Canceling an Honest Company Subscription Is Apparently Incredibly Difficult

There is nothing worse than forgetting to unsubscribe to a subscription-based service after the free trial period expires.

That is, until you try to unsubscribe from a service you’d signed up for, only to realize you have to call and speak to a customer service representative to discuss why you want to leave the service.

This unconventional, inconvenient method is the process Jessica Alba’s the Honest Company requires to cancel subscriptions.

Gizmodo found that many consumer complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission related to the company’s lengthy, difficult process for unsubscribing. Unlike many other retailers, the Honest Company does not allow customers to cancel subscriptions online, which is usually the easiest method. By forcing customers to call and speak directly to an employee, the company believes it is fostering a better relationship with its consumers.

“By requesting that our customers call us directly, it allows us to have an open and honest conversation regarding the subscription process and product offerings,” a spokesperson for Honest Company told Gizmodo.

After a test call to analyze the unsubscribing process, Gizmodo found that the wait time for a customer service representative was about a half hour. As most subscribers to the company’s services are likely mothers and fathers, 30 minutes is a lengthy period to wait to speak with an employee. It’s time most busy parents often do not have in their schedules.

Another retailer, JustFab, which is the parent company of Kate Hudson’s activewear company Fabletics, has also been under fire in the past year for its subscription practices.

Customers alleged JustFab’s services were misleading and the company used language in its subscription materials that deceived them into signing up for lengthy periods of time in its “VIP Membership” program.

Since the controversy, Adam Goldenberg, co-chief executive of JustFab, told Bloomberg that the company has hired more employees to work within customer service, considered changing its subscription policies, and brought in an auditor to review the customer service side of the business.

“We want to have an opportunity to explain how it works and ideally save that customer,” Goldenberg said.

There is no word yet as to whether the Honest Company plans to make any changes to its policy. We have reached out to company, but at the time of publication, it has not returned our request for comment.

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