Their cancelation method is the only reason I don't subscribe anymore. Although the last time I canceled my service via the web as usual you have to call but this time they just said OK it will cancel at the end of the contract and they did even try and offer me anything, although I get countless emails and regular mail for $4 a month for 12 months.
The problem with satellite radio is it’s a dying technology. If they made it super easy to cancel, they would probably go broke. I bet so many people have it because they don’t know how to cancel or don’t want to go through all the trouble.
What do ads have to do with canceling a subscription? The ads are annoying to some, but it’s just as easy to cancel an Apple subscription as a third-party app purchase.
SiriusXM changed this a while back. Making it easy to cancel online or in app. Perhaps because they were the #1 violator of this, and knew it was coming!
It is, just checked. Apple One is next to the other subscriptions I have, and so was Apple Music before I switched to Apple One. I can cancel it from there, or switch to individual services, or to a different Apple One plan. Just like with third-party subscriptions.
I noticed that as well.
Even if you don't know where it is, just searching "subscriptions" in Spotlight links you to the exact page in the Settings app.
Web.com is perhaps the worst I’ve dealt with. Impossible to cancel.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a final "click to cancel" rule that aims to simplify the process of ending subscriptions and memberships for US consumers.
The new rule will require businesses to make cancellation processes as straightforward as sign-up procedures, and companies will be prohibited from forcing customers to use chatbots or speak with agents to cancel subscriptions that were originally initiated online or through an app. For memberships started in person, businesses must offer cancellation options by phone or online.
In a statement accompanying the Commission's press release, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said: "Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription. 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 rule will apply to almost all negative option programs across all media. It also requires sellers to provide clear information before obtaining billing details and to secure informed consent for negative option features prior to charging customers.
The move follows a significant increase in consumer complaints about subscription practices, according to the FTC. In 2024, the government agency received an average of nearly 70 complaints per day related to negative option and recurring subscription issues, up from 42 per day in 2021.
The Commission voted 3-2 to approve the final rule, with two Republican commissioners opposing it. Some initially proposed measures were dropped, including requirements for businesses to send annual reminders about recurring charges. The new regulation is set to take effect 180 days after publication in the Federal Register.
The regulation is part of the FTC's efforts to modernize its 1973 Negative Option Rule and address unfair practices, and follows recent legal actions against major companies like Amazon and Adobe over their subscription practices.
Article Link: FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Aims to Make Canceling Subscriptions Easier
I don’t see how it’s any harder. I’ve canceled and resubscribed Apple subscriptions multiple times without issues. It’s like two clicks in the exact same location as other subscriptions. I know they stop the free trial, but it clearly tells you that before you cancel. I wasn’t aware that that was not allowed by other app developers. Clearly they should be doing the same thing as the other app developers have to do.
Sometimes yes, and sometimes you have to call someone to cancel. a popular tactic to prevent people from canceling on the Internet is called dark patterns. Look it up because it’s really interesting. Obviously companies don’t want you to cancel their service but there’s a fine line between trying to talk to you out of it and making it so difficult you’ll just give up.
