Simplifying Unsubscription Process Proposed by White House
Fed Up with Forced Subscriptions? President Biden's New Plan to Simplify Cancellation
Tired of getting stuck in unwanted subscriptions and battling to cancel them? You're not alone! The ongoing struggle to easily end a subscription service is a common consumer grievance. Fortunately, President Joe Biden aims to rectify this issue during his remaining tenure in the White House.
On Monday, the White House unveiled its "Time is Money" campaign, intended to dismantle the tactics corporations use to make cancellation processes complicated and tedious. These odious practices include excessive paperwork, long hold times, and aggravating hurdles that burden our daily lives. If the initiative gains momentum, it'll be a massive victory for consumers.
The White House highlights that businesses often coerce consumers into prolonged subscriptions with deceptive tactics, providing examples such as gym memberships, newspaper subscriptions, and cosmetics. However, consumers should not be subjected to navigating mazes just to terminate unwanted subscriptions and recurring payments.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a rule that, if implemented, would obligate companies to make cancelling a subscription or service as effortless as signing up for one. The FTC is currently assessing feedback regarding its proposal. Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has commenced an inquiry into whether to uphold similar requirements for businesses within the communication sector.
In the past, various companies have faced consumer backlash over subscription cancellation policies, such as 23andMe's shady practices revealed in a Gizmodo article in March. The Department of Justice is currently suing Adobe for similar practices that keep customers under unwanted subscription contracts.
The White House is not content with stopping at subscription cancellations. The administration is also targeting issues like fake online reviews, complex "doom loop" menu options on phone calls, and companies refusing to accept health claims online. Even airline companies are on the receiving end of the administration's wrath, as the White House advocates for cash refunds on cancelled flights instead of complicated rebooking options.
Here's to you, President Biden! We're hopeful that you'll be able to convince the FTC to enforce these changes, even though your term ends on January 20, 2025. If the effort isn't completed on time, fingers crossed that a President Kamala Harris administration can continue the work in the future. She's showing impressive strength against Donald Trump as of now.
- President Biden's new plan, dubbed the "Time is Money" campaign, intends to curb the use of complex cancellation processes by corporations, which often involve exorbitant paperwork, lengthy hold times, and frustrating hurdles.
- The initiative, if successfully initiated in 2025, could potentially undo the tactics tech companies use to maintain consumers in unwanted subscription services, such as gym memberships, newspaper subscriptions, and cosmetics.
- By 2025, it's probably that President Biden will have initiated a significant shake-up in the subscription-based world, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforcing a ruling that requires companies to make cancelling a subscription as simple as signing up for one.
- If the FTC's rule isn't fully implemented by 2025, it's quite possible that the future administration of President Kamala Harris, who's shown strength against her predecessor, could continue this work, aiming to nail down consumer-friendly policies that simplify subscription cancellation.
