The new law will offer users a one-click unsubscribe option with consent before automatic subscription renewal

A new law gives users an option they’ve been asking for for years when it comes to subscription renewal.

It is not uncommon to see users having difficulty unsubscribing from an online service or software. This is why the Governor of the State of California has gone a step ahead by offering citizens the option to unsubscribe through a simple one-click unsubscribe step.

The law will come into force from July next year. This will force companies to provide the easiest way for users to opt out of these subscriptions. Similarly, if users have registered for online programs, they can cancel it without calling toll-free numbers.

This unsubscribe or cancel option may not be difficult to spot online under the latest law. It will be easy to identify and will appear as a direct link inside the customer’s profile location. Additionally, it will use terms like click or cancel.

In cases where a customer wishes to cancel their subscriptions over the phone, businesses will have the opportunity to discuss the impact or benefits of such cancellation. But in cases where a customer intends to cancel, businesses must comply and stop delaying the customer’s ability to do so.

The law requires companies to obtain affirmative consent before participating in automated subscription renewals or conversion from free to paid near the end of the trial.

Customers have expressed their fury at these types of automated subscriptions and the difficulty of ending them when they no longer need them. The man who sponsored this new California bill says it doesn’t make sense that users would suffer so much. If they can sign up for a subscription with the click of a button, they should be allowed to leave it the same way.

Adobe is a technology company that continues to be criticized for rolling back subscription policies. As mentioned by the FTC, this matter is under investigation and scrutiny of cancellation policies. These incur huge cancellation fees and force customers to call the companies over the phone.

When this “Click to Undo” law goes into effect, it will make things interesting. Remember, the FTC proposed a similar concept last year across the country, and for that it is still waiting to be accepted or approved on this front.

Image: DIW-Aigen

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