Monday 6 March 2017

Is Brexit like when you accidentally sign up for a subscription service?

For once i can support  the news that the Government is expected to change the law in a bid to stop consumers accidentally signing up to recurring monthly subscriptions.
The Independent tells us that Research by Citizens Advice estimates that around two million consumers every year have problems cancelling subscriptions.
Additionally, over 40 per cent of British people are paying for a subscription that they do not use.
Now the Government is to consult on a plan that would require companies to properly notify customers when they are about to take payment for subscriptions.
Amazon’s Prime service automatically enrols people who take free trials for a whole year’s £79 payment if they do not cancel within the trial period.
In March 2015 the Advertising Standards Authority banned Amazon from using direct mail to offer “free trials” after it found the shopping giant was misleading consumers about the cost of the service.
I was caught out of this . It was only when I was looking at my Bank statement  that I found out that I had been debited for using a service that I didn't even know I signed up to even for a trial period, and never used.

When you making an order you find yourself clicking boxes and perhaps not paying to much attention.

Fortunately I was able to cancel and get a refund . but I wonder how many people reading this do not realise they are being debited £79 a year after clicking  a box for something  they haven't used or intend to.

However Is it just me or is there a similarity to Brexit here .

People who signed up to leaving the EU last may may well be thinking , if I knew this was going to cost me this , then I wouldn't have put an X in that box!

Indeed there wasn't even any small print , and many of the claims we saw advertised especially this one turned out to be false.


and those who believed that we were going to stay in the single market, may be wondering,if they were misled.

What is the difference between being misled by a company or the government ,in that we find out we have been committed to something , we have been misled on the value we receive?



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