Are terms and conditions legally binding in the UK?

T&Cs are only binding if you had a genuine opportunity to read them before agreeing and the terms are fair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Unfair terms — those that create a significant imbalance to your detriment — are not binding even if you clicked "I agree". Under s.62 CRA 2015, you can rely on your statutory rights regardless of what the T&Cs say.

Can a company change their terms and conditions without notice?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a unilateral amendment clause — one that lets a company change T&Cs without your consent — may be unfair if it does not give you the right to cancel when terms change materially. Regulators including the CMA and FCA have taken action against companies using such clauses. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 strengthens these protections further.

What are my UK GDPR rights when I accept a privacy policy?

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to access your personal data (Art.15), correct inaccurate data (Art.16), erasure / right to be forgotten (Art.17), data portability (Art.20), and to object to processing (Art.21). These rights cannot be contracted away in a privacy policy. Consent must be freely given, specific, and unambiguous — pre-ticked boxes and vague "by using this service you agree" language are not valid consent.

What happens if a company's T&Cs are unfair?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.62, unfair terms are not binding on consumers — you can ignore them. If a company tries to enforce an unfair term against you, you can report it to Trading Standards or the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has power to take enforcement action. You can also use the Financial Ombudsman Service for financial services disputes.

22 February 2026

How to Escape Subscription Traps in the UK (Your Legal Rights)

You signed up for a free trial. You forgot about it. Six months later you realise you've been paying £14.99 a month for something you've never used. Or maybe you cancelled — you think — but the charges kept coming. Or the price quietly increased by 40% after the first year and nobody told you. Subscription traps cost UK consumers an estimated £1.6 billion every year. Here's what the law actually says about your rights.

The Legal Framework

Subscription cancellation rights in the UK come from several overlapping pieces of legislation:

Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013: For contracts made online or by phone (distance contracts), you have a 14-day cooling-off period from when the subscription starts. During this period, you can cancel for any reason and receive a full refund.
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Services must be provided with reasonable care and skill. Auto-renewal terms must be transparent.
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2025: This legislation, which came into force progressively during 2025-2026, introduces new obligations on subscription providers — including requirements to send reminders before auto-renewal, provide easy cancellation mechanisms, and give consumers the right to exit subscriptions more easily.

Auto-Renewal: What Companies Must Do

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2025, subscription providers must:

Clearly disclose the auto-renewal terms before you sign up
Send a reminder before a subscription auto-renews (particularly for annual subscriptions)
Make cancellation "as easy as" the sign-up process — if you can sign up with one click, you must be able to cancel with one click (or similarly)
Not trap you in a subscription where cancellation requires you to phone a premium rate number, send a letter, or navigate a deliberately confusing process

These requirements apply to most consumer subscription services, including streaming, software, gym memberships, and digital publications.

How to Get a Refund for Unwanted Auto-Renewals

If you were auto-renewed without adequate notice, or if the cancellation process was deliberately obstructive, you may be entitled to a refund:

Contact the company directly: Write to their customer services citing the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and/or the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2025. Request a refund for any charges made without adequate notice or after you attempted to cancel.
Chargeback via your bank: If you paid by debit card, contact your bank and request a chargeback under the card scheme rules. For credit cards, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may also apply if the subscription cost more than £100 in total.
Report to Trading Standards: Subscription traps that violate the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2025 can be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133).
Report to the CMA: The Competition and Markets Authority has jurisdiction over subscription trap practices and has taken enforcement action against companies in this space.

Free Trials That Turn Into Paid Subscriptions

Free trials that automatically convert to paid subscriptions are not inherently illegal — but the conversion must be clearly disclosed, and the company must send a reminder before the trial ends (under the 2025 Act). If you were not clearly informed that the trial would convert, or if the reminder was not sent, you have grounds to request a refund for any charges after the trial period.

Gym Memberships and Minimum Term Contracts

Gym memberships with long minimum terms are particularly contentious. Under Schedule 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, terms that lock a consumer into a contract for an excessive period without the right to exit — particularly if the service has materially changed — may be challenged as unfair. If your gym has closed, changed location substantially, or significantly reduced its services, you may be able to exit a minimum term contract.

Check What You Actually Signed Up For

Paste your subscription terms or service agreement into WTFDidIJustAgree. We'll flag auto-renewal traps, minimum terms, cancellation restrictions, and anything else that could lock you in or cost you money.

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