(my real plan is to cancel when I take the box back tomorrow but I'm not looking forward to it)
I called in an cancelled with Cox last Wednesday. It wasn't great, but not as bad as i thought it would be.
Called in and was screened through an automated system. Now, they never made me press "Press X to cancel a service" but the mutli-layer screening got me to an option that i could only get to if i were cancelling.
So, the guy picks up: "How can i help you?"
"I'd like to cancel my cable subscription"
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? ... ... shoot, tsk... alright hold on a minute"
After stalling for 20 minutes, he finally got me my obligatory counter-offer, which was to lower my rate back to the rate it was after they jacked it up (Cox raised my bill $30 in February, then $40 in May, and they thought a good deal sounded like lowering it back to the Feb rate, because that was only me getting lightly mumped) I told him no, and that i already had the box unhooked and he let me on my way.