You signed up for a free trial and now you're trapped in a subscription. You have legal rights. Learn how to cancel, claim refunds, and escape the trap under UK consumer law.
Quick Answer
If you signed up to a subscription (especially a free trial that auto-converted), you have a 14-day right to cancel without penalty under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. If it's been longer, you can still cancel with notice and claim a refund if the terms weren't clear. Companies cannot make cancellation deliberately difficult or hidden.
Search your emails for the original confirmation. Check the company's terms and conditions for the cancellation procedure. If cancellation is hidden or deliberately hard to find, that's a red flag and likely illegal.
2
Send a Written Cancellation Notice
Email the company requesting cancellation of your subscription with immediate effect. Include your order number, account email, and dates of charges. Keep a copy of your email. Send it to their official contact email.
3
Claim Refunds & Dispute Charges
If charges continue after cancellation, contact your bank/payment provider and dispute the charges as unauthorised. Request refunds for all payments made after you sent your cancellation notice.
What the Law Says
Regulation
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (r.29–38)
Gives you a 14-day right to cancel distance contracts (like online subscriptions) without penalty and without providing a reason. This applies to free trials and paid subscriptions.
Legislation
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Requires that cancellation must be "as easy as signing up." If a company makes cancellation difficult or hidden, it's a breach. You can claim compensation for breach of contract.
Regulation
Payment Services Regs 2017
Protects you against unauthorised payments. If a company charges you after you cancelled, you can dispute the charge with your bank and get a full refund of all unauthorised payments.
Guidance
CMA Dark Patterns Guidance
The Competition & Markets Authority has ruled that hiding the cancel button, requiring phone calls to cancel, or making it harder to cancel than sign up is unfair and unlawful.
Common Subscription Traps & How to Escape
🎁
Free Trial Auto-Converts
You signed up for a free trial and it auto-charged you without clear warning. You have 14 days to cancel from the first charge and claim a refund of all charges if the conversion wasn't clearly disclosed.
🔗
Tied to Tied Services
The company won't cancel your subscription without cancelling another service. This is unlawful bundling. You can cancel each service independently under Consumer Rights Act 2015.
📞
Phone-Only Cancellation
The company refuses to cancel by email or online. Requiring a phone call (which is expensive or time-consuming) is a dark pattern and unlawful. Send a written email demand and escalate if needed.
💳
Continued Charges After Cancellation
You cancelled but charges keep coming. Dispute each unauthorised charge with your bank. They must refund you within 10 working days for debit/credit card charges.
🏦
Expired Free Trial Period
Your free trial was supposed to end 14 days ago but you've been charged. Even if 14 days has passed, you can still cancel and claim a refund if charges weren't clearly disclosed upfront.
🔒
Locked Contract or Notice Period
The company claims you're locked in. If notice terms are longer than 1 month or hidden in small print, they may be unfair. Send cancellation notice anyway and dispute charges if they persist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have the right to a 14-day cooling off period?+
Yes, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. For any subscription purchased online or at a distance (by phone, email, website), you have 14 days from the date you sign up (or when you're first charged) to cancel without penalty. After 14 days, you can still cancel but the company can charge for the period you've used, unless you're entitled to an earlier cancellation date.
Can a company charge a cancellation fee?+
During the 14-day cooling-off period, no. They cannot charge a cancellation fee. After 14 days, some companies claim they can charge for the service used, but this only applies if the charge is fair and proportionate. If they try to charge £50 to cancel a £5/month service, that's likely unfair and you can challenge it.
What if I cancel but they keep charging me?+
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately and report the charges as unauthorised. Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, you can claim a refund for any charges made after your cancellation request. Your bank must investigate and refund you within 10 working days for most card payments.
What if the company makes it impossible to cancel online?+
That's a dark pattern and it's unlawful under the CMA guidance and Consumer Rights Act 2015. Send a formal written cancellation request by email. If they continue charging, dispute the charges with your bank. You can also file a complaint with the CMA or your local trading standards office.
Can I get a refund for the free trial period?+
If you cancel during the 14-day period and weren't charged for the trial, no refund is needed. However, if the free trial auto-converted to a paid subscription and charged you without clear warning, you can claim a refund of the charges. The key is whether the conversion was clear and prominent before you signed up.
How do I claim compensation if the company won't refund me?+
You can claim in small claims court for the refund amount plus interest. Use FightingBack's Subscription tool to draft a formal demand letter first. If they ignore it, you can file a claim for up to £10,000 without a solicitor. The court may also award you compensation for inconvenience and distress.
Ready to Escape Your Subscription Trap?
Use FightingBack's Subscription tool to generate a professional cancellation demand letter backed by UK consumer law. Get your refund and cancel today.