In short
Cancel with whoever bills you: the company itself, or Apple, Google Play, Roku or a carrier if you subscribed through them. Deleting an app does not cancel anything. Cancel at least a day before renewal or before a free trial ends, and keep the confirmation. The FTC's 2024 "click-to-cancel" rule was vacated and is not in force; cite ROSCA and state automatic renewal laws (California, New York and others) instead. If charges continue after you cancel, dispute them with your card issuer and send a written notice by certified mail with a return receipt.
How complaints work in this industry
- Billing decides where you cancel. Apple says that if you have no Apple receipt for a subscription, you may have bought it from another company; check your statement and contact that company. Apple: cancel a subscription
- SiriusXM, for example, tells subscribers billed by Apple, Google Play, Roku or T-Mobile to cancel with that company, and says uninstalling the app does not cancel an Apple or Google Play subscription. SiriusXM: manage or cancel service
- The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel amendments were vacated in full by the Eighth Circuit on July 8, 2025 and never took effect (rule
ftc-click-to-cancel). Eighth Circuit opinion, Custom Communications v. FTC - Effective February 12, 2026 the FTC restored the pre-2024 Negative Option Rule, which covers only prenotification plans; a new rulemaking is at the advance notice stage with no proposed text. Federal Register, February 12, 2026, FTC: Negative Option Rule
- Enforcement continues under ROSCA: Amazon settled the FTC's Prime case for $2.5 billion in September 2025, and the Justice Department announced a proposed $150 million settlement with Adobe on March 13, 2026 (pending court entry). FTC: Amazon refunds, Justice Department, March 13, 2026
- The FTC, 21 states and DC are suing Uber over Uber One enrollment and a cancellation path of up to 23 screens and 32 actions; the case is pending. FTC press release, December 15, 2025
Your leverage
- ROSCA (rule
rosca-negative-option): for online negative-option sales the seller must disclose all material terms before taking billing information, get your express informed consent before charging, and provide "simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges." 15 U.S.C. 8403 - California (rule
ca-automatic-renewal-law): if you signed up online you must be able to cancel online at will; a save offer must sit next to a "click to cancel" button, and on the phone you can end the call by saying you want to "cancel". Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602 - California also requires notice 3 to 21 days before a free trial longer than 31 days ends, and 7 to 30 days before a price change. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17602
- New York (rule
ny-automatic-renewal-law): cancellation must be as easy as sign-up and available in every medium used to sign up; a retention offer may not block or delay it. N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law 527-a - A New York court found in November 2024 that SiriusXM's agent-only cancellation violated ROSCA and ordered a method that does not require a live agent. New York Attorney General, November 22, 2024
- When a company keeps charging after you cancel, the FTC says to dispute the charge with your card issuer, follow up by certified mail with a return receipt, and keep copies of every request and note. FTC: free trials, auto-renewals and subscriptions
Traps
- Free trials convert automatically. Adobe charges your payment method when the trial ends, and Apple says to cancel at least 24 hours before a trial ends. Adobe Subscription and Cancellation Terms, Apple: cancel a subscription
- "Annual, billed monthly" plans can carry early termination fees: Adobe charges 50% of the remaining contract after 14 days (30% of the annual commitment in California). Adobe Subscription and Cancellation Terms
- Benefits from a free period end the moment you cancel Uber One or DashPass, and an Uber One charge is non-refundable once the billing cycle begins. Uber One terms, DoorDash: cancel DashPass
- Renewal cutoffs come before the renewal date: SiriusXM and DashPass both require cancellation at least 24 hours before renewal or the next payment. SiriusXM Customer Agreement, DoorDash: cancel DashPass
- Refund windows are short: SiriusXM gives a pro-rata refund only on request within 7 days (monthly) or 30 days (non-monthly); Adobe gives a full refund only within 14 days of the initial order. SiriusXM Customer Agreement, Adobe Subscription and Cancellation Terms
- Do not cite the FTC click-to-cancel rule in a complaint; it was vacated. Cite ROSCA and your state's law. FTC: Negative Option Rule
Scams to watch for
- Fake renewal and subscription-charge messages: Amazon lists fake membership renewals and fake subscription charges, and Best Buy shows fake Geek Squad renewal notices. Check the account directly, not through the message. Amazon scam trends, Best Buy: protect yourself
- Streaming phishing: Netflix says it never asks for card numbers, bank details or passwords by text or email (report to phishing@netflix.com), and Spotify says an email is suspicious if the sender does not end in @spotify.com (report to spoof@spotify.com). Netflix: phishing, Spotify: is this email legit?
- BBB Scam Tracker listed Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD Global Streaming), HBO Max's parent company, as the No. 4 most impersonated brand in 2025, with 681 reports. BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report 2025
- Tech support scams: Microsoft says its error messages never include a phone number and it never asks for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency. Microsoft: tech support scams
- Google says someone may be trying to scam you if they ask you to buy a Google Play gift card and share the code; the cards can only be used on Google Play. Google Play: gift card scams