Unwanted subscriptions are subscriptions to services you do not want, or automatic monthly charges for products that you didn’t sign up to receive. These unwanted subscriptions can be costly and difficult to cancel. Recently SiriusXM made the news because the company was sued and accused of trapping customers in subscriptions and preventing them from canceling. Amazon is notorious for making customers jump through hoops to cancel their Prime membership. There is no one-click “Cancel Prime” tab. Instead, a user must go through numerous steps, and likely watch a YouTube video for instructions, before being able to cancel Prime. Of course, the cancelation will not be instantaneous. Amazon does not offer partial refunds if a user wishes to cancel mid-year. The membership will be canceled on the day their account would be set to renew.
How can you find and cancel unwanted subscriptions? There are various apps that help users find and cancel unwanted subscriptions. Rocket Money, Experian, and Hiatus allow users to download the app, link their accounts, identify unwanted subscriptions. The apps take care of canceling subscriptions on behalf of the account holder. Individuals who feel uncomfortable linking their accounts can rely on Endgaget for step-by-step directions for canceling popular services which will help them cancel subscriptions on their own. The website lists various Entertainment, Work/Productivity, Gaming, Dating, and Food services along with instructions on how to cancel subscriptions.
More than half of Americans have unwanted subscriptions that add up to hundreds per month in automatic payments. Forgetting about a subscription is how many businesses make money. This blog writer received a HelloFresh box on more than one occasion that wasn’t expected or wanted. If you have ever signed up for a free trial, you likely have a subscription you do not want or need. Taking the time to explore your accounts and identify unwanted subscriptions then canceling service, is well worth the effort.