Big Apple consumers can now rejoice. The city’s click-to-cancel policy has taken effect, meaning consumers won’t be forced to endure arduous subscription cancellation processes that encourage people to give up. The rule also means customers must be able to cancel using the same method they used to sign up, so there’s no more having to spend ages on the phone with aggressive customer retention agents. The click-to-cancel policy was announced in July, but took effect October 1, making New York City the first city to impose this type of requirement at the municipal level. Thanks to the click-to-cancel rule, companies must clearly explain subscription terms to customers, disclose consumer rights when buying or cancelling subscriptions, provide a straightforward cancellation process using the same method as sign up, and can't ask that customers pay to ship them things the businesses gave them for free. The regulation applies to automatically renewing and continuous-service subscriptions, such as streaming services, gym memberships, subscription boxes, and free trials that convert to paid plans.
