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Thu, 02 Apr 2026

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 'I ended up paying £500': Your subscription trap stories

Many readers have experienced the ordeal of cancelling a subscription.

* Many people have fallen victim to "subscription traps" where they are unknowingly signed up to a monthly subscription that can cost hundreds of pounds.
* The government has announced new rules to make cancelling subscriptions easier, including: + A 14-day cooling off period + Reminders when a free trial period is about to end or if a contract is about to be renewed + Firms will have to make it clear what customers are signing up for and how to cancel their subscription
* Companies use various tactics to make cancelling harder, including: + Making the cancellation process long and difficult + Charging high fees to cancel early + Using language that makes it hard to understand what is happening
* Consumer psychologist Kate Nightingale says companies want customers to associate negative emotions with the cancellation process, making them less likely to follow through.
* Some people have reported using tactics such as lying about illnesses or emigration to avoid being charged for unwanted subscriptions.
* The average person could save £170 per year by cancelling unwanted subscriptions.