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FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

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Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#681

Post by e40 »

Uehreka wrote: post #190

When people try and say that regulating stuff like this is impossible, I often think about how unreasonably great the regulations around “Unsubscribe” links in emails are. There really seems to be no loophole or workaround despite there being huge incentive for there to be one. Every time I click an “Unsubscribe” link in an email (it seems like they’re forced to say “Unsubscribe” and not use weasel words to hide the…

UCSD has me on a bunch of lists as a former parent of an undergraduate. No way to unsubscribe. Infuriating.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#683

Post by osigurdson »

The problem is actually in the payment system itself. A credit card number + expiry + ccv + name is essentially like giving out a username + password to your money. We hand out the same username / password to everybody and everything works on the honor system after that. At any given time there are likely hundreds of companies that have your username/password and can charge whatever they want at any time. If anything looks fishy, is up to you to investigate and get charges reversed.

Instead, I should be able to seamlessly create new credentials per vendor with expiration and limits. I should also be able to stop payment at any time.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#684

Post by 0_____0 »

lazide wrote: post #680
account42 wrote: post #662

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Few companies are stupid enough to use the same sender or even domain for marketing and important transactional mail.

Utility companies are unfortunately exactly that kind of stupid though.

My utility doesn't seem to market to me. What the heck are they sending email to you for? "Use more electricity!" "Build a new house!" "Get a hot tub?"

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#685

Post by 0_____0 »

malfist wrote: post #486
thayne wrote: post #423

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or they interpret any kind of interaction after a while of inactivity as "yes please sign me up for all your newsletters, even though I previously explicitly told you to unsubscribe me"

The worst for this is Shopify. If you've ever given your email to shopify, they will absolutely share it to a page you visit, even if you don't check out. Throw something in the cart at a random website? Now you're on their mailing list and get reminders to finish checking out. Doesn't matter that you never consented. I don't know how this isn't a violate of the CAN-SPAM act

Shit, that's devious. Thanks for mentioning that.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#686

Post by lotsofpulp »

osigurdson wrote: post #683

The problem is actually in the payment system itself. A credit card number + expiry + ccv + name is essentially like giving out a username + password to your money. We hand out the same username / password to everybody and everything works on the honor system after that. At any given time there are likely hundreds of companies that have your username/password and can charge whatever they want at any time. If anything…

I have paid for everything via credit card for 20+ years now, entering my credit card info online thousands of times, and have yet to have a fraudulent charge.

And if I do, I just call the number on the back of the card and they give the money back to me.

The system works 99% of the time, for billions and billions of transactions. Which is why it has stayed.

Edit: obviously, ideally, there would be a federal government constitutionally protected electronic payment system where people can push payments to one another.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#687

Post by scott_w »

Uehreka wrote: post #190

When people try and say that regulating stuff like this is impossible, I often think about how unreasonably great the regulations around “Unsubscribe” links in emails are. There really seems to be no loophole or workaround despite there being huge incentive for there to be one. Every time I click an “Unsubscribe” link in an email (it seems like they’re forced to say “Unsubscribe” and not use weasel words to hide the…

> When people try and say that regulating stuff like this is impossible

I suspect that people who say this have no experience of European-like systems which work on the basis of regulating things to prevent them from becoming an issue.

A huge part of this is to make sure the regulators have clear guidance and the teeth to enforce regulation. Take, for example, the UK's Health and Hygiene regulator. They have the power to inspect premises and processes and force proprietors to make their ratings visible. In extreme cases, they can shut down an establishment for non-compliance.

Is it 100% perfect? Obviously not, people still get food poisoning or swallow glass in their food. That said, it's not common, and you can easily avoid 1* establishments. If someone isn't displaying their star rating, it's obvious why and you can easily avoid them, too.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#688

Post by Retric »

digging wrote: post #250
Uehreka wrote: post #190

When people try and say that regulating stuff like this is impossible, I often think about how unreasonably great the regulations around “Unsubscribe” links in emails are. There really seems to be no loophole or workaround despite there being huge incentive for there to be one. Every time I click an “Unsubscribe” link in an email (it seems like they’re forced to say “Unsubscribe” and not use weasel words to hide the…

I'm super appreciative of what we have, but there's absolutely issues. CAN-SPAM specifies that the link must be clearly marked and suggests using CSS to do so, but the link is still always going to be at the bottom of the email in the smallest font used. It only matters for those of us who know to look for it ; many people just have to live with the spam because they don't know it's easy to unsubscribe. Sometimes it'…

Bulk discounts with early termination penalties are still allowed.

This about auto renewal not contracts.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#689

Post by y-curious »

Mountain_Skies wrote: post #545
immibis wrote: post #473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm actually amazed at this because it seems to be the first time he Democrats are actually taking advantage of all the loopholes the Republicans made, rather than trying to take the high road.

I received well over 1000 SMS messages in 2020 from the Biden campaign. Replying 'STOP' worked... for that one number but since they were using a huge army of volunteers to SMS out messages, asking them to stop was pointless as there was a seemingly endless number of others sending out messages. Legal or not, it wasn't ethical. It only started after I updated my voter registration because I moved between counties. Th…

Just respond telling them "thanks, but I'm voting by word of mouth this year." Never heard from them since.

Re: FTC announces "click-to-cancel" rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions

#690

Post by gardenmud »

grigri907 wrote: post #472
ethbr1 wrote: post #452

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone should be educated to never give their number or email to a political campaign of any sort.

There are several campaigns over the years I would have contributed to if they could only guarantee I wouldn't be placed on their lists.

You can easily do this by just giving them a throwaway email. They don't check. Legally they just have to record your name but there's nothing saying you have to give them a real email.
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