Negative option marketing - Revision history

Tempo123: /* References */ Archive

2026-04-07T15:45:47Z

References: Archive

Show changes

2001:4BC9:B009:90BE:2205:B7FF:FE00:E700: /* References */ fix dates

2026-03-30T20:44:19Z

References: fix dates

Show changes

Louis: rewrote from stub. added ftc enforcement history (amazon $2.5b, vonage $100m, abcmouse $10m, moviepass, directv), federal legal framework (rosca, click-to-cancel rule + 8th circuit vacatur), state laws (ca/ny/il), consumer impact data. replaced youtube and reddit citations with primary sources.

2026-03-28T20:49:56Z

rewrote from stub. added ftc enforcement history (amazon $2.5b, vonage $100m, abcmouse $10m, moviepass, directv), federal legal framework (rosca, click-to-cancel rule + 8th circuit vacatur), state laws (ca/ny/il), consumer impact data. replaced youtube and reddit citations with primary sources.

Show changes

Rudxain: links, typos, punctuation, etc...

2026-03-17T06:22:34Z

links, typos, punctuation, etc...

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:22, 17 March 2026
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	===Consumer Entrapment===		===Consumer Entrapment===
	By making the process as easy as possible ~~weather~~ it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if ~~there~~ account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for		By making the process as easy as possible whether it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if their account should be deleted or a subscription canceled, by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for

	===Loss of ownership===		===Loss of ownership===
	Specific devices like cameras, watches, light bulbs etc... may require app activation to use something that should "just work" out of the box. But instead force you to download something you did not consent to when purchasing it		Specific devices like cameras, watches, light bulbs etc... may require app [[activation]] to use something that should "just work" out of the box. But instead [[Forced app download\|force you to download]] something you did not consent to when purchasing it

	===Privacy===		===Privacy===
	With relating to accounts since you are not able to remove or delete them those companies may be actively selling that information that you have provided to them to other companies or brokers without your knowledge even if you decided you no longer wish to use the product the info will persist without your consent		With relating to accounts, since you are not able to remove or delete them, those companies may be actively selling that information that you have provided to them to other companies or [[Data brokers\|brokers]], without your knowledge, even if you decided you no longer wish to use the product the info will persist without your consent

	==Examples==		==Examples==

Rudxain: link click-to-cancel

2026-03-17T06:16:42Z

link click-to-cancel

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:16, 17 March 2026
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	==How it works==		==How it works==
	A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=FTC \|title=Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing - negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=FTC GOV \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251209002749/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|archive-date=9 Dec 2025}}</ref>		A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a [[Click-to-cancel\|easy cancel]] option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=FTC \|title=Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing - negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=FTC GOV \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251209002749/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|archive-date=9 Dec 2025}}</ref>

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==

Rudxain: link "dark pattern" by replacing "practice"

2026-03-17T06:14:41Z

link "dark pattern" by replacing "practice"

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:14, 17 March 2026
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	{{StubNotice}}		{{StubNotice}}

	'''Negative option marketing''' or NOM, is a ~~practice~~ in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users freedoms in ways that take the users silence or inaction to be acceptance of the terms set by a company.		'''Negative option marketing''' or NOM, is a [[dark pattern]] in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users freedoms in ways that take the users silence or inaction to be acceptance of the terms set by a company.

	==How it works==		==How it works==

Bananabot: Added archive URLs for 4 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-23T06:53:39Z

Added archive URLs for 4 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:53, 23 February 2026
Line 4:		Line 4:

	==How it works==		==How it works==
	A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=FTC \|title=Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing - negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=FTC GOV}}</ref>		A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=FTC \|title=Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing - negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=FTC GOV \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251209002749/https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|archive-date=9 Dec 2025}}</ref>

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==
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	==Examples==		==Examples==
	LA Fitness making it easy to sign up for a membership but requires first class mail to cancel a subscription<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Rossmann \|first=Louis \|date=2023-08-24 \|title=LA Fitness gym cancel scam - fight for the right to cancel! \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6gF1z3WkWU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Youtube}}</ref>		LA Fitness making it easy to sign up for a membership but requires first class mail to cancel a subscription<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Rossmann \|first=Louis \|date=2023-08-24 \|title=LA Fitness gym cancel scam - fight for the right to cancel! \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6gF1z3WkWU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=w6gF1z3WkWU \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>

	DND Beyond allowing you to make an account online but force request via '''email''' to have a chance of your account being deleted by them having to provide additional information that was not necessary on account signup<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-01-09 \|title=The Multi-Day Odyssey to Account Deletion (Ongoing) \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/dndbeyond/comments/10b9y9v/the_multiday_odyssey_to_account_deletion_ongoing/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Reddit}}</ref>		DND Beyond allowing you to make an account online but force request via '''email''' to have a chance of your account being deleted by them having to provide additional information that was not necessary on account signup<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-01-09 \|title=The Multi-Day Odyssey to Account Deletion (Ongoing) \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/dndbeyond/comments/10b9y9v/the_multiday_odyssey_to_account_deletion_ongoing/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Reddit \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230114000917/https://old.reddit.com/r/dndbeyond/comments/10b9y9v/the_multiday_odyssey_to_account_deletion_ongoing/ \|archive-date=14 Jan 2023}}</ref>

