subscription site refunds

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i run a subscription site that gives users access to videos.

the product description says:
xyz product - monthly
and i recently changed it for clarity to:
xyz product - Monthly Recurring
also, next to add to cart button it says:
xyz product - - Monthly Recurring
(cancel anytime or keep active to get new content)

more often than i would prefer, i am getting users who say they "didnt know" it was a subscription and want a refund for 1 or more months.

today i had to refund a guy for 4 months.

of course i want to be fair but even more so than the money its a real pain to do refunds from the admin all the way to the books.

what would you do?
#refunds #site #subscription
  • Profile picture of the author merkado
    Originally Posted by bobmane View Post

    i run a subscription site that gives users access to videos.

    the product description says:
    xyz product - monthly
    and i recently changed it for clarity to:
    xyz product - Monthly Recurring
    also, next to add to cart button it says:
    xyz product - - Monthly Recurring
    (cancel anytime or keep active to get new content)

    more often than i would prefer, i am getting users who say they "didnt know" it was a subscription and want a refund for 1 or more months.

    today i had to refund a guy for 4 months.

    of course i want to be fair but even more so than the money its a real pain to do refunds from the admin all the way to the books.

    what would you do?
    You must have refund policy.page.

    If you have refund no question asked guarantee, you should limit that. It should be number of days or maximum of 30 days.It depends on your decisions.

    Hope it helps,

    thanks,
    Ron Oliver Clarin
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  • Profile picture of the author OnlineStoreHelp
    Originally Posted by bobmane View Post

    i run a subscription site that gives users access to videos.

    the product description says:
    xyz product - monthly
    and i recently changed it for clarity to:
    xyz product - Monthly Recurring
    also, next to add to cart button it says:
    xyz product - - Monthly Recurring
    (cancel anytime or keep active to get new content)

    more often than i would prefer, i am getting users who say they "didnt know" it was a subscription and want a refund for 1 or more months.

    today i had to refund a guy for 4 months.

    of course i want to be fair but even more so than the money its a real pain to do refunds from the admin all the way to the books.

    what would you do?
    Given that there is a 60 day limit on refunds, max two months is what I would do. In reality, I would say 30 days. They could have called three months ago but chose not to. If they are cancelling, and they are b*$ching about it, then they are not customers that are gonna give you a good recommendation anyway so trying to please them is a moot point.
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  • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
    Depends on the conditions of your payment processor, and how stern you are.

    I personally don't believe in refunds for content that was always viewed. I make it pretty clear as much as I possibly can before the purchase and in my ToS because refunds and disputes make Me look bad, and makes my payment processor view me less favorably. Then when I DO get a request for a refund, I cave in. My "sternness" is more so a preemptive thing that makes my initial requests fewer, and then I gladly grant refunds to appear as a customer friendly business for my processor
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  • Profile picture of the author cpoalmighty
    Well everyone said the key points already. Ensure you have a refund policy and make it very prominent on your website. It should also be something they have to agree to before submitting payment. Since it's digital goods you are selling paypal would most times be on the merchant's side with proper proof such as the client having to accept your policies, copy of client ID's, signature (if you can get one) and email conversation mentioning your client is happy with your service so far. I would also reassess the website to ensure it is user friendly AND updated with new content every other month or so to keep subscribers happy. Another far fetched idea is to include definitions for your terms used on your website. That way, those people who do not know what a "subscription" is can be well informed as to what it is and what they are doing BEFORE signing up and paying. Please keep in mind that all of this is defeated with a chargeback unless you can contact their credit card company directly with the said proof of "happiness"
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