On July 15, Len Gordon was interviewed by the Washington Post. The following is an excerpt:
What does the law say about deceptive subscriptions?
Under a federal law, when you sign up for a subscription online that automatically charges you every month or year, the terms must be "clearly and conspicuously disclosed" and you must clearly consent to recurring bills.
The business also must offer a "simple" mechanism to cancel. (There are other applicable federal and state laws, too.)
Sounds squishy, right? Leonard Gordon, who leads law firm Venable LLP's advertising and marketing law practice, acknowledged that the line can be fuzzy between what's legally permissible and what's not with subscriptions.
If you want to cancel a gym membership, for example, it's reasonable to be offered a discount or free personal training sessions to persuade you to stay. But it might be out of bounds if the gym badgers you with such offers, Gordon said.
If you must call the gym to quit but no one ever answers, or if you can't figure out how to cancel, that could be a legal nono, according to Gordon.
For the complete list and to read the quotes, click here.