User:Louis/Apple Store subscription trial sign-ups

This is a personal, signed analysis kept in Louis's userspace. It argues a position and is not a neutral mainspace article.

Person WB, who says they work at an Apple Store, wrote to consumer advocate Louis Rossmann on October 21, 2026 that staff can select subscription trials on the store's payment devices and that the "Accept/Decline buttons are, by design, meant for the customer" but nothing stops the salesperson from pushing "accept".^[1] People who say they bought devices at Apple Stores later wrote to him that trials or subscriptions then appeared.^[2]

None of these accounts, or the accounts from other people who say they work or worked at Apple Stores, has been independently verified,^[1][2][3] and Rossmann said in his October 25, 2026 video that he did not yet know whether Apple had any comment on it.^[4] Apple's US page for Apple One, which "bundles up to six Apple subscriptions", offers new and qualified returning subscribers 3 free months with any new iPhone, iPad or Mac, after which the plan renews automatically until canceled at the monthly price of the plan selected, $21.95 for the Individual plan,^[5] and Apple's refund page says some purchases from Apple services "might be eligible for a refund".^[6]

None of the accounts and photos sent to Rossmann about Apple Store checkouts has been independently verified.^[1][2][3]

Person WB emailed these photos to Rossmann on October 21, 2026, as photos of "what this process looks like".^[1] Rossmann asked by email whether the photos showed the customer's device or a device the salesperson can use to sign up a customer, and Person WB replied, "That’s our device".^[1] When Rossmann later asked whether anything was in the bag on the screens in the photos, Person WB replied that "Nothing was in the bag" and that the screens were set up "to show an example".^[1]

In April 2018, the Apple news site MacRumors printed the full text of an internal Apple memo that Bloomberg reported.^[18] The memo said:

Investments by Apple have had an enormous impact on the company's ability to identify and catch leakers.

^[18]

In the email that came with the photos, Person WB wrote that "In the past year or so" a feature called "Connect and Personalize" was added to "our payment devices", one that "would allow us to pull up information about a customer", including the devices they own and the Apple services they pay for, such as Apple Music.^[1] They described it as "a handy tool for making recommendations to customers and upsell the right accessories", and wrote that Apple calls this "drive accessory attach".^[1] Person WB wrote that this information is stored on the device when the buyer shares it and is "allegedly removed after the transaction is completed or cancelled".^[1]

Later in that email, Person WB wrote:

There’s a screen that shows you the trials offered, you can select them and there’s a single screen to approve or deny. The trial starts immediately, and the customer will be billed to the Apple Account when the trial ends. There is no extra information that needs to be entered, and no input required by the customer except that nice and easy “accept” button.

^[1]

An Apple Account (previously called an Apple ID) is, in Apple's words, "the account you use across Apple’s ecosystem".^[19]

Rossmann then asked why the billing screen says "decline" or "agree" at the bottom if the salesperson presses it instead of the customer.^[1] Person WB replied by email:

The Accept/Decline buttons are, by design, meant for the customer, but many customers will never see this screen because there is nothing stopping the salesperson from pushing “accept.” Many employees have discussed telling the customer that the trial is “a gift,” and take a customer’s nod or half-hearted “OK” as consent. There is never a disclosure that they will eventually be charged.

^[1]

Rossmann later asked whether Person WB had watched a coworker who "presses accept on a nod" do it, or had only been told about it.^[1] Person WB replied that the coworker had both said so and that they had watched it "more than once during customer interactions", and wrote that the coworker's position was that "the customer’s nod was consent".^[1]

None of the accounts or screenshots from people who say they are Apple Store customers has been independently verified.^[2]

Person N03 wrote that "I did not consent to any trials or subscriptions" and that they canceled the trial immediately.^[20] They wrote that their original receipt shows, under a section headed "Services Billed Separately", a trial activated "during the actual purchase".^[20] Person N03 later wrote that "The employee at the Apple Store never mentioned any Apple Music trials or other activations" and that the employee was "very insistent that I set up my watch in-store".^[20] They also wrote that "The Apple Care One was correct", adding that with two devices already covered they "changed to Apple Care One during setup".^[20] AppleCare One is an Apple plan that covers several eligible devices: its Individual version covers up to three, and more products can be added at any time for an extra monthly charge each; its Family version covers every eligible device for up to six people.^[28]

Person N04 wrote that the clerk asked for "consent to pull your account information", which they gave by tapping their phone, and then said "this Mac Mini comes with a free trial of creator studio" and "it’s all free!"^[10] They wrote: "Nothing… absolutely nothing was said about starting me in a free trial."^[10] According to Person N04, they thought nothing of an email they received because the clerk had told them they would get a free trial.^[10] Of the subscription they later found, they wrote: "No consent, no opt-in, just added."^[10] They wrote that Rossmann's video "saved me who knows how many months of this illegal practice".^[10] Person N04 later wrote that Apple "does have a disclaimer" and that when they gave consent, "I remember seeing that I was agreeing to some type of terms and conditions".^[10] They wrote that they had "no time to read their multi-page T&C’s to buy a product".^[10] They also wrote that when the clerk mentioned the free Creator Studio trial, they "likely said something along the lines of 'oh that’s cool'", in what they called a dismissive way, while the clerk "had the device in his hand"; they added, "I’d assume he was checking on the status of my order."^[10]

