Consumer Affairs Seeks to End Automatic Renewals for Online Subscriptions

Digital platforms such as Netflix, HBO, or Spotify will no longer be able to automatically renew user contracts as they have done until now. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is determined to put an end to the automatic renewal of these electronic contracts and will require users to be informed at least 15 days in advance, according to sources from the office led by Pablo Bustinduy.

The measure, currently under parliamentary review, will be part of the Customer Service Act. If this law is passed, contracts subscribed via mobile with these types of platforms and subject to automatic renewal will cease to do so. Companies will need to notify consumers that their contract is nearing its end under the initially established conditions and request consent to renew the contract or not, as well as inform them of the consequences—if any—of not renewing it.

In addition to ensuring "conscious consumption," the measure also aims to ensure that customer service provides sufficient information. It is also a measure that would benefit those who, for various reasons, forget they have certain subscriptions and only remember once they have already been charged. The initiative will be included, through an amendment agreed upon by Sumar and the PSOE, in the Consumer Attention Act currently under review in the Congress of Deputies.