Washington.- A series of policies proposed by the Biden administration this week could make it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions, speak with customer service agents, get flight refunds and more.
Officials said the initiative, which was announced Monday and spans multiple federal agencies, could address how businesses “make people’s lives unnecessarily difficult and burdensome,” according to a White House statement.
Although it is not known how long it will take to implement this set of rules.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business lobbying group, said the regulations could “micromanage business practices and cost Americans more time and money.”
“Businesses are more responsive to customers and provide better follow-up service, paperwork and prompt response than the federal government,” the group said in an online statement.
Once the rules go into effect, the agency that implemented them can institute civil penalties against companies that fail to comply.
Canceling recurring payments and subscriptions could be as easy as signing up for them, if the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule is implemented.
The rule, called the “click to cancel” provision, could apply to everything from gym memberships to online entertainment and more.
Problems with subscriptions have been a focus of the Commission for over a year.
Last June, the agency sued Amazon, accusing the company of tricking customers into signing up for its Prime service and then making it very difficult to cancel.
Amazon has denied those claims.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other federal agencies are focusing on the many steps consumers typically have to take to reach a customer service representative.
Under the new guidelines, consumers would be able to speak to a real person with the push of a button.
The Federal Communications Commission is considering implementing similar requirements for telephone, broadband and cable companies, according to the White House statement.
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