Apple's "Subscription Confirmed" email for Apple Creator Studio, which Person N04 forwarded to Rossmann, is dated September 2026.^[29] Under "You've accepted the following offer", it lists a monthly "Subscription", a "Trial" that is "Free for 3 months" and a "Renewal Price" of "$12.99/month" starting in December 2026.^[29] The email says "Your subscription automatically renews until canceled" and "To avoid being charged, you must cancel at least a day before each billing date."^[29]

Person N38 wrote, "I never agreed to any subscriptions at all."^[24] They wrote, "I was merely there to buy an iPad and trade-in my current one", and "I received my receipt, and saw the exchange, and thought that was it."^[24] Rossmann asked Person N38 whether anyone at the counter had mentioned Creator Studio or a free trial, and they wrote, "No, no one mentioned Creator Studio at all or any free trials."^[24] Rossmann also asked whether they had tapped or signed anything on the store's device besides the trade-in, and they wrote, "I did not".^[24] They wrote that they had brought in the device they were trading in, that it was run through diagnostics to make sure it met the standards for trade-in, and that they "paid with Apple Pay".^[24] Person N38 wrote of an email about Apple Creator Studio that they say arrived the day after the purchase, "I assumed it was marketing."^[24] They wrote, "It doesn't blatantly tell me I have a subscription, just what Apple Creator Studio is."^[24] Person N38 sent screenshots of that email; the screenshots show the subject line "Start creating with Apple Creator Studio."^[24]

In their email to Rossmann, Person N38 wrote of the email they say they received on October 12, 2026, "I thought that was odd since I never signed up for this."^[24] In the timeline in their email, they described it as an email "indicating my trial was ending and I would be billed 12.99/month on October 27th".^[24] Person N38 sent a screenshot of that email; the screenshot reads "The following subscription will expire soon:" and "Monthly (1 month) - $12.99/month expires on October 27."^[24]

Person N38 wrote, "I cancelled the subscription and went on with my day until I saw your video".^[24] They continued:

Upon searching, I found the original receipt and found that they fraudulently signed me up for Apple Creator Studio at the purchase of the apple store.

^[24]

Person N38 also wrote that they had just realized: "I am in fact a victim of this scam".^[24] Person N38 sent a screenshot of what they say is their receipt; the screenshot shows "Apple Creator Studio - Family", "$ 0.00", "Free for 3 months, starting ..." and "Next Billing Date : Oct. 27, 2026 at $12.99/month".^[24] Person N38 wrote of the PDF receipt they say came by email:

The subscription is listed on this, but it's after all the payment information at the bottom hidden between a bunch of other text on a separate page. Most people very likely overlook this, as did I.

^[24]

According to Person N05, "the Apple rep" let a family member click accept after "quickly saying something about 3 months free of their app bundle".^[25] They wrote: "We were never told we will pay anything later."^[25]

Person N17 wrote that they were automatically signed up for Apple One for 3 months without their approval, and that "It was just told to me that I would get three months for free".^[26] They also wrote "It does say it will renew in January" and that they received an email a day after the purchase but "did not read it in full when I got it".^[26]

Person N20 wrote that "I had not heard of Apple One before this" and that they canceled the subscription immediately.^[27]

None of the accounts from people who say they work or worked at an Apple Store has been independently verified.^[3] Person N11 wrote that after shadowing a coworker, they realized buyers had not been fully told how much they would be paying per month and when.^[8] According to Person N11, the line used was "If you accept these, you will have an estimated savings of (amount)."^[8] Person N11 wrote, "I never explicitly saw my coworkers forcibly accepting a service on a customer".^[8] They wrote that they "had heard rumors that some were", adding, "Take that with a grain of salt since I could not verify this myself."^[8] In that email, Person N11 wrote, "Most coworkers said it was free which was very misleading."^[8] In the same email, Person N11 wrote, "The subscriptions were not really a gift, and I was not trained to say that."^[8] In a later email, Person N11 wrote that from their personal experience, "most of my coworkers were clear about the terms the customer was accepting to".^[8]

According to Person N11, at the end of the sale there is a list of "forums" on the device that they were trained to show the customer "but never give the device to the customer".^[8] Person N11 wrote:

You would show the customer all of these just to verify all of the things they want are in there, and they accept the terms.

^[8]

Person N11 wrote, "All the Specialist has to do is push Agree."^[8] Person N11 later wrote, "On the agreeing to the subscription page, the price for the subscription does pop up."^[8] In that later email, they wrote, "I was actually trained to show them this page, so that the customer presses agree."^[8]

In an email to Rossmann, Person N27, who says they work at an Apple Store, wrote:

... employees can select trials on a customer’s behalf, and I’ve heard of employees doing so. In fact, this has been shared amongst the team as a “trick” to get customers to accept the offer since it’s already in the bag by the time they go through the checkout process. If a customer wants to decline during checkout, they are told it’s a hassle to start the process all over again and it’s easier to just accept it.

^[30]

In an October 2026 email to Rossmann, Person N37, who says they work at an Apple Store, wrote that they saw people "feeling pressure to hit their metrics" and "independently choosing to press 'accept' on the customer's behalf to hit that goal".^[31]

Person N12 wrote that they "sometimes space out and just breeze through the prompts" on the store's device, then "have to go back so the customer can complete them".^[9] In that email, they wrote that "we're not explicitly told" to call the trials "gifts" or anything like that, though they "would have to check the training materials to double check".^[9] Person N12 wrote, "I've never overheard my coworkers brag about adding trials without consent", adding that "it would not surprise me if it occurred".^[9] They wrote that they personally "have never felt the need to lie or add them without consent".^[9]

In an email, Person N06, who says they worked at an Apple Store, wrote:

In theory, most of the time you’re asking, “Hey, are you interested in these Apple services?” But a large percentage of the time, an associate would click through for the customer.

