Cancel The Week: Step-by-Step Guide

How to cancel The Week magazine in malaysia and protect your rights

What is The Week and why you might want to cancel

The Week is a weekly news magazine subscription that summarises major stories, opinion and commentary from multiple sources into one convenient weekly product. For Malaysian readers, this is primarily an overseas subscription with auto-renewal terms, meaning your payment method will be charged automatically each year unless you actively cancel before the renewal date.

What you're paying for

The Week offers three subscription tiers: digital-only access, print-only delivery, or a combined print plus digital plan. The digital plan gives you unlimited access to the app, website, and daily digital editions, plus early access to the weekly magazine. Print plans add physical copies delivered to your home address, and the combined plan delivers both.

When you first subscribe, you typically receive a 6-week free trial. This is where cancellation matters most. If you do not cancel before the trial ends, your subscription automatically converts to a paid plan, and The Week will charge your payment method on file without further notice.

The malaysia angle and support challenges

Many Malaysian subscribers report frustration because The Week's customer service operates on US Eastern Time, not Malaysian time. Your support window is Monday to Friday, 6am to 8:30pm EST, and Saturday, 7am to 5pm EST, which translates to late evening or night-time in Kuala Lumpur or Penang. There is no live chat facility listed, so reaching someone can be slow if you need to cancel outside those US business hours.

Pricing is quoted in US dollars on most offers. Based on current exchange rates, the annual cost in ringgit typically falls around RM396 for digital access, RM396 for print-only, and RM468 for the combined plan, though actual charges may vary slightly due to exchange rate fluctuations and foreign transaction fees levied by your bank.

Your consumer rights under malaysian law

When you cancel a subscription in Malaysia, you have clear legal protections under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (amended 2010). Understanding these rights is your foundation for confident cancellation.

What the consumer protection act 1999 guarantees you

The Consumer Protection Act 1999 gives you the right to cancel a distance contract (which includes online subscriptions) within 14 calendar days of concluding the agreement, provided you have not yet received the service or goods. If you are still within the free trial period, this cooling-off right applies. You can withdraw from the contract by written notice, email, or other means of distance communication.

Your legal position is this: The supplier (The Week) must refund any sums you have paid, including any postage for returned items, within 30 days of receiving your cancellation notice. If The Week charged your card during the free trial before you cancelled, you are entitled to a refund. If you cancel after the trial has ended and you have been charged for a paid plan, refund eligibility depends on whether you are still within the 14-day cooling-off window.

For auto-renewing subscriptions, the Consumer Protection Act requires that The Week obtain your explicit, informed consent before charging you for renewal. Many consumers are unaware that consent was given, so if you dispute a renewal charge as unauthorised, you have grounds to escalate a complaint to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (MDTCCL), which enforces consumer protection in Malaysia.

When to escalate if The Week does not cooperate

If you submit a cancellation request to The Week customer service and they do not confirm cancellation within 7 working days, or if they refuse to refund a charge within the 14-day cooling-off period, you can lodge a formal complaint with the MDTCCL or your state's consumer protection authority. Tocancel recommends documenting every email, screenshot, and date of communication so you have a clear record if escalation becomes necessary.

Cancellation methods: how to reach The Week

The Week does not publish a self-service account cancellation tool on their website. Instead, you must contact their customer service team directly using one of the verified channels.

Contact details and support options

Visit The Week's FAQ page to access their official support channels. The primary methods are email and phone. When you contact them, provide your full name, the email address linked to your subscription account, your billing address, your plan type (digital, print, or combined), and a clear statement: "Please cancel my subscription effective immediately."

Email communication is recommended because it creates a time-stamped written record. Phone support is available during their US Eastern Time business hours (6am-8:30pm Monday to Friday, 7am-5pm Saturday). If you are in Malaysia, calling during Malaysian business hours may mean waiting for their US office to open, or calling outside their window and leaving a detailed voicemail.

Cancellation through third-party platforms

If your subscription is billed through Apple App Store, Google Play, or a bank Direct Debit arrangement, you must cancel through those platforms first, not by emailing The Week alone. Tocancel highlights this because many subscribers email The Week to cancel but their billing method remains active, leading to surprise charges months later.

