‘My Match.com subscription auto-renewed – and doubled in price. Is that allowed?’
Every Tuesday we get an expert to answer your Money Problems. You can WhatsApp us yours here.
Today, we are tackling this issue sent to us by Jeremy…
Hi. I took out a six-month subscription from Match.com at £9.99 a month after getting an email offer. In January, it auto-renewed at £19.99. Match.com didn’t send an email or any reminder to say it was going to double, and didn’t mention it in the offer email. They say it’s in the T&C’s and tough, you have to pay for the full six months. Are companies allowed to do sharp practices like this in 2025 – they must be catching an awful lot of people?
We started off by approaching Match.com and while we didn’t get a response, Jeremy got an email confirming he would get a £19.99 refund as a “goodwill gesture”.
The site also confirmed no other payments would be taken from his account and sent him another special offer to continue using Match.
We also spoke to consumer expert Scott Dixon from The Complaints Resolver about whether companies were still allowed to put up prices without sending customers a reminder.
He said this was a common problem with trial periods and subscriptions.
Looking at TrustPilot reviews, he said many Match.com users had complained about trials, particularly about cancellation procedures and unclear terms and conditions.
“Many users also say customer service is non-existent and the cancellation process is tricky and problematic, which doesn’t surprise me,” Dixon said.
“It appears that auto-renewals are set without users knowing, meaning you have to actively turn it off.
“These issues are not just confined to dating apps, and span all subscriptions, including broadband contracts and mid-term price hikes.”
Match.com should be making it easy for users to exit a contract and send reminders on auto-renews: “UK consumer laws protect consumers against unfair terms and misleading practices.
“Interestingly, the Competition and Markets Authority have published an at-a-glance guide on subscriptions and automatic rollovers with tips for writing fair terms.”
It advises businesses…
Your terms are more likely to be fair if:
“It is made clear to the customers at the outsethow their subscription or contract will be renewed and the contract requires that they are sent a reminder at a reasonable time before it is due to be renewed. The reminder should include clear information about the terms of the proposed renewal of the contract and the steps customers need to take to stop the renewal, if they wish to.
They give your customers the right to cancela contract once it has been renewed, without having to pay a cancellation fee, and any requirement to provide notice of cancellation is reasonable and does not tie the consumer into the contract unfairly.”
Terms that may be unfair include:
“Automatically renewing your customer’s contract or subscription without requiring you to take sufficient steps to inform them before doing so.”
Dixon said this would be classed as a key term of a contract and cannot be buried in the small print. Key terms of a contract must be bold, fair, transparent and balanced.
For a practice to be unfair under the rules set out in the Consumer Rights Act, he said, it must harm, or be likely to harm, the economic interests of the average consumer.
“Although I haven’t seen the paperwork, I would expect this to be clear, bold and prominent with reminders sent by Match.com,” he said.
“Match.com should be clearer in their terms and conditions when a trial period ends and timely inform customers when a trial ends so they can make an informed decision.
“I take the view that Match.com have breached the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2018 and should refund the payments made after the six-month period.”
So what should you do next?
Dixon said Jeremy should follow the complaints process with Match.com first, and if that fails, he should raise a chargeback with his bank or credit card provider.
He said this should be done within 120 days of the payment to get a refund.
“You need to cite ‘breach of contract’ under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to enact a chargeback,” he said.
“Your bank or credit card provider will temporarily reverse the payment and give the retailer an opportunity to present their case, although this can be overturned if the retailer successfully defends the disputed claim.”
Advice for anyone taking out a subscription
Read the terms and conditions carefully before taking out a subscription, particularly when it comes to trial offers, Dixon said.
He advised making a diary note before the trial period ends so you remind yourself to exit in good time.
“Cancellation rights can be disputed in certain circumstances, so don’t be afraid to question any terms and conditions that don’t seem fair or right,” he said.
“Firms relying on you not doing so to trap you into paying for unwanted subscriptions.”
This feature is not intended as financial advice – the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about. Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:
- WhatsApp us here
- Email moneyblog@sky.uk with the subject line “Money Problem”
