Sorry I overlooked that last bit, we do offer pro-rated billing. The way it works is when a new client orders, that becomes their monthly billing date. Any upgrades are pro-rated with the remaining days in the billing cycle. If you order another package as an existing client on a different date than your monthly billing date, open a ticket with the billing department and we'll pro-rate it with the remaining days in the cycle. Some clients like having different billing dates for their services, others prefer them all to be on the same day each month. We're flexible and will accommodate to your preferences.
Tilaa.nl is one company does the shady two month cancellation stuff. They suck.
It seems non-Linode VPS providers either have shady cancellation/retention policies OR lack auto-provisioning/pro-rated billing.