Teardown: Find the Dark Patterns in a Subscription Cancellation Flow
Objective: Given three synthetic screens from a subscription-cancellation flow, identify the specific dark pattern on each screen, name which is a legitimate save-offer versus which crosses the ethical line, and cite the regulation or lesson principle each defect violates.
You're a UX auditor hired by Rent the Runway ahead of a compliance review. Customer complaints describe the cancellation flow as 'impossible to find.' You've been given a synthetic (not real) walkthrough of three screens to assess.
Read each screen's specimen text, identify the defect(s), separate real dark patterns from legitimate retention tactics, and cite what each defect violates.
Before you start
What you'll need
Free path (everything below is enough to finish)
Free, structured enough to build a shareable audit doc
The process
Specimens to review
What dark pattern(s) does this screen use, and which lesson principle does each violate?
Screen 1 of the cancellation flow: clicking 'Manage Subscription' opens a full-screen autoplaying video of a sad-looking dog, captioned 'Wait... are you sure? Members save 40% vs. renting individually.' The only large, colored button reads 'Keep My Subscription.' The actual path to cancel is a 10px light-gray line of text at the very bottom of the screen: 'no, I don't want to save money.'
Specimen: synthetic, realistic
What dark pattern(s) does this screen use, and which lesson principle or rule does it violate?
Screen 2: after finding and clicking the gray link, a modal reads 'To cancel, please call our Member Success team at 1-800-555-0134, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST. Average hold time: 22 minutes.' There is no email, chat, or self-serve cancel button anywhere on the account page.
Specimen: synthetic, realistic
What dark pattern(s) does this screen reveal, and which lesson principle does it violate?
Screen 3 (only reachable after the phone call): the rep says 'Your cancellation is processed, but your card will still be charged for the current cycle that has already started, there's no proration.' This policy is not disclosed anywhere on the signup page, the pricing page, or the account settings screen.
Specimen: synthetic, realistic
Final deliverable
A three-screen defect log naming each dark pattern, its severity, the lesson/regulatory principle it violates, and which defects are legitimate retention tactics versus which cross the line.
See a reference example
HelloFresh cancellation flow, defect log (excerpt) Screen 1, 'pause instead?' offer Severity: none Legitimate save-offer, clearly labeled, real alternative Screen 2, cancel button color-matched Severity: cosmetic Same size as 'Keep Plan' but 80% lower contrast Screen 3, requires a reason from a dropdown before cancel unlocks Severity: moderate Adds a mandatory step signup never required Screen 4, confirmation email omits the actual cancellation date Severity: moderate Customer can't verify the cancel took effect
Success criteria
You're done when you can:
- All 3 screens have at least one correctly identified defect with the right severity
- Distractors are correctly excluded from the answer, not flagged as defects