When a recurring charge was not clear

Membership renewal disclosure

Published

1 Sept 2020

Reported by

Dark Patterns Tip Line

FTC settlement addressing Prime enrollment and cancellation

Published

September 25, 2025

Reported by

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC alleged that Amazon used confusing enrollment designs and a multi-page Prime cancellation flow intended to deter cancellation. A federal court entered a settlement requiring changes and monetary relief.

Meal autoship and Blue Apron+ are separate recurring services

Published

April–August 2026

Reported by

Blue Apron terms and support, corroborated by recent customer reports

Blue Apron’s current terms distinguish Subscribe & Save meal orders from the monthly or annual Blue Apron+ shipping membership. Skipping orders does not cancel either recurring service, and an order already marked Processing or Shipped cannot be stopped. Cancel Subscribe & Save and Blue Apron+ separately, then inspect Upcoming for committed orders and save both confirmations.

Reported promotion leading to a renewing VIP membership

Published

28 Jan 2022

Reported by

Dark Patterns Tip Line

Account access can accidentally restart a cancelled membership

Published

Current help article

Reported by

Netflix Help Center

Netflix says a cancelled account may be accidentally restarted by the account holder or someone who still has access. After cancelling, finish every confirmation step, change the password and sign out all devices if other people have used the account, then watch for a restart email or charge.

Reported call requirement and renewal concerns

Published

11 Nov 2023

Reported by

Dark Patterns Tip Line

FTC settlement concerning Instacart+ enrollment and subscription disclosures

Published

January 14, 2026

Reported by

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC announced a proposed settlement requiring $60 million in refunds and changes after alleging that some consumers were enrolled in Instacart+ without express informed consent and that membership terms were not clearly disclosed. Check whether Instacart+ renewal is active, save the cancellation result and review FTC updates for refund information.

Multistate settlement addressed VIP enrollment, billing, and cancellation

Published

October 23, 2025

Reported by

Massachusetts Attorney General and a multistate coalition

A multistate settlement resolved allegations that TFG Holding deceptively marketed VIP memberships for JustFab, ShoeDazzle, and FabKids and used practices that frustrated cancellation. The agreement required clearer terms and changes to enrollment, billing, and cancellation. This is a regulator finding about the covered period, not a claim that every current account follows the same process.

New York settlement concerning Thirty Madison subscription practices

Published

August 24, 2026

Reported by

New York Attorney General

Keeps parent Thirty Madison settled findings involving unclear renewal terms, non-refundable fees, multiple cancellation steps and delays that produced additional charges. The agreement requires clearer disclosures, faster processing and eligible refunds.

New York settlement concerning Thirty Madison subscription practices

Published

August 24, 2026

Reported by

New York Attorney General

Nurx parent Thirty Madison settled findings involving unclear renewal terms, non-refundable fees, multiple cancellation steps and delays that produced additional charges. The agreement requires clearer disclosures, faster processing and eligible refunds.

FTC and state lawsuit alleging deceptive billing and a lengthy cancellation path

Published

Updated May 4, 2026

Reported by

Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general

The pending case alleges unwanted enrollment, early billing and a cancellation flow involving numerous screens, repeated actions, pause prompts and retention offers. The FTC filed a second amended complaint in May 2026.

Recent reports of post-cancellation billing and unintended reactivation

Published

April 2025–July 2026

Reported by

Multiple Fubo community discussions

Recent reports describe charges after users believed cancellation was complete. One 2026 report says later viewing was treated as reactivation while paid access remained available. Save the final confirmation and access-end date, avoid using the account after cancellation if the page warns that doing so will restart service, and check the next statement. These are user reports, not adjudicated findings.

Recent community reports of account reactivation and unexpected box charges

Published

2025–2026

Reported by

Multiple Reddit discussions

Recent users describe accounts appearing to reactivate or boxes being scheduled after they returned to the site. Treat these as community reports rather than a universal process. After cancelling, keep the email, avoid accepting reactivation offers, and check the delivery calendar and payment activity before the next cutoff.

Reported forced-continuity concerns

Published

1 Aug 2017

Reported by

UXP2 Lab

Every ABCmouse-family subscription must be cancelled separately

Published

August 5, 2026

Reported by

ABCmouse Support

ABCmouse’s current policy says cancelling one subscription does not end Adventure Academy, an Assessment Center add-on or another ABCmouse plan under a different email. Direct billing, Apple and Google Play also use separate routes, and processed charges are generally non-refundable. List every Age of Learning charge and email address, cancel each active subscription, skip retention pricing if leaving and require a confirmation email for every plan.

Amazon Prime settlement refund process

Published

January 2026

Reported by

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC says Amazon sent automatic refunds in late 2025 and began sending claim notices in January 2026 to other eligible Prime customers. Eligible claims concern challenged enrollment flows or unsuccessful cancellation attempts through June 23, 2025. Use only the official settlement channel and never pay anyone to obtain a refund.

Skipping a month does not cancel VIP membership

Published

May–August 2026

Reported by

Fabletics Help and membership page, corroborated by recent member discussions

Fabletics says members must skip between the 1st and 5th to avoid that month’s charge, but skipping leaves VIP active. Cancellation is a separate request, and one current membership page says it can take effect after 30 days. If leaving, do not rely on Skip the Month: submit cancellation, record its effective date, ask whether another monthly charge can occur during processing and save the confirmation. Review unused credit expiration separately.

Membership cancellation and recurring shipments are separate

Published

May 13, 2025–2026

Reported by

Thrive Market Terms and Help Center

Thrive Market’s terms separate the automatically renewing membership from recurring product shipments. Most members are directed to a virtual agent, email, chat or phone, while California members may have an account-page route. First-time annual members have a published 30-day refund window, but later fees are generally non-refundable. Cancel the membership and every recurring shipment separately, save the effective date and do not place a new order after cancellation if you do not intend to reactivate.

FTC settlement concerning renewal disclosures and difficult cancellation

Published

September 2, 2020

Reported by

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC alleged inadequate renewal disclosures and a lengthy, confusing cancellation process. ABCmouse settled and agreed to provide easier cancellation.