When you cancel a Linode account, you do so through their web interface (The Linode Manager). After cancellation, it logs you out right away and you cannot log back in. It displays a message that your account has been closed. However, no other confirmation is provided... no emails or anything to prove the account has indeed been canceled. So today, November 1, 2011 Linode invoiced me for November 1 through November 30th. I went to the Linode Manager and found that my old account had somehow been reactivated. I have no idea why my original cancellation was not honored. So, I canceled the account again and emailed support@linode.com.

Linode support said that I had not canceled in Oct and that there was a 5 dollar fee to cancel the account now. Even though it was clear that I had no traffic to the Linode vps since Oct 30 (DNS change) and that I canceled again today right away after being invoiced again. If you do business with Linode and you cancel your account, email support@linode.com and confirm it with them in writing or your account may somehow be reactivated and you'll be invoiced again and then asked to pay a fee to cancel a service you are not using.