Survey: Sixty percent of state residents pay for unwanted subscriptions

By Adam Smith October 11, 2022 7:17 am

KGMIThis Aug. 13, 2020, photo shows a logo for Netflix on a remote control in Portland, Ore. Netflix reported its worst slowdown in subscriber growth in eight years as people emerge from their pandemic cocoons. But it has an answer to that: Video games. On Tuesday, July 20, 2021 the streaming giant announced plans to begin adding video games to its existing subscription plans at no extra cost. The confirmation of the long-anticipated expansion came in conjunction with the release of its latest earnings report. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Have you found yourself enrolled in a subscription service without knowing how it happened?

A survey commissioned by the Washington State Attorney General’s office finds that almost 60% of the state’s residents may have been enrolled in a subscription service when they thought they were making a one-time purchase.

The survey of 1,200 state residents finds 51% thought a pre-checked box was the culprit, while 37% couldn’t remember if there was a box and 12% said there was no box offered.

Just under 3% of respondents reported they gave up on getting dis-enrolled from the service because it was too difficult.

That would represent 100,000 state residents who went on paying for a service they did not want.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson urges anyone who feels they have been duped into signing up for a service to contact his office.