Automatic renewal is a common trick used by some app operators. When customers purchase services, automatic renewal, which is often checked as a default, is not always prominent, and if users want to cancel it, the process is often troublesome.

To regulate business activities, the E-Commerce Law went into effect on January 1. According to the law, operators should clearly point out tie-in sales to consumers. Violators will be ordered to rectify their actions within a limited time, the illegal income will be confiscated and a corresponding fine will be imposed.

However, some operators continue to make profits with this trick regardless of the law's requirements.

As of the end of May 2018, there were 4.15 million mobile apps in the Chinese market, making it barely possible for the government to discover all the violations and take timely action.

Furthermore, many consumers often give up complaining or defending their rights, since the money they lost through automatic renewal is usually not that much.

In order to eliminate the problem of automatic renewal, supervision should be enhanced and customer associations at all levels should play their role in protecting consumers.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Beijing Youth Daily on April 26)