Blog de Dunlap: Have you ever been charged for a free subscription you forgot to cancel, Danielle? This new rule will change that.

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Have you ever been charged for a free subscription you forgot to cancel, Danielle? This new rule will change that.

Danielle,

Have you ever had to jump through multiple hoops just to cancel a gym membership — maybe jumping more than you ever had at the gym?

We've all been there, trying to simply cancel a recurring subscription — after we finally find it buried in our account settings — and being told we can't cancel unless we chat with an agent. Or call someone. Or write a letter. Or go to a physical location.

For too long, companies have tricked consumers when it comes to recurring payments. Either making what they're signing up for unclear, making it intentionally difficult to cancel, or a mix of both.

Not anymore.

This week, the FTC adopted a "click-to-cancel" rule, requiring businesses to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. It's simple: Businesses can't force customers to cancel a subscription using a method different from how they signed up.

This new rule also requires businesses to receive customer consent before they are charged, and it covers free trials that charge you if you don't cancel in time. Companies that break this rule can be liable for civil penalties.

This is just one more way the Biden-Harris Administration is using the power of government to crack down on greedy corporations and lower costs for families. Please add your name here to say you support the FTC's new proposed rule.

ADD YOUR NAME

This new rule is part of how we take on the entrenched power of giant corporations, which have boosted their profits through deceitful tactics that hurt consumers. It shouldn't be this way.

Look: It's no accident that the FTC is taking this bold action right now. President Biden appointed a terrific FTC chair, Lina Khan. And she's been part of the administration's pro-worker, pro-consumer team — unafraid to take on tough fights with powerful interests.

I'm proud to be in the fight to take on greedy corporations — and I'm fired up to achieve more wins like this one for working people.

Let's make sure this new rule withstands opposition from greedy corporations that want to keep tricking consumers to line their pockets.

If you're on board with the FTC's click to cancel rule, add your name.

Thanks for being a part of this,

Elizabeth