14,000 Complaints Lodged as Customers Struggle to Cancel Phone, Internet Services

‘We’ve all been there, trying to cancel a subscription before. And before you know it, you’re six screens deep,’ said a consumer affairs advocate.

A 14-year-old Australian boy posing at his home as he looks at social media on his mobile phone ahead of a national ban in this photo from Oct 24, 2025. Photo by David GRAY / AFP via Getty Images

Australians are increasingly finding it harder to unsubscribe from unwanted phone and internet services, with nearly 14,000 complaints lodged in just two years.

The scale of the problem was revealed during an inquiry into the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill 2026, which introduces new protections against unfair business practices while making it easier for customers to exit their subscription services.