I was denied a refund for a subscription and I don't know why

The people responding on this support forum are users like you and we only know what Apple says in its documentation and what our own and other users' experience tells us. Apple does not have much on its criteria for refusing refunds. Here are two sections from Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions - Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple

- "All Transactions are final."

I understand this as meaning Apple is starting from a point where any refund is considered an exception. They can simply say no without having to provide a reason. I understand this can be frustrating but by using the service you agree to the terms.

- "From time to time, Apple may suspend or cancel payment or refuse a refund request if we find evidence of fraud, abuse, or unlawful or other manipulative behavior that entitles Apple to a corresponding counterclaim." Make of this what you will.

You can see if the terms are different for where you live by clicking on this link Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple select your location and then your language.

If you feel you want to discuss a refund request, try to contact a live person using a telephone or chat request.

Click here --> Choose your country or region - Official Apple Support Select your country, then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.

or:

"See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world." Click here --> Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

edwina170 wrote:

Hi did you get your money back ? From your bank I have same situation there was 7 days free trial but the charged me for a year subscription $89.99 that I cannot even login into

Have you even asked for a refund?

First confirm you have canceled any subscription automatic renewal (if you simply delete an app this does not cancel subscriptions):

Review the information in this support article by clicking on the link to learn how to cancel a subscription from Apple. ➔ If you want to cancel a subscription from Apple - Apple Support

• "If you signed up for a free or discounted trial subscription and you don't want to renew it, cancel it at least 24 hours before the trial ends."

• An existing subscription will normally continue until the end of its term and may then renew automatically. Stopping automatic renewal is effectively canceling it. "If you don’t see Cancel Subscription, then the subscription is already canceled and won't renew." The "Expires" date means the current subscription will just run until then.

• Read the article to see what to do about subscriptions that do not appear in your list. If you still can't find a subscription, contact Apple Support using the link at the end of the support article.

• Canceling a subscription does not automatically start a refund.

Finally, follow the directions in this support article about how to request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple ➔ Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support

All transactions in the App Store are final.

Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple

• Some apps in the store have a Free Trial that allows you to try the app out first, while others do not. You do not get to make every app a free trial by getting a refund on the app later.
• Forgetting to cancel a subscription is not Apple's fault. You have already agreed to have the subscription billed to you automatically when you signed up. You can cancel a subscription at any time and will continue to be able to use the service until that subscription ends, then you will not be billed to renew it.
• If you give someone the Passcode to your device, you have authorized them to use it and that includes purchases. Apple provides many tools to prevent the purchases from occurring, but they have to be used. Only you are in control of your device and failing to protect it is your responsibility. If you give your friends the keys to your car and one of them wrecks it, the manufacturer is not going to replace it.
• In some cases, Apple will grant a compassionate refund, but that is something you should never expect.

The only way to cancel a subscription or free trial that was started using an In-App Purchase is by following the steps provided here:

If you want to cancel a subscription from Apple - Apple Support

A free trial must be cancelled at least 24 hours before the trial ends to avoid being charged as noted here:

• If you signed up for a free or discounted trial subscription and you don't want to renew it, cancel it at least 24 hours before the trial ends.

The other thing that you need to be aware of is any subscription that you sign up for with the company directly must be cancelled by them since this bypasses Apple's ability to manage the subscription. You can see on the FaceTune site, there is a button to start a Free Trial. By clicking this button you are not signing up for a subscription that is managed by Apple and instead are dealing directly with that company. It makes no difference if you used Apple Pay or not. Apple Pay just securely facilitates the transaction that you initiate so the company does not have your account number and this eliminates the risk of your card being compromised. If this method was used for a free trial or subscription, you need to deal with that company directly to cancel and request a refund. Your other option is to try and dispute the charge with the bank that provided the payment method. If they agree with you that it was a fraudulent charge, then they will close that account and issue you a new card.

Currently there are many ads for this company being promoted on social media sites that will direct you to their page to sign up. Don't do it. Some people think that just because they used Apple Pay, that Apple is responsible and that is not the case. There are 3 parties involved: you, the company, and the bank that approved the charge. Apple only facilitated the transaction securely.

