TV Answer Man, I was thinking of signing up for DIRECTV Stream’s free trial, but I’ve heard that it’s hard to cancel when you do. A friend told me he read a story that said you had to call someone and beg for your service to be canceled. I don’t want that hassle. Do you know if that’s true? — Jennifer, Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Jennifer, DIRECTV Stream, the multi-channel, live streaming service, this month began a five-day free trial for its monthly plans which start at $69.99 a month. The free trial, which is similar to what other streaming services offer, is a great way to give DIRECTV Stream a spin without risk.

However, if you decide to cancel within the five days, or at any time thereafter, is it difficult to do so, you ask?

Well, there have been stories that suggest the cancellation process is more laborious than it should be. So I can understand why your friend might think that. But it’s actually not that difficult to cancel the streaming service, although it does require an extra step than its rivals.

Here’s how it works.

If you decide to cancel, sign in to your account at the DIRECTV Stream web site. You then go to Account Overview and click Manage My Subscription. After that, click Cancel My Subscription and follow the prompts.

This is where DIRECTV Stream makes you do a little extra work.

While other streaming services will cancel your subscription as soon as you click Cancel, DIRECTV Stream requires to chat online with a company representative who will ask a few questions designed to try to keep you from canceling. However, once you make it clear that you have no interest in continuing your subscription, the representative will cancel your service immediately.

I have tried this and the process took about one minute. It actually took less time than I feared when I first noticed I would have to engage in a chat to cancel.

But that said, I’m sure most people would prefer being able to cancel with a single click or two. DIRECTV Stream used to offer the one-click cancel feature, but dropped it last year in favor of the chat. Undoubtedly, the company is hoping it can keep more people from canceling and thereby reduce its subscriber churn.

Techhive.com, which last year first noted the switch to canceling via chat, says some subscribers who signed up for DIRECTV Stream at an AT&T store may need to cancel by phone. So keep that in mind when you decide how to subscribe.

Jennifer, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann
@TVAnswerMan