UK Changes Rules for Subscriptions to Help Consumers

New rules starting next year will remind consumers when free trials end or contracts renew. Many streaming and gym services automatically renew without notice, so people keep paying without realizing it.
Consumers must be able to cancel online easily if they signed up online.
They will also get a 14-day cooling-off period after a free trial ends or a contract renews for a year or more.
Some charitable and cultural organizations will not follow these new rules because of their special role.
Minister Kate Dearden said it's frustrating to lose money to forgotten subscriptions.
These new rules will help consumers control their money and make subscriptions clearer and easier to cancel.
There are 155 million active subscriptions in the UK, with almost 10 million unwanted ones.
Over 3.5 million people are moved from free trials to paid contracts without notice, and 1.3 million are caught by autorenewals. The government wants to stop this.
By making it easier to cancel unwanted services, consumers could save £14 per month or £170 per year.
Which? head Sue Davies said subscription traps are costly and hurt people already struggling with living costs. The new rules will help those struggling.
The new subscription laws will be good news for people with rising costs.
These rules will give consumers transparency and protection.
Lord Richard Walker said these rules will give consumers clarity and control when every pound matters.
The new rules will stop companies from quietly moving people to costly contracts and make cancellations simpler, helping households stay on top of their budgets.