When I had a similar problem while trying to cancel my AOL “service”, I was told that I couldn’t prevent any company from automatically taking funds from my account once I had authorized said company to make direct monthly withdrawals. I could prevent the exact amount from being removed, but any variance by even a penny from the standard fee could not be flagged and blocked. However, I could (and did) close my savings account and open a new one immediately, as AOL had no way to get to an individual account whose number it had not been given.
Of course, all caveats apply: the policies and procedures of my bank, as well as the laws of the state of Indiana, may well differ greatly from the regulations relevant to Hal’s situation. Good luck, Mr. Briston!