The challenge is the price. I call and cancel every year, and then renew in the same phone call since they finally offer me 8 bucks a month (and then bump it to 15 after a year). With Apple the cheapest option I see is 14.99, so even though it sucks up my time, the call helps me save 80+ bucks a year.
Yep, me too. For things like the NYT, I buy through Apple's store, and cancellation is all in one place and easy, as are the terms of when the cancellation will take effect.
Completely straightforward, no hassle, no surprises.