32
Locked hardware
A repair tool is not a dealer-only feature.
US environmental guidance says manufacturers cannot use emissions law as a reason to withhold repair tools or software from farm-equipment owners and independent repairers.
5 min read
Topic file
United States
US case files on subscription traps, repair rights and the consumer rules that shape digital products.
02
Subscriptions
Click to subscribe. Call, beg and wait to cancel.
America’s federal click-to-cancel rule was struck down days before taking effect. The dark pattern survived the reform designed to kill it.
7 min read
34
Subscriptions
A fake message became a paid answer.
US regulators say NGL used messages that appeared to come from real people to steer users into paid subscriptions, then charged some users recurring weekly fees they did not expect.
5 min read
37
Subscriptions
“No hidden fees” was an add-on.
The companies behind the Hopper travel apps agreed to pay US$35 million to settle US allegations that they pre-selected fees described as optional and misrepresented some travel-product benefits.
5 min read
42
Subscriptions
A one-time project should not renew itself.
Shutterstock agreed to pay US$35 million to settle US allegations that it obscured renewal and cancellation terms, charged some consumers without informed consent, and made early cancellation difficult.
5 min read
45
Subscriptions
Prime made joining easy. Leaving became a case file.
The US Federal Trade Commission says Amazon’s US$2.5 billion Prime settlement includes refunds for eligible customers affected by challenged enrolment and cancellation flows.
6 min read
46
Subscriptions
“Cancel anytime” needs to survive the cancellation screen.
The US FTC is pursuing Uber over allegations that its Uber One membership charged people without consent, overstated savings and made cancellation difficult despite “cancel anytime” claims.
5 min read