'My Match.com subscription, which was automatically renewed and doubled. Is that allowed? '| Money news

In our money blog we answer questions about your financial problems or consumer disputes every Tuesday. This week, a reader asked who automatically renewed his subscription to Match.com and doubled the price.

Jeremy asked: “Hello. I took a six-month subscription from Match.com for £ 9.99 per month after receiving an email offer. In January it was automatically renewed at 19.99. Match.com did not send an email or a memory to say that it would double and did not mention it in the email.

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“You say it is in the T&CS and hard, you have to pay for the full six months. Can companies do 2025 sharp practices like them – do you have to catch a lot of people?”

We started with Match.com and although we did not receive an answer, Jeremy received shortly after he had confirmed that he would receive a reimbursement of £ 19.99 as a “goodwill gesture”.

The website also confirmed that no further payments were taken from its account and sent him another special offer to continue to use the agreement.

We also spoke to the complaints Resolver with consumer expert Scott Dixon about whether companies were still able to use prices without sending the customer a memory.

He said this was a common problem in testing rooms and subscriptions.

When looking at Trustpilot evaluations, he said that many users from Match.com had complained about experiments, in particular about cancellation procedures and unclear conditions.

“Many users also say that customer service is not available and the cancellation process is difficult and problematic, which is not surprising,” said Dixon.

“It seems that automatic renovations are set without users, which means that they have to switch it off.

“These problems are not only limited to dating apps and extend over all subscriptions, including broadband contracts and medium-term price hikes.”

Match.com should make it easier for users to leave a contract and send memories of automatic Renews: “UK consumer laws protect consumers from unfair conditions and misleading practices.

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“Interestingly, the competitive and marketing authority have published an AT-A-glance guide on subscriptions and automatic overalls with tips on writing fair terms.”

It advises companies …

Their conditions are rather fair if:

“It is made clear to the customers in the outset show, which extends their subscription or contract or the contract, and the contract demands that they are sent a memory at a reasonable point in time before they are to be renewed. The memory should be clear information about the conditions of the proposed renewal of the contract and the steps that customers have to take in order to stop the renewal if they wish.

You give your customers the right to terminate a contract as soon as he has been renewed without having to pay a cancellation fee, and the request to provide the cancellation is reasonable and does not wrongly connect the consumer to the contract. “

Terms that can be unfair include:

“The automatic renewal of your customer's contract or subscription without having to take sufficient measures to inform you before the meeting.”

Dixon said this would be classified as a key time of a contract and would not be buried in the small print. The most important contractual conditions must be courageous, fair, transparent and balanced.

In order for a practice to be unfair in accordance with the rules specified in the Consumer Law, it must harm or harm the economic interests of the average consumer.

“Although I have not seen the documents, I would expect this to be clear, brave and prominent and will be sent by Match.com,” he said.

“Match.com should be clearer in your general terms and conditions when a test period ends and inform customers in good time when a test version ends so that you can make a well -founded decision.

“I believe that Match.com should violate the 2015 of the Consumer Act 2015 and consumer protection against unfair trading regulations in 2018 and reimburse the payments made after the six -month period.”

What should you do next?

If Jeremy had not received the refund, Dixon said that he could have followed the complaint process with Match.com first, and if this had failed, he should have increased a backbook with his bank or credit card provider.

He said this should be done within 120 days of payment in order to receive a refund.

“As part of the 2015 Consumer Rights Act, you have to quote a breach of contract to conclude a return booking,” he said.

“Your bank or credit card provider will temporarily reverse the payment and give the retailer the opportunity to present your case, although this can be canceled if the retailer successfully defends the controversial claim.”

Advice for everyone who records a subscription

Read the general terms and conditions carefully before removing a subscription, especially when it comes to testing, Dixon said.

He advised to make a diary before the trial period ends so that they remember to leave in time.

“Cancellation rights can be contested under certain circumstances. So they are not afraid to question all conditions that do not appear fair or correct,” he said.

“Companies that rely on not doing this to pay them for unwanted subscriptions.”

This function is not intended as financial advice – the goal is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Send your dilemma or consumer dispute over:

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• E -mail to onlineblog@sky.uk with the subject line “Money problem”