Is a subscription service that is impossible to cancel a scam?
Deliberately hard-to-cancel subscriptions may not always be scams, but hiding cancellation routes is deceptive and often illegal under consumer protection law.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Explanation
Dark-pattern subscriptions use confusing interfaces, hidden cancellation links, mandatory phone calls, long waiting periods, or aggressive retention tactics to prevent customers from stopping payments. Some services go further and continue charging even after a cancellation confirmation has been issued. The most harmful version is a subscription you never knowingly signed up for — often triggered by a 'free trial' checkbox buried in a checkout page, or a third-party offer attached to another purchase. Under consumer protection laws in many countries, businesses must make cancellation as easy as sign-up. If a service refuses to cancel, you have the right to ask your bank to block the merchant and to raise a chargeback or Section 75 claim for charges after a valid cancellation request was made.
Common red flags
- No obvious cancel button in account settings
- Cancellation requires a phone call only during business hours
- Charges continue after you thought you cancelled
- Subscription you do not remember signing up for appearing on your bank statement
- Company uses many different billing names making it hard to identify
What to do now
- Screenshot every step of your cancellation attempt with timestamps
- Send a written cancellation request by email and keep a copy
- Ask your bank to block the merchant for future charges
- Raise a chargeback for charges after your cancellation request
- Report to your national consumer protection agency
Frequently asked questions
Can my bank cancel a subscription for me?
Your bank can block future payments to a merchant and may reverse recent charges, but they usually require evidence you attempted to cancel first.