^[32]

According to Person N06, managers "wouldn’t explicitly tell you to sign people up without them knowing" but "wouldn’t discourage it".^[32] They wrote that "they would propose other ways" or "have us train with the other top performers who were using sketchy tactics".^[32] Person N06 wrote that "We were frequently encouraged to use different phrasings" such as "Hey, Apple would like to offer you a free gift."^[32]

Person N13 wrote that the accept or decline screen appears on the store's device after checkout is tapped, "generally the moment that a customer would reach for their preferred Payment method", and that it is "marketed as a Customer input screen", but most team members "just rush through it" or mention that "you'll be billed in a few months- enjoy your free stuff".^[11]

None of the accounts of sales targets and incentives from people who say they work or worked at Apple Stores has been independently verified.^[1][3] These correspondents wrote to Rossmann about sales targets, the tracking of each person's numbers, prizes, manager bonuses and coaching, and about reviews, raises and jobs tied to the numbers.^[1][3] Some of them wrote that these incentives affect how managers and salespeople work.^[1][3]

Person WB wrote that service attach is "the percentage of transactions that contain services".^[1] In an October 21, 2026 email to Rossmann, they wrote that it is one of the most important metrics that the salespeople have.^[1] They wrote, "We have a number of seasonal employees through the holidays", and that "many of them get denied permanent positions solely because of not meeting this metric".^[1]

In that email, Person WB wrote that one manager, responding to concerns about "the lack of friction in the design" of the new system, said, "Well, it’s obviously the expectation that we’re not doing that."^[1] They wrote, "After months of rampant fraud being the norm, I discovered my worst fears are true."^[1] They also wrote that several people admitted to signing people up for free trials without their consent, one of whom even bragged about it.^[1]

In their October 21, 2026 reply to Rossmann's question about the billing screen, Person WB wrote that many of their colleagues do this, pressured by "their superiors" with "the threat of negative performance reviews, and thus, their jobs".^[1] They wrote:

The only way to hit the target is by fudging the numbers this way. The ones pursuing the dishonest tactic have been consistently rewarded with positive feedback, good ratings and even promotions.

^[1]

Person WB wrote on October 27, 2026 that "The benchmark is currently 60% services on eligible transactions" at their store.^[1]

Person N26, who says they worked at an Apple Store, wrote that a metrics app showed each person a benchmark goal that "would adjust based on store performance", but that "managers preached a 60% services attach goal at the minimum" and "would grill us daily if it was not met".^[33]

In October 2026, Person N31, who says they work at an Apple Store, wrote to Rossmann that "At the beginning, our benchmark for services attach was 25%", meaning the percentage of "transactions eligible for services that eventually were signed up for one or more", and that "During last holiday season, that benchmark was increased to 40%".^[34] Asked by Rossmann where they had seen it, they wrote that the benchmarks "were shared with everyone by our managers", that the benchmark each person sees is "dynamic per specialist so it might not show exactly 40% for everyone", and "I haven’t checked that metric in a while".^[34] Rossmann then asked whether the 40% was the same metric as the free trial sign-up percentage, and Person N31 wrote, "Yes those are the same", that "I think it’s just labeled as Free Trial Sign Up %" in a staff app, and that they had "just been referring to it as services attach".^[34] Asked when the 40% was first shared with them, they wrote, "I’d guess around October 2025", and "I just remember it being shared going into the holiday season".^[34] They also wrote that the store's leadership agreed staff should not sign people up for subscriptions they never asked for, and that it should "always be up to the customer to decide" whether to sign up for them.^[34]

Person N23 wrote that at their store "overall the benchmark is around 40% now", that "if you do more than 40%, your benchmark gets higher", and that "everyone’s metrics are different".^[15]

Rossmann asked Person N21 whether a goal they had mentioned was set "per day, per week, or per month", and Person N21 replied:

It’s definitely a daily goal since all ... people don’t work the same amount of days a month.

^[13]

Person N06 wrote, "Service attach rate was absolutely a key stat."^[32] They added, "Your ability to get hired on full-time is absolutely based upon that."^[32] They wrote, "There were attach rate targets; I just don’t remember exactly what they were."^[32]

According to Person N13, staff who do not attach services "at least 40% of the time to domestic users" are put on performance improvement plans or documented coaching plans, or are shadowed by a manager in every interaction.^[11]

Person N35, who says they formerly worked at an Apple Store, wrote of presenting the free trials:

The majority of the time when I presented it and showed the customers the screen for “free services” they would decline so the metrics they wanted us getting which at the time when I worked for them was %80-%90 was just not achievable ...

^[35]

Asked by Rossmann where that goal was shown, Person N35 later wrote:

As for the numbers they were tracking it was stated every single morning 7 days a week in the “daily downloads” which were every morning before the store opened and followed up on throughout the day by management and leads, and if you weren’t hitting these metrics you were regularly getting micromanaged to do so or management was coming into your interactions.

^[35]

In an email to Rossmann, Person N27 wrote:

Service attach rate, which is the percentage of customers we got to sign up for a free service trial, is one of the metrics Apple tracks. There are absolutely written targets and tracking for these metrics.

