As of: February 3, 2024, 6:00 p.m
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If you want to negotiate a cheaper contract but stay with the provider, you should cancel.
With luck, he'll make a better offer.
Who doesn't know the phenomenon: You want to cancel a contract or subscription and first have to click through numerous "Are you really sure?" questions and answer them in the affirmative.
Most of the time, customers really want to get rid of a subscription once they're ready.
But if you just want to get more favorable conditions, then this route is sometimes the right one.
This method is called “Strategic Termination”.
Strategic termination: what is it?
If you want to cancel a subscription or a contract - be it from a cell phone provider, a streaming service or even from an electricity or gas provider - then during the process a question is often asked along the lines of: "Wouldn't you like to stay if?" “We want to add this and that offer and discounts on top?” That’s the point you want to get to with strategic cancellation.
If you want a subscription or contract with your provider with better conditions, it is sometimes worth canceling completely.
© Imago
The providers don't want to lose their loyal customers and in such a situation they make concessions so that they don't lose them completely.
If you do it cleverly, you can then negotiate discounts or other benefits - such as more data volume with a cell phone contract or additional services in the gym.
Strategic termination is when customers terminate their contracts even though they don't really want to change.
Terminate strategically: This is how it works
First of all: A strategic termination is also a termination.
It is always possible that the previous provider does not respond to the cancellation and does not make a better offer.
Then in the end you may actually have canceled a contract and have to look for a new provider.
If you were actually satisfied with your current tariff, you should consider whether you want to play poker.
However, if you are dissatisfied with the contract or subscription and really want to change something, then it is worth trying.
According to
Aboalarm.de,
strategic cancellation works like this: First, you have to submit the cancellation within the framework of the minimum term and the cancellation obligation so that the provider becomes aware.
In the following you should practice patience.
If it will take some time before the termination date, it is worth waiting.
At the end of the term, providers usually act quickly and send out new offers in order to encourage the customer to stay.
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You don't necessarily have to accept the first offer.
If you don't respond at first, many providers will then send you another - better - offer.
If you are ultimately satisfied with one, you can accept it and stay with your current provider.
You don't have to change and you get a cheaper contract.
Strategic termination: When does such an approach make sense?
Strategic termination doesn’t always work.
If the provider does not respond to the customer with a better offer, the customer will then have to look for another contract.
To avoid unpleasant surprises in such a situation, you should find out about the alternatives beforehand.
So it's best to have a plan B at hand, another provider with a cheaper offer that you can fall back on in an emergency if your own provider won't negotiate with you.
Strategic termination also makes sense in industries that have a lot of leeway.
At a bank, for example, there will hardly be any offers for loans.
However, with contracts for the gym, with cell phone, internet, pay TV or telephone providers, it is more likely.
According to
Focus.de,
customers there save up to 50 percent if they cancel strategically and get new offers.
The news website conducted a survey of consumers in 2016, 67 percent of whom said they had been successful at strategically canceling.