UKI signed up for a free trial and was charged without proper warning. Is this lawful?
No, it is not lawful to charge you after a free trial without clear, prominent, and timely warning — the law requires upfront disclosure of any charges and easy cancellation.
What the Law Says
UK consumer protection law strictly regulates free trial offers to prevent misleading practices and unexpected charges.
Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs), traders must not engage in misleading actions or omissions — including failing to disclose that a 'free' trial will automatically convert to a paid subscription unless cancelled.
Regulation 5(3)(b) states that a commercial practice is misleading if it 'omits material information that the average consumer needs... to make an informed transactional decision'. This includes the existence, amount, and timing of any charge after the trial.
The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 require traders to provide clear pre-contract information — including that the consumer will be charged after the trial unless they cancel, and how to cancel.
Regulation 27(2) prohibits charging consumers for additional services (e.g., continuation after trial) unless they have expressly agreed — with 'express consent' meaning active, unambiguous action, not pre-ticked boxes.
Statutory Texta commercial practice is misleading if it omits material information that the average consumer needs... to make an informed transactional decision
— Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, reg. 5(3)(b)
Statutory Textthe trader must not charge the consumer for any additional service... unless the consumer has expressly agreed to it
— Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, reg. 27(2)
What Courts Have Said
Courts and regulators have consistently held that unclear trial terms and automatic renewals without proper warnings breach consumer law.
EA settled with the CMA over 'free trial' offers for Origin Access that failed to clearly warn users about automatic conversion to paid subscriptions; the CMA confirmed this breached CPRs and misled consumers.
What to Do
Check your email or account for the original terms — look for wording on auto-renewal, cancellation deadlines, and post-trial charges.
Contact the company immediately to request a full refund — quote regulation 27(2) and say the charge was not properly disclosed.
If refused, complain to the Financial Ombudsman (if paid by card) or report to Citizens Advice and the CMA via www.gov.uk/report-unfair-trading.
For card payments, you may also request a 'chargeback' from your bank within 120 days under the UK Card Scheme rules.
Sources
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European UnionNot legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.