If you bought an iPhone, iPad or Mac at an Apple Store recently, it’s worth spending a minute in your Settings app today. Consumer rights YouTuber Louis Rossmann has published videos claiming some Apple retail employees signed customers up for auto-renewing subscription trials, presenting them as free “gifts” without clearly explaining that a bill would follow. As UNILAD Tech reported, iPhone owners are now being urged to check what they’re paying for.
Apple hasn’t commented publicly. But according to MacRumors, it has already scrapped the in-store sales metric at the center of the allegations. Here’s what’s being claimed, what’s confirmed, and how to check and cancel in about a minute.
The short version
- Rossmann says Apple Store staff in the US were pushed to “attach” services like Apple One, Apple Music and Apple Fitness+ to device sales.
- A whistleblower told him the target was 40% of sales, and that missing it could lead to a performance improvement plan.
- The allegation: trials were framed as gifts, and in some cases staff pressed “Accept” on their own devices.
- MacRumors reports Apple removed the “services attach rate” metric the week after the videos, and a memo told staff only customers may press Accept.
- Every bundled trial auto-renews at full price. Apple One Premier is $39.95 a month.
What Rossmann alleges
Rossmann, a repair technician known for his right-to-repair activism, says the story started when an Apple Store employee contacted him anonymously. Others who identified themselves as retail staff followed. His main investigation video runs close to an hour, with a follow-up published days later.
The claims center on a checkout feature called Connect and Personalize. When you buy a device, the employee can ask you to link your Apple Account to the transaction. Once you do, their store device shows which Apple products and services you already have, along with trial offers you’re eligible for, plus “agree” and “decline” options. Because your account’s default payment method is already on file, accepting a trial doesn’t require you to type in a card.
“They are encouraged to position subscriptions and free trials as gifts… not telling the customer that 2 to 3 months from now, you are now going to have to pay $20 or $30 a month.”
Louis Rossmann
One whistleblower described the pressure behind it, as quoted by The Apple Post: “If we don’t hit services attachment at least 40 per cent of the time, we are put on PIPs. Honest team members usually attach services under 15 per cent of the time.”
There are important caveats. Rossmann has said some of the “internal documents” he showed on screen were recreated to protect his sources, so they aren’t the originals. Other employees have said they always followed consent rules. And nothing made public so far shows Apple’s corporate leadership told anyone to sign up customers without permission. The issue, as described, is a sales target that rewarded cutting corners.
What Apple has done
Apple has not put out a public statement. But several Apple-focused outlets report changes inside its stores:
- The metric is gone, for now. MacRumors reported on November 8 that the services attach rate, including the 40% target used in at least some US stores, was removed early last week. The internal explanation was that it matters less during the holidays, when many devices are bought as gifts.
- A consent reminder. 9to5Mac reported that a memo read at morning meetings told staff that only the customer may press Accept, and to respect privacy and get consent.
- No word on refunds. Apple hasn’t said whether it will review past sign-ups or proactively refund anyone. AppleInsider notes it isn’t clear whether the metric is gone for good.
Why a “free” trial can cost you hundreds
New Apple devices currently come with a stack of trials. An eligible new device gets three months of Apple One, and Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness+ have their own three-month offers. All of them renew automatically at the full price unless you cancel. Apple also raised several prices this year: Apple TV went from $12.99 to $14.99 a month in August, and Apple One and Apple Music rose over the summer.
That’s the real risk. If someone ticked “agree” on a Premier trial for you in September, the first $39.95 charge would hit in December, right in the middle of holiday spending, when it’s easiest to miss. Subscription creep is an industry-wide problem, not just an Apple one. Samsung is now testing the same model with its paid Galaxy AI tier.
How to check and cancel on your iPhone
Check your subscriptions in 60 seconds
- Open Settings.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions. You’ll see Active and Inactive lists.
- Tap any service you don’t recognize or don’t want.
- Tap Cancel Subscription (or Cancel Free Trial) and confirm.
If you cancel during a free trial, Apple usually ends the trial right away, so you may lose the rest of the free period. Canceling a paid plan keeps it running until the end of the billing period.
On a Mac, open the App Store, click your name, then Account Settings, and scroll to Subscriptions. You can also check your emails for “Your subscription confirmation” messages from Apple, which arrive whenever a trial starts.
How to ask for a refund
If you’ve already been charged for something you never agreed to:
- Go to reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in with your Apple Account.
- Choose Request a refund and pick the reason that fits best.
- Select the charge and submit.
Refunds are at Apple’s discretion and go back to your original payment method. If you’re refused and believe you never consented, contact your card issuer. You can also file a complaint with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or with your state attorney general.
What the law says
The federal “click-to-cancel” rule that would have made all this simpler was struck down by the 8th Circuit in July 2025, before it took effect. But older laws still apply, and they’re the reason this matters legally.
| Rule | What it requires | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ROSCA (federal) | Clear terms and “express informed consent” before charging for a recurring plan | In force. Amazon paid $2.5B in a 2025 Prime settlement |
| California AB 2863 | Express consent to auto-renewal, consent records kept 3 years, easy online cancel | In force since July 1, 2025 |
| FTC click-to-cancel rule | Cancel as easily as you signed up | Vacated in July 2025 |
Other countries are moving faster. The UK’s new rules will force companies to send reminders before a free trial turns paid, as we covered in our explainer on the UK’s subscription trap crackdown.
Apple has been here before. In 2014 it agreed to refund at least $32.5 million to settle FTC claims over kids’ in-app purchases made without parental consent. And the closest comparison for sales targets gone wrong is Wells Fargo, whose aggressive account quotas led to millions of unauthorized accounts and, eventually, a $3 billion settlement in 2020. Nothing here suggests anything on that scale. But the lesson is the same: when staff are measured on a number, some will hit it however they can.
For now, the practical advice is simple. Check your Subscriptions list today, cancel anything you didn’t knowingly choose, and set a calendar reminder a few days before any trial you do want ends.
About this article: GeekBlog covers U.S. technology news, AI, phones, smartwatches and gaming. Every story is written and checked under our Editorial Policy. Spotted a mistake or have a story tip? Contact our editors.
