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How do cancel my factually subscription
Executive summary
You appear to ask how to cancel a “Factually” subscription; available sources mention two similarly named services — factually.co (a site flagged by Scam Detector) and The Factual / TheFactual app — and general U.S. regulatory changes that make cancelling subscriptions easier (FTC “click-to-cancel”). Scam Detector rates factually.co as medium‑low trust (Scam Detector review), while guidance on cancelling The Factual subscription is available via third‑party help pages; the FTC has finalized a rule requiring cancellation to be as easy as sign‑up [1] [2] [3].
1. Which “Factually” do you mean? Pick the right target
There are multiple similarly named products in the search results: a site called factually.co that Scam Detector examined and described as having a medium‑low trust score [1], and a separate news service/app called The Factual / TheFactual for which consumer‑facing cancellation instructions exist [2]. Before you proceed, confirm whether you subscribed to factually.co, The Factual / TheFactual app, a different “Factually” product, or a subscription billed through a platform such as Apple, Google or PayPal — the correct cancellation steps depend on that distinction [1] [2].
2. If it’s factually.co: caution, limited public info
Scam Detector’s in‑depth review flags factually.co as medium‑low trust and notes red flags in its connections and limited verifiable evidence about operations; Scam Detector requests owner proof to improve its score [1]. Available reporting does not provide explicit step‑by‑step cancellation instructions for factually.co, so if your subscription is with that site you should first check the site’s own account, billing, or contact pages and preserve screenshots and receipts in case of disputes [1]. If you can’t find a working contact, available sources do not mention a verified customer‑service path for factually.co [1].
3. If it’s The Factual / TheFactual app: common cancellation paths
Third‑party help pages outline practical routes to stop a The Factual subscription: manage automatic payments via PayPal (Settings → Payments → Manage Automatic Payments → cancel the merchant listed as “The Factual” or “CivikOwl”), or cancel through the app store that charged you if the subscription was purchased on iOS or Android [2]. These procedural tips come from user‑help sites and are not official The Factual documentation, so save confirmation screens or emails when you cancel and check your bank statements afterward for residual charges [2].
4. Regulatory context that strengthens your leverage
U.S. federal regulators have pushed back on “subscription traps.” The FTC finalized its “click‑to‑cancel” rule requiring online subscription cancellations to take no more steps than sign‑ups and to be as simple as enrolment; the agency said businesses often make people “jump through endless hoops” to cancel [3]. Major outlets explained the rule’s core point: canceling should be as easy as signing up and businesses must disclose auto‑renewal terms clearly [4] [5] [6]. Use this rule as leverage when dealing with a vendor that makes cancellation difficult — cite the FTC expectation when you contact customer service [3] [5].
5. If the vendor resists: practical next steps and escalation
First, document everything: subscription receipts, billing descriptors, screenshots of account pages, and any communications. Attempt the platform route that billed you (app store, PayPal, credit card issuer) to stop future charges; PayPal’s “Manage Automatic Payments” screen is one concrete example for app/online merchants [2]. If the company blocks cancellation or keeps charging, you can dispute charges with your payment provider and, where applicable, cite the FTC’s guidance that cancellations must be straightforward [3] [5]. Available sources do not provide an exact template for dispute letters or a direct FTC complaint URL specific to these services in the results provided — check FTC.gov for complaint submission options [3].
6. Business perspective and limits to enforcement
Companies and trade advisers warn there are compliance costs and debate over regulatory reach: analyses estimate industry compliance burdens while law firms note heightened FTC enforcement and actions against large subscription providers [7] [8]. The FTC rule gives consumers stronger ground, but real outcomes depend on enforcement priorities and whether a given service is covered or actively enforced against [3] [8]. If a vendor is offshore or poorly documented (a concern Scam Detector raised about factually.co), practical recovery can be harder even if rules nominally protect you [1].
7. What I recommend you do next (practical checklist)
1) Confirm the exact service and billing descriptor. 2) Try the platform that billed you (App Store / Google Play / PayPal / bank) and use their “manage subscriptions” or “manage automatic payments” feature to cancel; the PayPal path shows how this works for similar apps [2]. 3) If cancellation is obstructed, save evidence, dispute the charge with your payment provider, and consider filing a complaint citing the FTC’s click‑to‑cancel expectations [3] [5]. 4) If the service is factually.co and you can’t find contact info, treat it as higher‑risk and document everything for potential dispute resolution [1].
Limitations: reporting in the provided results does not include an official cancellation page for factually.co nor a company‑issued cancellation walkthrough for every similarly named product; follow the platform‑billing route and retain records as you proceed [1] [2] [3].