Cancel Guitar Tricks: The Right Way

How to cancel Guitar Tricks and protect your rights as a UK subscriber

Understanding Guitar Tricks and what you're paying for

Guitar Tricks is one of the longest-established online guitar learning platforms, offering video tutorials and structured lessons to students across the United Kingdom and beyond. When you subscribe, you enter a binding contract with the service, and understanding what you've agreed to is your first step toward cancelling with confidence. At Tocancel, we've helped thousands of consumers navigate subscription cancellations like this one, and we know that clarity starts with knowing exactly what you're signed up for.

The platform works on a subscription model: you pay upfront for a period of access, ranging from one month to a full year, and you gain entry to their entire library of lessons, tutorials and interactive content. Your membership renews automatically unless you take action to stop it. This automatic renewal is standard in the industry, but it's also where most people get caught out: bills keep appearing on your statement long after you've stopped using the service.

The good news is that UK consumer law is on your side. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you statutory rights that protect you, even if Guitar Tricks' terms and conditions seem to suggest otherwise. Tocancel recommends reading this guide fully before you act, so you know exactly what rights you have and how to exercise them effectively.

How the subscription model works

Guitar Tricks operates on a tiered pricing system: you choose a plan length, pay the full amount or set up recurring payments, and get immediate access to all lessons. Monthly plans are the most flexible but come at a higher per-month cost. Annual plans offer better value but lock you in for twelve months. Quarterly options sit in the middle.

Here's the critical bit: your money is not held in escrow. The moment your payment clears, Guitar Tricks has it. So if you cancel mid-way through a plan, you'll need to argue for a refund based on consumer law, not on the service's discretion.

Automatic renewal and why it matters

When your subscription period ends, Guitar Tricks automatically bills you for the next cycle using your saved payment method. You won't get a warning email that says "pay now or lose access." Instead, you'll simply see a charge on your card statement. This is legal, but only if Guitar Tricks gave you clear information about the renewal terms before you paid, which UK law requires.

This automatic renewal trap catches thousands of subscribers every year. You think you've cancelled, but you actually just let the membership lapse, then a new charge appears three months later and you realise you never actually stopped the billing. Tocancel's advice: do not assume inaction equals cancellation. You must actively cancel through their system.

Your consumer rights and what they mean for you

UK law is designed to protect you when you cancel a subscription service, even if the company tries to make the process difficult.

The consumer rights act 2015

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have the right to cancel a subscription contract within 14 calendar days of purchase, without giving a reason. This is called your "cooling-off period." If Guitar Tricks took your money, you entered a contract, and you're a consumer (not a business), this right applies to you.

After the 14-day window closes, you can still cancel, but Guitar Tricks can charge you for the service you've already used. This is fair and lawful. However, if the company makes cancellation deliberately difficult, fails to process your request, or continues to bill you after you've cancelled, you have grounds to escalate your complaint through the consumer protection system.

Consumer contracts regulations 2013

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 require that Guitar Tricks gives you transparent information about cancellation before you buy. They must tell you how to cancel, what fees apply, and whether your money will be refunded. If they buried this information in dense terms and conditions or failed to highlight it clearly, they've broken the law.

Your legal position: you have the right to cancel a subscription and recover payment if you're within the cooling-off period or if the company has not complied with pre-contract information rules. You can enforce this by complaining to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, who can escalate to Trading Standards or the Financial Conduct Authority depending on circumstances.

Distance selling and your statutory rights

Guitar Tricks is a distance-sold service, meaning you bought it online without face-to-face contact. This triggers additional protections under UK consumer law. The company must provide you with a cancellation mechanism that mirrors the ease of purchase: if you subscribed with two clicks, they must let you unsubscribe with two clicks.

If Guitar Tricks forces you to ring a number, fill a form by post or jump through hoops, they may be in breach of distance selling rules. Tocancel recommends documenting how you tried to cancel and what obstacles you faced, in case you need to escalate your complaint later.

Subscription pricing and your payment commitment

Understanding what you're paying each month helps you decide whether cancellation makes financial sense or whether you should wait for your contract period to end.

Current membership plans and costs

Below is a breakdown of what you're likely paying, depending on which plan you chose when you signed up:

Promotional trial periods or discounted initial rates may apply depending on when and how you signed up. If you purchased during a special offer, your cancellation rights might differ slightly: some trial periods lock you into a follow-on contract, while others end automatically. Check your confirmation email to see what you signed up for.

