You sign up for a "free trial" — skincare samples, a diet pill, a productivity app — and enter your card details just to cover postage or confirm your identity. Weeks later you notice recurring charges you never agreed to, often for a much higher amount than expected, and cancelling turns out to be deliberately difficult.
The offer is framed as low-risk — "just pay £1.99 postage" or "free for 14 days." Buried in small print, often behind a pre-ticked checkbox, is an agreement to a recurring subscription that begins automatically once the trial ends, frequently at a much higher price point than the initial charge suggested.
Social media ads: Skincare, supplements and "As Seen On TV" style products advertised on Instagram and Facebook with an eye-catching low trial price.
App stores: Apps offering a free trial that silently converts to an expensive weekly or monthly subscription unless cancelled within a very short window.
Streaming and content sites: Free trials for niche streaming services or "reports" that require a card upfront and are deliberately hard to locate a cancellation option for.
Look for a cancellation option directly in the company's account settings first. If none exists or it's deliberately hidden, contact your bank and ask them to block future payments to that merchant — this is different from a chargeback and can usually be done even for a card you still want to use elsewhere. For Direct Debits, you have a legal right under the Direct Debit Guarantee to cancel directly with your bank.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, subscription terms must be presented clearly and fairly. If charges weren't clearly disclosed, you can dispute them with your bank as an unauthorised or unfair transaction. For card payments, ask your bank about a chargeback; for persistent issues, Citizens Advice can advise on formal next steps.
1. Try to cancel directly first — check account settings on the company's site or app.
2. Contact your bank — request a stop on future payments to that merchant, or dispute charges via chargeback.
3. Keep records — screenshot the original offer and any terms you can find, in case you need to dispute charges later.
4. Report it — to Citizens Advice via their consumer service, and to Report Fraud if it appears to be a deliberately deceptive scheme rather than a legitimate but pushy business practice.
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