An app kept auto-debiting my card for a subscription I tried to cancel. What can I do?

Question

I cancelled my streaming subscription but the platform continued auto-debiting my card for months. How do I get a refund and stop the charges? I have been reading conflicting things online and I would like to understand what Indian law actually says about this, which Act and Section applies, what the realistic timelines and costs are, and what I should be doing right now to protect my position. If the matter can be resolved without litigation I would prefer that route, but I want to know what my rights are before I agree to anything or sign any document.

MyVakeel Legal Desk · Accepted Answer

An app kept auto-debiting my card for a subscription I tried to cancel. What can I do? is governed in India primarily by Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11) and RBI Master Direction on Recurring Payments (e-mandate) 2019. The short answer is set out below, followed by the practical steps most people in this situation need to take. Read it alongside the specific provisions named, because the exact relief available to you turns on the facts you can prove on paper.

RBI's e-mandate framework requires banks to send a pre-debit notification before every auto-debit and to allow easy cancellation of a standing instruction (e-mandate) by the customer.

Continuing to charge a card despite a valid cancellation request is deficiency in service by the platform, and failure of the bank to honour a mandate revocation request is deficiency by the bank.

You have the right under RBI's framework to revoke an e-mandate directly through your bank or card issuer, independent of the merchant's own cancellation process.

Unauthorized recurring debits after cancellation can also be disputed as unauthorized transactions with your bank, which may be bound to reverse them under RBI's customer liability circulars.

Compensation before a Consumer Commission can include the total amount wrongfully debited, along with interest and costs for the harassment caused by repeated unauthorized charges.

What to do next: 1) Cancel the subscription in writing and retain proof of cancellation with date and time; 2) Instruct your bank/card issuer to revoke the e-mandate or standing instruction for that merchant; 3) Dispute already-debited unauthorized charges with your bank as unauthorized transactions; 4) File a consumer complaint against the platform for refund with compensation if debits continue.

If the other side has already issued a notice, filed a case or set a deadline, treat the matter as time-sensitive — most remedies under Consumer Protection Act 2019, Section 2(11) carry limitation periods, and a delay you cannot explain weakens an otherwise strong case. You can post the details on the MyVakeel forum for a practising advocate to review, or book a paid consultation with a Bar Council verified lawyer in this practice area.