Once you don’t read the fine print, you get your first bill. We tell you how you can escape the annoying subscription traps.
Countless services are offered on the Internet – in order to be able to use them at all, personal data is often required. In many cases this turns out to be unproblematic, but time and again there is a nasty surprise in the form of an invoice for a completed subscription. Without knowing it, you have entered into a fee-based contract by providing your data and will be asked to pay. If you have concluded a contract on the Internet unintentionally or without noticing it, there is still the possibility of declaring the contract ineffective. So don’t panic when you get that first bill, but follow the tips on how to avoid the expensive subscription trap.
revocation
As a rule, you have the right of withdrawal for every contract concluded on the Internet. The deadline for making a cancellation effective is two weeks and is extended to one year if you have not been properly informed about the right of cancellation. No reasons need to be given for a revocation, he can arrange in writing to dissolve the contract. You will find numerous templates for this on the Internet, which you must fill out with the correct information and, in the best case, send by e-mail and registered mail.
challenge
An alternative to revocation is to contest a contract. Because if you weren’t aware that you were entering into a contract or that the contract was subject to a fee, you have the option of contesting the contract. However, this must also be done in writing and within two weeks.
Termination
Despite contesting and revoking the contract, an official notice should also be given, because many paid contracts are set for a period of one year. By default, however, these contracts contain extension clauses if the contract is not terminated within certain notice periods. By terminating as soon as possible, you at least prevent the extension of such a contract if the challenge or revocation proves unsuccessful.
Occurrence and Effectiveness
Another important step is the verification of the conclusion and effectiveness, because in many cases no effective contract has come about – there is no proof. If the operators then even turn on debt collection agencies and alleged law firms, you should not be intimidated, but should seek legal advice and, if necessary, file a criminal complaint.
Don’t pay out of fear
Victims often make the mistake of paying the bill for fear of being sued. As a rule, however, it only remains with invoices, reminders and empty threats and you have nothing more to fear, since the operators are powerless before the law. You should also not be unsettled by court orders, because a court order that has been issued does not say whether the facts of the case have been checked at all. This would only happen in a civil case and hardly any service operator actually brings such a case to court.
Conclusion
Anyone who finds that they have fallen into a subscription trap should first revoke, contest and terminate the contract by e-mail and registered mail. It is important to do this as quickly as possible in order to meet all deadlines. In the event of problems and resistance on the part of the operator, legal advice should be obtained in order not to risk a lawsuit and to have it checked whether a contract has actually come into being.
Editorial office finanzen.net