Many subscription problems come from setups where you keep getting charged unless you actively cancel. That can include automatic renewals, free trials that roll into paid plans, or memberships that renew at the end of a term.

Utah has a specific auto renewal statute. Utah’s Automatic Renewal Contracts Act (effective January 1, 2025) requires certain providers to send advance notices before an automatic renewal and before a trial converts. Those notices must clearly disclose the renewal date, the cost, and the options for cancellation.

Practical takeaway: if you never received a clear renewal or trial notice, or cancellation options were buried, that detail can matter when you request a refund, dispute charges, or file a complaint.

Before you try to cancel, figure out where you actually subscribed. The right channel depends on how you signed up:

• App store subscription: If you subscribed through Apple App Store or Google Play, cancellation is typically done inside your device’s subscription settings, not the company’s website.
• Website subscription: Check your account settings, often Billing, Plan, Membership, or Manage Subscription.
• Email invoice or receipt: Some services include a manage subscription link in the original confirmation email.
• Third party payment platform: If the charge runs through PayPal or another wallet, you may also need to stop future payments there.

Watch out for paid cancellation traps. If a site or service asks you to pay a fee to cancel a subscription you did not buy from them, treat it as a red flag. Stick to the merchant’s official site or app, your app store, or your bank or card issuer.

Use this process to cancel in a way that is easy to prove later, if you need a refund, dispute, or complaint.

If the company forces you into chat or endless forms, keep going, and document each obstacle. A complicated cancellation path is exactly what you want to show if charges keep posting.

If you end up disputing charges or filing a complaint, documentation is your best leverage. Save a small folder of proof as you cancel.

If charges keep appearing after you cancel, you generally have two tracks: (1) try to resolve directly with the business, and (2) dispute through your bank or card issuer if the billing does not stop or the merchant refuses a refund.

Start with the merchant (briefly). Send a clear written request: “I canceled on [date]. Please stop future billing and refund charges posted after cancellation.” Attach your proof.

Then go to your bank or card issuer if needed. Ask about a dispute or chargeback for recurring charges you did not authorize, or that occurred after cancellation. Provide:

• the cancellation confirmation (or screenshots)
• the dates and amounts of charges that posted after cancellation
• any correspondence showing the merchant would not fix it

Avoid guessing with your bank. Tell them exactly what happened, and let them apply the correct dispute reason code and deadlines.

If you have documented attempts to cancel and the business keeps billing, or makes cancellation unreasonably difficult, you can escalate.

• Utah Division of Consumer Protection (DCP): Consider filing a complaint, especially if the issue involves deceptive billing, renewal traps, or refusal to honor cancellation.
• Federal consumer complaints: For broader patterns (especially scams), you can also consider reporting through federal consumer channels.

One note on the bigger picture: federal regulators still pursue deceptive subscription practices, but specific federal rulemaking about easier cancellation has faced legal challenges. That is why your documentation, and your bank dispute rights, remain the most reliable tools in day to day situations.