Cancellation friction
Five save offers block the final exit
A fictional account shows a new discount, pause offer or survey after every click on “Cancel”, and the final confirmation appears only after five refusals.
Individual HTML example · Obstruction
Online signup requires telephone cancellation
A fictional streaming service accepts signup in three online steps but requires a weekday telephone call, repeated identity questions and a retention interview to cancel.
This is an original fictional comparison. It depicts no real company and is not a legal finding or safe harbour.
Online signup requires telephone cancellation
A fictional streaming service accepts signup in three online steps but requires a weekday telephone call, repeated identity questions and a retention interview to cancel.
Call us to discuss your plan. The online account offers no completed cancellation route.. Blocking step: Weekdays 9 to 16 only: current. Obscured outcome: Confirm end date: current
End subscription online. Necessary verification, effective date and confirmation are handled in one route.. Completion step: Confirm end date: completed. Recorded outcome: Weekdays 9 to 16 only: completed. Request recorded: Confirm end date
Why the first version can mislead: The route adds avoidable effort between the user’s stated intention and completion. In this streaming subscription example, the obstacle is: “The online account offers no completed cancellation route.” Evidence should show whether the alternative remains usable and whether “Confirm end date” reaches the represented state. Channel switching and avoidable delay may cause extra charges or prevent completion.
What a fairer design does: Provide a findable online route with proportionate verification and a durable cancellation receipt.
Show annotated differences (2)
Potentially problematic version
- Obscured outcome: Confirm end date: currentIn “Online signup requires telephone cancellation”, this element shows how hard to cancel or opt out can shape the decision.
Neutral alternative
- Request recorded: Confirm end dateIn “Online signup requires telephone cancellation”, this element keeps the clearer alternative visible at the same decision point.
Review questions (3)
- How many steps, waits and channel changes separate “Weekdays 9 to 16 only” from the completed streaming subscription outcome?
- Count steps, waits, offers and channel changes through final confirmation; where does the route meet “The user is trying to terminate or opt out of an existing relationship”?
- Measure the same task through the clearest available route: does the effort difference persist once “Reasonable authentication and fraud controls” is accounted for?
Complete pattern context
How this example relates to Cancellation friction
Ending an existing subscription, recurring service or permission is made difficult to find or complete through unnecessary steps or channel asymmetry. The label describes a recurring design mechanism; whether a particular implementation is harmful or unlawful depends on the complete journey, audience, evidence and rules within scope.
The full guide explains inclusion and exclusion criteria, harms, fair design principles, evidence questions and the relevant EU legal information layers. The example page isolates one scenario so it can be shared and discussed without reproducing the complete library on one page.
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Account deletion obstruction
Deactivation presented as deletion
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Account deletion obstruction
Deletion buried behind an unsupported ticket
A fictional retailer places account deletion behind six help pages and requires a support ticket containing an order number even for users who never ordered.
Sources and provenance for this example
Evidence base
Sources
- Dark commercial patternsOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336
- Unfair Commercial Practices DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2005/29/EC; CELEX 02005L0029-20220528
- Digital Services ActEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Regulation (EU) 2022/2065; CELEX 32022R2065
- Consumer Rights DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2011/83/EU; CELEX 02011L0083-20220528
- Digital Fairness Act: call for evidence for an impact assessmentEuropean Commission · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Initiative 14622; Ares(2025)6275573