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Cable Firms to FTC: We Shouldn’t Have to Let Users Cancel Service With a Click (www.wired.com)
submitted 2 years ago by dantheclamman@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world 82 points 2 years ago

By law, anything should be a one click to cancel service, instead of the maze they send you through.

Xbox live, gyms, etc.

[-] doctortofu@reddthat.com 55 points 2 years ago

Or, it should be exactly as difficult/complicated to cancel as to sign in. Want a 15-step cancellation process involving phones, faxes and a blood offering? Gotta require all that to sign up too!

[-] Buttons@programming.dev 28 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I think a "let the world burn" approach to consumer agreements, like EULAs and cable TV contracts, would be interesting.

Require users to fully read every word of the contract out loud, on video, 4 times for everything they agree to.

"But it would take too long if consumers had to read our 23 page contract, they'd just give up and not sign up at all!!1"

Hmm, let's think about that...

[-] bleistift2@feddit.de 24 points 2 years ago

German consumer protection FTW

The Fair Consumer Contracts Act will in future introduce a mandatory 2-step termination process […]. Wherever the consumer can conclude a subscription contract against payment, the provider should also give the consumer the opportunity to terminate at the same point. […A] cancellation button should be included on such registration pages for memberships at the first stage (with the wording “Cancel contracts here”). This “first” cancellation button should then lead to a confirmation page on the second level, where the respective user is identified and the consumer can effectively send the cancellation (i.e. with the wording “Cancel now”).

The law (German): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__312k.html

[-] tormeh@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 years ago

Not sure how well this has worked in practice. Lots of bad cancellation proceedures last time I had to do it

[-] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

The law was only introduced less than 1½ years ago. It takes time for this to trickle through all layers, but things are getting better.

[-] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

Yeah, these services don't have to add much friction to trap vulnerable folks like the elderly. Obscure the cancel button under a couple menu levels and dark patterns and they have people trapped for life. It can be very insidious

this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2024
744 points (100.0% liked)

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