	DJI cameras requiring an app registration to be able to use the product you paid for<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Rossmann \|first=Louis \|date=2025-04-17 \|title=I thought I bought a camera, but no! DJI sold me a LICENSE to use their camera 🤦‍♂️ \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUOnQ_boqCw \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Youtube}}</ref>		DJI cameras requiring an app registration to be able to use the product you paid for<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Rossmann \|first=Louis \|date=2025-04-17 \|title=I thought I bought a camera, but no! DJI sold me a LICENSE to use their camera 🤦‍♂️ \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUOnQ_boqCw \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Youtube \|archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=aUOnQ_boqCw \|archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>

	==References==		==References==

Vandetta: tweaks for fluidity

2025-11-02T17:31:47Z

tweaks for fluidity

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 2 November 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{StubNotice}}		{{StubNotice}}

	'''Negative option marketing,''' or NOM, is a practice in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users ~~freedom~~ in ~~way~~ that ~~they may have once originally taken~~ the users silence or inaction to be acceptance.		'''Negative option marketing''' or NOM, is a practice in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users freedoms in ways that take the users silence or inaction to be acceptance of the terms set by a company.

	==How it works==		==How it works==
Line 11:		Line 11:
	By making the process as easy as possible weather it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if there account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for		By making the process as easy as possible weather it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if there account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for

	=== Loss of ownership ===		===Loss of ownership===
	Specific devices like cameras, watches, light bulbs etc... may require app activation to use something that should "just work" out of the box. But instead force you to download something you did not consent to when purchasing it		Specific devices like cameras, watches, light bulbs etc... may require app activation to use something that should "just work" out of the box. But instead force you to download something you did not consent to when purchasing it

Vandetta: add some refs, expand privacy rights a bit needs touchups

2025-11-02T17:24:50Z

add some refs, expand privacy rights a bit needs touchups

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:24, 2 November 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{StubNotice}}		{{StubNotice}}

	'''Negative option marketing,''' or NOM, ~~for~~ is a practice in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users freedom in way that they may have once originally taken the users silence or inaction to be acceptance.		'''Negative option marketing,''' or NOM, is a practice in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users freedom in way that they may have once originally taken the users silence or inaction to be acceptance.

	==How it works==		==How it works==
	A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.		A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=FTC \|title=Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Negative Option Marketing - negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1598063/negative_option_policy_statement-10-22-2021-tobureau.pdf \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=FTC GOV}}</ref>

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==
Line 10:		Line 10:
	===Consumer Entrapment===		===Consumer Entrapment===
	By making the process as easy as possible weather it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if there account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for		By making the process as easy as possible weather it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if there account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for

			=== Loss of ownership ===
			Specific devices like cameras, watches, light bulbs etc... may require app activation to use something that should "just work" out of the box. But instead force you to download something you did not consent to when purchasing it

	===Privacy===		===Privacy===
Line 15:		Line 18:

	==Examples==		==Examples==
	{{Ph-T-E}}		LA Fitness making it easy to sign up for a membership but requires first class mail to cancel a subscription<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Rossmann \|first=Louis \|date=2023-08-24 \|title=LA Fitness gym cancel scam - fight for the right to cancel! \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6gF1z3WkWU \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Youtube}}</ref>

			DND Beyond allowing you to make an account online but force request via '''email''' to have a chance of your account being deleted by them having to provide additional information that was not necessary on account signup<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-01-09 \|title=The Multi-Day Odyssey to Account Deletion (Ongoing) \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/dndbeyond/comments/10b9y9v/the_multiday_odyssey_to_account_deletion_ongoing/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Reddit}}</ref>

			DJI cameras requiring an app registration to be able to use the product you paid for<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Rossmann \|first=Louis \|date=2025-04-17 \|title=I thought I bought a camera, but no! DJI sold me a LICENSE to use their camera 🤦‍♂️ \|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUOnQ_boqCw \|url-status=live \|access-date=2025-11-02 \|website=Youtube}}</ref>

	==References==		==References==

Beanie Bo: stub

2025-11-02T02:08:49Z

stub

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:08, 2 November 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
	'''Negative option marketing''' or NOM for short is a practice in where businesses proactively make changes that restricts users freedom that they may have once originally taking the users silence or inaction to be acceptance.		{{StubNotice}}

	== How it works ==		'''Negative option marketing,''' or NOM, for is a practice in which businesses proactively make changes that restrict users freedom in way that they may have once originally taken the users silence or inaction to be acceptance.

			==How it works==
	A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.		A company like a gym may make it super easy to sign up online. But when it comes time to cancel your membership to change to a new gym the consumer later finds out that they have to certify mail the gym to cancel the same membership they signed up for online. While a company could implement a easy cancel option they proactively choose not to keep those who would just accept the cost outweighing the time spent to cancel.

	==Why it is a problem==		==Why it is a problem==

	=== Consumer Entrapment ===		===Consumer Entrapment===
	By making the process as easy as possible weather it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if there account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for		By making the process as easy as possible weather it be creating an account or subscribing to a service users should have a say on if there account should be deleted or a subscription canceled by not providing these options to consumers they are effectively trapped for what they signed up for

	=== Privacy ===		===Privacy===
	With relating to accounts since you are not able to remove or delete them those companies may be actively selling that information that you have provided to them to other companies or brokers without your knowledge even if you decided you no longer wish to use the product the info will persist without your consent		With relating to accounts since you are not able to remove or delete them those companies may be actively selling that information that you have provided to them to other companies or brokers without your knowledge even if you decided you no longer wish to use the product the info will persist without your consent