Repair advocate Louis Rossmann alleges that some Apple Store employees activated Apple service trials during device setup without the customer approving them. In his account, trials were presented as gifts without a clear explanation of the later cost, then converted into paid subscriptions after two or three months.
Rossmann says the acceptance controls appeared on the employee’s device, with staff allegedly tapping “Accept” rather than leaving that step to the buyer. He estimates that services activated this way could later add recurring charges of $20 to $30 per month. In a video published October 30, he connected the alleged practice to internal pressure around subscription-activation targets.
An anonymous source cited by Rossmann said Apple subsequently instructed stores that only the customer should press “Accept.” AppleInsider also reported that Apple suspended subscription-related performance metrics for this period in 2026, although it noted that similar pauses have occurred before the holiday shopping season and may be seasonal rather than a direct response to the allegations.
For iPhone users, subscriptions billed through Apple can be checked and managed through the following path:
- Open Settings on the iPhone.
- Tap the account holder’s name.
- Select Subscriptions to review or manage active Apple-billed services.
The available reporting does not establish how widespread the alleged sign-ups were or which Apple services may have been involved.