Why plan length matters for cancellation

If you're on a monthly plan, cancelling costs you minimal money: you'll lose access at the end of the current month, but you won't be forced to pay for months you don't use. If you're on an annual plan and you're six months in, you've paid £179.95 and used half the service. Cancelling now means requesting a refund for six months of unused access, which Guitar Tricks will likely refuse unless you cite consumer law.

This is why the cooling-off period matters: if you subscribed last week and changed your mind, you can cancel within 14 days and recover your full payment. After 14 days, you're entitled to cancel but not to a refund unless the company has breached their legal obligations.

When and why you should cancel Guitar Tricks

Cancelling makes sense in specific situations, and Tocancel wants you to make an informed decision based on your circumstances and rights.

Reasons to cancel

You might cancel because you've learned what you came for and no longer need the lessons. You might have switched to an in-person tutor or another platform you prefer. You might be facing financial hardship and need to cut subscription costs. You might have discovered that Guitar Tricks doesn't teach the style of music you want to play. All of these are valid reasons, and none of them require you to negotiate with the company: you have the right to cancel.

You should absolutely cancel if you've stopped using the service but forgotten to turn off automatic renewal. Every month or quarter you're paying for something you're not touching is a wasted expense, and UK consumer law lets you recover that money if you act quickly.

Reasons to keep your subscription

Keep your subscription if you're using the lessons regularly and you're satisfied with the content and pace. Keep it if you're partway through a structured course and you want to finish before stopping. Keep it if you're on a promotional rate that will increase if you cancel and resubscribe later.

If you're on an annual plan and you've just paid the full amount, cancelling immediately means losing a large refund entitlement (because you've only used the service for days). It may make more sense to continue using it for a few weeks or months to get value, then cancel closer to the renewal date. Tocancel advises checking the exact date your contract renews so you can cancel just before that date and avoid an unwanted automatic charge.

How to cancel Guitar Tricks step-by-step

The cancellation process varies depending on whether you signed up through the Guitar Tricks website or an app, and whether you set up a direct subscription or used a third-party payment platform.

Cancelling through the Guitar Tricks website or app

Follow these steps to cancel your subscription directly through Guitar Tricks:

1. Log in to your Guitar Tricks account on the website or app using your email and password.
2. Navigate to your account settings or profile section (usually found in a menu marked "My Account" or "Settings").
   • On the website, this is typically in the top right corner or in a hamburger menu.
   • On the app, swipe left or tap a menu icon to access settings.
3. Look for a section labeled "Subscription," "Billing," "Membership" or "Payment Method."
4. Select the option to "Cancel Subscription," "Downgrade" or "Manage Subscription."
5. Guitar Tricks will ask why you're cancelling and may offer a discount to keep you. You're not obliged to accept: click "Cancel Anyway" or the equivalent button.
6. You'll see a confirmation screen showing your cancellation has been processed and your access will end on a specific date. Screenshot or write down this date.
7. Check your email for a cancellation confirmation from Guitar Tricks within 24 hours. If you don't receive one, log back in and verify the subscription is no longer listed as active.

Cancelling a subscription you don't remember setting up

If you can't find your Guitar Tricks login or you can't remember how you signed up, take these steps:

1. Go to the Guitar Tricks website homepage and look for a "Sign In" link.
   • Enter the email address you think you used. If nothing matches, try other email addresses you use regularly.
   • Click "Forgot Password" to reset your account access.
2. Once you're logged in, proceed with the cancellation steps above.
3. If you can't log in even after resetting your password, contact Guitar Tricks customer service directly (see contact details at the end of this guide). Give them your full name, the email address on file, and ask them to either cancel your subscription or walk you through the cancellation process on your behalf.
4. Request written confirmation of cancellation by email. Do not hang up or close the chat until they confirm they've sent it to your email address.

Cancelling a third-party subscription

If you subscribed to Guitar Tricks through Apple ID, Google Play, PayPal or another payment platform, you may not be able to cancel directly through Guitar Tricks. Instead, you'll need to cancel through your payment provider:

1. Open the App Store, Google Play Store, Apple TV, PayPal, or the relevant payment app you used.
   • Navigate to "Subscriptions" or "Billing."
   • Find Guitar Tricks in the list of active subscriptions.
   • Select "Cancel Subscription" or "Turn Off Auto-Renewal."
   • Confirm the cancellation.
2. After cancelling through the third party, log in to your Guitar Tricks account and verify that the subscription status shows as cancelled or inactive.
3. You'll receive a cancellation email from the payment provider (Apple, Google, etc.), not directly from Guitar Tricks. Keep this email as proof of cancellation.

What happens after you cancel

Cancelling your subscription doesn't instantly delete your account or your progress, but your access will stop on a specific date.

