04/08/2025

MONDAY | AUG 4, 2025

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Digital subscriptions: Easy to join, hard to cancel

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

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N economy, subscribing to a service takes only seconds but cancelling it can take hours, repeated calls, or in some cases, a change of credit card just to stop the charges. The National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) has received a growing number of complaints from Malaysian consumers who feel trapped in unwanted subscriptions, unable to cancel services without facing unnecessary delays, penalties or complicated processes. From streaming platforms and online apps to gym memberships, telecom plans and prepaid service packages, consumers are reporting a pattern: signing up is simple but unsubscribing is frustratingly difficult. These practices, whether designed intentionally or by inertia, unfairly tilt the marketplace in favour of businesses, often at the expense of consumer rights and financial well-being. In many cases, consumers unknowingly commit to long-term contracts through “free trials” that automatically convert into paid plans. Others face high exit penalties for trying to leave gym or telco contracts, even when the service no longer meets their needs. Worse, some digital platforms bury the cancellation button deep within account settings or force users to call a hotline to quit a service they joined online. For example, a user from Negeri Sembilan shared their experience involving the closure of an account on behalf of a deceased family member. “I submitted all the required documents to the pay-TV service provider on July 15. After three days, no one contacted me. I even went in person to their branch office in Seremban 2 but was told that there was no record of any account closure request in their system. Instead, I was issued a new bill to pay, even though the original account had no outstanding balance.” These tactics, commonly referred to as “dark patterns”, are designed to delay or discourage cancellation. One consumer told us they were today’s digital WE all make mistakes – some big, some small. But now, thanks to social media, a single wrong move can become a viral moment and sometimes ruin lives. That is the harsh reality of cancel culture. At first, cancel culture seemed like a good thing. It gave power to the people. When celebrities or companies did something offensive or harmful, the public held them accountable. No more sweeping things under the rug – it felt like getting justice. However, somewhere along the way, cancel culture stopped being about accountability; it often feels more like public punishment. Now, social media acts as judge and jury, with millions of people piling on, calling names and demanding consequences without context, facts and most importantly, compassion. It is no longer just about celebrities; even random people find themselves in the crosshairs of cancel culture. Regular folks caught on camera during a bad moment can COMMENT by Hanan Addeena Arman

0 Limits termination penalties: For longer-term contracts, for example, gym and broadband, establish reasonable limits on early exit fees, especially when consumers cancel due to poor service. 0 Guidelines against dark patterns: Ban manipulative cancellation designs and require businesses to be transparent and fair in their subscription models. 0 Public awareness campaigns: Many consumers are unaware of their existing rights under the CPA, especially regarding refunds for unused prepaid services. Greater outreach and education are needed. These steps are not radical. They reflect a growing global consensus that subscription-based services must be fair, transparent and respectful of consumer choice. At a time when Malaysia is promoting digital adoption, innovation and e commerce, ensuring fair digital practices is essential. If consumers feel trapped or tricked, they will lose confidence in the very tools meant to improve convenience and choice. We believe that implementing fair cancellation practices is not just good policy; it is good business. Studies abroad show that companies with clear and easy cancellation policies enjoy higher consumer trust and return rates. Let us make it easier for Malaysians to manage their commitments, avoid financial loss and participate in a digital economy that respects their rights. We call on policymakers, regulators and industry leaders to take this issue seriously. It is time to say clearly: starting a subscription should take seconds and ending it should, too. on early

charged RM60 a month for nearly a year after a 10-day free trial ended, without any clear way to cancel online. Another user was charged nearly RM2,000 to exit a broadband plan early, despite poor service delivery. These are not isolated cases. A Southeast Asian survey found that 69% of Malaysian consumers are frustrated that they cannot pause or stop subscriptions when needed while 41% admitted they were still paying for services they forgot they had. In short, many Malaysians are losing money on services they do not want, do not use or cannot easily cancel. While Malaysia’s Consumer Protection Act 1999 (CPA) provides some safeguards, particularly for prepaid “future services” like gym or tuition packages, these do not extend clearly to digital, auto-renewing or monthly subscriptions. For example, the CPA requires partial refunds if a consumer cancels a prepaid service contract but offers no clear protection for services billed monthly or those that auto-renew without explicit consent. Telecommunications contracts are another grey area. Under current practice, companies are permitted to set their own penalties for early termination, with little room for negotiation. This puts consumers in a difficult position: either tolerate poor service or pay a hefty sum to escape. There is currently no standard policy requiring service providers to release customers without penalty in cases of unresolved service failure. Other countries have taken proactive steps to protect consumers from these challenges. In the UK, the government introduced a Digital Markets and Consumers Bill that requires companies to send clear reminders before a

