strava charged me a full years subscription immediately and I can't cancel even though it's only been a few days
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on Google Play
StravaReported repeatedly
People are charged for a year the moment they try it
3 people raised this across 3 weeks, on both iOS and Android.
iPhone and Android users in the UK and United States, across three app versions.
In their own words
Neither app store gives a review a permanent public link, so each entry is a snapshot taken on the date shown and the link goes to the app's review listing.
Every day I get at least 10 notifications asking to sign up for the premium version
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
Beware starting a free trial, the first time you accept it it says you're in the free trial
- about billing
Captured on . See reviews on the App Store
What people do instead
Nobody described a way around this.
What you could do with this
These four are written from the reviews above. Everything else on this page is quoted or counted.
written
BUILD IT
State the charge date and the amount on the screen that starts the trial.
See how3 points
- Show the same two facts again in the confirmation, not only in email
- Make cancelling reachable from the screen that sold the trial
- Start with the immediate-charge path reviewers describe
Why it might not workClear renewal terms reduce accidental renewals, which is revenue the current design depends on.
written
START IT
A watcher for trials a person has started and forgotten.
See how2 points
- Reads confirmations and warns before each renewal date
- For people who try several services at once
Why it might not workThe app stores already send renewal notices, and a second one is easy to ignore.
written
STUDY IT
Does trial framing change whether people cancel in time?
See how2 points
- Compare cancellation rates against how the renewal date was presented
- Separate the reminder's effect from the wording's
Why it might not workTrial and cancellation data sits with the seller and the app store, not with researchers.
written
WRITE IT
The free trial that was never free.
See how2 points
- Follow someone from the tap to the charge to the refused refund
- Quote the reviews describing the charge landing immediately
Why it might not workSubscription-trap reporting is a crowded field; the turn is the trial that converts at once.
Related challenges
Strava
People lose the activity they were in the middle of recording
the program keeps stopping in the middle of my hike
Build itA recorder that writes each location fix to disk as it arrives.
Start itA recorder whose only job is not to stop.
Study itHow often does a consumer tracker lose part of a session?
Write itThe run that did not happen because the app stopped.
Reported repeatedly
Expedia
People cannot get their money back when a trip falls through
You refused to refund our money
Build itA refund tracker that shows where the money actually is.
Start itA service that chases a travel refund on someone's behalf.
Study itWhat happens to a refund promise after its window passes?
Write itThe refund that quietly becomes credit you cannot spend.
Widely reported
Airbnb
People are refused money back after a stay goes wrong
Host agreed to a refund. Then disputed it.
Build itA record of what both sides agreed, that neither can quietly edit.
Start itEvidence handling for people disputing an accommodation charge.
Study itWhat happens after a host agrees to a refund and then disputes it?
Write itThe refund agreed in writing, then reversed.
Reported repeatedly