Access and data after cancellation

After your cancellation date, you will no longer be able to stream lessons, download videos or access interactive features. However, Guitar Tricks typically allows you to log in and view your account for a limited time (usually 30 days) to download any notes or bookmarks you've created. After that period, your data may be deleted, so save anything you want to keep before the access period ends.

Your account login details will remain stored on Guitar Tricks' servers unless you formally request account deletion. This is standard practice and allows you to resubscribe later without losing your progress history.

Refund claims and timeline

If you're within 14 days of purchase, Guitar Tricks should refund your full payment automatically or within 14 days of your cancellation request. Check your original payment method: the refund will appear as a credit back to the card or account you used to subscribe.

If you're outside the 14-day window, you can still request a refund if you can show that Guitar Tricks failed to provide transparent cancellation information before you paid, or if they've made cancellation deliberately difficult. To make this claim, follow the escalation process outlined in the "Refund disputes" section below.

Automatic renewal charges after cancellation

Once you've cancelled, no further charges should appear on your statement. However, check your bank or card account for 30 days after cancellation to confirm no unexpected debits occur. If a charge appears after you've cancelled, contact Guitar Tricks immediately and ask them to reverse it as a billing error. If they refuse, escalate to your bank or payment provider and dispute the charge.

Tocancel advises taking a screenshot of your cancellation confirmation and your bank statement showing no further charges. This evidence is invaluable if you need to escalate a complaint later.

How to claim a refund and what you're entitled to

Your refund entitlement depends on when you cancel and whether Guitar Tricks has complied with consumer law.

Refunds within the cooling-off period

If you cancel within 14 calendar days of your initial purchase, you're entitled to a full refund of everything you've paid, regardless of how much you've used the service. This is your statutory cooling-off right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, and Guitar Tricks cannot refuse it.

To claim your cooling-off refund, submit your cancellation request and include a brief note saying "I am exercising my legal right to cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period." Guitar Tricks should process this refund within 14 days of receiving your request. The refund should go back to your original payment method automatically.

Refunds outside the cooling-off period

After 14 days, you can still cancel, but Guitar Tricks is allowed to charge you for the service you've used up to that point. However, you may still be entitled to a partial refund if:

• You can show Guitar Tricks failed to provide clear pre-contract cancellation information before you subscribed.
• You can demonstrate that the cancellation process was deliberately made inaccessible or unreasonably difficult.
• You're cancelling because the service does not match what was promised (e.g., lesson content is of poor quality or different from the product description).
• You're a victim of automatic renewal abuse: the company renewed your subscription without your express consent.

In these cases, contact Guitar Tricks in writing and explain why you believe a refund is due. Keep copies of all correspondence. If they refuse, you can escalate to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service or Trading Standards, who will investigate on your behalf.

Chargeback and payment provider escalation

If Guitar Tricks refuses to refund you and you believe you have a valid claim under consumer law, you can contact your bank or payment provider and request a chargeback. Explain that you cancelled the subscription but the company refused to refund the charges or continued billing after cancellation.

Your bank can reverse charges if they believe the merchant has breached consumer protection rules. This process takes 7 to 10 working days and requires evidence, so provide screenshots of your cancellation confirmation, your bank statements, and any correspondence with Guitar Tricks.

Common mistakes people make when cancelling

Many people believe they've cancelled only to discover charges reappear weeks later. Here are the traps Tocancel sees most often, and how to avoid them.

Mistaking pause for cancel

Some subscription services offer a "pause" option that temporarily stops your access but keeps the subscription active and renewing. If you click "pause" instead of "cancel," your membership will restart automatically after the pause period ends, and you'll be billed again. Always look for the word "cancel" or "end subscription," not "pause" or "suspend."

Not checking your confirmation email

After you cancel, Guitar Tricks sends a confirmation email showing the exact date your access will end and confirming that no further charges will occur. If you don't receive this email within 24 hours, your cancellation may not have gone through. Log back in and check whether your subscription still shows as active. If it does, repeat the cancellation process or contact customer service to confirm.

Forgetting to cancel third-party subscriptions

If you signed up through Apple, Google Play or PayPal but then tried to cancel directly through Guitar Tricks' website, the third-party subscription might still be active. The two systems sometimes don't sync automatically. Cancel through both your payment provider and the Guitar Tricks website to be safe. Tocancel recommends checking both systems 48 hours after cancellation to confirm nothing is still billing.

Deleting the app without cancelling the subscription

Uninstalling the Guitar Tricks app does not cancel your subscription. The app is just a way to access the service; your billing subscription exists independently in Guitar Tricks' database. You must follow the cancellation steps above, whether or not you keep the app on your phone.