^[30]

They wrote that it is tracked through a whiteboard in the back "showing where top employees rank in various categories (including service attach rate)", slides showing top performers at the presentations given to staff before their shift, weekly emails highlighting top performers, and "Quarterly and annual check-ins with your dedicated coach (a manager) that goes over your metrics".^[30] They wrote that a sales employee is "both encouraged and expected to use Connect & Personalize in every transaction".^[30] They wrote that staff are "supposed to get every customer to sign up for a service trial" and are tracked on the percentages of AppleCare+, Apple's paid coverage plan for its devices,^[36] accessory attach and other categories as well.^[30] They wrote that "Management even shadows us periodically" to make sure staff "hit on every point above when talking to a customer".^[30]

Person N15, who says they worked at an Apple Store, wrote that "management was solely focused on attachments (accessories, services, and AppleCare)", that "Our percent of devices that had an attachment was emailed to us weekly", and "If this number was low, management would coach you."^[37] In a later email, they wrote, "Services were part of the metrics I was emailed weekly", adding that they "no longer have access to these spreadsheets".^[37]

Person N27 wrote that seasonal and part-time staff "often apply for permanent and/or full-time positions", and that they are told "our metrics and our stories" matter most in those interviews.^[30] They wrote, "It’s not just enough to reach high numbers", and that staff must also "make sure our fellow employees are doing the same".^[30] They wrote that "these metrics are evaluated when it comes time to determine the percentage of our raise", and "For better or worse, there is no commission though."^[30] They wrote that "Apple provides a gift card to its top-performing employees, I believe on a quarterly basis", through something called "Applause".^[30]

In their first email to Rossmann, Person N37 wrote:

Our store even had an internal challenge where the salesperson with the most services attached would receive a $100 Apple gift card ... so there was a financial incentive to back it up.

^[31]

According to Person N35, "Apple employees are not on commission but management very much gets bonuses", and this "affects how a store is run".^[35]

In an email to Rossmann, Person N23 wrote:

It’s no longer about helping one customer find their next product, but about selling to multiple customers at the same time and squeezing every dollar out of subscriptions, accessories, etc. Specialists are also forced to work this way by promising fake promotions.

^[15]

Person N31 wrote of the metrics that staff are expected to meet, "I absolutely believe that people are denied jobs or promotions because of it", adding that this is "not exclusive to services attach", which is "just one of the main metrics that is tracked".^[34]

Person N11 wrote, "I do not believe I lost the job due to this metric", and that they "left the company willingly".^[8]

The accounts of offering services to customers from people who say they work or worked at Apple Stores, and the screen recordings one of them sent Rossmann, have not been independently verified.^[1][3][38] Person N08 wrote to Rossmann on October 26, 2026 that, when selling a product, the talking point is mainly to get to know the customer and "say part of your purchase today we are giving you a free gift".^[17] Person N08 wrote that they are "always upfront with the customer on this" and tell the customer that "we'll set them a calendar reminder so they are not automatically charged".^[17] Person N08 wrote that they go through the screen on the store's device with the customer, telling them the price and the date it starts.^[17] Person N08 wrote, "I'll have them tap accept themselves".^[17] Person N08 wrote that a colleague told them to pick a service "based on the product the customer is purchasing", but that "it would feel wrong for me to just hit accept ... without the customer's consent".^[17]

On October 26, 2026, Person N26 wrote to Rossmann that when they offered services to customers, they would give the pitch, and if the customer agreed, they would hand the customer the store's device so the customer could select the service.^[33] Person N26 wrote that others "would honestly do the pitch, and if the customers agreed, they would select it themselves" on the store's device.^[33]

Person N27 wrote:

To be clear, the accept/decline screen on our internal devices shows the customer the exp. date of the free trial and that they will be charged afterward, but we are told not to point it out. This isn't in writing, but shared verbally amongst the team.

^[30]

Rossmann asked Person N27 whether it was managers or coworkers who had told them not to point out the charge, and Person N27 wrote:

Both management and coworkers have told us not to point out the charge. Instead, they want us to focus on how great the services are and how lucky the customer is to be getting the trial as a “gift.” It’s really a “less is more” approach where they would rather we just say they are being gifted three months of a trial and all the customer needs to do is tap the “Agree” button.

^[30]

Person N21 sent Rossmann two screen recordings of what they describe as internal Apple reference pages.^[38] In the first, a page about Connect and Personalize reads, under "Recommending ways to try subscription services":

Understand if a customer is not subscribed to any service and recommend ways to try for free. E.g. A customer is buying a new Apple Watch and you see they are not subscribed to Apple Fitness+. You let them know that their purchase of the Apple Watch comes with a free three-month extended trial offer of Apple Fitness+.

^[38]

The second recording shows a page titled "Apple Services in Personalized Shopping".^[38] Not every detail in the recordings matches Apple's public product information: an example screen lists a 16-inch MacBook Pro as a 2025 model with an M2 Max chip, while Apple's own list of MacBook Pro models has no 16-inch model from 2025.^[38][39]

In Person N21's first recording, the page about Connect and Personalize says "Connect and Personalize should be introduced to all customers", and for a customer browsing or shopping gives the line:

Let’s have you scan this QR code to get started — I can look at your current devices and share their trade-in values as well as let you know if you qualify for any Carrier Offers.

