Many businesses are trapping Australian consumers in paid subscriptions by making them hard to cancel, hiding important details and offering “free” trials that auto-renew with hefty charges. We need law reform to tackle this continuing problem. A new report shows 75% of Australian consumers have had negative experiences when trying to cancel a subscription, according to the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC). It shows businesses use “dark patterns”, which are designs that hinder consumers who try to act in their own best interests. Subscription traps are often called “Hotel California” techniques, referring to The Eagles’ famous lyric: “you can check…
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