Consumer Cancellation Fairness Act

CONSUMER CANCELLATION FAIRNESS ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - April 25, 2006)

* Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, consumers are currently exposed to difficult cancellation policies for service subscriptions that are more costly and burdensome than continuing the service and paying the annual or monthly fee.

* When consumers sign up for a service, they are often told that renewal occurs through automatic charges to their credit cards. When consumers decide to cancel, they run into difficulties, such as long distance phone calls with long hold times, all at the expense of the consumer.

* To combat such abusive business practices, I have introduced the Consumer Cancellation Fairness Act.

* My bill would require businesses to permit their customers to cancel subscription services in the same manner and by the same means they use to subscribe to such services.

* If one click on a Web site or a toll-free call is all it takes to sign up for a service, then one click or a toll-free call should be enough to cancel.

* I strongly urge this House to swiftly consider and pass the Consumer Cancellation Fairness Act to protect consumers from further abuse.

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