Automatic renewal rules in Maine

We read 10 M.R.S. §§ 1210-C, 1210-D on the state's official site and list what it requires below. A summary leaves out detail; the linked text is the authority.

What the text says, word for word:

• “using the same method and in the same manner by which the consumer initially agreed to the subscription or membership” (10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(2))
• “prior to enrollment through a check box, electronic signature requirement or other affirmative action by the consumer agreeing to the renewal offer” (10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(2))
• “No more than 30 days before the renewal date for an extended automatic subscription or health club membership renewal, the seller shall provide notice to the consumer regarding the renewal” (10 M.R.S. § 1210-C(3))

Our company guides show how each business takes cancellations and where to write, for example News and magazine subscriptions, Streaming services, Gym memberships and The New York Times.

1. 1

   Start with how you joined

   Look up the sign-up confirmation and the renewal date. Your contract sets the method unless the sector law above says otherwise.

2. 2

   Use the cancellation route the law protects

   The seller must let you cancel by the same method and in the same manner you used to sign up; any cancellation phone number must be toll-free and prominently displayed. Save the confirmation screen or email.

3. 3

   Put it in writing as well

   10 M.R.S. §§ 1210-C, 1210-D covers only online subscriptions and health club memberships, so cite it only if your contract is one of them. Write to the business, cite 10 M.R.S. §§ 1210-C, 1210-D and ask for written confirmation. You can build the letter with the free letter template.

4. 4

   When a charge still goes through

   Reply with your proof and the citation, ask for a refund, and if that fails, dispute the charge with your bank. See what to do when a company keeps charging you.

A mailed letter does not replace the routes your contract names, but it gives you proof that holds up: the delivery record shows who received your notice and when.

Which mail service proves what is set out in certified mail for cancellations.

The federal Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act requires online sellers using automatic renewals to provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel amendments are not in force: on July 8, 2025 the Eighth Circuit vacated them (Custom Communications, Inc. v. FTC, No. 24-3137), on February 12, 2026, in a rule effective that day, the FTC recodified its Negative Option Rule "as it existed before the effective date" of the 2024 amendments (91 FR 6507), and on March 13, 2026 it asked for public comment on "the need for amendments" (91 FR 12318). Our state-by-state overview and the FTC click-to-cancel guide have the details.