Quicky: LegalZoom Cares More About $8 than a Customer

TL;DR: LegalZoom sucks.

Slightly longer version: I used them about 6 weeks ago to set up a LLC. At the time there was some wording about "wow you also get a free trial of lame-service-you-don't-want!"

There was no way to opt out of said free trial.

I did get an email 2/3 of the way through the free trial reminding me that I had only 10 days left to enjoy these *cough* benefits... but not a word about "you will automatically be billed if you don't pick up the phone, call us (there is no way to cancel via their website, even if you try), and listen to our rep reading a script designed to make you feel silly about canceling".

Since I never agreed to automatic billing, I went about my business. Lo and behold -- without a single additional email making clear what was going on -- my credit card was recently billed for $7.99.

Now, $8 is not a Big Deal, but I'm loathe to pay for things I didn't want, didn't request, and didn't give someone explicit permission to bill my credit card for.

So I called the 800 number that was provided (again, you can't cancel via the website, only buy).

While the rep was courteous, they made it clear that company policy was that there are never any refunds for "services" like this that were added (a) without my option, (b) without my desire, and (c) without my using said service during the period I'm being charged $8 for. Even if it makes the difference between a satisfied customer and one that feels taken advantage of.

Let me clarify: LegalZoom would rather have my $8 than have a customer who feels they were treated fairly.

Now... given that these cats are lawyers, I have zero doubt that what they did here was 100% legal.

But it also sucks big hairy moose dick. And it's no way to run a business.

So if I ever have the opportunity to recommend a legal service, it will not be LegalZoom.

Shit; they're treating their customers as bas as cable companies or cell carriers, but without the lock-in effects those other companies have... it's almost like they *want* to fail.

Let's help them fail.

New year, new blog, new experiments...

I'm a huge fan of Monthly Experiments.

Try on a habit for one month, like you are taking a new outfit for a thorough test-wear... try it on, live with it for long enough to understand how it fits (or doesn't) into what you want your life to be.

At the end of the month, decide whether to keep the new habit, tweak it, or let it go. With just a little experiment every month you can create an entirely new life by the end of the year. Groovy.

For January 2014 my experiment is "write every day", and I've decided to start a new blog over at ItsAlwaysMorning.com to think out loud about living more intentionally.


Here's my current writing plan:

• Personal growth experiments, inspirational ideas I come across, experiments in work-life balance, and projects I undertake (including thinking about a lifestyle business) will live at ItsAlwaysMorning.com

• Everything I learn about startups as I try to help build Coursefork (my friend Brian's company) will be shared at SteveReaser.com.

• Personal bits and pieces that don't fit into one of those broad themes will continue to land here, as I need to get them out of my head.

So yeah, this is a bit messy, but let's give it a go and see where it takes me!