Assuming the trial period cancels automatically

If you signed up for a free or discounted trial period, read the fine print carefully. Some trial offers convert automatically to a paid subscription at the end, others don't. If yours does, you'll be charged unless you cancel before the trial ends. Mark the trial end date in your calendar and cancel 2 days before that date to be safe.

Your cancellation checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your cancellation is complete and you're protected:

How tocancel can help you stay on top of subscriptions

Cancelling a subscription should be straightforward, but companies often make the process deliberately confusing to keep you paying. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions, claim refunds and protect their rights when companies refuse to cooperate.

If you need guidance navigating the cancellation process, want help drafting a complaint letter or need to escalate a dispute with Guitar Tricks, Tocancel provides free, impartial advice based on UK consumer law. We help you understand your rights, take confident action and hold companies accountable.

Escalation: what to do if Guitar Tricks refuses to cancel

Most cancellation requests are processed smoothly, but sometimes companies push back, ignore your request or continue billing you after you've asked them to stop.

Direct escalation with Guitar Tricks

If your cancellation is not processed within 5 working days, or if charges continue after you've cancelled, send a formal written complaint to Guitar Tricks' customer service team. Email their support address (found on their website or in your confirmation emails) and include:

• Your full name and account email address
• Your subscription plan type (monthly, quarterly, annual)
• The date you submitted your cancellation request
• A screenshot of your cancellation confirmation (if you have one)
• A list of any charges that appeared after you cancelled
• A clear statement: "I am requesting confirmation that my subscription has been cancelled and that no further charges will be made to my account. Please respond within 5 working days."

Send this email from the email address registered to your account, and keep a copy of your outgoing email as proof you sent the complaint.

Citizens advice consumer service

If Guitar Tricks doesn't respond to your escalation email within 5 working days, or if they refuse to cancel or refund you, escalate to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. This is a free, independent service run by the UK government to help consumers resolve disputes with companies.

Contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service online at: citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/our-work/policy/policy-issues/consumer-policy-issues-and-consultation/consumer-policy-research-topics/scams-and-unfair-trading/regulated-services-redress/

You can also call them on 0808 223 1133 (free phone line). They'll investigate your complaint and can force Guitar Tricks to refund you or comply with the law if they've breached consumer protection rules.

Trading standards

Trading Standards is the local authority body responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws in your area. If Guitar Tricks continues to bill you after cancellation, or if they've engaged in aggressive or deceptive trading practices, you can report them to your local Trading Standards office.

Find your local Trading Standards on the Citizens Advice website (search "Trading Standards" plus your town or postcode). Provide them with evidence of your cancellation request, any charges that followed, and copies of your correspondence with Guitar Tricks.

Guitar Tricks contact and cancellation address

Use the following information to contact Guitar Tricks for cancellation requests, refund claims or customer service escalations:

Online support: Visit the Guitar Tricks website and navigate to their "Contact Us" page. Look for a live chat function, contact form or email address. This is the fastest way to initiate cancellation.

Email: Check your Guitar Tricks confirmation email or your account settings for the support email address. Common support addresses include [email protected] or [email protected]. If you can't find the email, search "Guitar Tricks support email" on their official website.

Phone: Guitar Tricks customer service is available by phone. The number is usually listed on their website's contact page or in your account settings.

Mailing address: If you need to send a formal cancellation letter by post, Guitar Tricks may accept mail at Guitar Village, the UK-based address sometimes associated with their postal support. However, Tocancel strongly recommends cancelling through the website or app first, as this is faster and leaves a digital trail. Only use postal cancellation as a last resort if online methods fail.

For any cancellation request, keep records of all communication (emails, screenshots, dates) in case you need to escalate your complaint to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service or Trading Standards later.

Summary: take control of your subscription

Cancelling Guitar Tricks is your right under UK consumer law, and you can exercise that right at any time. Within 14 days of purchase, you're entitled to a full refund with no questions asked. After 14 days, you can cancel, but Guitar Tricks can charge for the service you've used unless the company has breached consumer protection rules.

Your key responsibilities are to cancel actively through the official system (not by deleting the app or assuming inaction equals cancellation), to verify your cancellation in writing, and to monitor your bank statement for unexpected charges. If Guitar Tricks refuses to process your cancellation or continues billing you, escalate to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, who have the power to force refunds and punish illegal trading practices.

Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions, recover wrongful charges and hold companies accountable when they ignore cancellation requests. If you face resistance from Guitar Tricks or need support understanding your consumer rights, Tocancel is here to empower you with clear, actionable advice. You have the law on your side: take control of your subscription today.