I’m curious. I’ve noticed some web sites, stores, etc. try to gain or retain customers by providing bad service. They hide their prices so you have to start the purchase process to discover pricing (just try finding out how much it costs to make 10 color copies at Fedex/Kinkos. I dare you.). Some web sites don’t have a cancel-my-membership button that’s easy to find and don’t give a customer service number. I’ve had magazines ask that I cancel my subscription in writing.
Do these tactics work? Hiding prices makes me less likely to use a site. Making membership hard to cancel doesn’t stop me from canceling, but it DOES convince me never to come back if I was canceling for a reason that might have been temporary.
How about you? Do you find these things actually work on you, or do you rebel against them? Or do you not even notice?