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FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Aims to Make Canceling Subscriptions Easier

I've only read the first two pages of this thread, and was glad to see the universal hatred for siriusXM. I'm to the point that, if my doctor tells me I have an incurable disease and three months to live, I will be buying a van, a ton of fertilizer, and motor oil to park in front of their HQ and blow myself, and them, off the map.

Whew, okay, got that off my chest. I got a free six-month subscription when I bought my new car in '18. Called them to cancel when the sub went over $5/mo, and got the usual 40-minute runaround before finally getting a $5/mo extension. A year later, I sent them a letter (registered mail, so receipt was recorded) telling them "Continue my subscription if I can get it for $5/mo; otherwise, CANCEL". Wasn't going to sit on the phone with them again.
I heard nothing, but my CC bill showed a $20-something charge from sirius. I called my CC issuer and had the charge deleted. I asked if I could have their charges blocked, but they couldn't do that.*
Same thing happened the next month. I deleted the charge.
And the next month. I deleted the charge.
Then, I got an email from them, "what's the problem?" I replied with an angry email, reminded them of my registered snail-mail (which they accepted) with my terms, and told them once again to cancel.
The next month: yeah, a charge again on my CC. I deleted it, again; pleaded with my issuer to block them, but they can't do it*.

NOW, they call me at home! "There seems to be an issue here, what's wrong?" I exploded, and repeated the stuff listed above, and I get "Please hold, I'll forward your call to my supervisor..."
I hung up. The charges finally stopped coming in to my CC. But, I stand by my fertilizer pledge; I HATE those MFers!
I'm a long-time subscriber to Cooks Illustrated, and I understand if you ever sign up for their online services and try to cancel, they follow the same playbook. I make it a point to only renew via check.


*I wish the FTC law also included the ability to block charges against your CC; surprisingly, that's still not a thing.
 
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rforno said:
Read the fine print....

Per the WSJ, pursuant to the new FTC order on 1-click cancellation:

"Consumers can’t be required to interact with a live or virtual representative, such as chatbot, unless they consented to that step when they initiated the subscription. "

Watch this order be completely circumvented by companies slipping something into the ToS that nobody reads and then later claiming in court that customers 'consented' to their (existing if not enhanced) friction-filled unsubscription process.
Click to expand...
The passage you quoted means that if you signed up via a representative, then the company can make you cancel via a representative. Nothing to do with ToS
 
👏👏

Many moons ago, I was wondering what AOL is. Went to the website and said free 30 day you only had to give credit card. So I did. Checked what it was and was nothing special. When I wanted to cancel they wanted me personally to call a person in the USA (I am in Asia) . I had to talk to a friend in the USA to cancel my subscription 😂😂
 
Jakewilk said:
The passage you quoted means that if you signed up via a representative, then the company can make you cancel via a representative. Nothing to do with ToS
Click to expand...

" interact with a live or virtual representative, such as chatbot"

1729248569144.jpeg
 
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Bravo two thumbs up to the FTC. I remember once spending days trying to cancel the subscription to America’s test kitchen. It was beyond hidden, eventually ended up having to make many calls to customer service to get out of this hellhole.
 
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WarmWinterHat said:
You can go to the FTC site and the read the dissents yourself, posted by the commissioners. They were decidly not in favor of it, in any capacity, and that it is 1) beyond the authority of the ftc, 2) too much regulation for businesses and 3) too close to the presidential election.

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Thanks for the link. I will read it. If that is the reason for dissents then yes, that is stupid, and those politicians need to be called out for it.

Nathan King said:
Mine has the same policy. I sent them a cancellation letter in calligraphy using a flex nib fountain pen, shimmer ink, and a custom monogrammed wax seal out of spite.
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Careful. If that wax seal is somehow broken in transit that may nullify your request. 😉
 
XM Sirius not gonna be happy haha.
They have a cancel button on their page but it's supposed to take you to a chat that never starts up
I called the other day to cancel, they guy asked me if I wanted some promo, said no and he canceled my sub before it renewed for the higher price, last time the lady I spoke with tried to keep offering things. Said if it's not the $5 for the Platinum package then cancel it.
Sirius didn't even wait a week before the sent me the $5 offer for Platinum
 
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dynamojoe said:
I'm thrilled with this rule. I'm still not going back to SiriusXM ("but what if I offered you the package for $7/Mo?") but if I can be spared this shady business tactic in the future from other companies, I'm all for it.
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My wife has a SiriusXM subscription and she doesn't mind navigating through the maze of customer retention to get another year at $5/month. I can't be bothered with it, but should it be as easy to cancel as to subscribe, I might consider it.
But then again, they'll probably stop offering those good introductory offers because the customer retention maze is factored in.
 
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