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DC: treble damages or $1,500/violation — and the safe harbor demands a refund

The answer: D.C. Code §§28A-201 to -204 (Automatic Renewal Protections, ARPA 2018) + CPPA §28-3905(k). Applies to automatic renewals on/after March 13, 2019 (§28A-221); "consumer" is unusually broad (any purchaser/lessee). [UNVERIFIED annotation cleanup: stale "not implemented" funding notes on §§28A-202/-204 — §28A-203's note says the condition was removed (L.23-16 §3022); re-confirmed before any DC letter ships is noted in the letter checklist]

The duties

DutyCitationEffective fromConditions
Disclose the automatic-renewal provision clearly and conspicuously in the contractD.C. Code §28A-203(a)2019-03-13 (renewals on/after this date (§28A-221))—
Initial term ≥12 months renewing for ≥1 month: written renewal notice 30-60 days before the cancellation deadline, at the first renewal and annually; emailed notices must include cancellation weblinksD.C. Code §28A-203(b), (b)(2)(C)2019-03-13initial term ≥ 12 mo; renewal term ≥ 1 mo
Free trial of 1 month or longer: notice 15-30 days before the trial ends AND affirmative consent obtained before chargingD.C. Code §28A-203(c)2019-03-13trial ≥ 28 days

No gift theory here

DC has no unconditional-gift provision encoded — this state's remedy runs on the duty/remedy theory only, not the goods-only gift theory.

What you can actually demand

The renewal provision is void; exposure = the greater of treble the charges or $1,500 per violation — the strongest consumer damages of any encoded state

§28A-203(d): a violation VOIDS the renewal provision and is a CPPA violation → §28-3905(k)(2)(A)(i): "Treble damages, or $1,500 per violation, whichever is greater, payable to the consumer" + fees + punitive

The safe harbor — and why it favors you

§28A-203(d)(1)-(3): the safe harbor REQUIRES written compliance procedures + good-faith mistake + "a credit for all amounts billed to or a refund for all amounts paid by the consumer" — the statute's own escape hatch obligates the full refund; the letter says exactly that

Limitation period (informational): 3 year(s) — D.C. Code §12-301(a)(8) residual [application to CPPA claims is case-law-grounded, not statutory text]. Not legal advice — act promptly regardless.

For AI agents & developers — deterministic duty + remedy math with primary-source citations, pay-per-call (x402 USDC, no account): GET https://dealpulse.theaslangroupllc.com/api/deals/subscription-rights?state=CA&signup_date=2025-09-01&signup_channel=online&product_kind=digital&total_charged=131.88&cancel_attempted=true&cancel_blocked=true — $0.10 GET https://dealpulse.theaslangroupllc.com/api/deals/subscription-letter?state=DC&seller_name=...&total_charged=240 — $2.00 (citation-locked demand letter)

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Generated 2026-07-07 by DealPulse (The Aslan Group LLC) from the same source-cited legal reference data our paid engine uses. Informational, not legal advice — rules change and every case turns on its own facts; verify with the cited instruments. Contact: info@theaslangroupllc.com