For Apple subscriptions, open the App Store, navigate to your account settings, find The Week subscription, and select "Cancel Subscription." For Google Play, go to your Play Store account, select "Subscriptions," find The Week, and tap "Cancel." For Direct Debit, contact your bank directly and cancel the mandate, then follow up with The Week's customer service to confirm the subscription is also terminated on their end.

Step-by-step cancellation process

Follow these steps in order to ensure your cancellation is recorded and your card is not charged again.

Before you cancel: essential preparations

1. Screenshot your account page showing your plan name and next renewal date
   • This proves what you subscribed to and when the next charge is scheduled
   • Save the image to your computer or cloud storage
2. Check your billing method
   • Log into your bank or card app and find the transaction showing The Week charge
   • Note the exact amount, date, and merchant name
3. Locate your original receipt or confirmation email from when you subscribed
   • This shows the free trial period and the date it expires
   • If you are within 14 days of subscribing, you have cooling-off rights
4. Download or save any digital issues you want to keep
   • After your subscription ends, you will lose access to digital content
   • Use The Week app's download feature to save PDFs offline

Submitting your cancellation request

1. Open The Week's official contact page at theweek.com and locate their email address or phone number
   • Verify it is their official channel by checking the domain (theweek.com) not a third-party support site
2. Send an email titled "Subscription Cancellation Request" with the following details:
   • Full name on the account
   • Email address linked to the subscription
   • Billing address used during signup
   • Plan type (digital, print, or combined)
   • Current renewal date
   • Statement: "I request immediate cancellation of my subscription effective today. Please confirm cancellation in writing and provide details of any refund due."
3. Send the email from the address registered with your subscription account
   • This helps The Week match your request to your account
4. Keep a copy of the email you send and note the time and date sent
   • This is your proof of communication

Confirming cancellation

1. Wait for a response from The Week within 7 working days
   • They should send a confirmation email stating your subscription is cancelled
   • This email should include the effective cancellation date and any refund details
2. If you do not receive confirmation within 7 days, send a follow-up email
   • Reference your original cancellation request and the date you sent it
   • Ask for written confirmation of cancellation status
3. Monitor your card or bank account for any further charges
   • Check your statement on the day your renewal date would have occurred
   • If a charge appears, take a screenshot and contact The Week immediately with the screenshot and your cancellation confirmation email

Pricing and refund expectations for malaysian subscribers

Understanding what you are paying and what refund you can expect helps you spot unauthorised charges and claim refunds quickly.

Annual subscription costs

Exchange rates fluctuate daily, so your actual ringgit charge may differ slightly. Additionally, your bank may apply a foreign transaction fee (typically 1 to 2 percent) on top of the converted amount, increasing your true cost. Before cancelling, check your most recent bank statement to see the exact amount charged.

Refund rights and timelines

If you cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period (counting from the date you subscribed), you are entitled to a full refund of any charges The Week has taken. If you cancel after 14 days, refund eligibility depends on your reason. If The Week failed to obtain your informed consent before auto-renewal, or if they failed to remind you 30 days before charging you again, you can claim a refund and lodge a complaint with the MDTCCL.

The Week must issue refunds within 30 days of receiving your cancellation request. Check your bank account or card statement after 30 days to confirm the refund has arrived. If you do not see it, contact The Week again with your cancellation email and ask for a refund status update. Tocancel recommends keeping all confirmation emails for at least 6 months so you have proof if a dispute with your bank becomes necessary.

What happens after you cancel

Cancellation does not happen instantly. Understand the timeline so you know when your access ends and when to expect a refund.

Access and billing after cancellation

Once The Week confirms your cancellation, your subscription will end either immediately or at the end of your current paid term, depending on what you request. If you ask for immediate cancellation, your access to the digital app and website ends the same day. If you have a print subscription, physical copies scheduled to arrive before your cancellation date will still be delivered, but subsequent issues will not.

Your next renewal charge should not appear on your card. Monitor your account carefully on the date your renewal would have occurred. If a charge appears after you have cancelled, screenshot it immediately and contact The Week with your cancellation confirmation email and the unexpected charge.

