> Some of them will make you literally call them up to cancel.
In France, a new law was just passed to fight against unsubscribing hell, called "3-click unsubscribe". It is due to come in effect at the beginning of 2023.
It basically says that if the business offers an "easy online subscription", then it has to offer an "easy online unsubscription" option. This doesn't apply to companies who only take subscriptions by some other means. However, it does apply to a subscription taken by other means if it's also possible to subscribe online.
Yeah, a few months ago I subscribed to Le Figaro (French newspaper). I hadn't heard anything about cancelling the subscription for this particular newspaper, but I had heard horror stories about Le Monde (yup, the famous one).
Just to be extra sure, I subscribed through Apple. The "cancel subscription" always worked and I never had to send any letter or spend any amount of time on the phone.
If I hadn't been aware of the Apple loophole, they wouldn't have gained my as a subscriber.
I'm not sure of the status of any current rulemaking, though. The current chair of the FTC has made it clear she is willing to take on "dark pattern" practices such as this.
In France, a new law was just passed to fight against unsubscribing hell, called "3-click unsubscribe". It is due to come in effect at the beginning of 2023.
It basically says that if the business offers an "easy online subscription", then it has to offer an "easy online unsubscription" option. This doesn't apply to companies who only take subscriptions by some other means. However, it does apply to a subscription taken by other means if it's also possible to subscribe online.
Google Translate source: https://www-tf1info-fr.translate.goog/economie/abonnements-e...