Only 42 percent of websites correctly implement the required cancellation button, according to consumer advice centers.

Only 42 percent of websites correctly implement the required cancellation button, according to consumer advice centers.

“We continue to observe that providers only make the final cancellation form available after the customer logs in,” said VZBV board member Ramona Pop. There are still significant obstacles and problems for consumers if they want to cancel term contracts online.

According to its own information, the VZBV used a script for the survey, which checked several websites for the possible conclusion of long-term contracts. To this end, a specific search was made for wording that indicated the conclusion of a contract.

Anyone who signs a contract online has been able to cancel it more easily since July 2022. Since then, there has been an obligation to have a termination button for so-called continuing obligations that can be concluded online. With it, consumers can get rid of their contracts without having to search and write letters. Examples include mobile phone contracts, subscriptions, contracts with fitness studios and streaming services.

According to a report by www.zeit.de, consumer advocates are still frequently observing deficiencies even a year after the introduction of a mandatory cancel button on websites. Although in an initial survey from November 2022 only 28 percent of the websites examined had implemented the button in accordance with the law, this value rose to 42 percent in June 2023. This shows some progress, but it also suggests that over half of the websites still do not implement the button properly.

Another problem that consumer advocates find is that providers often only make the cancellation form available after the customer logs in. This continues to represent a significant obstacle for consumers who want to cancel term contracts online.

As part of the survey, the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV) used a script to check several websites for possible conclusion of term contracts. A specific search was made for wording that indicated the conclusion of a contract. This method enabled the VZBV to evaluate the implementation of the cancel button on the websites examined.

It is important to note that since July 2022, there has been an obligation to have a termination button for so-called continuing obligations that can be concluded online. This button makes it easier for consumers to cancel their contracts without much effort. This applies, among other things, to mobile phone contracts, subscriptions, contracts with fitness studios and streaming services.