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In 2017, Clare Lane purchased two pairs of leggings from Fabletics, an online sportswear company co-founded by actress Kate Hudson. At the time, she believed this was a single, one-off purchase. However, seven years later, Clare discovered that she had unknowingly been subscribed to the company’s monthly membership plan, resulting in payments totaling nearly £5,000. It was only when she and her husband switched credit cards in October of this year that she realized the continuous deductions from their joint bank account.
Clare recounted to BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours that she had never intended to enter into a subscription commitment and was unaware of the arrangement until she reviewed her credit card statements. Upon examining the records, she was shocked to see consistent monthly charges of approximately £50 being made to Fabletics over the course of several years. The process of seeking refunds proved to be complicated, involving numerous emails, phone calls, formal letters, and attempts to reclaim funds through her credit card provider and local Trading Standards authorities. Eventually, Fabletics refunded most of her money, though Clare emphasized the difficulty of the experience.
Fabletics is recognized for pioneering subscription-based fashion, running a “VIP” membership where customers pay £59.99 monthly to receive store credit valid only for purchasing their products. The company, which has collaborated with celebrities such as Lizzo and Khloe Kardashian, reported close to £20 million in revenue in the UK for 2024. According to Mark Ralea, Fabletics’ general manager for Europe, the firm notifies customers four times during the purchase process about the subscription and maintains that canceling is straightforward. However, several customers shared with the BBC that the subscription nature was unclear, and Clare noted that Fabletics’ emails often ended up in her junk mail folder.
Other customers have faced similar issues. For instance, Lowri De Gennaro from Wales discovered 30 months after buying leggings that she had been charged monthly fees for a VIP membership totaling over £1,600, only partly refunded by the company. Another woman from Scotland reported losing £2,000 due to the subscription and described the experience as physically distressing. While Fabletics defends its subscription model as sustainable and transparent, with credits usable on products and a claim of being fair compared to other memberships, the company also expects customers to regularly review their statements, suggesting personal responsibility is necessary. Meanwhile, UK legislation aimed at curbing such “subscription traps” has been delayed until at least next autumn, despite concerns over the estimated £1.6 billion lost annually by consumers on unwanted subscriptions
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