Future Magazine Subscription Autorenewal Investigation

The Lyon Firm is investigating potentially illegal automatic renewal schemes and deceptive billing practices on behalf of plaintiffs nationwide. If you have questions about an auto-renewal of your magazine subscription, contact The Lyon Firm to review.

Future US (formerly Imagine Media and The Future Network USA) is an American media corporation specializing in targeted magazines and websites in the video game, music, sports and technology markets. The company is headquartered in New York City and owned by parent company, Future plc, a media company based in England. Popular publications include the following:

• Bass Player
• CinemaBlend
• Computer Music
• Country Homes & Interiors
• Cycling Weekly
• Digital Camera
• Digital Photographer
• Electronic Musician
• Future Music
• GamesRadar+
• Golf Monthly
• Guitarist
• Horse & Hound
• Laptop Mag
• LiveScience
• MacLife
• Marie Claire
• Maximum PC
• Metal Hammer
• Mix
• Newsarama
• PC Gamer
• Radio World
• Homes & Gardens
• SmartBrief

Joe Lyon is a class action consumer fraud lawyer investigating magazine subscription auto-renewal claims, and other deceptive billing practice complaints for plaintiffs nationwide.

Magazine Subscriptions: What are Automatic Renewal Law Violations?

There have been allegations that several magazines may not entirely comply with state Automatic Renewal Laws, and may be liable for relevant violations.

To comply with Illinois law, for example, if the subscription is for less than a year, a magazine is required to disclose the automatic renewal clause clearly and conspicuously, including the cancellation procedure. If the subscription is annual, the magazine is required to comply with subsections (b) and (b.5) of the relevant Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act, listed below:

• “[a]ny person, firm…that sells or offers to sell products or services to a consumer pursuant to a contract…, where such contract automatically renews unless the consumer cancels the contract, shall disclose the automatic renewal clause clearly and conspicuously in the contract, including the cancellation procedure.” 815 ILCS 601/10 (a).
• “[a]ny person, firm…. that sells or offers to sell products or services to a consumer pursuant to a contract…, where such contract term is a specified term of 12 months or more, and where such contract automatically renews for a term of more than one month unless the consumer cancels the contract, shall notify the consumer in writing of the automatic renewal. Written notice shall be provided to the consumer no less than 30 days and no more than 60 days before the cancellation deadline pursuant to the automatic renewal clause. Such written notice shall disclose clearly and conspicuously: (i) that unless the consumer cancels the contract it will automatically renew; (ii) where the consumer can obtain details of the automatic renewal provision and cancellation procedure (for example, by contacting the business at a specified telephone number or address or by referring the contract). 815 ILCS 601/10 (b)
• “a person, firm…that makes an automatic renewal offer or continues service offer shall provide a toll-free telephone number, electronic mail address, a postal address if the seller directly bills the consumer, or another cost-effective, timely, and easy-to-use mechanism for cancellation that shall be described in subsection (b). 815 ILCS 601/10(b.5). “A consumer who accepts an automatic renewal or continuous service offer online must be allowed to terminate the automatic renewal or continuous service exclusively online, which may include a termination email formatted and provided by the business that a consumer can send to the business without additional information.”