^[38]

The "Apple Services in Personalized Shopping" page in Person N21's second recording reads that "Service offers eligibility is determined by connecting to a customer’s Apple Account" when Connect and Personalize is used.^[38]

In Person N21's second recording, the overview of the "Apple Services in Personalized Shopping" page begins "Surprise and delight your customers with free trials of Apple Services", and the page describes seeing which free trials a new purchase unlocks as "enabling you to create a surprise and delight moment before completing the transaction".^[38] Under the heading "Services Selection Screen", it reads, "Select the services free trials your customer would like, and tap Continue with Selections."^[38] In the recording, an example screen of the bag lists "Subscriptions" at "$0.00/mo.", and the example checkout screen shows a "Payment Amount" of "$0.00".^[38] The page says the Services Checkout screen "will allow for a customer to check out and enroll in the services they choose", that the free trials "won’t charge the customer at the time of purchase", and that the payment method the customer checks out with "will be used once the trial period is complete to automatically continue".^[38]

In the same recording, an example selection screen on the page lists Apple Music with a "3-month free trial" and "$10.99 per month".^[38] The page says a billing screen for each selected offer is included in "the forms and agreements step of the transaction", and reads:

Each billing screen will highlight the service selected, activation and renewal date, monthly cost after the trial period, and information on how to cancel and renew.

^[38]

Its example billing screen has "Decline" and "Agree" buttons.^[38] Person N21 wrote of staff clicking agree for customers, "I haven’t witnessed it myself".^[13]

In Person N21's first recording, the page about Connect and Personalize says the AppleCare+ card shows the customer's previous selection, which helps "you to understand a customer’s AppleCare+ plan and presumptively close" by asking:

I see you have AppleCare+ on your current device. Should I go ahead and add it to this new device?

^[38]

Person N13 wrote that services are paid for with the card on file with the customer's Apple Account, which staff never need to see in the store, except when a card has to be added to an account whose setup was never completed.^[11]

Person N37 wrote that, for the services offered with a purchase, "our managers instructed us to present it as a 'gift'".^[31] They wrote of the term "gift" that "it is communicated verbally".^[31] Person N37 wrote:

... we received specific instructions from our managers to add all the services to the cart, and then ask which services the customer didn't want.

^[31]

According to Person N23, a "peer tip" shared at their store is:

... to not give details about the payment to not scare them away and present it as a gift.

^[15]

They wrote that the tip is shared by coworkers and "approved by the managers".^[15] Asked by Rossmann whether the peer tip was said out loud or written down, Person N23 wrote that peer tips are "written in" a staff app "and also said out loud" when a tip first comes out, during the daily downloads.^[15] In an earlier email, Person N23 wrote:

Before the “Connect and Personalize” era, there were still some employees who “accidentally” added AC+ to customer interactions without their consent to bring their numbers up. This kind of behavior was automatically followed by termination. That is no longer the case, and some managers even encourage this behavior.

^[15]

Rossmann asked Person WB to describe, in their own words, the peer tips they had mentioned, and Person WB wrote:

They suggested using words like “free” and “gift,” and when facing pushback to remind them that they can cancel it anytime.

^[1]

Rossmann asked Person WB whether those peer tips were written down or said out loud in a download, and Person WB wrote that the tips "were written down in" a staff app, "but the same ideas have been repeated in Downloads more than once".^[1]

Person N31 wrote:

... attaching services is absolutely way too easy, as in its current workflow, our transaction system allows us to add them to the bag and, once you get to the checkout phase, all you have to do is hit accept for you to get credit for the attached services. Of course, this screen during checkout is absolutely intended to be for the customer and I believe it even specifically tells us to hand the device to the customer to go through the checkout phase until we actually charge them (however for security reasons we typically just show them the screen).

^[34]

In the same email, they wrote:

... specialists at my store developed methods for increasing their services attach metric including positioning the services as something that comes with their purchase, and telling them to unsubscribe afterwards if they decide they don’t want to keep them. Once the customer went through checkout, they wouldn’t think twice that they have a choice and would hit agree (though that part is omitted from public discussion). That method in particular was shared publicly with the store during daily team meetings, and specialists were celebrated as they would achieve high metrics well above the expectations.

^[34]

Person N31 wrote, of a specialist pressing the agree button for a customer, "No one that I know of does that, but I don’t doubt it happens", and that they "couldn’t picture it being a publicly shared or recommended thing by management".^[34] In a later email, Person N31 wrote:

The positioning that services “comes with” the purchase was shared in meetings by managers and specialists who were giving everyone advice on how to position services. The part about unsubscribing later was part of the method that was shared by the specialists who were developing it, but not echoed in the meetings by managers. I assume they found out about that part since they started telling us not to tell customers to unsubscribe, instead if anything to show them how to see and manage their subscriptions in Settings. The managers at my store definitely lead with the advice to personalize our recommendations of services to the customer, as in get to know them a bit and talk to them about the service(s) that they would benefit from before showing them that they “come with” their purchase.

^[34]

According to Person N21, a coworker described telling customers "Apple has a free gift for you", and "the management team loved it and commended" the coworker "for getting a higher percentage than others".^[13]

According to Person N28, most training "focuses on the benefits of the services and making the recommendation personal".^[14] They also wrote:

I’ve heard trials described as “a gift from Apple,” almost as though there’s no reason to decline. I’ve not seen this wording (gift) in official training.

^[14]

Person N27 wrote:

We have been told multiple times to position trials as a “gift” and not focus on the charge. There hasn’t been anything in writing but it’s something shared from leadership and among employees.

