Sony and Nintendo are set to change the way they handle the automatic renewal of PlayStation Plus and Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions in the UK, after Microsoft made similar changes in favor of the consumer earlier this year.
Following an investigation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Sony and Nintendo will implement changes to the service that will make it more difficult for inactive subscribers to accidentally pay for services they no longer want.
Sony agreed to stop accepting payments from PlayStation Plus members who haven't used the service for a long time and to remind inactive subscribers how to stop paying for the service.
Nintendo, for its part, has already changed its renewal policy. Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions are no longer sold with auto-renewal set as the default option, preventing players from automatically signing up for monthly renewal contracts.
Previously, PlayStation Plus and Nintendo Switch Online charged players indefinitely until they actively canceled their subscription. This meant that you could end up accidentally paying for services for months because you forgot to cancel them.
The CMA said these changes will go some way to preventing that, by protecting consumers who often don't know if their subscriptions automatically renew each month, as well as how difficult it is to turn off the auto-renew process.
"As a result of our investigations, a number of changes have been made in this area to protect customers and help address auto-renewing issues with subscriptions," said CMA Chief Compliance Officer Michael Grenfell.
“Today's announcement therefore concludes our investigations into the online gaming industry. Companies in other industries that offer auto-renewing subscriptions should review their practices to ensure they comply with consumer protection law.
Follow Microsoft's lead
The updates follow similar changes Microsoft made to its Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions earlier in the year. Like Sony, Microsoft will now remind inactive customers how to stop their subscription payments and possibly stop charging them if they continue to not use their subscription.
The CMA later clarified to The Verge that these changes "to inactive subscriptions will initially roll out in the UK and will soon be available globally," possibly suggesting that Sony and Nintendo will roll out their changes globally as well.
Microsoft has also committed to adapting its refund policy. The company will now contact customers who have signed up for 12-month recurring plans and give them the option to terminate their contract, as well as provide them with a prorated refund for any unused months they inadvertently paid for.
There's still room for improvement, mind. PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass users don't yet have the option to turn off auto-renewal when they first sign up for a subscription, meaning they'll have to turn it off manually or rely on reminders from Microsoft and Sony. And if you forget to request a refund for any inactive you accidentally used, you'll be left out of pocket.
This is certainly a step in the right direction and will hopefully help curb the aggressive underwriting practices that are prevalent throughout technology. These changes could encourage other big companies to do the same, including Amazon, which has long been criticized by consumer rights groups for obfuscating how to cancel your Prime membership.