How to escape unwanted subscriptions and auto-renewals, the cancellation rights you have now, and what the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 will change once in force.
If you signed up online or by phone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give you a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel a new subscription, though using a service in that window can reduce what you get back. Beyond that, the contract's own terms govern cancellation, and unfair terms can be challenged under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 introduces tougher subscription rules — clearer pre-contract information, reminders before a renewal or the end of a free trial, a cooling-off right, and a duty to make cancellation straightforward. These specific subscription duties are NOT yet in force.
As at June 2026, the Government has delayed the subscription regime: the Government’s latest timetable points to implementation in 2027, and the date has slipped before. Until commencement, the pre-DMCCA position above applies, so do not assume the new reminder and easy-exit duties are available yet.
You have a separate right to cancel a continuous payment authority — a recurring card payment or direct debit — by telling your bank, which must stop it even if the trader objects. Cancelling the payment does not by itself end the contract, so cancel with the trader too and keep written proof of both.
It depends on the timing and the terms. If you are still within a cooling-off period you may be able to cancel and claim a refund; outside it, you can ask the trader as a matter of goodwill and, if a recurring payment continues, stop it through your bank. Outcomes are not guaranteed.
Not as at June 2026. The subscription provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 have been delayed and are not expected to come into force until 2027. Other parts of the Act, such as the fake-reviews and drip-pricing rules, are already in force.
No. The Counsel offers legal information rather than advice and does not contact traders or your bank on your behalf. It can explain your current cancellation rights and help you draft a cancellation message, which you then send yourself.
The Counsel is an AI tool for England & Wales. It provides legal information, not legal advice, and does not replace a regulated solicitor. For anything high-value or contested, take advice before you act.
What to do when something you bought is faulty or not as described — your 30-day right to reject and the repair, replace and refund remedies under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
How the 14-day cooling-off period lets you cancel most online and distance purchases under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, what you get back, and the main exceptions.
When to use Consumer Credit Act 1974 section 75 credit-card protection and when to use a chargeback, the key differences, and how to claim if a purchase goes wrong.