“Free Trial Surfing” is an app that uses virtual credit card numbers and an invented name to sign up for services.
“The idea for this product came when I realized I was being charged for a $21.99 (£18) gym membership from over a year ago that I was never using. In fact, I had completely forgotten that I had signed up for a free trial in the first place. Constantly trying to keep track of when a ‘free trial’ period ends is annoying and time-consuming.”
—Josh Browder, Creator of Free Trial Surfing
(From: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49688309)
The gaps and frustrations in existing service offerings (which are sometimes intentional “dark patterns“) create opportunity spaces for alternative solutions and workarounds to take root.
Design Considerations:
• How might we reframe the common failures in other service offerings into entrepreneurial opportunities?
• How might we proactively ensure that our services aren’t “abusing” our customers?
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