Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to ensure that services ordered online are able to be cancelled as (a) quickly and (b) easily once the contract has ended.

The Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 ensure that consumers can cancel qualifying contracts within 14 days of commencement and, throughout the contract period, are able to contact the trader to discuss the contract, including cancel, through at least a basic, local-rate helpline. The regulations also stipulate that contracts cannot be automatically renewed unless the consumer has signed up for one with automatic renewals, ensuring consumers are not forced into a new contract term they may not want.

In addition, the Government is strengthening the rules for subscription contracts which auto-renew. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill require traders to provide clear information before consumers enter a contract and reminders before a subscription renews onto new terms, and clear and easy cancellation routes so it is as easy to leave a contract as sign up.

The Bill specifically prohibits traders from creating barriers that make it hard for a consumer to cancel their contract, and mandates that if a consumer can sign up to a contract online, they must be able to exit it online.