Roku is the primary smart streaming platform in my household. It wasn’t necessarily a conscious decision, it just kind of worked out that way because of great deals on smart TV offers — and once you’re in and invested, you’re in. Roku is not perfect, and there are some things that aren’t the greatest about it. For example, the ads that you can’t turn off (but at least you can stop them from tracking you). Absolutely one of the biggest problems I have with the platform, and it would certainly cause issues for those who aren’t as tech-literate, is how most of the subscriptions work.
Allow me to give an example. We have the official Paramount+ app, but when my wife subscribed to the service, she did so through the Roku channel. That means we cannot use the Paramount+ app and have to go through the Roku channel to watch content and manage our subscription. Now, I should say it’s not just Roku that does this. You could subscribe to multiple services through something like Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video, and that’s where you would manage your subscription. But there are instances of people who are not able to cancel or properly administrate their Roku subscriptions.
Even when the subscription is activated on Roku, if it’s through another service like Disney+ or Hulu, you have to manage the accounts separately. But you’re still billed through Roku. It creates some headaches you wouldn’t expect. The best advice I can give is simply not to subscribe through Roku directly, but through the actual services and platforms you want to use. That’s a solid plan for every Roku streaming device out there, from sticks to set-top boxes.
What’s the difference between subscribing through Roku and subscribing elsewhere?
Being unable to cancel subscriptions is a glaring problem, but it’s not the only issue Roku users experience. One Reddit user describes receiving six monthly charges from different channels, but also a separate large fee from Roku directly. The user doesn’t seem to know the cost breakdown. That’s alarming. Roku outlines some steps to verify unrecognizable charges, at least. Another user discusses setting up multiple Roku accounts, with separate emails unbeknownst to them, which made it difficult to cancel subscriptions. Someone else describes how they subscribed through an Element Roku TV, and have been charged “hundreds of dollars over 2.5 years.” They never used the service, could not cancel through the regular avenues, and attempts to stop payment failed. It’s pretty clear that there should be a standardized process for canceling subscriptions, but that’s not the case.
Another noteworthy disadvantage is that you might miss out on great offers. Roku and Disney+ are an excellent example. Roku-billed subscribers cannot switch to a “bundle plan,” missing out on beneficial pricing. At one point, Disney+ Basic, the ad-supported tier, was unavailable to Roku users. Redditors say they were adding services via Roku that they couldn’t access. Luckily, that changed, and Disney+ Basic now works, but at $2 monthly, it adds up, and it’s a big discount you can miss out on without access to bundle offers. $24 total per year at the low end.
You can log in to accounts within official streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV, while managing subscriptions through those services instead. If you don’t already own a Roku, that’s good to know — if you’re thinking about buying one, there are plenty of additional things to keep in mind, too.
