Sen. Nangle bill to protect Mainers from subscription and gym membership traps signed into law
AUGUSTA — On Friday, June 20, a bill from Sen. Tim Nangle, D–Windham, that would make it easier for Mainers to cancel subscription services and gym memberships they no longer want was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills.
LD 1642, “An Act to Protect Maine Consumers by Simplifying Subscription and Health Club Membership Cancellations,” ensures that if a consumer can sign up for a subscription or gym membership online, they must also be allowed to cancel it online. The bill targets a growing problem in consumer protection: businesses that make enrollment easy, but cancellation deliberately difficult.
“Too many companies count on confusion and delay to keep people locked into services they don’t want. This law cuts through that,” said Sen. Nangle. “If you can sign up online, you should be able to cancel online — no tricks, no runaround. Mainers deserve a system that’s honest, simple and puts them back in control of their own money. This is a win for transparency and fairness.”
The bill strengthens Maine’s consumer protection law by requiring:
- Clear disclosure of subscription or membership terms before enrollment;
- Affirmative consent before charging for automatic renewals;
- Online cancellation using the same method as sign-up; and
- Advance notice before long-term renewals.
Recent federal action by the Federal Trade Commission has imposed similar requirements nationally. LD 1642 will enshrine those protections in state law, making them permanent and enforceable regardless of future changes at the federal level.
As amended on the floor by Sen. Nangle, the bill will also expand protections to cover health club memberships — particularly those offered by for-profit gyms like Planet Fitness, which are among the most difficult subscriptions for consumers to cancel. Planet Fitness allows consumers to sign up in minutes online or through an app, but requires them to go to a physical gym location in person to cancel. LD 1642 would end this practice by requiring that if someone can sign up online, they must be able to cancel online, too.
Having been signed into law, LD 1642 will take effect 90 days after the First Special Session of the 132nd Legislature adjourns.
Sen. Nangle is serving his second term in the Maine Senate, representing Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, Windham and part of Westbrook. He serves as Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee and sits on the Health and Human Services Committee.