UK CV Subscription Traps: When a “£1 Trial” Becomes a Monthly Charge

These operations run on a script that barely changes from site to site, and knowing the script is most of the defence.

1. The free bait: an advert promises a “free CV builder” or a “complimentary PDF”.
2. The time investment: you spend half an hour typing in your employment history, education and skills.
3. The paywall at the exit: only the download button asks for money, and only a token amount of roughly £1.
4. The hidden renewal: that single payment also authorises a recurring card charge, described in small print or shoved into a linked set of terms.
5. The hard exit: the cancel link is buried, support does not answer, and the charge returns the following month.

Two UK rules matter here. You have 14 days to cancel a distance contract, and the button that takes your money must be labelled so it is unmistakable that ordering creates a payment obligation. Sites that skip both are standing on weak ground.

Run through this list on any CV site before the payment page:

• Card details demanded for something advertised as free. Free tools do not need billing information.
• A button reading only “Continue” or “Download”. The 2013 Regulations require wording that makes the payment obligation plain.
• A continuous payment authority in the terms. That lets the company take card payments whenever it likes without asking again.
• No explanation of how to cancel. Your 14-day cancellation right should be spelled out before you pay, not after.
• A renewal interval hidden in a footer or a linked PDF. Monthly and four-weekly cycles are the usual devices.
• No UK company details. Look for a registered office and a company number before you trust a site with your card.

If a payment has already left your account, work through these four steps in order:

1. Put the cancellation in writing. Tell the company you never agreed to a recurring subscription, cancel the contract and ask for a full refund. Keep the date and a copy.
2. Ask your bank to stop the continuous payment authority. You can do this on a debit or credit card, and you do not have to go back to the company first.
3. Request a chargeback for the payments already taken. If you paid by credit card and the purchase was over £100, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 can make the card issuer jointly liable.
4. Report it. Citizens Advice and your local Trading Standards team log these complaints, and a pattern of reports is what triggers enforcement.

Our pricing is deliberately boring, which is the point.