
Your Which? Membership
Which? offers a variety of services on top of public information. You can subscribe to just one of them, or multiple services in a tailored bundle. To discuss your options for a membership bundle, you would need to contact Which? by phone. Whenever you subscribe to a service, you need to read the terms and conditions. These will include the details of your cancellation rights and the company’s refund policy. Most people just tick the box to agree without actually checking what they are agreeing to. Although Which? services generally charge a monthly fee, some will require a joining fee as well. Usually, the joining fee is not refundable. Some one-time services may not be either.
The terms and conditions for each service will tell you what you are entitled to reclaim. Find these on the Which? website and read through them if you are thinking of cancelling your subscription. If you cannot find them online, you can call Which? to ask about your refund entitlement before you cancel. In general, Which? will give you a full refund if you cancel within 14 days of subscribing. After this “returns” period, you can’t claim the initial fees back. Which? does not offer partial refunds for periods of less than one month. So if you intend to cancel, it is better to do it before Which? takes the next payment from your bank account. You cannot cancel online, so you have to call.
Contact Which? to Cancel
In order to bring your Which? subscription to a close, you must inform them that this is what you want to do. You can do this by writing a letter to Which?, PO Box 44, Castlemead, Gascoyne Way, Hertford, SG14 1LH. Obviously, sending a cancellation notice by post is not as efficient. It will take longer to get there before they even start to process your request. There is also the slight risk that Which? might not receive your letter at all. If you prefer to write rather than speak on the phone, it is much simpler to send an e-mail. You can contact Which? by e-mail at which@which.co.uk, or even support@which.co.uk. Make sure to include “Cancellation” as the subject.
Even if you call to cancel over the phone, it is good practice to send a written request too. You will then have proof that you requested cancellation if this ever comes into question later. You should phrase your written copy along the lines of: “I hereby give notice that I cancel my contract for the provision of the following services.” Include the subscription package details and the date you ordered and then received the goods. You should also include your name, address, and the date when you sign off. When you call or write, you must provide your membership number (1 letter then 9 digits, such as H123456789). It will show in your account or on the letters with Which? magazines.
Cancel Your Direct Debit
When you end your Which? subscription, you can request an earlier cancellation date if you prefer. Otherwise, the cancellation will go into effect on the day before your next payment would have been due. If you do not provide all of the relevant details when you request cancellation, Which? may not be able to locate your subscription in their records to cancel it. This could result in your subscription continuing, costing you money each month. You should always check your bank statements in the months after cancellation to make sure you are not still being charged. Should you find that Which? don’t cancel the subscription, take matters into your own hands and cancel it yourself.
When you subscribe to a service, they normally take the monthly fee via continuous payment authority. The money will continue to be taken from your account without you doing anything. If you request to cancel, then Which? will suspend the continuous payment authority. But if this doesn’t happen, you can contact your bank to cancel Direct Debits or standing orders. You can do this over the phone, through online banking, or visiting a branch in person. If you do this, you should not continue to use the Which? services you are no longer paying for before Which? revokes your access. You will end up having to pay for using them anyway. Which? can also ban you for this kind of activity.
Reinstate Your Subscription
You might change your mind later and decide that you want to subscribe to Which? again. All you would need to do is contact Which? by phone or e-mail. To reinstate a previous subscription, you will need your membership number. You can still have a Which? account to use the free aspects of the Which? websites. However, if you want to access subscriber-only sections, you will have to re-subscribe. It may avoid confusion if you contact Which? and ask them to restart your old subscription, rather than applying for a new one on the website. Obviously, this does not apply if you want to subscribe to a specific Which? service that you have never used before. Apply online as normal, or call.
You might have decided to cancel your subscription after the trial period. Trial periods usually have a deal price for a short time before increasing, such as £1 for the first month. If you cancel after this and then try to re-subscribe, you will not be eligible for another trial. Which? only allows one trial per member in any twelve-month period. If you want another trial, you will have to wait a year. You can still reinstate your subscription at the standard price rate at any time. If you receive an account suspension for breaching the Which? terms of use, you might not be able to re-subscribe or use any of their services again. If you think that Which? is treating you unfairly then refer to the ODR.