How companies make it hard to cancel online subscriptions

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It's all down to dark patterns, those design tricks used to convince you to do things you may not have originally planned

Analysis: It's all down to dark patterns, those design tricks used online to convince you to do things you may not have originally plannedIf you have noticed how much more difficult it is to cancel a subscription compared to signing up for one, you are not alone. This is an example of a dark pattern , tricks used online to convince you to do things you may not have originally planned.

As consumers and regulators are starting to become more aware of them, rules around the world are starting to address dark patterns online. For example, Amazon was sued by the US regulator in June 2023 for one dark pattern when leaked data revealed they deliberately made it difficult for customers to cancel their subscriptions.

Given how much complaining appears online, our results did surprise us. One trademark characteristic of the Roach Motel pattern is having to phone the service to cancel, even though you were able to purchase the subscription online in a few clicks online. We were expecting to spend a lot of time on the phone when cancelling our subscriptions.

From TEDxSydney, designer Sally Woellner on how the websites and apps we use daily have very specific, and sometimes dangerous, intentions brought to life through design

 

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