What to Do When a Free Trial Converts to Paid Without Your Consent
Surprise charges after a free trial? Here's how to get your money back using FTC rules, chargebacks, and dispute templates.
Why This Keeps Happening
Companies deliberately design free trials to convert to paid subscriptions. Under the FTC's Negative Option Rule, they must: 1) Clearly disclose that the trial converts to paid, 2) Get your affirmative consent, 3) Provide a simple cancellation mechanism.
Your Legal Rights
If a company charged you without clear disclosure: the charge is potentially voidable under ROSCA and FTC rules. You have 60 days under the Fair Credit Billing Act to dispute with your bank. EU consumers have 14 days to cancel any online purchase.
Step 1: Check What You Agreed To
Look at the original signup page/email. Was the conversion to paid clearly stated? Was the price visible? Was there a checkbox you actively clicked? If any of these were hidden or unclear, you have a strong case.
Step 2: Request a Refund
Contact the company and request a full refund citing the FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule. If they refuse, escalate to a chargeback. Use our free template — it includes the exact FTC citations.
Step 3: Prevent Future Traps
Use a virtual credit card for free trials (your bank may offer this). Set calendar reminders 2 days before any trial ends. Use the Dispute Gremlin sites page to check difficulty ratings before signing up.
Worst Offenders
Services commonly cited for trial-to-pay traps: Noom ($62M FTC settlement), BetterHelp ($7.8M settlement), Zety ($2 trial → $24/month), BeenVerified ($1 trial → $30/month). If you've been caught by any of these, we have specific templates.
Need help with a dispute?
Free templates for 173+ services with legal citations.