I heard back from Six Apart this afternoon (see the prior post for the beginning of this story.) They did delete my TypePad account. While that’s great, their excuse for the current set up at TypePad (forcing all users, without their consent, into accounts which cannot be deleted) is that a “delete everything” button has not been created. They claim to have fast-tracked this but they are not sure how quickly it can be done. Additionally, their explanation for the behavior of the TypePad Rep who said that “accounts cannot generally be deleted,” is that she is “just trying to keep customers.”
I find these points wanting to say the least. It’s hard to see how TypePad’s policies are anything but created to force all users into permanent never-to-be-deleted accounts.
I made the following suggestions to Six Apart as interim steps to take while they create their delete button:
Don’t automatically create a Profile page without a TypePad user’s consent.
Don’t automatically force a paying customer who deletes their blog into TypePad Micro account without their consent.
Make it abundantly clear prior to signing up, for users of paid TypePad accounts or of free TypePad Micro accounts, whether they can delete their accounts at any time in the future.
Change TypePad’s stock answer when deletion requests like mine are made. The free profile accounts can’t generally be deleted statement is not true.
If you are a TypePad user and find yourself forced into a free account or into free services like the profile page without your consent then go directly to Six Apart’s getsatisfaction.com forum and post a complaint. This bypasses TypePad and will hopefully lead to any corrections you request.