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New state law will make it easier to cancel memberships and more

Nov 20, 2020 5:30 am
Emily Fego is reporting for The Legislative Gazette new legislation has been signed into law last week will make it easier for state residents to cancel memberships, escape confusing service plans, and unsubscribe from misleading subscriptions. New York will join 25 other states with some form of regulation to protect against deceptive agreements by businesses. As a result, New Yorkers will no longer be responsible for unscramble the fine print on sales offers to determine whether or not they are being lured into a misleading agreement. Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week signed the consumer protection legislation into law. Canceling subscriptions and memberships in person — as some agreements previously required — is no longer just a hassle, but a public health hazard due to COVID-19. Also of concern are the number of incidents of consumers being locked into an automatic renewal under false pretenses. This new law will require businesses to be transparent with their contracts, automatic renewal offers, and continuous service plans and allow New Yorkers to cancel subscription services with ease. The legislation will take effect on Feb. 9, 2021, exactly 90 days after Cuomo signed it into law. Read more in The Legislative Gazette.