Verizon's Free Disney+ 12-Month Sub Is The Same Old Trap

There are good reasons to sign up for a year of Disney Plus (or Disney+) with Verizon, but there are good reasons to skip it, too. If you're the sort of person who'd intended on signing up for Disney+ in the first place, this is a great way to get in on the deal and avoid paying $7 a month for a year. If you weren't going to subscribe in the first place, this is a great way to get something "free" only to find later that you'll need to unsubscribe after the first 12 months or face a $7-per-month fee.

The trap, as I call it, works with all subscription services in the world today. Most companies that offer subscriptions have an opt-out model. The company works with the following set of steps to bring in new customers who will then remain customers for long periods of time.

1. Give away "free" service for a limited time.

2. Require sign-up with credit card info.

3. Automatic switch to pay model after limited time.

4. Customer must opt-out to end service.

There's nothing illegal about this method for hooking in a user. Lots of companies use this system to bring new users in – and for some people it's a good deal. Especially if – as mentioned above – that person had planned on starting to use said subscription service in the first place.

The ultimate goal here with Verizon is two-tiered. The first part is working with Disney – which is always a good idea if you're another big company that wants to rake in cash. Cross-branding generally makes consumers believe in both brands more than they would otherwise.

Verizon also wants users to stick with their service as long as possible. Much like Amazon does with its WIDE variety of "free" services and "perks" with Amazon Prime, the idea is that consumers should feel like their lives are better with the various services they get with the subscription. With Verizon paired with Disney+, assuming Disney+ has great streaming shows and such, users will stay with Verizon for at least another year after getting Disney+ for "free" for 12 months.

If you're feeling like you'd be with Verizon for the next 12 months anyway, AND you'd planned on subscribing to Disney+ anyway, you'll want to pay attention starting on November 12, 2019. Disney+ will be "free" for users with Verizon "with Unlimited or when you switch to Fios Home Internet or 5G Home Internet."

After the 12 months are up, you'll be automatically switched to the Disney+ plan with which you'll pay $6.99 USD per month from that point forward. FUN FACT: If you're a resident of New Mexico, Disney+ service will end automatically after 12 months, because the laws in that state demand that "free" service with subscription services end after the free period, instead of switching automatically to per-month payments.