Have you ever been bothered by automatic renewal?

Have you ever been troubled by the automatic renewal of the App? It is estimated that many people's answers are yes. Recently, some media reported that the monthly and annual service packages for members launched by many mobile apps have hidden the consumption trap of "automatic renewal", which has aroused the buzz of many netizens. Many people said that "they didn't know that they were taken away by automatic renewal until they found that the money was gone".

In fact, the phenomenon of "playing routines" in the automatic renewal of App is not a new problem. In 219, CCTV conducted a survey on 5 popular paid software, and found that more than 7% of them have automatic renewal function, and most of them are checked by default in a non-significant way. If you don't pay attention, you may be automatically renewed. It is easy to open, but it is not so simple to cancel. The entrance is hidden, the procedures are complicated, and the steps are cumbersome, which makes people want to "unload it" in minutes.

the automatic renewal function was originally designed to facilitate users to enjoy the services provided by the App for a long time, but now it has become a pit for consumers to avoid, and the reasons behind it are not difficult to understand. With the intensification of market competition, some merchants have launched a variety of paid membership services in order to retain users, and they can enjoy many preferential policies for the first time and the first month. Once it is opened, it may mean that the continuous monthly subscription and automatic renewal function are opened by default, and even the automatic renewal function of some software is a necessary option to enjoy preferential policies. This hidden routine has also become an important way for many apps to make profits.

Based on the painful experience of some netizens, when registering members and purchasing services on some apps, the author often needs to find a relatively free time to operate, so as to ensure that there is enough time to see the options hidden in various secret corners and ensure that they will not be automatically renewed. But sometimes it is hard to prevent, and there is not always so much free time to read every little word. For people who are not familiar with the operation of mobile phones, it is easy to be inexplicably renewed.

such passive payment and imposition of services not only infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, but also reduce users' goodwill towards the platform, which is even more suspected of breaking the law. E-commerce law stipulates that e-commerce operators should draw consumers' attention in a significant way when tying goods or services, and should not take tying goods or services as an option of default consent. The Law on the Protection of Consumers' Rights and Interests stipulates that operators who use standard terms in their business activities should draw consumers' attention to the quantity and quality, price or expenses, time limit and method of performance of goods or services in a significant way.

the law is clear, but this kind of automatic renewal consumption trap with inducement and semi-compulsion is still prohibited repeatedly. This shows that it is not enough to rely solely on the consciousness of the platform, and the supervision and punishment of relevant departments should also keep up, thus making some businesses trying to exploit the loopholes "discouraged". For example, platforms that have repeatedly violated regulations and failed to rectify are included in the "blacklist" to form a long-term mechanism with binding force, so that they have scruples.

as far as consumers themselves are concerned, when opening members and purchasing platform services, they should also pay attention to reading carefully as far as possible to see the terms and conditions clearly. Once you encounter a similar consumption trap, you should have a sense of evidence in order to prepare for consultation with the platform and report to the relevant departments. At the same time, the relevant departments should ensure the smooth channels of complaints, and focus on the platform that reflects the relatively concentrated problems as soon as possible. Act earlier and step faster, and fewer consumers will be hurt by their legitimate rights and interests.

At present, many apps have cancelled the default check of automatic renewal, and set up a reminder function to return the choice to consumers, which has gained users' goodwill and trust. For the platform side, although some "small abacus" and "cleverness" can bring benefits to themselves in the short term, while "pit" consumers, they will eventually put themselves on the road of being eliminated by the market, which is not worth the candle.

in the era of "voting with your feet", should we continue to "play tricks" and pursue temporary improper profits, or do a good job in service and protect users' right to choose? In this choice, I believe that any far-sighted platform will not be confused.