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“Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

niemanlab.org

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Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#481

Post by nobody9999 »

Dark patterns aren't just for cancellations.

A couple years back, a friend bought me a one year gift subscription for Britbox[0].

When I tried to activate the gift subscription, the site refused to allow me to do so unless I provided them with a credit card number.

Which, from a practical standpoint, makes no sense as it was a gift.

I wasn't going to provide these wankers with my credit card number[0], so I then had to have an awkward conversation with my friend as I didn't want her to pay for something I couldn't use.

To their (very minor) credit, Britbox did refund the cost to my friend.

[0] AFAICT, much of the subscription industry relies on having your credit card details so they can continue to bill you. Especially with annual subscriptions, as most folks will forget about it until they see the charge on their credit card statement. Then the subscription service has another year for you to forget about it again. Rinse and repeat.

Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#482

Post by jedberg »

Humdeee wrote: post #393
strenholme wrote: post #344

Since I live in California, which has a “click to subscribe means you must have click to cancel” regulation, this isn’t an issue for me. After the New York Times published their inaccurate hit piece attacking Scott Alexander and Slate Star Codex/Astral Codex Ten, I was able to cancel online just clicking my way through. I now subscribe to The Wall Street Journal, which looks to be the most neutral newspaper right now…

Hold on here, does that mean that Cancel button only appears based on location?

I believe for the New York Times it’s based on billing address. So if you change your billing address to California you should get the cancel button.

Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#483

Post by cgriswald »

logfromblammo wrote: post #458
rolandog wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It should have been stipulated that unsubscribing should be offered immediately after the option to subscribe.

I think "unsubscribe" should only be offered after a customer has been charged. Before that, it should be "cancel" or "annul". For instance, if there is a "free trial" period, wait until after that expires, and the customer has been charged, before offering an "unsubscribe". But aside from the hair-splitting, yes, you are absolutely correct. If I have instant buyer's remorse, I should be able to click it away just as…

I don't agree.

"Canceling" a free trial means the trial ends immediately.

"Unsubscribing" during a free trial means the trial continues, but you are no longer subscribed so when the free part of your subscription runs out it won't automatically renew.

Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#486

Post by timwis »

GuardianCaveman wrote: post #484

I would just add that services like privacy.com that allow you to create burner cards or cards with specific limits has really helped me with things like gym membership or other places that may make it hard to cancel.

This service is great. I wish they offered it in the UK.

Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#487

Post by cgriswald »

ClikeX wrote: post #399
lagadu wrote: post #29

In Portugal the law makes it so you can cancel any service using the same means that you used to subscribe it, so if they support subscribing online, unsubscribing also has to be doable the same way; same goes for via phone, personal or whatnot. It makes sense, prevents service providers from making it too difficult to terminate a contract.

It's an EU thing, we have this in the Netherlands as well. We see a lot of services trying to sell you subscriptions at the door or on the street, though.

In that case, it seems that they should have people going door-to-door offering cancellation as well.

Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#489

Post by starwind »

marcosdumay wrote: post #401
aristophenes wrote: post #316

I had to cancel my gym membership because I was moving, and it required me to send a physical letter. I did this, but found out later that somehow I owed like 2 dollars, so they didn’t count my cancellation request because my account wasn’t up to date (should be illegal). They continued to bill me the entire membership fee, but my credit card had changed, so they sent my account to a collections agency. Right when I…

Does your country have a small claims court? This is the exact situation you should sue them for reputational damage.

Small claims cases against gyms are remarkably easy to win. Judges know the bs gyms put their members through when they try to cancel so the courts are already inclined to believe the other party

Re: “Click to subscribe, call to cancel” is illegal, FTC says

#490

Post by karaterobot »

mcronce wrote: post #370
aristophenes wrote: post #316

I had to cancel my gym membership because I was moving, and it required me to send a physical letter. I did this, but found out later that somehow I owed like 2 dollars, so they didn’t count my cancellation request because my account wasn’t up to date (should be illegal). They continued to bill me the entire membership fee, but my credit card had changed, so they sent my account to a collections agency. Right when I…

It took me seven years to cancel Planet Fitness after I moved a hundred miles away. Letter after letter, nothing...finally made a trip back home one day and had time to stop and deal with it. Fuck gyms. I can run on the sidewalk for free.

Had the exact same experience. Moved out of state, had to continue paying for over a year until I had another reason to go back there and cancel it. Of course, there was no part of the process that couldn't have been done over the phone, or on the web.

And this is relevant to the article, since Planet Fitness is specifically called out for being among the shadiest practitioners of this tactic.

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