Can You Force Streaming Services to Change by Cancelling Subscriptions?
“Cancel your subscription. Buy physical media. Force their hand. You have the power!”
Summary
Federal regulators have adopted a “click‑to‑cancel” rule that obligates companies to honor a consumer’s request to end a subscription promptly and forbids making cancellation unreasonably difficult, giving consumers the power to cancel digital services. While consumers can choose to buy physical media instead, there is no official mandate or evidence that purchasing physical media forces companies to change their subscription practices.
Sources 60 searched
- Federal Trade Commission Proposes Rule Provision Making it Easier for Consumers to “Click to Cancel” Recurring Subscriptions and Memberships | Federal Trade Commission
In other words, a seller must take “no” for an answer and upon hearing “no” must immediately implement the cancellation process. New requirements regarding reminders and confirmations: The proposed rule would require sellers to provide ...
- Federal Trade Commission Announces Final “Click-to-Cancel” Rule Making It Easier for Consumers to End Recurring Subscriptions and Memberships | Federal Trade Commission
“Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Commission Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.” ... The Commission’s updated rule will apply to almost all negative option programs in any media. The rule also will prohibit sellers from misrepresenting any material facts while using negative option marketing; require sellers to provide important information before obtaining consumers’ billing information and charging them; and require sellers to get consumers’ informed consent to the negative option features before charging them.
- Click to cancel? We want to hear from you | Consumer Advice
After much searching, found that they explicitly do not offer a way to cancel subscriptions on the website (this fact is buried, and not accessible from either the account or billing page on their site).
- CFPB Issues Guidance to Root Out Tactics Which Charge People Fees for Subscriptions They Don’t Want | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Companies risk violating the law if they do not clearly and conspicuously disclose the terms of their subscription services and obtain consumers’ informed consent, or if they make it unreasonably difficult for consumers to cancel. Drawing from the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent policy statement and the CFPB’s past enforcement cases, the circular highlights examples of unlawful behavior by companies that have used dark patterns and other manipulative tactics to trick consumers into paying recurring charges for products and services they do not want.
- Cancel Your Subscription - The New York Times Help Center
Learn about the different ways you can cancel your New York Times subscription. Cancel Your New York Times Subscription Did you know? You can cancel your s
- How to cancel your digital-only subscription – The Washington Post
You can cancel your subscription at any time. If you purchased your subscription directly through The Washington Post, you can go to your My Post profile to cancel: https://www.washingtonpost.com/m...
- FTC to implement rule making it easier to cancel subscriptions
The FTC's "final click to cancel" rule is designed to make it easy for consumers to cancel digital subscriptions, preventing companies from trapping or tricking them.
- Here are your rights on subscriptions even without ‘click to cancel’ - The Washington Post
A court just blocked a nationwide “click to cancel” subscription rule. You still have legal protections.
- FTC Takes on Subscription Traps With 'Click To Cancel' Rule - Slashdot
The rule prohibits requiring consumers who signed up through an app or a website to go through a chat bot or agent to cancel. For in-person signups, companies must provide means to cancel by phone or online.