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The Federal Trade Commission has made it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions. In a decision that went down along party lines, the agency voted to ratify a click-to-cancel rule that will require providers to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one. First proposed last year, the rulemaking prohibits companies from misrepresenting their recurring services and memberships, as well as failing to clearly disclose any material terms related to those offerings. Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription, said Chair Lina Khan. The FTCs rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want. After considering more than 16,000 comments on the matter, the FTC decided not to write the final rulemaking as originally proposed. Most notably, the agency scrapped a proposal that would have required companies to provide consumers with annual reminders for subscription renewals. It also wont mandate a rule that would have forced sellers to obtain the consent of those seeking to cancel a subscription before telling them about potential modifications to their plan or reasons why they should continue paying for a service. No American should have to worry about being tricked into buying subscriptions and memberships or staying in either against their will.Today, my Administration is taking action to ensure folks don't have to jump through hoops to cancel them. https://t.co/3TJFi362vh President Biden (@POTUS) October 16, 2024 A separate statement issued by Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter (PDF link) provides insight into the decision. Essentially, the agency felt the FTC Act doesnt give it the authority to require a renewal notice. Ill note here that the dissenting opinion (PDF link), written by Republican Commissioner Melissa Holyoak, contends that the entire rulemaking is overly broad, and accuses the Democratic majority of attempting to push through the change before next month's election. Americans understand the importance and value of such a requirement; many have discovered that they or their parents had been paying for years or even decades for a service wholly unused, such as a dial-up internet service from the 1990s, Slaughter writes in her statement. Of course, we are always mindful that our authority under the FTC Act to issue rules under section 18 has limits; sometimes, as here, those limits prevent us from codifying in a rule practices that we might, as a matter of policy, prefer to require explicitly. Slaughter points out that state and federal lawmakers do have the authority to mandate renewal notices, and notes some states, such as Virginia, have even recently gone down that path. The comment record compiled in this rulemaking proceeding strongly supports the wisdom of federal and state legislators carefully considering adopting such a law, Slaughter writes. Provided theres no legal challenge to the FTCs decision, todays rulemaking will go into effect 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register. When the agency moved to ban noncompete clauses earlier this year, a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction. That decision is still stuck in legal limbo. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-ratifies-click-to-cancel-rule-making-it-easier-for-consumers-to-end-subscriptions-160752238.html?src=rss
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is just around the corner, with a release date of October 25, and Microsoft has temporarily removed the $1 Xbox Game Pass 14-day trial from stores again. Some gamers may remember that Microsoft pulled a similar stunt last year just before Starfields release. Essentially, this keeps players from trying out a big new release like Black Ops 6 without paying for a full subscription. The trials removal happened on October 8, but it was only caught by The Verge today. The most likely primary reason is to prevent gamers from playing through the campaign without paying the full price. Of course, even millions of $1 sales wouldnt be profitable for Microsoft. A decision like this isnt without reasons, as Microsoft is hoping to increase the number of Game Pass subscriptions. Since the number of new subscribers over the last two years has slowed, Microsoft hopes that removing the trial forces gamers to purchase a full Game Pass plan to enjoy Black Ops 6. The Game Pass trial isnt back yet, so those who want to dip their toes into the water before plunging in will have to wait. Its also good to remember that the trial used to be for a whole month before its current 14-day form.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/microsoft-removes-the-1-xbox-game-pass-trial-just-before-call-of-duty-black-ops-6-155058295.html?src=rss
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Hosting a property on Airbnb is no longer a simple process. Customers can be finicky, ideal pricing can change on a dime, markets can become flooded and earnings can be difficult to track. The platforms trying to simplify matters by introducing the Co-Host Network, which allows hosts to hire other hosts to manage properties. Heres how it works. Property owners can peruse the network for other hosts and scoop them up into a loving embrace of hospitality. The hired hosts can help with just about anything, including setting up listings, selecting prices and availability, cleaning, maintenance and guest management. Its a disruption of the blazing-hot building superintendent industry. Airbnb These hosts for hire must be highly rated and local, with Airbnb saying it has only included hosts with a rating of at least 4.8 and a minimum of ten hosted stays. The would-be co-hosts/employees can set their own service rates on a profile page. The company says it has onboarded over 10,000 people so far, in countries like Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico and the US. One of the requests that we had from hosts is that they would really love to be able to find professional, high-quality co-hosts with a great track record in their area whom they can trust. And they can really be completely hands-off, Judson Coplan, VP of Product Marketing at Airbnb, said to TechCrunch. While this feature should be a boon for actual people who just need a little bit of help, the phrase completely hands-off gives me pause. It seems like it could easily be used by gigantic real estate monoliths that own hundreds and hundreds of properties across the platform. This isnt a bad thing, per se, as these mega-hosts are generally considered to be a reliable option for guests. However, this certainly doesnt help the public perception that Airbnb and its ilk participate in the hollowing out of neighborhoods, turning them into ghost towns. There is, after all, a housing crisis across the country. In any event, this could be a decent way for some people to make a few extra bucks. Airbnb introduced other stuff besides the Co-Host Network, including a feature for hosts to check out similar listings in an area. As for guests, theres a new welcome tour in the app for first time users, updated search filters, local payment options and more. The platform has been busy lately. Earlier this year, Airbnb started a program to provide discounts on EV chargers for hosts. It also now allows the app to display smart lock codes to guests.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/airbnb-now-lets-hosts-hire-other-hosts-to-manage-properties-153748730.html?src=rss
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