^[30]

They also wrote of management that "they tell us not to do anything we don’t feel comfortable doing", and that "those committing these shady acts haven’t been reprimanded either".^[30] They wrote that "they’d prefer we say less about how the trials work" and that this is "in order to not raise too many questions when we discuss it with customers".^[30]

Person N35 wrote that the free Apple Music and subscription trials were "pushed extremely hard to a point where management did not care about anything else".^[35] They wrote:

As for the timeline when this all started connect and personalize started I’d say back in 2024, and the whole “free trials” started sometime at the end of last summer and was supposed or so we were told at the time by management to end after a few months. But it was something that didn’t end up stopping and seemingly is still going on.

^[35]

In a later email, Person N35 wrote:

There is no doubt that employees are being pressured to the point where it’s getting added without customer consent. When I was with company multiple employees were doing it inside my store alone just because management pressure.

^[35]

In an email to Rossmann, Person N09, who says they used to work at Apple, wrote of the free trials:

My store managers would tell employees to pre-select them, discuss the benefits with the customer, and accept the terms on the customer's behalf.

^[40]

They wrote:

I’ve had coaching notes about this because I wasn’t getting enough of them. I was told to pre-select them myself, talk about it with customers, and position it as a statement rather than a question. That’s how they wanted us to do it.

^[40]

According to Person N13, staff had two quarters of training on "Assumptive statements" before the service sign-ups came into their workflow, and staff are told to say "these words exactly":^[11]

"Your new device comes with a gift, because you're shopping with us: I'll set it up for you"
"Let's set you up today with XX service so you can get the most out of your device"
"You have these services available for free, let me pop them on for you"
"I'll set this up today, and you can cancel if you don't think you'll use it"

^[11]

Person N13 wrote that "Most of these are pulled from training materials we have from Apple Corporate".^[11] In a later email, they wrote that "the employee may omit mentioning" the price that will be billed in three months "because it can cause remorse", and that management "tries to get us to avoid restating the price since it's not billed in store".^[11]

Person N26 wrote that "The push for services using 'connect and personalize' is real and intense", that "We were instructed not to take no for an answer", which was "phrased as 'overcoming objections'", and that staff "had to use connect and personalize in every interaction, talk about services, talk about accessories".^[33] They wrote, "If you were found not to be doing this, you would receive coaching", and that "a manager would watch your interactions and point out mistakes".^[33] In later emails, Person N26 wrote that "overcoming objections" was in official training modules and that the module "addressed objections broadly but leaned toward services and AppleCare".^[33] Person N26 wrote:

Managers never instructed us to enroll customers without their knowledge; however, they coached us that if a customer accepted a service, we should avoid advising actions like setting a calendar reminder to cancel, since that would “devalue the service” and suggest we lacked confidence in it.

^[33]

They wrote that they "privately declined to follow it".^[33]

Person N18, who says they worked at an Apple Store, wrote, "Management does not tell team members how to sell, not really."^[41] They wrote that managers "might give vague and simple suggestions", but that they themselves "would be referred to higher-performing salespeople for more in-depth teaching", and that "when the team gets there, management doesn’t ask how".^[41] In a later email, Person N18 wrote of the approach those higher-performing salespeople used:

The approach they would use is to sign the customer up without a choice, and tell the customer “the trial comes with the purchase. If you don’t want it, you have to cancel it later.” Then, they would act as though this is consent and proceed through the agreements for the trials themselves instead of letting the customer. If there was pushback, they’d double down on it repeating “You have to cancel it in the settings later.”

^[41]

They wrote, "I witnessed them do this and share this 'strategy' with the team", and that "The general attitude was that since it is free today, it’s okay."^[41] Rossmann asked Person N18 whether a manager was there when coworkers shared their way of signing customers up with the team, and whether any manager said anything about it.^[41] Person N18 wrote:

Typically, no. The managers see the percentage of the metric and either tell people who are not getting enough trial redemptions to talk to people who are or tell people who are getting enough to coach those that are not. There may be team discussions when managers open the floor for anyone to share success stories, but the people doing this know better than to explicitly say they are not letting people opt out.

^[41]

According to Apple, Apple One "bundles up to six Apple subscriptions for one lower monthly price", including up to 2TB of iCloud+ storage.^[5] Apple's US Apple One page lists three plans:^[5]

• Individual, $21.95 a month: 50GB of iCloud+ storage, Apple TV, Apple Music and Apple Arcade.^[5]
• Family, $27.95 a month, can be shared with up to five people: 200GB of iCloud+ storage, Apple TV, Apple Music and Apple Arcade.^[5]
• Premier, $39.95 a month, can be shared with up to five people: 2TB of iCloud+ storage, Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+ and Apple News+.^[5]

The page's footnote for its offer of 3 free months of Apple One with any new iPhone, iPad or Mac says that offer is for "New and qualified returning subscribers only" and gives the price as "$21.95 or $27.95 or $39.95 per month after trial based on plan selected".^[5]

On its Apple One offer page, Apple says the free 3-month trial can be started "after setting up your new Apple device" and lists the steps:^[42]

1. Turn on the new iPhone, iPad or Mac and sign in with the Apple Account.^[42]
2. Make sure the device has the latest version of iOS, iPadOS or macOS.^[42]
3. Look in Settings for "Services included with your purchase" to complete setup.^[42]

