Want to buy software or a subscription this Black Friday? Put it in your diary, otherwise you will regret it

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Quick summary

Black Friday often sees great deals on subscription services and software, but be careful not to get stung when they automatically renew.

Follow our advice and note the end date in your diary.

I love Black Friday deals, and every year I get a good Black Friday deal on my PlayStation Plus membership: 30% off a year’s worth of online gaming and loads of games.

However, I also have to be careful because if it doesn’t, my existing discounted membership will automatically renew at full price – even though a new Black Friday deal on the same subscription is about to expire.

Sony is pretty good about letting me know in advance when the renewal is coming so I can decide what to do. Apple is pretty good too. But not all software and other subscription providers are so customer-friendly.

Two years ago, my discounted subscription to a very expensive piece of software was automatically renewed without notice – a renewal I didn’t want, at a price I absolutely couldn’t afford. And when I tried to cancel it, the company told me that “all sales are final.”

I eventually got my money back, but it took weeks. And that taught me a valuable Black Friday lesson: put the due dates in your calendar so you never miss them.

Don’t forget the renewal dates

There are two main reasons why you should keep an eye on renewal dates.

The first is that the companies usually have your card details (and this includes free trials, most of which now ask for card details upfront so they can automatically charge you when the free period ends).

The second reason is that when you buy from foreign companies – and most software companies are abroad – you have virtually no returns because you have virtually no consumer rights.

I managed to get my money back from the American software company by being a huge pain in the ass, but if the company had chosen to take the bait, I would have been legally stuffed.

If you buy from a British company while living in Britain, you have several rights, including a 14-day right of withdrawal on most purchases, including digital purchases. But those rights don’t apply if you buy something from Detroit Dave’s Software ‘n’ Stuff or some faraway mega-corporation.

That’s not to say Black Friday deals are bad. The legitimate ones will save you a lot of money. Make sure you mark the renewal date in your calendar. You’ll thank me this time next year.