My impulse buy on a 'smart' grocery app cost me $50 in hidden fees

I signed up for a free trial that automatically renewed and charged me for a premium plan I never used. Has anyone else gotten burned by subscription services that seem helpful for budgeting but actually make it worse?

3 comments

3 Comments

angela_carter1mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst! Honestly, I got hit with something just like that from a meal kit app last year. Tbh, the only thing that finally worked was calling my bank directly and asking them to block any future charges from that company. It was a pain, but they reversed the fee for me. Now I set a phone reminder for two days before any free trial ends so I can cancel.

hernandez.brooke1mo ago

Did the bank give you any pushback?

michaeljones6d ago

Hey @angela_carter, did you catch that story on the news last week about how these subscription traps are basically a billion dollar industry now? Banks are getting smarter about it though, I read that some of them are even rolling out virtual card numbers you can use for trials and then just delete when the trial is up. That reminder trick is smart, I do the same thing but I use a calendar alert with a note that says "you're about to get robbed dummy" so it really grabs my attention.