Getting trapped into attaining a paid subscription has become a norm in today’s digital era.
So many users end up taking on a subscription even if they had zero intentions of doing so. This has led to a new study where authors tried to figure out the reason why it’s so hard to say no.
Some subscriptions go as far as to offer a free trial and also promise you no hidden costs attached. But what they end up doing is taking your personal details, trapping you with mega charges and an autorenewal process.
This is why experts are calling for new reforms that solve the issues. As per this research who surveyed Australians, around 75% of them had negative experiences when they tried to cancel the subscription. This was a study conducted by the CPRC.
According to them, firms are making use of dark patterns that disguise their motives. It makes it all the more challenging to end subscriptions as they twist and turn things that favor their interests.
This is why new laws and reforms are necessary to tackle misleading conduct better. Similarly, unfair rules need to be abolished. For now, this research is highlighting so many businesses that do provide fair practices linked to customer-friendly subscriptions. Thankfully, there are some nice businesses out there that worry about the client as well as themselves.
Today, plenty of business models exist. You’ll see the end product take shape as a platform, software, or website. Before, it would be CDs books, or newspapers.
A lot of people make use of online services today. Businesses are making it harder for consumers to say no to subscriptions that they do not want or need. It usually starts with a single click but ends up creating so many hurdles in the end and you do subscribe after all of this.
Sometimes, they obscure the whole process of cancellation. You might need to call during business hours or go through tough steps before ending it. This makes users so frustrated as there’s no way out. Some make the process so hard that you need to call if you wish to cancel and they’re not easy to reach.
As per consumer laws, subscription traps like those studied in this research fail to abide by the law. This is why they must be investigated to stop misleading conduct and any unfair terms being imposed.
While in countries like the US, we have the FTC that handles such complaints. One that came into existence recently was Adobe who was blasted for making use of dark patterns that hid the reality of subscriptions.
Adobe was accused of making people take on annual paid monthly subscriptions without highlighting any kind of cancelation options. And in just one year, people would pay hundreds. When Adobe was asked to justify, they argued that such complaints give the company a bad name. They failed to agree and the case is still taking place.
The study also warrants another interesting factor. Many subscription traps aren’t falling in the consumer law. They do not meet misleading conduct experiments or those linked to unfair contract terms. But in the end, it’s all very practical and hard to cancel.
As per the CPRC report, 90% of all Australian citizens would buy from the same firm if canceling the steps were quick and easy. Some businesses want to keep a loyal consumer base and that’s why they give users the chance to cancel a subscription and return when they wish. Others do provide genuine free trials. As you can see, some good does exist.
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