PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council will consider a bill to make it easier to cancel subscriptions that automatically charge your credit card — whether you’re still using the service or not.
Council member Rue Landau’s bill states that anyone doing business in Philadelphia must obtain affirmative consent before charging for an automatic renewal. They must also provide a mechanism to cancel that is as easy to use as the sign up, with no conditions, obstructions or delays.
“We’ve all been there. Signing up for a subscription takes seconds but trying to cancel it can mean suddenly you’re navigating endless menus, sitting on hold or jumping through hoops just to stop paying for something you don’t want anymore,” said Landau.
The bill, called “Click to Cancel,” also includes free trial periods, and requires a five-day notice be sent to consumers before an automatic renewal date.
“No hidden fees, no endless run-around, no more trapping people in subscriptions they don’t want,” said Landau. “At a time when so many Philadelphia families are watching every dollar, we should be protecting people’s hard-earned money, not allowing bad actors to take advantage of them.”
Several states, including Delaware, have similar laws and New York City began enforcing a “click to cancel” bill this month.
Landau’s bill will now head to a committee for a hearing.
