{"success":true,"data":{"id":"fake-free-trial-negative-option-subscription-trap","label":"Fake free trial / negative option subscription trap — try free for 14 days just pay $4.99 S&H + auto-enrolled in $89/month subscription + cancel before trial ends or be charged monthly","description":"Negative option / \"free trial\" subscription trap — one of the most complained-about consumer fraud categories. The victim is offered a free 14–30 day trial of a physical product (weight loss supplements, teeth whitening kits, anti-aging creams, keto gummies, CBD oils) and asked only to pay a small shipping fee ($2.97–$9.99). Hidden in fine print or post-checkout terms: accepting the \"free trial\" automatically enrolls the customer in a recurring monthly subscription ($79–$97.95/month) that ships new product and charges the stored card unless cancelled within the trial window (often just 10–15 days). Cancellation requires calling a phone number that is difficult to reach. The FTC Negative Option Rule (updated 2023) now requires sellers to clearly disclose all material terms before collecting payment and to provide a simple mechanism to cancel. The FTC has fined these operations hundreds of millions: LeanSpa ($7.3M), TriVita ($3.5M), and numerous others. Red flags: \"just pay S&H,\" any supplement or beauty product with a \"$0 free trial,\" requirement to call to cancel, small entry-point fee on a product with no obvious listed retail price. Legitimate SaaS free trials (Spotify, Netflix, Notion) clearly state the post-trial price, do not require calling to cancel, and do not use shipping fees as the payment hook.","tier":"danger","category":"scam","isThin":false}}