You canceled it. You're almost certain you canceled it. But there it is again — another $14.99, $49.99, or maybe even $199 charge sitting on your bank statement from a company you haven't used in months. Or maybe you signed up for a "free trial" that quietly converted into a paid plan without any warning. Either way, your money is gone, and the company isn't making it easy to get it back.
A formal written demand letter, sent the right way, puts the company on notice that you are serious. It creates a paper trail. And it often gets results that repeated phone calls and chat support tickets simply don't.
Consent and cancellation duties under California §§ 17600–17606
California has some of the strongest automatic renewal and subscription protections in the country. The California Automatic Renewal Law (ARL), found at California Business and Professions Code §§ 17600–17606, sets specific requirements that businesses must follow before they can legally charge you on a recurring basis.
Under that law, businesses are generally required to:
- Present the automatic renewal terms in a clear and conspicuous manner before you sign up — not buried in fine print
- Get your affirmative consent to those recurring terms before charging your card
- Send you an acknowledgment that includes the cancellation policy and how to cancel
- Provide a simple cancellation mechanism — in many cases, the same way you signed up
- Give you advance notice before a free trial converts to a paid subscription
Those steps are the company's burden, not yours: if it didn't follow them, any charges it collected may be considered unauthorized under California law. That's a meaningful word with real consequences for the company.
Important note: The specific facts of your situation — what you were told, when you were charged, whether you received proper notice — matter enormously. The information on this page is general and educational. For advice about your specific case, please consult a licensed attorney.
Charge dates, exact amounts, and a clear statement of non-consent
A vague complaint email is easy to ignore. A specific, documented demand letter is not. Here's what your letter should cover, and why each piece matters:
- Your full name, address, and account number (if you have one). This eliminates any excuse that the company "couldn't find your account." Make it impossible for them to play dumb.
- The exact dates and amounts of the charges you're disputing. Pull your bank or credit card statements. List every charge — $9.99 on March 3, $9.99 on April 3, and so on. Specificity signals you've done your homework.
- A clear statement that you did not authorize these charges. Or, if applicable, that you canceled and were charged anyway. Say it plainly and directly — no hedging.
- Reference to California Business and Professions Code §§ 17600–17606. Citing the actual statute tells the company (and whoever handles their compliance) that this isn't just a complaint — it's a legal issue they need to address.
- Any confirmation numbers, cancellation emails, or screenshots you have. Describe this evidence in the letter even if you can't attach it to a mailed copy. "I have a cancellation confirmation email dated October 12" is a sentence that makes a compliance team pay attention.
- The specific remedy you're demanding. State the total dollar amount you want refunded. Don't make them guess. "I am requesting a full refund of $89.94 representing six unauthorized monthly charges" is far stronger than "I want my money back."
- A reasonable response deadline. Thirty days is standard and reasonable. Give them a firm date — "Please respond no later than [date]" — so there's no ambiguity about when you expect resolution.
- A statement of your next steps. Let them know you're prepared to escalate — whether that's filing a complaint with the California Attorney General, disputing the charges with your bank or credit card issuer, or consulting an attorney. You don't need to threaten; just state your intentions calmly and factually.
Why email gets filtered and certified mail leaves a postmark
You could send this by email. But here's why that's often a mistake: emails get filtered into spam, marked as "resolved" by a bot, or forwarded to a junior support rep with no authority to issue refunds. There's also no reliable proof the right person ever saw it.
Sending your letter via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt changes the dynamic completely. Here's what that gets you:
- A tracking number that confirms the letter was delivered to that address
- A green return receipt card (or electronic notification) showing the date it was received and, in many cases, a signature
- An official postmark that establishes the exact date you sent the letter
That paper trail is valuable. If you later need to escalate — to your credit card company, to a regulatory agency, or to an attorney — you can show exactly when you made your demand and that the company received it. It also signals to the company that you're serious. Companies know that people who send certified mail tend to follow through.
Address the letter to the company's registered agent or corporate headquarters. You can often find this information on their website, on the back of your billing statement, or through the California Secretary of State's business search at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov.
Refunds, partial offers, and complaints to the California AG
Here's what commonly happens:
Best case: The company processes a refund within a few weeks. Many businesses, especially larger ones with compliance teams, recognize that unauthorized subscription charges under California's ARL create real legal exposure. A refund is cheaper than a fight.
Middle case: The company offers a partial refund or a credit. You'll have to decide whether to accept that or push further. Having your demand letter on record means you can still escalate if you choose to.
Harder case: The company ignores the letter or denies the claim. If this happens, your options include filing a complaint with the California Attorney General's Office at oag.ca.gov, disputing the charges directly with your bank or credit card issuer (often called a "chargeback"), or consulting an attorney about small claims court or other remedies.
Credit card payments open a second track: if you paid by card, you may have dispute rights under federal law (the Fair Credit Billing Act) that are completely separate from any state law claim. Talk to your card issuer about your options — and ideally do it while you're also pursuing the demand letter route.
Can I dispute charges from a free trial I forgot to cancel?
What if I signed up for a free trial and forgot to cancel — can I still dispute the charges?
It depends on whether the company gave you proper notice before the trial converted to a paid plan. California's Automatic Renewal Law requires businesses to notify you before converting a free trial or promotional offer to a paid subscription. If you didn't get that notice — or if the trial terms weren't clearly disclosed upfront — you may have grounds to dispute the charges. Review what you received (or didn't receive) around the time of the conversion and document it.
How much can I realistically get back?
That depends on how many charges you're disputing, how long they went on, and how the company responds. A demand letter lets you formally request a specific dollar amount — typically the sum of all the unauthorized charges. There's no cap on what you can ask for in a demand letter, but keep your request tied to real, documented losses. Inflated demands tend to be taken less seriously.
What if the company is based outside of California?
California's Automatic Renewal Law applies to businesses that are charging California consumers — regardless of where the company is headquartered. Many out-of-state and even international companies have faced enforcement actions under the California ARL. That said, collecting on a judgment against a foreign company can be more complicated. If you're dealing with a company outside the U.S., consulting an attorney may be especially worthwhile.
Will sending a demand letter hurt my relationship with the company or cancel my account?
It might, and that's worth thinking through before you send. If this is a service you still use and value — just want one incorrect charge fixed — a phone call or escalated support ticket might be the right first move. But if you've already tried that, or if you no longer use the service and just want your money back, a formal letter is a reasonable next step.
Is this the same as disputing a charge with my credit card?
No — these are two separate processes and you can often pursue both. A chargeback through your credit card issuer is a dispute with your bank about a specific transaction. A demand letter goes directly to the merchant and creates a legal record. Doing both can actually strengthen your position, since the demand letter documents that you gave the merchant a chance to resolve it voluntarily.