Negative option marketing: Difference between revisions

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==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==

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 ==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==