FTC’s latest proposal would let you cancel subscriptions with a single click

Getting rid of a subscription is as hectic as it can be, especially if you subscribe to the latest one. Many platforms have made it quite difficult to get rid of their subscriptions. This is a trick to hold up subscribers, maybe. Cancellation of a subscription really needs you to go through stuff like showing up physically to your gym, or you can call customer service and they will be convincing you to stay and all that. All of this sounds like quite a hustle. Even for the biggest streaming platforms, it’s complicated to get rid of these subscriptions. As this issue was observed by the FTC, it has proposed a set of rules in order to make that service absolutely customer-friendly and is aimed at convincing the companies to cancel the subscriptions with just a single button.

As per information via NBC, with the latest “click to cancel” feature, customers could discontinue their subscriptions just as quickly as they did when they subscribed. The decision would allow you to cancel a contract that you entered using the same website where you signed up for it with just one click. Businesses would still be able to offer clients exceptional terms as an alternative to cancelling, but they would first need to formally request permission before making the offer.

According to the judgement, subscription businesses would also need to send yearly reminders before requesting payment.

If ever, it may be a while before this plan is passed into law. The rule will first need to go through a drawn-out process and allow for public feedback. It’s practically a certainty that businesses will seek to have the plan weaker.

Last year, a similar law was approved in Germany, which may provide us with a preview of how the US version of the idea might operate. Online subscription providers in Germany must include a straightforward form on their websites that allows users to cancel their subscription by entering their customer information. They must be able to access this form even if they are not logged in at the time. When a user clicks the unsubscribe button, the business must accept those actions with honor and acknowledgement.