The Wall Street Journal was reported to the Deceptive Design Tip Line over the cancellation of its online subscriptions. According to the report, the reporter signed up online for a short-term, low-priced subscription, but the automatic renewal could not be cancelled online. Instead, they had to telephone to cancel, waiting a long time on hold (around 25 minutes before anyone answered) and resisting repeated and varied upselling attempts.
‹ All examples The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal: Difficult to cancel online subscription renewal
“I signed up online for short-term, low-priced subscription, but automatic subscription renewal cannot be cancelled online. You have to phone in the cancel, wait for a long time on hold (25 minutes into the call for me before anyone answered) and resist repeated and varied upselling tactics.”
Disclaimer: examples in the Hall of Shame are generally drawn from public submissions and cited sources; they have not been independently verified and may contain inaccuracies. They are presented as illustrations of design patterns, not findings of fact, unlawful conduct, or intent.