Free tool
🇦🇺🇺🇸 Australia & USIs this subscription legally allowed to be this hard to cancel?
Businesses that make signing up effortless and cancelling a maze are not just being annoying, in both Australia and the United States, that gap is regulated. Australian Consumer Law can void a contract term that unfairly favours the business, and US federal law (ROSCA) requires cancellation to be at least as easy as signing up, in plain terms.
This tool asks what happened, either a cancellation process that was disproportionately harder than signup, or a "free trial" that converted to a paid charge without clear disclosure, and tells you the exact right that applies.
This covers the federal/national floor in each country. Some US states add their own auto-renewal disclosure laws on top of ROSCA.
Frequently asked questions
Does the US "click to cancel" rule definitely apply right now?
This tool relies on ROSCA (the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, in force since 2010), which independently requires a simple cancellation mechanism and express informed consent, regardless of the status of any newer FTC rulemaking on negative-option marketing. ROSCA itself has not been struck down and remains enforceable.
What counts as "harder to cancel than signing up"?
Requiring a phone call during limited hours when signup was instant online, mandatory retention offers or surveys before cancellation is processed, or a cancellation step that was never disclosed until you tried to leave, are all the kind of asymmetry both laws target.
I already cancelled but got charged again anyway. What now?
Dispute the charge directly with your bank or card issuer as unauthorised (you cancelled) — this is often faster than waiting on the business, and you can pursue the underlying complaint with the ACCC or FTC in parallel.
Does this apply to app store subscriptions (Apple/Google), not just a business's own website?
The underlying disclosure and consent principles apply regardless of platform, but if you subscribed through an app store, cancelling through that app store's own subscription settings is usually the fastest fix, separate from any dispute with the underlying business.
What should I keep as evidence?
Screenshots of the signup flow and the cancellation flow (to show the disparity), the original offer or trial terms if you still have them, and your bank statement showing the charge dates.
Is a free trial that auto-renews always illegal?
No — auto-renewal itself is legal in both countries. What is regulated is whether you were clearly told it would happen and agreed to it, and whether cancelling is genuinely straightforward. A clearly disclosed auto-renewal with an easy cancellation path is not a violation.
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screwtheman.com is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This tool gives general information on consumer rights and dispute pathways based on public guidance. For complex legal matters, consult a qualified lawyer or the relevant regulator.