consumer rights for online subscriptions

ivy2016

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my partner paid €40 for a years subscription to a video-clip service (for making music videos) two years ago online. The company is registered in the US. He only just realised that it rolled over, unknown to him, charging him €90 the second year and €180 just gone this month for the third year. I'm assuming he has no rights in this context? It just seems like an enormous mark-up. A long shot since outside the EU I'm guessing. Thanks
 
Yeah, you'd have more protection with an EU based service, but it's likely this rolling over and increased fees are all detailed within the terms & conditions.
 
They are unlikely to issue a chargeback in the case of subscriptions unless you can show evidence of cancelling the contract as per the T&Cs.
 
They are unlikely to issue a chargeback in the case of subscriptions unless you can show evidence of cancelling the contract as per the T&Cs.
If the consumer insists that he only agreed to a one-off payment, the burden of proof falls to the vendor.

Same story if the customer insists that he never agreed to the price increases.
 
If the consumer insists that he only agreed to a one-off payment, the burden of proof falls to the vendor.

But almost all these services operate on a rolling contract that must be explicitly cancelled as per the T&C agreed at the time of taking out the subscription, and they are likely to seek proof of cancellation. For liquidation cases, card providers often require confirmation in writing from the liquidator that they won't be refunding the consumer before they will issue the chargeback.
 
But almost all these services operate on a rolling contract that must be explicitly cancelled as per the T&C agreed at the time.
It sounds like rolling payment was misrepresented to the customer as a one-off payment. The internet is full of scammy sites, and who's to know what T&Cs were posted on videoclips.com 3 years ago.
 
It sounds like rolling payment was misrepresented to the customer as a one-off payment. The internet is full of scammy sites, and who's to know what T&Cs were posted on videoclips.com 3 years ago.

It's not just internet sites operating this model, most bricks and mortar service providers also operate in a similar manner with reduced rates to get you signed up and then rolling contracts and escalating rates down the line detailed in the small print. Trouble is most consumers don't bother reading the T&Cs. Where the initial fee is so low, you can be sure there is a catch, but AAM and other such sites are full of stories of people who feel hard done by when they discover the catch after being caught.
 
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