Subscription traps – free products and sample packages

Consumers can sometimes be tricked into signing up for subscriptions they do not want. These subscriptions can be expensive and difficult to cancel. Common products in such subscription traps include hygiene products and dietary supplements. Even services like CV services can cause consumers to get stuck in subscriptions.

Companies that have lured you into so called subscription traps use different methods, some common examples are:

Sample packages and free products

A common way to trick consumers into subscriptions is for companies to offer a product very cheaply or even for free without clearly informing that you are agreeing to a subscription. If it is a subscription trap, you will receive additional goods with accompanying invoices or further withdrawals will be made from your account.

You may receive the offer through, for example, telemarketing or online advertisements.

Competitions and surveys

You may be lured into participating in a market survey online or participating in a competition. You will often find these surveys and competitions in ads or posts on social media, for example Facebook.

When you click on a link you may be asked to answer different types of questions and provide your card details in exchange for a cheap product or entry in a giveaway. This may result in your becoming a subscriber and money being deducted from your account on a regular basis.

Text messages or emails

You can be lured into a subscription by answering a text message or email. It may often appear that the text messages is sent by a serious company, but it often involves an unreliable company that poses as someone else.

For example, the text message may instruct you to click on a link to participate in a competition. It may also contain information saying that you have been approved for credit and that you need to dial a number if you have any questions.

If you click on the link or dial the number there is a risk that you get caught in a subscription.

If you receive an invoice for something you did not order or approve, you do not have to pay. Just because a company claims that you are required to pay for something does not mean that you are.

If a company claims that you have agreed to a subscription, you can demand that they prove it. It is always the company’s responsibility to show that there is an agreement between you and what you agreed to when placing the order.

You are also not required to pay the cost of returning goods that you did not order.

If you receive an invoice that is incorrect, it is important that you dispute the invoice, that is, formally object to it.

How to dispute an incorrect invoice

A company that calls you and sells goods or services via telephone must, by law, obtain written approval from you for the agreement to be valid. Simply agreeing to an offer verbally is not sufficient for a valid agreement. Your written approval must also occur after the call has ended.

If you have not approved the agreement in writing after the call, it is invalid, and you should not have to pay.

The company must be able to prove that you have approved in writing, and that it occurred after the call.

If you have received a payment demand despite not giving your written approval, you have the right to dispute the invoice, meaning to protest against it.

How does written consent work?

A written consent can be provided in different ways. You can for example:

• sign a paper that is sent to you by post
• approve electronically via email or text message
• approve via e-identification, such as bank ID.

Approval must be given after the telephone conversation, so that you have time to think about the offer. Thus, it is not acceptable for the company to instruct you to approve the offer during the conversation.

If you have agreed to a subscription that you no longer want, you can use your right of withdrawal. The right of withdrawal applies when you have bought something at a distance, for example online or by telephone. The withdrawal period is normally 14 days and applies throughout the EU.

You must contact the company within two weeks from the day you receive the first item and inform them that you want to cancel.

Cancel in writing, for example by email, and keep a copy of the email as proof.

In some cases, the right of withdrawal can be extended, and you may have more than 14 days to cancel your purchase.

Right of withdraw

If you believe that you are not obligated to pay for a subscription, you should dispute any payment demands you receive. To dispute means that you contact the company and explain that you will not pay and why. If the money has already been withdrawn, you can demand that the company refunds the money

Always dispute in writing, for example via email. Keep a copy.

Continue to dispute in writing if you receive a collection notice or a payment order from the Enforcement Authority.

As long as you dispute the claim you believe is incorrect in writing, you will not receive a payment default.

Read more about disputing a demand for payment

Has the company charged you incorrectly and you paid by card, you may have the opportunity to seek help from your bank, the one that issued the card to you. This is called making a chargeback request.

What your rights look like depends on the type of card you used to pay for the purchase. You have stronger protection when you pay with a credit card. If you have paid with a debit card, the terms and conditions of the card govern what you are entitled to.

Read more about chargeback

You can file a complaint with the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN) if you and the company cannot reach an agreement.

ARN will assess your case and then recommend how your dispute should be resolved. Most companies follow ARN’s recommendations.

A typical processing time is about 6 months.

What does it cost to file a complaint with ARN?

It costs SEK 150 to file a complaint with ARN. When you submit your complaint, you can request that the company compensates you for the cost if ARN makes a recommendation in your favour.

Requirements for ARN to Review Your Case

• The company has rejected your claims or has not responded within a reasonable time.
• The amount you and the company disagree on exceeds ARN’s value limit. You cannot include the fee for filing a complaint with ARN.
• You file the complaint within one year from the first time you complained to the company.

File a complaint on ARN’s website

Need help with your complaint?

Sometimes, the municipal consumer advisors can help you file a complaint with ARN.

If you feel that a company has violated the rules of the law you can bring it to the attention of the Swedish Consumer Agency by filing a report. The Swedish Consumer Agency will check to ensure that the company is complying with the rules of the law, and reports is an important basis of the work carried out by the agency. However, a report does not guarantee that your individual case will be assessed or decided on.

Report to the Swedish Consumer Agency