How To Avoid Falling Into The Subscription Trap!

How To Avoid Falling Into The Subscription Trap!

Just some points to be mindful about to enjoy your subscriptions

By Rosalind Ho

A subscription is usually an affordable payment to access a product or service instantly from a provider or company and is paid at regular intervals such as monthly or yearly. Subscriptions are getting more popular with increasing online purchases. There is still some pitfall which you can avoid if you are aware of it.

As they say when it is too good to be true, it is too good to be true. When I first signed up with hosting for a website, it seemed like a great bargain for two years. In the interim, a “monthly registration fee’” was imposed, and a ‘protective policy’ was added without my permission and knowledge and I was billed.

When I received an email regarding renewal, it was too late as it had fallen outside the grace period during which you have to inform them about not wanting to renew. The subscription rate was increased by more than 100%. The honeymoon was over.

Well, as a consumer, one is obliged to read the Terms and Conditions these days very carefully so that there is no oversight. I am at fault too. Now, navigating through the convoluted T&C was frustrating. It sounded like a legal document. Since I was in this subscription trap, I tried to get in touch with them and it was tough!

Apparently, I could not cancel the subscription from their email which notified me in my email simply, “ Thank you for your payment” on the day the renewal grace period lapsed. It would be a good service if they had notified way before it expired and let me make an informed choice.

I found that the cancellation may only be submitted through another link after spending a lot of time on the website. This link was another labyrinth. First, there was a filter for exact requests that led to questions about your problem and finally a Start Chat. Only that it never started and the page is still downloading.

Incidentally, the reply to the email that announced my payment deduction did not reply when I wrote in to ask for immediate cancellation and refund of the balance amount. I had to copy and paste my requests to their multiple email…