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Comments (62)

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  creamyhorror
  It seems to me like it ought to be possible for the consumer to cancel a payment arrangement via their card provider.Yet my banking app (here in Singapore) doesn't let me block any prior authorizations. It feels like the payment networks don't want to make it too easy to cancel periodic payments? Which isn't surprising, of course, but it feels like something I'd change banks for.
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  weli
  I always thought the law should be really simple. It should take an average person (independent from the case and a large enough sample) about the same time to pay for something than to refund/return/cancel it. That's it.I gladly am in Germany and companies are more scared of implementing dark patterns here for canceling products. When I was in the US I dreaded cancelling services because I knew they would make me jump around several hoops and even sometimes require contacting customer support.
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  BloondAndDoom
  I’ve been doing a lot cancellations recently and almost 80% of the services a completely scammy on unsubscription, from simply making it complicated to making a call that takes 30 minutes to cancel. It’s a travesty, and it’s one of those things they should just get penalized and to pay fees under current consumer rights now in addition to clarifying the regulation. It’s clearly hostile, intentional and acts like a scam. There are enough components for consumer rights bodies to act on in many countries
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  EZ-E
  My honest take is: in an ideal world it should become possible to unsubscribe through our bank.This also would prevent any dirty trick from companies trying to obfuscate unsubscribing.
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  ceejayoz
  I just wish Apple would let devs cancel and refund subscriptions for people.People get really peeved when we tell them that, believe it or not, we can't do it on our end.
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  stavros
  I'm worried that this regulation is overreaching and will kill innovation in dark patterns. Yet another example of how Europe trails behind the US by allowing their busybody lawmakers to get in the way of progress. If you can't trick your subscribers into being unable to unsubscribe any more, how will companies survive?
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  seanhly
  I set up a new throwaway virtual card on Revolut every time I sign up for a free trial or rolling subscription. After that card is used to verify payment method or to pay an initial subscription fee, I just freeze or delete the card. Freezing works well because you see the failed transactions coming through later, and it's a good reminder to delete the app if you're no longer using it.
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  filiphillesland
  The virtual card trick is underrated as a consumer solution. Create a new card per subscription, delete it when you want to cancel. No dark patterns can survive that. The problem is it puts the burden on consumers to be technically sophisticated, which most aren't. And the average person shouldn't need a fintech workaround to cancel a gym membership.
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  pndy
  Don't wanna bite but... Shouldn't this also cover the tv license in the UK?
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  arafeq
  the real fix would be at the payment layer. let me cancel recurring charges from my bank/card directly without having to beg the merchant. some fintechs already do this but it should be standard.
• ilovefrog
  it should be one or two clicks, like the unsubscribe link that is required in a mailing list email
• anon
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• GJim
  MehIn Blighty, the worst case scenario simply involves sending a snail mail letter to the company secretary (address from Companies House) saying "I cancel".When sending it, don't forget to collect your(free) proof of posting certificate from the post office counter just in case of legal shenanigans.Job jobbed.