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States/California/The Athletic
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CAeasy to cancelNews · $2-$10/mo

Cancel The Athletic in California

Step-by-step guide to cancel your The Athletic subscription, backed by California's Automatic Renewal Law (ARL) and the FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule.

Your Rights in California

California's Automatic Renewal Law (ARL) (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600) gives you specific protections when canceling The Athletic:

  • Clear disclosure of auto-renewal terms before purchase
  • Affirmative consent required
  • Easy online cancellation required
  • Full refund if terms not properly disclosed

Penalties for The Athletic: Consumers can recover actual damages plus $1,000 in statutory damages per violation

How to Cancel The Athletic

Method: Website or app

  1. 1Go to theathletic.com → Account
  2. 2Click 'Manage Subscription'
  3. 3Select 'Cancel'
  4. 4Confirm cancellation

Tips for Canceling The Athletic in California

  • Now owned by NYT — may be bundled
  • Annual plan: no partial refund
  • Intro rate jumps at renewal
  • Sports coverage may be available through NYT bundle

In California: If The Athletic makes cancellation harder than signup, they may be violating Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600. Document everything and consider filing a complaint with the California Attorney General.

Refund Policy

No refunds on annual plans.

Under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600, you may be entitled to a full refund if The Athletic didn't properly disclose auto-renewal terms at signup.

Watch Out For

  • · Renewal at higher rate

Federal Laws Protecting You

These federal laws apply to The Athletic in every state, including California:

  • FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule (16 CFR Part 425) — cancellation must be as easy as signup
  • ROSCA (15 USC § 8403) — requires clear disclosure and affirmative consent for online subscriptions
  • Fair Credit Billing Act (15 USC § 1666) — dispute unauthorized charges on credit cards
  • EFTA (15 USC § 1693) — protections against unauthorized debit charges
All California subscription lawsCancel The Athletic (all states)
Cancel The Athletic Now

SubScrub auto-cites Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600 + sends legally-backed cancellation demands