leaving eFax. At eFax, we are continuously improving our products and services. Please do consider us if your faxing needs should change in the future.

Fat chance.