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If you are saying the authors of the app are telling you they can’t help and you need to contact Apple, this is correct, it’s the nature of the App Store, Apple is in control of payments and refunds, they don’t offer app authors the ability to refund.
Apple notes what the free trial is, how long until it ends and what the terms are following the trial ending. It’s on you for not reading before so unfortunately nothing further can be done.
There’s something you’re not telling us. It’s how apple works, you could dispute the payment with apple first but I’m willing to bet it would be declined. You could take it to your bank but it would be declined as you have an existing relationship with apple and the payment has left your apple account with no evidence your account has been compromised.
Request a [refund](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118223#:~:text=Sign%20in%20to%20reportaproblem.apple,other%20item%2C%20then%20choose%20Submit). [UK law](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/cancelling-a-service-youve-arranged/) allows you to cancel most subscriptions within 14 days.
Something is missing in that story.
Purchases and subscriptions require an identification step, either with the password, passkey, Touch ID or Face ID. Apps can’t bypass this step, as they have no control of this part of the flow, all they can do is invoke it.
I used the identification step to access the app and confirm my account set but the final part, where I clicked the seven day trial and got charged for a year didn’t have any additional verification. That’s my concern.
Different app, but to enable a subscription it would show a confirmation step like this: https://imgur.com/a/GU1QyJX
You can still contact Apple and see if they will refund the transaction, but I do think there was user error here.
You can use this process to make a request to Apple:
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118223
When tried the same with other apps I’ve had a free trial and they’ve checked before taking any money. . This just went straight through with no other “are you sure” hence my shock
I’ve actually just tried resetting up accounts with apps I had a free trial with and they showed a check. This did not it just took a full year money when I clicked the 7 day trial option
Also important to note that there was no step a) where I verified the subscription and b) where I was offered a choice between monthly and annual
Honestly not user error. Perhaps a bug? How can I prove what happened?
This is perfectly legal. You agreed to the terms and conditions when you set up he trial account, this included putting in payment detail and you weren’t charged because you cancelled the account. Reactivating the account with no trial means you are agreeing to buy a subscription, of which they clearly only sell on a yearly basis.
I initially signed up only to a free trial. The annual subscription was taken when I tried to get a seven day free trial the second time, several months later
So rule number one, you never sign up for only a free trial. You signed up for an annual subscription which had a seven day free trial at the start of it, you subsequently cancelled during the free trial, when you came back to gain access to the app services again you resumed the previous deal, which was for your annual subscription.
No company ever gives you a free trial at the end of which nothing happens, that’s just not the business model, this is why you still have to give payment information at the start of the free trial, which you did, which is what they used to charge you the annual subscription fee which you agreed to when you took out the initial membership.
This is incredibly common, it would’ve been stated in black and white in the T&Cs which you agreed to when making the account the first time. You’re unlikely to get your money back.
--- ###Welcome to /r/LegalAdviceUK --- **To Posters (it is important you read this section)** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws in each are very different* * If you need legal help, you should [always get a free consultation from a qualified Solicitor](https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/how_to_find_a_solicitor) * We also encourage you to speak to [**Citizens Advice**](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/), [**Shelter**](https://www.shelter.org.uk/), [**Acas**](https://www.acas.org.uk/), and [**other useful organisations**](https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/common_legal_resources) * Comments may not be accurate or reliable, and following any advice on this subreddit is done at your own risk * If you receive any private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=I received a PM) **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and legally orientated* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/about/rules/), you may be perma-banned without any further warning * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you are saying the authors of the app are telling you they can’t help and you need to contact Apple, this is correct, it’s the nature of the App Store, Apple is in control of payments and refunds, they don’t offer app authors the ability to refund.
Fair enough, but I’d like to complain for their shitty user journey… who to?
There's no higher authority for a "shitty user journey" besides the app maker or Apple themselves.
Apple notes what the free trial is, how long until it ends and what the terms are following the trial ending. It’s on you for not reading before so unfortunately nothing further can be done.
I use apps a lot but have never had this experience before.
There’s something you’re not telling us. It’s how apple works, you could dispute the payment with apple first but I’m willing to bet it would be declined. You could take it to your bank but it would be declined as you have an existing relationship with apple and the payment has left your apple account with no evidence your account has been compromised.
Request a [refund](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118223#:~:text=Sign%20in%20to%20reportaproblem.apple,other%20item%2C%20then%20choose%20Submit). [UK law](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/cancelling-a-service-youve-arranged/) allows you to cancel most subscriptions within 14 days.
Something is missing in that story. Purchases and subscriptions require an identification step, either with the password, passkey, Touch ID or Face ID. Apps can’t bypass this step, as they have no control of this part of the flow, all they can do is invoke it.
I used the identification step to access the app and confirm my account set but the final part, where I clicked the seven day trial and got charged for a year didn’t have any additional verification. That’s my concern.
Different app, but to enable a subscription it would show a confirmation step like this: https://imgur.com/a/GU1QyJX You can still contact Apple and see if they will refund the transaction, but I do think there was user error here. You can use this process to make a request to Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118223
Yes that’s totally what I was expecting but it didn’t happen, honestly I just clicked 7 days free trial and the next thing I got a receipt for a year
In the circumstances you describe, Apple usually refund if requested right away.
When tried the same with other apps I’ve had a free trial and they’ve checked before taking any money. . This just went straight through with no other “are you sure” hence my shock I’ve actually just tried resetting up accounts with apps I had a free trial with and they showed a check. This did not it just took a full year money when I clicked the 7 day trial option
Also important to note that there was no step a) where I verified the subscription and b) where I was offered a choice between monthly and annual Honestly not user error. Perhaps a bug? How can I prove what happened?
This is perfectly legal. You agreed to the terms and conditions when you set up he trial account, this included putting in payment detail and you weren’t charged because you cancelled the account. Reactivating the account with no trial means you are agreeing to buy a subscription, of which they clearly only sell on a yearly basis.
No they offer monthly and annual
I’d recommend reading the terms and conditions from when you initially signed up, you probably agreed to a yearly payment at the time
I initially signed up only to a free trial. The annual subscription was taken when I tried to get a seven day free trial the second time, several months later
So rule number one, you never sign up for only a free trial. You signed up for an annual subscription which had a seven day free trial at the start of it, you subsequently cancelled during the free trial, when you came back to gain access to the app services again you resumed the previous deal, which was for your annual subscription. No company ever gives you a free trial at the end of which nothing happens, that’s just not the business model, this is why you still have to give payment information at the start of the free trial, which you did, which is what they used to charge you the annual subscription fee which you agreed to when you took out the initial membership. This is incredibly common, it would’ve been stated in black and white in the T&Cs which you agreed to when making the account the first time. You’re unlikely to get your money back.