Terms published with the offer cover 3 months of Apple One free "with the purchase of an eligible iPhone, iPad, or Mac" and say the offer is available "for eligible devices for a limited time only".^[43] The offer "must be claimed within 3 months after first setting up your new device", and the buyer must sign in with their Apple Account on the new device to see it.^[43] "Upon claiming the offer", the terms say, the buyer commits to a monthly Apple One subscription at the tier they selected, at their region's price per month, that starts immediately after the free offer period and renews automatically until canceled.^[43]

A separate Apple page listing its device offers says new and/or qualified subscribers get "extended free trials of Apple subscriptions" when they buy an eligible device, and tells them to check the Settings app on their iOS device to see whether they qualify.^[44]

Apple's support page for Apple Creator Studio says buyers of "a new Mac or iPad" can use Apple Creator Studio "for three months before billing starts" and tells them to sign up with the Apple Account they used to set up the new device to get the offer.^[22] The page adds: "After three months, your subscription renews at the monthly or annual plan you chose."^[22]

Under the heading "In-Store Experiences", Apple's privacy page for its Apple Store app says:

Some of Apple’s in-store experiences, like Connect & Personalize, will use the Apple Store app. The use of your personal information for these experiences will be subject to a separate privacy notice.

^[52]

The version of the page dated July 16, 2024, carried the same passage.^[53]

Apple's US terms for AppleCare+ say its benefits are additional to the buyer's rights under applicable laws, the manufacturer's hardware warranty and any complimentary technical support.^[36] Under the terms, a monthly or annual plan "WILL AUTOMATICALLY RENEW EVERY MONTH OR YEAR, AS APPLICABLE UNLESS AND UNTIL CANCELLED".^[36] The next paragraph of the terms reads:

YOUR EXPRESS AND AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT ACKNOWLEDGING AND AGREEING WITH THE ABOVE PROVISION IS REQUIRED AND CAPTURED AS PART OF THE SALES PROCESS FOR RECURRING APPLECARE+ PLANS, AND SUCH CAPTURED AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT IS INCLUDED IN AND FORMS A PART OF THIS PLAN.

^[36]

The Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions say Apple "will charge your selected payment method for any paid Transactions, including any applicable taxes".^[19] They say subscriptions "automatically renew until cancelled in the Manage Subscriptions section of your account settings",^[19] and that subscribers are charged no more than 24 hours before the start of the latest subscription period.^[19]

Family Sharing lets people in a family group share Apple subscriptions.^[54] When the group has purchase sharing turned on, shared subscriptions "are billed directly to the organizer’s default payment method".^[54] Apple's support page on sharing purchases says the family organizer pays for everyone's purchases unless Purchase Sharing is turned off or other adult family members use their own payment method.^[55] The same page says a family member's purchases are charged to that member's Apple Account balance, and that when the balance does not cover a purchase, the remainder is charged to the family organizer if Purchase Sharing is turned on.^[55]

On an iPhone, Apple's support page gives these steps to cancel a subscription:^[56]

1. In Settings, "tap your name".^[56]
2. Tap Subscriptions, then tap the subscription.^[56]
3. Tap Cancel Subscription; the page says "You might need to scroll down" to find the button.^[56]

The page says that if there is no Cancel button or an expiration message appears in red text, the subscription is already canceled.^[56] The same page says anyone who signed up for a trial subscription and does not want to renew it should cancel "at least 24 hours before the trial ends", and that canceling "is slightly different in some countries and regions".^[56] The Apple One offer terms set the limit at "at least one day before each renewal date".^[43]

The Apple One offer terms say that anyone who cancels during the free offer period will "immediately lose access to Apple One and the remainder of your free trial".^[43] Apple's offer terms for Apple Music,^[21] Apple TV,^[45] Apple Arcade,^[46] Apple Fitness+^[47] and Apple News+^[49] each say that anyone who cancels during the free offer period will "immediately lose access" to that service and the remainder of the free trial.

The refund accounts from Person N18 and Person N37 have not been independently verified.^[41][31]

A refund request starts at reportaproblem.apple.com: sign in, choose "I'd like to" and then "Request a refund", pick a reason, choose the subscription and submit it.^[6]

Person N18 wrote that customers "would return three months later, being charged for a now-paid subscription", saying "they never signed up for it", and that "The managers would just refer them to Apple support online where they could get refunded".^[41] Asked by Rossmann roughly how many of these customers they had seen, they wrote, "I personally saw a handful come back."^[41] They wrote that those customers "should have been able to get some refund", but that because customers are referred to online support, they "cannot say for sure and to what extent".^[41]

Asked by Rossmann what those customers said had happened at checkout, Person N18 wrote:

Since the trials last 3 months, people generally forget the specifics of the interaction by the time they get charged, so they cannot certainly say they were signed up without consent. Most typically say “I never signed up for this” but do not trace it back to their prior visit.

^[41]

They also wrote:

I recall once or twice customers coming back within a few weeks having realized the new subscriptions that they did not activate themselves. Since they would find it sooner, they would realize what happened or at least connect it to the new purchase. I did not help them directly, but the employees who did would tell me about it. Fortunately, in these cases the customer had not been charged yet.

