Question 1

What does this kit actually decide?

Accepted Answer

For each vendor contract it gives one headline from the clock — ACT NOW, WINDOW OPEN, or LOCKED IN — based on how many days remain until the non-renewal notice deadline (the term-end date minus your notice window). Alongside that it gives a separate trap-severity read (HARSH / MODERATE / MILD) from the clauses you confirm: uncapped renewal price, no mid-term exit, a notice-method landmine, a long fixed renewal, and the value at stake. The two reads never get averaged — one tells you when, the other tells you how much it hurts.

Question 2

Why is a mild contract sometimes 'LOCKED IN' while a harsh one isn't?

Accepted Answer

That's the window-closed gate, and it's the whole point. Once the notice deadline has passed, the contract reads LOCKED IN no matter how gentle the terms are — your only move is next cycle. A contract with brutal terms but 120 days of runway is not locked; it's ACT NOW or WINDOW OPEN, still workable. The clock is dispositive; severity is only the stakes. A mild contract whose window closed still costs you the renewal; a harsh one you can still exit doesn't.

Question 3

How do I set the notice window and term-end date?

Accepted Answer

Read them off the actual contract. The term-end date is the contract's END date — track from there, not from when you signed. The notice window is the advance written notice required to stop renewal; 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 days are all common, with 60–90 the market standard. Both go in the Tripwire tab. The kit computes the deadline as term-end minus notice-days and measures it against a fixed evaluation date, so the workbook, the demo, and the engine always agree.

Question 4

What's the 'notice-method landmine'?

Accepted Answer

Some contracts don't just say when to give notice — they say how. If the clause requires certified or registered mail to a named legal address, an email to your account manager does not count, and a timely notice sent the wrong way still fails. Mark that clause a 2. Confirming the method is as important as confirming the date; it's one of the quietest ways a renewal traps you.

Question 5

Is this legal advice?

Accepted Answer

No. It's a business-judgment triage tool that grades a contract's renewal clock and clauses from terms you confirm — not a compliance ruling and not a substitute for counsel. B2B auto-renewal clauses are generally enforceable as written, and 'I forgot' is not a defense, so the stakes are real: confirm every date, notice rule, and clause against the agreement, and consult a lawyer before you rely on an exit. Consumer auto-renewal laws exist but target B2C, not the vendor contracts this kit is built for.

Question 6

How is this different from a subscription auditor?

Accepted Answer

A subscription or spend auditor asks whether you're overpaying for what you use — seats, usage, right-sizing. This kit asks a different question: can you still get out, and how badly does this contract trap you if you don't? It reads the renewal clock and the termination clauses in agreements you've already signed. It pairs naturally with usage-side tools, but it's the only one watching the window close.

Vendor Auto-Renewal & Contract-Trap Tripwire

The window closes quietly, and then you’ve renewed

Watch the clock and the stakes stay separate

Two reads, never averaged

Four columns off the contract, and you’re done

A triage tool, not legal advice

Anyone who signs vendor contracts and forgets them

The usage-side and pre-signing tools

Straight answers before you buy

Catch the window before it closes