subscription is renewed and mandates that cancelling a subscription must be “as easy as signing up”. In simple terms, if you clicked once to subscribe, you should be able to click once to unsubscribe. In Australia, consumer advocacy groups are calling for a new “unfair trading practices” law that would specifically target “subscription traps” and ban designs that deliberately make cancelling hard. India has also updated its consumer guidelines to outlaw several manipulative online practices, including hard-to-cancel subscriptions. These reforms are built on a simple but powerful principle: consumers should remain in control of their commitments. When cancelling a service becomes an obstacle course, it undermines that control. At NCCC, we believe it is time for Malaysia to strengthen consumer protections in this space. Specifically, we urge the relevant ministries and agencies to consider: 0 A “click-to-cancel” requirement: Any service that allows online sign-up should also allow simple online cancellation, with no hidden steps, excessive confirmations or required phone calls. 0 A cooling-off period: Introduce a standard 14-day cooling-off period for all subscription contracts, especially those entered into online or by phone. This allows consumers to cancel without penalty if they change their mind or realise they were misled. 0 Regulation of auto-renewals: Require explicit, informed consent before any automatic renewal of a subscription. Reminders should be sent at least seven days before renewal, giving consumers the chance to opt-out easily.

“At a time when Malaysia is promoting digital adoption, innovation and e-commerce, ensuring fair digital practices is essential. If consumers feel trapped or tricked, they will lose confidence in the very tools meant to improve

convenience and choice.

Saral James Maniam Senior Manager NCCC

Cancel culture: When accountability becomes public execution

Accountability means giving people a chance to understand, apologise and grow. Cancel culture does not always allow for that. Instead, it is more like: “You messed up. You’re done. Forever.” And what message does this send? That people cannot change? Does one mistake define our whole life? Even worse, cancel culture can silence important conversations. People stop sharing opinions or asking questions out of fear that they may say the wrong thing and be “cancelled”. It creates a culture of fear instead of one of learning. And when we are too scared to talk, how can we grow? The media plays a huge role in this, too. News outlets love stories that spark outrage. Headlines are designed to grab attention, not to explain. And when a person is being dragged online, the media often joins in instead of helping people understand the full story. The more clicks, the better. But at what cost? We need to start bringing empathy back into the conversation. Before we share that video, before we comment something cruel, before we hit repost, ask: Who is this person? What is the

become the target of online outrage. For example, take the schoolboy who ate on an MRT train. He was probably hungry after a long day and made a small mistake. But instead of compassion, someone recorded him, posted the video online and let the internet tear him apart. His face and actions were broadcast to thousands, maybe even millions, over a simple mistake: bringing food onto public transport. He is just a teenager, not a criminal, but people online just did not care; they wanted to vent their anger on someone. This is the scary part of cancel culture. It strips us of our empathy, making us forget that the people we are attacking are also human – someone with feelings, has a family and personal struggles we do not know of. Instead, it turns the internet into a place where people are afraid to speak, afraid to act, and ultimately, afraid to be imperfect. Of course, some actions deserve to be called out, such as racism, abuse and corruption. These are serious issues that should never be ignored. But there is a big difference between calling something out and tearing someone down.

Social media is powerful; it can expose injustice, uplift voices and create change. But when it is used to destroy instead of educate, to shame instead of understand, we all lose. – AFPPIC

So maybe instead of cancelling people, we should start teaching, listening and forgiving because a kinder internet starts with each of us choosing empathy over outrage.

full story? Are they really a villain or just someone who made a mistake? Social media is powerful; it can expose injustice, uplift voices and create change. But when it is used to destroy instead of educate, to shame instead of understand, we all lose. Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone deserves to be seen as more than their worst moment.

Hanan Addeena Arman is an undergraduate student at Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com