^[41]

Person N37 wrote that a coworker told them about a customer who was "asking how to get her money back exactly 3 months after buying an iPhone" and "receiving the bill now that all her trials had expired".^[31]

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wrote in March 2026 that negative options are a form of marketing in which "the absence of affirmative consumer action constitutes consent to be charged" for goods or services.^[57]

Section 8403 of title 15 of the US Code is part of the federal Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act.^[58] Under section 8403, it is unlawful for any person to charge or attempt to charge a consumer for goods or services "sold in a transaction effected on the Internet through a negative option feature" unless the person:

• provides text that "clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction" before obtaining the consumer's billing information
• obtains the consumer's "express informed consent" before charging their credit card, debit card, bank account or other financial account
• provides "simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges".^[59][58]

The FTC amended its Negative Option Rule in October 2024.^[60] On July 8, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated the amended rule.^[60] The FTC cites the decision as Custom Commc'ns, Inc. v. FTC, 142 F.4th 1060 (8th Cir. 2025).^[61][62]

On February 12, 2026, given the Eighth Circuit's vacatur, the FTC published a final rule, effective that day, revising the Negative Option Rule "to restore it in the form it existed before the 2024 Rule became effective".^[61] On March 11, 2026, the FTC announced that it was seeking public comment on an advance notice of proposed rulemaking about the rule.^[57] In the advance notice, the FTC wrote that the rule "applies only to prenotification plans for the sale of goods" and "does not reach most modern negative option marketing".^[60] Under those plans, such as product-of-the-month clubs, sellers send periodic notices offering goods and then send and charge for those goods "only if the consumers take no action to decline the offer".^[60]

On October 14, 2026, the FTC published a notice under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 seeking public comment on its "proposal to reinstate and extend for three additional years the information collections" in the Negative Option Rule "as that rule was written before courts vacated" the 2024 Rule.^[62] Comments must be filed by December 14, 2026.^[62]

In California, Business and Professions Code section 17602 applies to a business that makes an automatic renewal offer or continuous service offer "to a consumer in this state".^[63] If the offer "also includes a free gift or trial", it must include "a clear and conspicuous explanation of the price" that will be charged after the trial ends, or of how the pricing will change when the trial ends.^[63] The business may not charge the consumer's credit or debit card, or their account with a third party, for an automatic renewal or continuous service "without first obtaining the consumer’s affirmative consent" to the agreement containing the offer terms.^[63]

In his October 25, 2026 video, Rossmann said he did not yet know:

• whether this happens at Apple Stores other than those of the few people who had contacted him^[4]
• whether customers get an email or notification when the trial starts that explicitly tells them they will be billed on a certain date^[4]
• whether store or regional management knows about it^[4]
• what Apple says about it, if the company has any comments on it.^[4]

The account in the October 21 email to Rossmann has not been independently verified.^[1]

• October 5, 2026: the website We Got This Covered reported that a Reddit user claimed "an employee at their local Apple Retail Store" activated a free Apple Fitness trial on their device "without any request or consent".^[64] The website wrote that there is "no way to verify" the user's experiences.^[64]
• October 21, 2026: Person WB wrote to Rossmann.^[1]
• October 23, 2026: the YouTube channel Live Speedy posted a video of a streamer buying an iPhone from a person handling the sale.^[7]
• October 25, 2026: Rossmann posted a video asking people who work at an Apple Store, if they had been part of what he described or knew people who had, to email him photos of the Connect and Personalize screens, especially any step where the customer has to do something on their own phone and any screen where the employee can accept on their own on behalf of the customer.^[65]

MacRumors reported on July 12, 2026 that some of Apple's retail employees had been provided with iPhone 14 units.^[66] The report said this allowed customers to check out with Tap to Pay on iPhone at Apple's stores.^[66] MacRumors described Tap to Pay on iPhone as a system that lets merchants accept contactless payments on an iPhone "with no point-of-sale hardware required".^[66] The same report said Apple had been gradually phasing out its previous Bluetooth credit card readers.^[66]

It also said that Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said Apple would give more retail employees newer iPhone 16 units.^[66] Gurman said Apple had found that the iPhone 16 "eliminates the need for store employees to carry around the specialized terminals".^[66]

Gizchina, a technology blog, wrote on July 13, 2026 that the in-store hardware Apple was phasing out was nicknamed the "Isaac".^[67] The blog described it as a modified iPhone with a Bluetooth credit card reader "physically taped to the back".^[67]

Rossmann linked to the Live Speedy video of the iPhone purchase in a comment he pinned under one of his own YouTube videos, calling it a live look at "what this connect and personalize process looks like on a real purchase".^[7][68] After the Connect & Personalize step, the person handling the sale asked whether the buyer wanted AppleCare monthly or yearly, and the buyer declined both.^[69]

On February 2, 2025, the Apple news sites MacRumors and 9to5Mac reported, citing Gurman, that starting the next week Apple's retail stores would sell AppleCare+ only as a subscription, no longer as a one-time purchase.^[70][71] MacRumors gave an example: AppleCare+ for the iPhone 16 Pro Max cost $9.99 per month, or $199 upfront for 2 years.^[70] MacRumors wrote that the upfront option would no longer be available at Apple's stores.^[70] MacRumors also wrote that it was unclear whether the change was limited to the US or would apply worldwide.^[70]

On February 4, 2025, 9to5Mac reported that for AppleCare+ bought in a physical Apple Store or through a device's Settings app, "subscriptions are now the only option", offered monthly or annually.^[72] The report said a one-time payment was still available when buying a product from Apple's website.^[72]

Under Apple's US AppleCare+ terms, each service for accidental damage from handling carries a fee; for an iPhone, the terms list US$99 for "Other Accidental Damage", excluding applicable taxes.^[36] The terms say the plan is offered and valid only in the 50 US states and the District of Columbia.^[36]