Beware of Free Trial Offers That Actually Cost Money

Some things are too good to be true — like free trial offers. The Federal Trade Commission has warned that some of these promotions turn out to be anything but free.

These companies actually bill your credit card right away. You’re actually signing up for a monthly subscription when you say “yes” to the trial.

The tell-tale sign that a free trial will actually cost you money: The website prompts you for a credit card. Maybe it’s supposed to cover shipping and handling. Or it’s to verify your age.

Beware of Free Trial Offers That Actually Cost Money

Whatever the stated reason, if you’re asked to provide a payment method in order to receive the product, it’s not really a free trial.

Read the fine print on any merchant offering of a free trial to learn the full terms and consequences.

There should be some language about what you can do if you don’t like the free trial.

You might discover that you are signing up for a subscription without a clear path for unsubscribing.

The only way out might be to go directly to your own credit card issuer or bank and stop payments.

To read more about this, check out the rest of this article on our sibling site, Dual Income No Kids.

And readers, please share in the comments section what you may have experienced in the way of free trial offers that actually cost money.