{"id":"life-sb-auto-renewal-terms","audience":"small-business","category":"everyday-life","track":"life","technique":"grounding","title":"Find the cancel-by date in an auto-renewal contract","free":false,"task":"Your home security contract renews soon and you might cancel. Get exactly 4 numbered lines in plain text, under 90 words: 1. the last day to cancel, with the date math shown; 2. how to cancel, using the contract's exact method; 3. what you'd pay per month if it renews; 4. the line \"This isn't legal advice.\" Use only the contract and the amendment. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The contract terms (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"GUARDLINE HOME SECURITY - MONITORING AGREEMENT (fictional)\nCustomer: Lena Brooks | Account GL-60218\nStart date: January 15, 2025 | Initial term: 24 months\n\n4. FEES. Monthly monitoring fee: $39.99 during the initial term.\n\n9. AUTOMATIC RENEWAL. At the end of the initial term, this Agreement renews automatically for successive 12-month terms unless Customer gives written notice of cancellation at least 30 days before the end of the current term. Renewal terms are billed at the then-current rate, currently $49.99 per month.\n\n10. CANCELLATION. Notice of cancellation must be sent by certified mail to Guardline Customer Care, P.O. Box 4410, Fairview, OH 44099 (fictional). Phone cancellations are not accepted.\n\n11. EARLY TERMINATION. Cancelling before the end of a term requires payment of 75% of the remaining monthly fees.\n\nAMENDMENT (effective March 1, 2026, mailed to all customers): Section 9 is amended to require written notice at least 60 days before the end of the current term. Section 10 is amended to also accept cancellation through the online account portal under Settings > Service > Cancel.\n\nLena's notes:\n- Initial term ends January 14, 2027.\n- Neighbor says you can always cancel by calling and threatening to leave.\n- Got a flyer for a cheaper company, $29/month.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":90},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Missing the amendment","why":"The AI reads Section 9 and gives the 30-day deadline, which is now too late.","fix":"Add: \"Use the March 2026 amendment: 60 days' notice, portal allowed.\"","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"No date math","why":"The AI names a date without showing how it got there, so you can't check it.","fix":"Add: \"Line 1: January 14, 2027 minus 60 days = [date].\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Repeating the neighbor","why":"The AI suggests calling to cancel, which the contract says isn't accepted.","fix":"Add: \"Use only the contract's cancellation methods.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Getting advice instead of facts","why":"The AI weighs switching to the cheaper company or explains your rights.","fix":"Say: \"Exactly 4 numbered lines. Line 4: This isn't legal advice.\"","checks":["r2","numberedItems","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 90 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"each line under 20 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Uses the amendment","patterns":["amend","60","march"]},{"label":"Shows the date math","patterns":["minus","count back","show.{0,15}(math|work)","days before"]},{"label":"Asks for the exact method","patterns":["how to cancel","method","certified","portal"]},{"label":"Sets the number of lines","patterns":["\\b(4|four)\\b.{0,20}(lines?|numbered)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Contracts often get amended later, and the AI reads the original first. Tell it which terms are current, ask for the date math, and say exactly what each line holds.","rubricLabels":["Line 1 uses the amendment's 60 days, counting back from January 14, 2027 to a cancel-by date of November 15, 2026 (a day either side is fine), and does not give the old 30-day date in mid-December","Line 2 gives the written methods from the contract (certified mail to the P.O. Box, or the online portal under Settings > Service > Cancel) and does not suggest calling","Line 3 says renewal would cost $49.99 per month, and line 4 is \"This isn't legal advice.\""]}