National Review Subscription Auto-Renewal 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 National Review subscription, contact The Lyon Firm to review.

The National Review is an American semi-monthly conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs, based in New York City. If you have encountered subscription issues, contact us for a free consultation.

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

What Are the Requirements for Proper Auto-Renewal?

To be clear, companies like the National Review can legally automatically renew subscriptions if they make all terms clear and obtain your written consent. Too often, however, companies rely on customer confusion, deliberately bypass these requirements and violate consumer fraud statutes.

There have been allegations that the National Review may not entirely comply with New York Automatic Renewal Laws, and may be liable for relevant violations. New York enhanced its auto-renewal laws to include the following key provisions:

• Seller must present the offer terms in a clear and conspicuous manner before the subscription or purchasing contract is fulfilled and in visual or temporal proximity to the offer acceptance request. The offer terms must include the following clear and conspicuous disclosures: (1) that the subscription or purchasing contract will continue until the consumer cancels; (2) the description of the cancellation policy; (3) the recurring amount that will be charged, and that the amount of the charge may change, if applicable, and the amount to which the charge will change, if known; (4) the length of the automatic renewal or continuity term, unless the term is chosen by the consumer; and (5) the minimum purchase obligations, if any.
• Seller must obtain affirmative consent to the offer terms before charging the consumer’s credit/debit card or account with a third party.
• Seller must provide the consumer with an acknowledgment in a manner that can be retained by the consumer, which acknowledgment must include (1) the offer terms, (2) the cancellation policy and (3) information on how to cancel. If the offer includes a free trial, the acknowledgment must include information on how to cancel and allow the consumer to cancel before the consumer pays for the good or services.
• Seller must provide a toll-free telephone number, an email address, a postal address if the seller directly bills the consumer, or another cost-effective, timely and easy-to-use cancellation method.
• Seller must provide the consumer with a clear and conspicuous notice of any material change in the terms of the offer and provide information on how to cancel in a manner that is capable of being retained by the consumer, prior to implementation of the material change.
• If seller sends any goods or products to a consumer under an automatic renewal or continuous service agreement without first obtaining the consumer’s consent, such goods or products will be deemed an unconditional gift to the consumer.

Can I File a Lawsuit for Deceptive Billing Practices?

Magazine subscribers who have been unwittingly entered into an automatic renewal agreement should contact a consumer fraud attorney and consider taking legal action. The Lyon Firm believes that companies that mislead their customers into agreements should be held liable and compensate customers for any violations.

Any violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act by the National Review or another subscription-based entity may constitute an unlawful practice and affected individuals can contact an attorney to consider seeking compensation and justice.