My subscription cancellation was refused. Any legal basis?

What the Law Says

Japanese law protects consumers from unfair subscription practices, particularly for automatic renewals and recurring payments.

Under the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (ASCT), businesses offering subscription services with automatic renewal must clearly explain cancellation procedures before the contract is signed. If they fail to do so, you may cancel at any time without penalty.

If proper disclosure was made, you still have a statutory cooling-off right: you may cancel within 8 days of receiving written confirmation of the contract — no reason needed. This applies to door-to-door sales, telephone solicitations, and online contracts where the consumer did not initiate contact.

For ongoing subscriptions, the ASCT requires businesses to send a written reminder at least 30 days before automatic renewal. If they miss this deadline, you may cancel the renewal without penalty. Also, any clause imposing a cancellation fee exceeding ¥50,000 is invalid.

Importantly, the ASCT prohibits charging fees for cancellation itself — even if the contract says otherwise. You must provide cancellation notice in writing (email counts if agreed), and the business must confirm receipt.

Statutory Text

The business operator shall notify the consumer in writing of the timing and method of cancellation of the contract at least 30 days prior to the automatic renewal.

— Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, s. 26-2 — Automatic Renewal Contracts

Statutory Text

A consumer may cancel a contract entered into through solicitation… within 8 days from the day on which the written document prescribed in the preceding paragraph is delivered.

— Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, s. 9 — Cooling-off Period

Statutory Text

Any provision that imposes a monetary penalty exceeding 50,000 yen for cancellation… shall be invalid.

— Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, s. 26-3 — Penalty Limitation

Statutory Text

A business operator shall not impose any fee on a consumer for cancellation of a contract.

— Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, s. 26-4 — Prohibition of Cancellation Fees

What to Do

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