1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Canceling free trials just got a whole lot ease. You're 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,159 Speaker 1: in California. What's going on? I'm rich DeMuro. This is 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: rich on Tech. A new California law that went into 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: effect on July first makes it easier to cancel subscriptions 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: and those free trials that you sign up for. It's 6 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 1: called California Senate Bill three one three, and it requires 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: that companies make it easy to cancel services that you 8 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: sign up for online. This is pretty big because how 9 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: many times have you been tempted to sign up for 10 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: something like a free trial, but you kind of stop 11 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: short at the sign up page because you don't want 12 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: to have to deal with the headache of the cancelation process. 13 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: In fact, there are entire websites dedicated to helping you 14 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: cancel subscriptions, like get human, which provides the phone numbers 15 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: to call as well as the instructions, but it's still 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: kind of complicated and time consuming. The new law says 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: that California customers who accept an automatic renewal or continuous 18 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: service offer online must be able to cancel the service 19 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: online as well. This makes a ton of sense. I've 20 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: always said, if you sign up one way, you should 21 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: be able to cancel that same exact way. Now, don't 22 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: get me wrong, lots of online services do make it 23 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: easy for you to pause or cancel your subscription and 24 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: a few clicks. But this new law is going to 25 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: take care of all of those other services that kind 26 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: of make money on the fact that you don't feel 27 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: like waiting on hold forever or finding the right eight 28 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: hundred number to cancel. The new law also says that 29 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: companies must accept a pre written termination email to cancel 30 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: the service, and they can't dispute it. Basically, once you 31 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: send that email, it's done, they have to cancel it. Now. 32 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: Keep in mind this is only for California consumers at 33 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: this point, but other states might see this law and 34 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: take note and then follow suit. It makes a lot 35 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: of sense in our on demand economy. Easy to sign 36 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: up for, easy to cancel, and it really puts a 37 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: little more pressure on companies to provide a great service 38 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: because they want to keep those customers. By the way, 39 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: a couple things to know. One service I love for 40 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: keeping track of all of my subscriptions is called true bill. 41 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: What you do is you sign in with your credit 42 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: card and debit card information. Then it spits out and 43 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: keeps track of all of your recurring bills. You can 44 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: literally see, Okay, I pay fifteen dollars a month for Netflix, 45 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: I pay nine ninety nine for YouTube, whatever it is. 46 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: They'll keep an eye on all your monthly rates and 47 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: if they go up, they'll also tell you. Plus you 48 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: also see exactly how much you spend each month on 49 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: all these services, which is kind of scary when you 50 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: add it all up. And that's the other side of 51 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: all this. Subscriptions are so easy to sign up for 52 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: these days, and lots of them require a recurring bill 53 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: on our credit or debit cards, so you might not 54 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: notice an increase in fees automatically because you have to 55 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: really check your statements. I don't know about you, but 56 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: I don't get an email every month when Netflix bills 57 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,679 Speaker 1: my card. So another place to look is also your 58 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: iTunes account. I talk about this in my book one 59 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: hundred and one Handy Tech Tips for the iPhone. Apple 60 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: makes subscribing to things really easy, but when you have 61 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: to find that subscription section to go to cancel it, 62 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: it's kind of tough to find. But it's a good 63 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: idea to go in there and see what you're being 64 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: billed for on a monthly basis. You can find it 65 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: by going into the iTunes store on your phone, scroll 66 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: all the way down to your Apple ID where it 67 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,839 Speaker 1: has your ear Tap that, then tap view Apple ID. 68 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: You put in your password or use your face, and 69 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 1: then you scroll to the middle of this page where 70 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: it says subscriptions and you can see all the stuff 71 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: that you have going on in there. You can learn 72 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: more about that tip in my book. Just go to 73 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: richon tech dot tv slash book. Thanks so much for listening. 74 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: Hopefully you get those subscriptions under control and they're much 75 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,959 Speaker 1: easier to cancel in California. I'm Rich Demiro. I'll talk 76 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:25,839 Speaker 1: to you real soon.