How to Write a Letter of Cancellation
Letters of cancellation are generally classified as business correspondence. As such, we want to be very specific as to what we say in them. There should be no room for misunderstanding, and it is important to state our case concisely and clearly.
Letters of cancellation are written for a variety of things, such as canceling a cable service, a magazine subscription, or an insurance policy. The case should be stated in as few words as possible, including the actions we expect to be taken because of the letter. Ask the recipient to confirm receipt of the letter at their earliest convenience.
Letter of Cancellation Tips
- Make sure you include the date, the company's name and contact information, and your account number if relevant.
- Be polite but firm when you tell the company to cancel your account. Remember that there is a typical 30-day notice period before a cancellation is put into effect.
- In your cancellation letter, tell the company that they no longer have the authority to continue with any activity related to your account (e.g. withdrawal of payments from your bank account).
- If you still have a balance on your account, send a check in that amount.
- State that you wish to receive written confirmation that the cancellation was put into effect.
- Make clear the steps you will take if your account is not canceled within 30 days.
- Type your letter of cancellation and print it on quality paper, but also include a handwritten signature.
Letter of Cancellation Example
“This letter serves to request my immediate membership cancellation at your vacation club. All obligations have been fulfilled with regard to this membership. I expect that no additional charges will be applied to my credit card. Please confirm receipt of this request by return mail at your earliest convenience.”
This letter clearly states its purpose: you are cancelling membership at the vacation club; you understand all of your membership obligations have been filled; you expect no additional payments will be applied to your credit card; you request the recipient confirm receipt and understanding of the letter.
An added precaution would be to send the letter via certified mail so that the recipient cannot deny having received it.
As with all business correspondence, professionalism is the order of the day. Be sure to run your letter through a reliable spell and grammar checker to ensure your correspondence is free of any errors.
