In light of the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown measures, some companies have started offering users free access to their web services. The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) for working with such platforms.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, when signing up for so-called "free subscriptions," one crucial aspect must be considered: most services and platforms grant access to content only after linking a bank card to the registered account. This means that after the end of the free or other discounted period (for example, a subscription for 1 ruble), funds will begin to be deducted from the user’s account.
For this reason, the agency advises internet users to adhere to the following course of action:
- Familiarize yourself with the user agreement of the service or platform before entering into a contract (registration, subscribing). Pay special attention to the procedure for canceling the agreement, the rules for refunding payments, the conditions for linking a bank card to the account, and auto-renewal (automatic deduction of funds from the card).
- When signing up for a free subscription, always pay attention to the cost of access in subsequent periods.
- Don’t forget to manage your subscriptions and the settings for their automatic renewal. Generally, most consumers, after acquiring access to multiple services, forget about the automatic deduction of funds after the subscription period (month, quarter, year) ends.
The instructions provided by Rospotrebnadzor are advisory in nature. However, following them can minimize the risk of unplanned financial expenses when operating in the online environment.
Source: 3dnews.ru
