
New proposals to crack down on subscription traps have been unveiled as the Government launches a consultation on measures to make it easier for consumers to get a refund or cancel unwanted subscriptions.
“Subscription traps” are instances where consumers are frequently misled into signing up for a subscription through a “free trial” or reduced price offer. In some cases if the consumer doesn’t cancel the trial within a set amount of time, they are often automatically transferred to a costly subscription payment plan.
New figures reveal consumers are spending billions of pounds each year on unwanted subscriptions due to unclear terms and conditions and complicated cancellation routes. Nearly 10 million of 155 million active subscriptions in the UK are unwanted, costing consumers £1.6 billion a year.
Subscriptions can be for anything from magazines to beauty boxes, with many subscriptions having complicated or inconvenient cancellation processes such as phone lines with long waits and restrictive opening hours that can leave consumers feeling trapped.
The consultation sets out proposals to make the refunds and cancellation processes simpler, with a requirement on retailers for greater transparency on their subscription programmes in a way that is proportionate to balance consumer rights without placing unnecessary burdens on businesses.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said “Our mission is to put more money back into people’s pockets and improve living standards across this country, tackling subscription traps that rip people’s earnings away is an important part of that.
“Everyone hates seeing money leave their account for a subscription they thought they’d cancelled, or a trial that unexpectedly gets extended.
“We’re looking to hear from as many businesses, consumer groups, and other interested groups as possible to allow us to set fair regulations that stop this corporate abuse of power whilst retaining the benefits of subscriptions for consumers and businesses.”