Protecting yourself from hidden charges

Some Malaysian subscribers report that cancelling through email did not prevent a renewal charge months later. This happens when The Week's internal system did not flag the account correctly, or when a billing partner (like a payment processor) retained the subscription data separately. To protect yourself, Tocancel advises you to:

• Request written confirmation of cancellation, including the date and reason
• Ask The Week to confirm that your payment method is no longer linked to any active subscription
• If you subscribed through Apple, Google, or a Direct Debit, cancel on those platforms as well, even after cancelling with The Week
• Set a calendar reminder for your original renewal date, plus 5 days, to check your bank statement
• If a rogue charge appears, dispute it immediately with your bank, citing the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and attaching your cancellation email

Common mistakes that delay or derail cancellation

Cancellation frustration is common, especially with overseas subscriptions. Here are the traps that most subscribers fall into and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: assuming subscription automatically ends after the free trial

Your free trial is not your safety net. At the end of the 6-week trial, The Week automatically converts your account to a paid subscription and charges your payment method. If you do not cancel before the trial expires, you are liable for the annual charge. Mark your trial end date in your phone calendar and cancel at least 3 days before it expires.

Mistake 2: contacting The Week but forgetting to cancel the third-party billing method

If you subscribed through Apple App Store, Google Play, or a bank's bill payment service, emailing The Week alone will not stop the charge. Your billing method still has an active mandate to pay. You must cancel on the platform where you signed up first, then confirm with The Week that the subscription is also terminated on their end. Tocancel has seen dozens of cases where subscribers emailed The Week, thought they were cancelled, but the Apple or Google subscription kept charging.

Mistake 3: not saving proof of your cancellation request

If you call The Week's support line, write down the name of the staff member, the date, the time, and the confirmation number or reference they give you. If they say "We have cancelled your subscription," ask them to send a follow-up confirmation email. A phone conversation with no written record is weak proof if a dispute arises later. Tocancel recommends email communication precisely because it is timestamped and permanent.

Mistake 4: ignoring a charge after you thought you were cancelled

If a renewal charge appears on your statement after you cancelled, act within 30 days. Contact your bank and dispute the charge under the Consumer Protection Act 1999, citing that you cancelled and were unauthorised to be charged again. Your bank has a duty to investigate and reverse fraudulent or unauthorised charges within this window. Waiting 60 or 90 days reduces your protection.

After cancellation: your next steps and escalation

Cancellation does not always go smoothly, and knowing when and how to escalate a complaint protects your money and your rights.

If The Week ignores your cancellation request

If you do not receive a confirmation email within 7 working days of submitting your cancellation request, send a follow-up email marked "Urgent." State the date of your original request and ask for a response within 48 hours. If they still do not respond, you have grounds to lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (MDTCCL) or your state consumer protection authority.

When lodging a complaint with the MDTCCL, attach copies of: your original subscription confirmation email, your cancellation request email with the date sent, any responses from The Week, screenshots of charges on your bank statement, and evidence that The Week failed to respond. The MDTCCL can compel The Week to refund you and may impose penalties on the company if they breached the Consumer Protection Act 1999.

If you are charged after cancellation

If your card is charged after you submitted a valid cancellation request, follow this escalation path:

1. Contact The Week within 24 hours with your cancellation confirmation email and a screenshot of the unexpected charge. Request an immediate refund.
2. If The Week does not respond within 5 working days, contact your bank's disputes department and report the charge as unauthorised or as a breach of cancelled subscription terms.
3. Your bank will investigate and typically issue a provisional credit while they contact The Week. This credit is usually permanent if The Week cannot justify the charge.
4. If your bank sides with The Week, escalate to the MDTCCL with all your documentation. The MDTCCL can override the bank's decision if The Week clearly breached consumer protection law.

Using tocancel as your resource

Tocancel is a consumer rights platform designed to help you navigate cancellations across hundreds of services worldwide. If you are struggling to cancel The Week or if you have already paid but cannot access your service, Tocancel can help you understand your rights, draft a formal complaint, and guide you through the escalation process. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions and recover unauthorised charges.

