SIMPLE: FASTING APP -- UNAUTHORISED CHARGE EVEN AFTER UNSUBSCRIBING FROM FREE TRIAL

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Level 1

27 points

SIMPLE: FASTING APP -- UNAUTHORISED CHARGE EVEN AFTER UNSUBSCRIBING FROM FREE TRIAL

I downloaded Simple Fasting App and subscribed to the free trial for which I had to input payment details. After 2 days I realised this wasn't the app for me so I made sure to cancel my premium trial subscription so I don't get charged the amount. When I got my credit card bill for the month I found that I was charged $48 via PayPal from the app. When I reached out to them I got the following response:

Thank you for contacting the Simple app support team.

$48 is for Simple Workbooks in a .pdf format are delivered to the email address that you've used to subscribe to our services. Our Healthy Eating workbook helps improving your eating habits and guides you on your way to healthier eating. Our Workout workbook provides you a four-week program of exercise and tells you more about workout tips, habits and safety. Both Workbooks are put together by our team of nutrition and fitness experts.

I'd like to notify you that these plans can be obtained only as downloadable content, which means that this purchase cannot be refunded.

Sure enough after checking the email I used to sign up on the app, there was an email containing the 2 workbooks that I don't even remember being asked to purchase.

So please do be careful when you subscribe to the free trial of this app and make sure you don't fall for the same thing that happened to me!

Posted on Sep 4, 2023 11:50 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Tricky57

Level 1

113 points

Sep 8, 2023 10:58 PM in response to annaspm

There are many apps in the App store that use deceptive practices. Bearing in mind that apple aren't looking out for their users, alwas read the reviews before downloading, as other users often flag problems.

Here are some of the deceptive or poor practices I found:

Extraction of a huge amount of private info such as name, Date of Birth, email and so on before you discover they want a credit card number for the "free" trial.

Can't do anything unless you pay for an app with "In app purchases"

7 Day free trials where you must cancel within two days to avoid being charged.

Simply not explaining what is free and what costs money in the app description. (e.g. it says "backup all your data for free - in App purchases are available", but when you enter the app you discover "free" backuops are limited to 4Gb.

Apps which say $5 a month, but take a whole year ($60) up front.

Apps which have a low start price, but which raise their price after the initial period. Newspapers in particular are notorious for doing this.

Quick Tip: Immediately after agreeing to pay for anything in a free trial, visit Apple Settings and cancel the subscription. You will still be able to use it for for free until the end of the trial period.

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Answer 2

Ingo2711

Level 9

79,551 points

Sep 5, 2023 1:18 AM in response to annaspm

You can answer your own thread and mark this reply as "best answer", so that other users will find this post easier by using the search function.

And maybe make Apple also aware of this issue by contacting them:

Contact Apple Support

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Answer 3

annaspm Author

Level 1

27 points

Sep 8, 2023 9:57 PM in response to annaspm

UPDATE: They have replied to my email and refunded me the amount! Not sure why they didn't just refund me in the first place, but I guess talking about it here helped! Relieved that the amount was refunded but I shouldn't have been charged in the first place. Would be great if they can work on this issue on their end.

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Answer 4

annaspm Author

Level 1

27 points

Sep 5, 2023 1:23 AM in response to annaspm

Hope this helps anyone else who is confused about the unauthorised charge on their card despite canceling their premium subscription on the Simple app!

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