Denied refund or credit for automatic weekly charges by app store

This is regarding the AI Cleaner app which I installed late Dec 2024 because I needed space in order to install the ongoing Apple updates on my iphone 11. I used it about 3 or 4 times but it never freed up enough space to update my iOS.

In April 2025 while reviewing credit card charges I discovered a weekly charge of $9.99 (sometimes a biweekly charge of $19.98). The total came to $149.85 before I figured out what it was for and cancelled the subscription. Apple twice denied a credit or refund by https://reportaproblem.apple.com/

It never would have occurred to me that there could be a weekly charge. Had I not noticed this in April it would have come to over $500 for the year, or $1040 for two years. (Would Apple have let this go on for that long?)

The information at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ai-cleaner-clean-up-storage/id6448330325 says

"Price Free".

Separately, it shows In-App Purchases:

• 1 Week Lite $9.99
• 1 Week - 7 Days Free Trial $9.99
• 1 Week Plan - Get 3 Days Free $9.99

While I did not see "In-App Purchases" at the time, I wasn't planning to make any In-App purchases so even if I had seen it I would not have thought much of it.

After the second denial, Apple advised me to contact the app maker, Grimlax Trade. Their response was "refund requests will be exclusively handled by the App Store".

How can I get Apple to be more reasonable about this monstrous charge for something of such little value?

Many thanks.

William Burch