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After School: CASE 10

The subscription kept charging

Subscriptions, scams, consumer protection

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1: STORY

What happened?

The student remembers an introductory price and is surprised by continuing charges. Source A actually specifies a paid first month at $4.99, followed by $14.99 monthly until cancellation. These are not free-trial or annual-plan terms. A complaint about a different offer would miss what the records establish.

Source B records charges on May 2, June 2 and July 2. It confirms a recurring pattern, but the excerpt does not supply each amount or a record of earlier cancellation attempts. The student cannot prove from this list alone that the provider charged the wrong price or ignored a cancellation. Those questions need additional records.

Source C confirms cancellation on July 4, continued access through August 1 and no further renewals. Access and renewal are separate states here. Continuing to use already available service after July 4 would not by itself show that cancellation failed. The confirmation is the clearest record of when cancellation took effect in the supplied packet.

Keep a dated evidence file. July 2 precedes the July 4 cancellation, so that earlier charge raises a separate refund question the confirmation cannot answer. Save terms, billing history and confirmation, monitor later renewals, and ask about a disputed charge using its date and amount.

2: EVIDENCE

Open the receipts.

These are NPW practice documents. Real-world sources are credited separately below.

SOURCE A — Subscription terms

NPW practice document. $4.99 first month; renews $14.99 monthly until canceled.

What it establishes: Shows renewal.

Question while reading: What date/price change should be placed on a calendar?

SOURCE B — Account billing history

NPW practice document. Charges on May 2, Jun 2, Jul 2.

What it establishes: Shows recurring charges.

Question while reading: Does it show whether cancellation was attempted?

SOURCE C — Cancellation confirmation

NPW practice document. “Canceled July 4; access through Aug. 1; no further renewals.”

What it establishes: Establishes cancellation date/effect.

Question while reading: Which prior charge is still a separate dispute question?

A establishes an introductory month followed by recurring monthly pricing. B verifies charge dates, not the amounts, the starting date of the promotion or any earlier cancellation attempt. A timeline can show what happened before what, while leaving those facts unresolved. It cannot establish a refund entitlement without the applicable terms and facts.

C is evidence of the July 4 cancellation and its stated effect. August 1 is the end of access, not a new renewal deadline stated in the receipt. Keep any proposed calendar reminder separate from an actual contractual deadline. A later charge would create a new comparison between the account history and the saved cancellation confirmation.

3: PRACTICE

Try your read.

Which statement best matches the timeline?
Check the reasoning

C separates continued access from future renewal. It gives no refund determination for the charge that B records before cancellation.

Responses stay in this browser. Use “Download my notes” to keep a copy.

4: TASK

Create a renewal calendar and evidence file.

Create a renewal calendar and evidence file. Include one clear claim or question, at least two source references, one statement of uncertainty/scope, the person or office with relevant authority, and one realistic next step.

Compare with a worked response

Evidence file: save A's $4.99 introductory-month and $14.99 monthly-renewal terms; save B's May 2, June 2 and July 2 charges with actual amounts when available; save C's July 4 cancellation and August 1 access end. Calendar: mark those dates, note no further renewals after cancellation, and set a personal reminder to check the next statement. July 2 came before July 4, so its refund status is a separate unanswered question. I would ask billing support about that specific charge and the refund terms. Neither B nor C proves an earlier cancellation attempt or guarantees a refund.

Before you close the case

  • What is one thing the strongest source establishes?
  • What can it not establish?
  • Who can decide or clarify the issue?
  • What changed between your first read and your read now?

One step further

What evidence would you compare if a new monthly charge appeared after the saved cancellation confirmation?

Behind the Case: educator notes

45–55 min core, 80–100 min full

Teaching moves

  • Ask students to correct the opening claim using A: this packet concerns a paid introductory month and monthly renewal, not a free annual trial.
  • Place July 2, July 4 and August 1 on a timeline. Require separate labels for charge, cancellation and access end.
  • Have learners build an evidence folder index rather than expose real subscriptions. Check that calendar reminders are labeled as personal actions, not invented provider deadlines.

Supports and response choices

  • Preview the three most important terms with examples.
  • Allow oral, typed, handwritten, or visual-map response when format is not the learning goal.
  • Keep the original source excerpt beside a plain-language annotation.
  • Keep formal English institutional terms visible beside translated explanation.
  • Advanced extension: compare the practice document with a real current local source.
CriterionBeginningDevelopingStrongAdvanced
Accuracy & scopeRepeats claim.Mostly accurate; scope incomplete.Accurate and properly scoped.Accurate, scoped, and explicit about uncertainty.
EvidenceLittle or unrelated.Relevant source, sometimes overstated.Explains what sources establish.Compares sources and limits.
AuthorityNames actor without role.Plausible authority.Explains who decides and why.Maps proposal, approval, implementation, review.
CommunicationVague or audience-mismatched.Main point understandable.Clear, specific, audience-aware.Clear, accessible, precise, well-qualified.