How to get your money back from uncancelled subscriptions
Have you ever signed up to a free trial for a product or service and then forgotten to cancel the subscription, so that you paid the monthly amount without realising? Did you then have issues cancelling it?
The Government estimates that unwanted subscriptions cost British consumers £1.6bn a year.
Citizens Advice revealed research last month that showed over 13 million people (26% of UK adults) have accidentally taken out a subscription in the last 12 months.
The charity is warning that the problem of subscription traps is deepening, as it estimates unused subscriptions have cost consumers £688 million in the last year. This is up £382 million from £306 million Citizens Advice found when it last looked into the problem at the end of 2022.“
Subscription traps discussed on You and Yours 15/04/24. From about 17 minutes in.
What can you do to get your money back on a subscription you haven’t used?
It can be really difficult to get your money back because you have signed up to the terms and conditions to make the payment. However you can try the following:
Write to the company. If it doesn’t provide an email address or they refuse and you want to try a second time, use ceoemail.com to find the CEO email address and point out that you haven’t used the service. Some companies will be decent and refund you. For example Amazon will usually do this for unused Prime and Audible subscriptions. Others may refund you the last paid month as a “goodwill gesture”.
If the company rejects your request, contact your bank. For example, a credit card company may try and get a refund for you, but only for up to 3 months. They are required to allow the retailer 60 days to respond to your claim.
How to protect yourself from a subscription trap
Be aware of the “free” and very cheap trials of subscriptions. Most, if not all, will ask for payment information when you sign up. Set yourself a reminder to cancel a day before the first payment is due. In some cases you will be able cancel on that day and still be able to use the free trial until the end of the period.
Check the cancellation rights before signing up to anything but be aware that you may still be able to challenge these in certain circumstances.
Consumer laws and regulations covering subscription terms and conditions
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you are entitled to a 14 day “cooling off” period, so if you have signed up to something off premises (e.g. online) you can cancel without any penalty.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, consumers are protected from unfair contracts. So, for example, if a company says that you must give 6 months’ notice to cancel a subscription, that would be unfair.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 state that companies must provide accurate and sufficient information for consumers to make a purchasing decision. For a practice to be unfair under these rules, they must harm, or be likely to harm, the economic interests of the average consumer. For example, when a shopper makes a purchasing decision he or she would not have made if he or she had been given accurate information.
Use direct debit for subscriptions
If you are going to sign up to a subscription, try and use Direct Debit where possible. With Direct Debit, a company cannot change the regular payment amount unless it gives you written notice of how and when it will take it. This notice is usually 10 working days. Paying a subscription with debit card or credit card is known as a Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) which can be of varying amounts and can be changed without your consent.
You will always be able to reverse that decision if you decide you do want to continue!
When you cancel with the company, also inform your bank to ensure that the subscription payment is cancelled. You will then also be covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, which ensures a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society if a mistake is made.
@thecomplainingcow Ever had a problem with a direct debit? #Banks #DirectDebit #DirectDebits #TheComplainingCow #Finance #FinancialOmbudsman #CreditCard #Money #DirectDebitGuarantee #guaranteed
The future for subscription traps
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill addresses the issue of subscriptions and is currently going through Parliament. (I provided input to the Consultation). It has gone through Royal Assent and was enforced in April 2025. However! The subscriptions part is not due to come in until April 2026 at the earliest.
A Department for Business & Trade Spokesperson said:
“We know it’s frustrating to find out you’re still paying for something you weren’t expecting.
“That is why we are delivering legislation this year that will ensure consumers have clear information about their subscription terms and can exit unwanted subscriptions easily, giving them peace of mind and greater control of their cash.”
Under new rules, businesses must :
- Provide clearer information to consumers before they enter a subscription contract;
- Issue a reminder to consumers that a free trial or low-cost introductory offer is coming to an end, send a reminder before a contract auto-renews onto a new term; and
- Ensure consumers can exit a contract in a straightforward, cost-effective and timely way.
Subscription providers will be required to remind consumers before a contract rolls over or automatically renews. I asked the Department for Business and Trade whether this would mean that consumers will receive an email every month before the Direct Debit. The department said that how this will take place in practice has not been confirmed, e.g. whether it would be via an email. It will be confirming full details later this year.
CMA investigates Adobe March 2026
@thecomplainingcow Adobe is under investigation by the UK regulator 👀 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into whether cancellation fees on certain subscription plans are unfair ⚖️ #subscriptions #adobe #cma #consumerprotection #consumerrights
When things go wrong with subscriptions
Digital goods are covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. There are some exceptions.
@thecomplainingcow Contributed to the Telegraph article yesterday about Pret. If Pret were sensible, to limit reputational damage and indeed save in administration time of dealing with refunds, it would automatically give all customers redress. However, it is not. So you will need to make a claim, preferably with evidence such a screenshot to show that you are not able to use the service that you are paying for. Although digital goods are covered by the CRA, there are some caveats too many of which to go into here! if you have an issue with digital goods, ask your question below. #TheComplainingCow#ConsumerChampion#ConsumerExpert#Pret#Subscription#Refund#Coffee#redress#TheTelegraph #D#DigitalD#DigitalgoidsA#Apps
Saving on streaming subscriptions
BBC Breakfast 26/07/22 saving on streaming services
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