• What trial were you on?
• Was it a free trial offered on their website or from an in-app purchase?
• Was the subscription being managed by their website and were you able to see it as a subscription on your device? View or cancel app subscriptions on iPhone - Apple Support

If the app did not offer a free trial, you cannot create your own free trial by signing up for a subscription and then requesting a refund after using it. Some apps will allow you to try out their service without a charge and others will not. The choice is yours.

kaitlinsunflower wrote:

This is a huge issue. I was denied as well for a refund on a canceled year subscription.

That not how subscriptions work. When you sign up for a subscription you are agreeing for the service for the term of the subscription. When you cancel the subscription, you are saying you do not want it to renew, but you still have the service you signed up for until that subscription ends. Getting a refund for the remainder of the subscription is not an option.

Donnazor wrote:

I avoid using Apple Pay. I used to trust that they Apple would make appropriate refunds. It seems that there was a policy change. Now all are denied, with or without good reason.

Apple Pay? You are not understanding what Apple Pay is. When you make a purchase, you can give the business your credit card number and that action can make it easily compromised. If you would have used Apple Pay, then the credit card number is not sent to the business and instead uses a token identifiers that does not provide any account details. This secures the transaction between your payment method and the business.

If your problem is with refunds for items purchased in the App Store, then you have to realize that "All Transactions are Final". In some cases, Apple will grant a compassionate refund, but this is not expected. You can find that stated clearly here:

Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple

Some apps will offer a Free Trial for you to determine if the app is useful and others do not. You do not get to make every app a free trial by using it, then requesting a refund later.

When using the in-app purchase for a subscription, it requires you to double click the side button, followed by verification using Face ID/Touch ID or passcode. It is not something that can be done by accident.

americodias wrote:

This is simply unacceptable! I’ve paid for something that I’m not able to use! I would like to know at least what is the argument used to refuse my refund request!

Unfortunately, I think you're going to find a way to accept it. Apple views all sales as final and refunds are granted on an exception basis. To the best of my knowledge, they never give a reason.

I think what they mean is through the Apple App Store. Because you basically use your “Apple pay” to buy or use fee trials. The credit card associated with your apple

account is what gets charged. And another correction is that if the company takes payment through Apple “pay” they claim

that they cannot refund your money. (Which I believe is total BS) but have been told twice by different companies. They cannot/will not refund your money, it’s up to Apple. Unless they take the payment directly (which some do, but not many). If above is true about Apple not refunding, I will no longer be doing free trials.

They did this to me as well. Report to FTC.gov and get in touch with your bank !

Always note the amount shown before you double click the side button. In this example it shows that you will get 3 days free, but also charged $9.99/week after that.

absolutely useless to call support - all they tell you is that they don't deal with refunds and if refund team denied it, it was up to them and nothing can be done, there is no way to speak to the refunds review team and understand what is the reason for denial

When you sign up for a subscription in an app, you must double click the side button with the amount showing on the screen followed by verification with FaceID/TouchID or Passcode. Did you sign up on their website or a different way?

It does happen. I downloaded a yoga app and went to sign up for 7 day free trial, and then goes to a screen, do you want for this amount? I'm thinking, well yes, after free trial ends, (IF I like it), so I submit , double click, face ID (which you have to do FOR A FREE TRIAL!) and next thing you know, I'm charged $43! Then of course you CANNOT submit to Apple for a refund immediately, you have to wait until the receipt becomes available, which is 48 hours. So I did that as soon as I was able, was denied initial request, and then I appealed, which was also DENIED. Something about "based on my history" well then apps shouldn't be allowed to offer free trial. Because I admit, I do use the free trials, and occasionally, have forgotten to cancel or have not meant to purchase. The last time I requested a refund was January. It's not like it's once or twice a month. I refuse to use this app because I was not refunded. Sounds childish, But I'm so ****** that they won't refund me. They told me to contact the App directly, which I knew was useless and it was