<
https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-cancel-subscriptions-or-end-free-trials-report-shows-how-companies-trap-you-into-paying-237236>
"Many businesses are trapping Australian consumers in paid subscriptions by
making them hard to cancel, hiding important details and offering “free” trials
that auto-renew with hefty charges. We need law reform to tackle this
continuing problem.
A new report shows 75% of Australian consumers have had negative experiences
when trying to cancel a subscription, according to the Consumer Policy Research
Centre (CPRC).
It shows businesses use “dark patterns”, which are designs that hinder
consumers who try to act in their own best interests. Subscription traps are
often called “Hotel California” techniques, referring to The Eagles’ famous
lyric: “you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave”.
In some of these cases, consumers may have remedies under our existing consumer
law, including for misleading conduct. But we need law reform to capture other
unfair practices.
In the meantime, the CPRC’s research also gives examples of businesses with
fair, consumer-friendly subscription practices. These also benefit the
business."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
