Unwanted App Subscription

EdgeCloser

I downloaded an app from the apple store which I knew I would use once or twice and most likely delete after this.

Whilst opening the app, it offered me a free trial period of 3 days and should I not cancel 24 hours before the trial period ended, I would be put on a yearly subscription. 

To ensure this does not happen, i immediately cancelled so that I would not be charged (there well within the 24 hour before it ended). However, I was still charged £39.99 and raising this both with apple and the developer, it seems they wont offer a refund.

i have tried my bank but they want evidence I signed up for a free trial which I cannot seem to find on my phone as the subscription now only shows the yearly one.

I am 100% sure I signed for the free trial as the app is not something I was majorly interested in and therefore would have not downloaded it if I was being charged right away, is there nothing I can do? Its not the money but the principle of the whole thing, this happened on a reputable marketplace and it seems like the whole thing is a con!!

thanks in advance

EdgeCloser

Just for information, I was charged on the same day I downloaded the app ie BEFORE the trial period ended.

twopenny

Are you sure you signed up to the genuine site and not a spoof or outdated one?
Not sure if you can do a screenshot on a phone but that would have been your evidence.

powerful_Rogue

EdgeCloser said:

I downloaded an app from the apple store which I knew I would use once or twice and most likely delete after this.

Whilst opening the app, it offered me a free trial period of 3 days and should I not cancel 24 hours before the trial period ended, I would be put on a yearly subscription. 

To ensure this does not happen, i immediately cancelled so that I would not be charged (there well within the 24 hour before it ended). However, I was still charged £39.99 and raising this both with apple and the developer, it seems they wont offer a refund.

i have tried my bank but they want evidence I signed up for a free trial which I cannot seem to find on my phone as the subscription now only shows the yearly one.

I am 100% sure I signed for the free trial as the app is not something I was majorly interested in and therefore would have not downloaded it if I was being charged right away, is there nothing I can do? Its not the money but the principle of the whole thing, this happened on a reputable marketplace and it seems like the whole thing is a con!!

thanks in advance

Not sure about Apple, but with Google you get an email like the one below for any purchases or trials. Would imagine Apple must do something similar.

Ms_Chocaholic

What does it say in iCloud subscriptions

EdgeCloser

Hi thanks for your responses.

1. Yes it was the official source as i downloaded from the app store.

2. I have never received an email when going on a free trial, however I just checked my mails and nothing is there.

3. when i go to my subscriptions it just shows me that I am subscribed for a year and that it will end on 08th Jan 2027.

incidentally, having had a look at the apps reviews, I am not the only person this has happened to.  There are reviews which show people being offered the free trial but then being unexpectedly being charged.  The amount is £39.99, its not the amount but tue principle of this happening on app store and developers getting away with it.

the app by the way is Hone AI - AI Interior design if anyone wants to check the reviews or this might help someone not fall in the same situation.  Again, its not the money but the principle, this should not be allowed to happen!!

thank you for your continued help

powerful_Rogue

EdgeCloser said:

Hi thanks for your responses.

1. Yes it was the official source as i downloaded from the app store.

2. I have never received an email when going on a free trial, however I just checked my mails and nothing is there.

3. when i go to my subscriptions it just shows me that I am subscribed for a year and that it will end on 08th Jan 2027.

incidentally, having had a look at the apps reviews, I am not the only person this has happened to.  There are reviews which show people being offered the free trial but then being unexpectedly being charged.  The amount is £39.99, its not the amount but tue principle of this happening on app store and developers getting away with it.

the app by the way is Hone AI - AI Interior design if anyone wants to check the reviews or this might help someone not fall in the same situation.  Again, its not the money but the principle, this should not be allowed to happen!!

thank you for your continued help

Looking at the reviews, it seems like user error to me. The app is rated 4.6/5 from 140,000 reviews. That's a pretty good figure.

Google play shows a rating of 4.4/5 from 960,000 reviews and over 10 million downloads.

born_again

Have you checked junk/Spam emails?

MyRealNameToo

EdgeCloser said:

I downloaded an app from the apple store which I knew I would use once or twice and most likely delete after this.

Whilst opening the app, it offered me a free trial period of 3 days and should I not cancel 24 hours before the trial period ended, I would be put on a yearly subscription. 

To ensure this does not happen, i immediately cancelled so that I would not be charged (there well within the 24 hour before it ended). However, I was still charged £39.99 and raising this both with apple and the developer, it seems they wont offer a refund.

i have tried my bank but they want evidence I signed up for a free trial which I cannot seem to find on my phone as the subscription now only shows the yearly one.

I am 100% sure I signed for the free trial as the app is not something I was majorly interested in and therefore would have not downloaded it if I was being charged right away, is there nothing I can do? Its not the money but the principle of the whole thing, this happened on a reputable marketplace and it seems like the whole thing is a con!!

thanks in advance

What was the app?

I think there was another app on here mentioned recently that you had to actively select the free trial option and by default it was setup to not have the trial. It's worth noting also that this was technically for a in app purchase rather than for the app itself but the app was unusable without the purchase. I believe there are less controls on in app purchases than for apps requiring a subscription.

What has Apple said about it? Their records should show what you signed up for. 

EdgeCloser

I think i am resigned to the fact I will not be getting a refund and need to take this as a valuable lesson to take screenshots of free trial subscriptions.  I was hoping there was a way I could see evidence of me selecting a free trial which i am certain I did as the app is something I would not have paid a penny for never mind £39.99!!

Live and learn 😊