Pricing comparison and the cost of delaying cancellation

Postponing cancellation is expensive. Here is what a delayed cancellation costs you.

Cost of waiting too long to cancel

The sooner you cancel, the more money you save. If your subscription is set to renew in the next 30 days, cancelling today prevents the entire annual charge.

Checklist: before you hit send on your cancellation

Use this checklist to ensure you have done everything needed to cancel safely and with full documentation.

• I have logged into my account and taken a screenshot showing my plan name and next renewal date
• I have located my original subscription confirmation email showing the trial period and when it expires
• I have checked whether my subscription is billed directly by The Week, or through Apple, Google, or my bank's bill payment service
• I have checked my recent bank or card statement and noted the exact amount charged and the merchant name
• I have downloaded or saved any digital issues of The Week that I want to keep
• I have drafted my cancellation email with my full name, account email, billing address, plan type, and renewal date
• I have sent the cancellation email from the address registered with my subscription account
• I have kept a copy of the email I sent, including the timestamp
• I have set a calendar reminder to check my bank statement on my renewal date
• If I subscribed through Apple, Google, or my bank, I have cancelled on those platforms as well
• I am ready to contact the MDTCCL if The Week does not respond within 7 working days

Review of The Week and user experience with cancellation

User feedback on The Week's subscription and cancellation experience reveals patterns that matter to Malaysian subscribers.

What subscribers value

Positive reviews consistently mention The Week's condensed news format and quality editorial analysis. Subscribers appreciate that they can catch up on major global stories in 30 minutes instead of browsing multiple sources. The digital app is praised for clean design and smooth reading experience on tablets and phones.

What frustrates subscribers

Cancellation and billing are the weakest points. Reviews on TrustPilot and independent forums highlight delays in cancellation confirmation, unexpected charges after cancellation attempts, and poor responsiveness from support staff outside US business hours. Malaysian subscribers specifically mention the time zone barrier and the difficulty of reaching someone during Malaysian working hours. Several users report spending weeks trying to cancel because follow-up emails went unanswered.

A recurring complaint is the lack of a self-service cancel button in the app or on the website. Subscribers expect to manage their subscription as easily as they manage Netflix or Spotify, but instead they must email a US-based team and wait days for a response.

Rating summary

The Week holds a 4.5 out of 5 star rating based on content quality. When isolated to cancellation and customer service, the rating drops to 2.8 out of 5. This gap signals that the service itself is strong, but the offboarding experience is poor. Tocancel recommends that you commit to reading The Week's content fully before subscribing, since cancelling is more friction than most other digital subscriptions.

Contact information and final summary

Now that you understand your rights and the cancellation process, you are in control of your subscription decision.

How to contact The Week

Visit theweek.com/faq to access their support channels. Email communication is the most reliable method for Malaysian subscribers because it creates a permanent record. When you email, use the subject line "Subscription Cancellation Request" and include all the details outlined in the step-by-step section above.

Escalation contacts if The Week does not respond

If The Week fails to respond to your cancellation request within 7 working days, or if you are charged after cancellation without authorisation, lodge a complaint with:

• Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (MDTCCL): Enforce consumer protection and auto-renewal rules. Submit complaints via their online portal at www.kpdnkk.gov.my or contact your state consumer protection authority.
• Your bank's disputes team: Report unauthorised charges and request a chargeback. Most banks can reverse charges within 30 days of the transaction.
• Tocancel: Use Tocancel to track your cancellation request, access templates for formal complaints, and escalate to regulators if needed. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel subscriptions and recover funds that companies refused to refund.

Key takeaways

You have the right to cancel The Week at any time under Malaysian consumer law. If you cancel within 14 days of subscribing, you are entitled to a full refund. Auto-renewal must not happen without your explicit consent, and The Week must remind you 30 days before charging you again. If they charge you without this reminder, or if they ignore your cancellation request, the MDTCCL and your bank both have tools to force a refund and penalise the company.

Document every cancellation email, screenshot every charge, and escalate immediately if something feels wrong. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions by walking them through the exact same process you have just learned. Do not delay: if your renewal date is within 30 days, submit your cancellation request today, and monitor your account closely until you confirm no further charges have appeared.