Cancel National Deaf Children's Society the easy way

Mission and scope

The National Deaf Children's Society is a UK charity that supports deaf children and young people from birth to independence, and their families. It provides information, campaigning, membership and tailored support for education and practical needs.

Services and channels

The charity offers free membership for parents of deaf children aged 0-25, a free My NDCS app with tailored information, and accepts voluntary donations including regular supporter donations from as low as £2 per month. Gift Aid is available to eligible UK taxpayers to increase donations by 25% at no extra cost to the donor.

Company facts

Web cancellation - recommended steps

1. Sign in to the account where you set up the donation (if you created one).
2. Find active payments or regular donations and choose Cancel or Stop payments.
3. Keep a screenshot and save any confirmation email.
4. If no account exists, use Email or Post below.

Phone cancellation - recommended steps

1. Locate the charity support phone number. If unknown, use the support email to ask for the phone contact.
2. Provide your full name, address, donation amount and Direct Debit or card details (last 4 digits) so they can find your record.
3. Ask for a cancellation reference and the date when charges will stop. Note the time and name of the person you spoke with.

Email cancellation - recommended steps

1. Send an email to [email protected] with subject line 'Cancel regular donation' and include full name, postal address, donation amount, frequency and payment method.
2. Request written confirmation and the date from which payments will stop (expect up to 30 days processing).
3. Save the reply email as proof.

Post cancellation (registered letter) - recommended steps

1. Write a signed letter including your full name, postal address, donor reference (if known), donation amount and request to cancel all future payments.
2. Send by recorded or registered post to: National Deaf Children's Society, 37-45 Paul Street, EC2A 4LS London, United Kingdom.
3. Keep proof of postage and allow 30 days for processing.

Moving / change of address

If you move and cannot be reached at the old address for fundraising or mail, provide proof of new address such as a council tax bill, utility bill or tenancy agreement plus your donor details. The charity should update records and stop door-to-door or local fundraising contacts on request.

Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015 for accurate performance of services where relevant.

Price increase

Donations are voluntary; for any paid service with a price increase you can object and cancel. Provide the notice you received and your payment details to request cancellation. If a subscription or service automatically renews at a higher price and you did not consent, refer to CMA guidance on unfair auto-renewal terms.

Applicable law: Competition and Markets Authority guidance on auto-renewal; Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Death of the subscriber

To stop a regular donation after a donor dies, send a copy of the death certificate and your relationship to the donor by email to [email protected] or by post. Include bank details or donor reference so the charity can identify the mandate and stop future collections.

Applicable law: Normal data and gift procedures; no specific Act required beyond common law obligations.

Legitimate ground - harassment or repeated contact

If you stop a donation but receive further fundraising calls or visits that you consider harassment, document the calls (dates and times), request removal from contact lists in writing to [email protected], and include call evidence. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires services to be performed with reasonable care; persistent unwanted contact can be raised with Citizens Advice and the Fundraising Regulator or the Information Commissioner's Office for data issues.

Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015; escalate to Citizens Advice or Fundraising Regulator if needed.

End of commitment

Where a specific commitment period exists, cancellation at the end of the period requires notice in writing. For regular donations the charity notes 'No minimum commitment'; if you have a specific pledged period, provide the pledge details and request closure.

Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Cooling-off period (online or off-premises contracts)

If you set up a paid contract online or off-premises, you have a 14-day cooling-off right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. To use this, notify the seller in writing within 14 days of the contract and request a refund for charges already paid. Digital content exceptions apply after you expressly consent to start downloads or streaming.

Applicable law: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Before cancelling: negotiate

Reported research shows no public record of retention offers from the charity. To ask for retention options, email [email protected] and request alternatives such as reducing the monthly amount, pausing payments for a defined period, changing to an annual donation, or removing your details from door-to-door fundraising lists. Ask specifically for a written offer and the date when the change takes effect.

What cancelling saves you

Use the real plan prices to compute savings. Example: Regular Supporter from £2 per month:

£2 x 12 = £24 per year saved by cancelling a £2 monthly regular donation.

For perspective, a competing tutoring alternative from the research costs much more: National Learning Group example pricing shows £120 per month.

National Learning Group math: £120 x 12 = £1,440 per year. Comparing cancelling an NDCS regular donation at £2/month saves £24/year; switching away from a tutoring supplier such as National Learning Group would save £1,440/year.

Key UK consumer laws

The core laws that apply to cancellations and refunds are the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires services to be performed with reasonable care and skill and prevents unfair contract terms. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give a 14-day cooling-off right for most online and off-premises contracts.

Auto-renewal and escalation

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) treats unclear auto-renewal and hard-to-cancel subscriptions as potential unfair practices. If the charity does not respect cancellation requests, first complain to the charity (email [email protected] or send a registered letter to 37-45 Paul Street, EC2A 4LS London). If unresolved, contact Citizens Advice for guidance and consider escalation to the relevant regulator, the Fundraising Regulator for fundraising conduct, or use bank chargeback or Section 75 for qualifying card payments.

Chargeback and Section 75

If your donation or payment was made by credit card and meets the bank criteria, ask your card issuer for a chargeback or a Section 75 claim for disputed transactions. Keep evidence: confirmation emails, proof of cancellation request and bank statements.

Confirmation and proof

Keep any email confirmation, cancellation reference or call notes. If you used registered post, keep proof of postage. Expect up to 30 days for processing of regular donation cancellations.

Data and Gift Aid

If you used Gift Aid when donating, cancelling future donations does not retroactively change Gift Aid on past donations. To request deletion or a subject access request for your personal data, email [email protected] and reference your full name and address. For further disputes about data or unsolicited contact, consider contacting the Information Commissioner's Office.

Re-activation

You can rejoin or start a new donation at any time. For membership which is free, re-activation is normally immediate; for regular payments you will need to re-provide payment details and consent. Keep copies of new mandates.

Use this checklist to cancel and protect yourself.

• Write down the donation amount, frequency and payment method (Direct Debit, card).
• Email [email protected] with a clear cancellation request and keep the sent email.
• If you prefer post, send a signed registered letter to National Deaf Children's Society, 37-45 Paul Street, EC2A 4LS London, United Kingdom and keep proof of postage.
• If you receive continued contact after cancellation, document dates and times and include copies when escalating.
• If payment continues after cancellation, contact your bank to stop future Direct Debits or request a chargeback for qualifying card transactions.
• Keep a record of all correspondence and any final confirmation for 12 months.