It May Soon Be Much Easier To Cancel Your Subscriptions (We Hope)
It’s not uncommon for some online services or memberships to make it exceedingly difficult for users to unsubscribe or quit. The prevailing business theory behind that was apparently meant to dissuade consumers from going through with that final step. Now, the Federal Trade Commission has announced a new rule that is meant to make it much easier for people to cancel those services.
The FTC’s Click To Cancel rule calls for sellers to streamline the process that lets customers end their subscriptions or enrollment. Whether that will work in practice remains to be seen, but it’s a positive step forward for those who have been calling for the change.
“Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Commission Chair Lina M. Khan in a statement. “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.”