The Consumer Ombudsman has paid attention to the difficulty of cancelling the Ruutu+ service based on consumer reports and a video circulating on social media. Sanoma Media Finland Oy committed to modifying the termination process and related instructions to meet the requirements of the Consumer Ombudsman.
The Consumer Ombudsman paid attention to a video circulating on social media in which an individual consumer tried to terminate the Ruutu+ online streaming service. The video showed that in order to begin the service termination process, the customer first had to toggle a slider to deactivate the active subscription. After this, the customer had to click on the “Continue” button five times before they could finally confirm the cancellation of the service. As consumers made progress in the cancellation process, they were presented with alternative subscription types and order buttons highlighted in different colours, and information emphasising the benefits of continuing the subscription and the loss of these benefits. The reality did not correspond with the simple cancellation instructions presented on the Ruutu + user support website.
According to the Consumer Ombudsman’s assessment, not only average consumers, but also the more technologically adept, found it difficult to terminate the subscription on the browser.
Consumer choices may not be influenced by dark patterns
Terminating a contract of indeterminate duration is one of the most important consumer rights, and consumers must be offered a genuine opportunity to do this smoothly and with ease. As a result, termination processes and related instructions must be clear and understandable.
The multi-stage process of the Ruutu+ streaming service resembling an obstacle course is an example of dark patterns that aim to guide consumer choices to the benefit of the trader. Dark patterns are characterised by different visual solutions, directing the consumer to a specific selection and a so-called mouse trap, in which it is easy for the consumer to take a measure but difficult to undo it.
"Terminating a contract should be as easy to the consumer as entering into one. If consumers are required to confirm their intent to terminate through multiple prompts, warnings, and offers, this constitutes an unfair commercial practice in a customer relationship that violates the Consumer Protection Act."
Consumers must be able to terminate services efficiently and easily
According to the Consumer Ombudsman’s view, consumers were repeatedly made to feel unsure about whether they really wanted to terminate their subscriptions. Additionally, the termination page contained no written mention of terminating the subscription and according to consumer reports, the termination button was difficult to distinguish. Continuing the termination process also required detecting various buttons. In the Consumer Ombudsman’s view, the process of terminating the Ruutu+ service has thus prevented consumers from exercising their statutory right to terminate the service efficiently and effortlessly.
Sanoma undertook to make the changes required by the Consumer Ombudsman to the service termination process and related instructions. The company engaged in active discussions with the Consumer Ombudsman on how the termination process could be made clearer in practice and took into account the Consumer Ombudsman’s views on the changes.