Charged for a subscription that I was told was a free trial

Why doesn’t it tell you before charging you that you already used trial and cannot use again?

This happened to me too! The app DID NOT mention new users. It said “Try 1 Month Free”. It’s baiting without listed terms and conditions and its basically telling users that there’s nothing we can do about it. I filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

No it was the native apple news app. They say the terms and conditions protect them, but that’s not true. There’s a reason several industries are forced to highlight key items in terms and conditions. I had a lot of respect for Apple but now not so much. It’s hard to defend intentionally baiting and charging people, and then using a completely separate terms and conditions as an excuse. It’s pretty poor judgement from their team, and I would expect more from Apple. It makes me question how long they’ll continue to be relevant.

This is a user-to-user tech support forum. Apple is not here. No one here works for Apple. The users here can only speak from their own experiences.

No one here can speak for Apple. No one here can explain Apple's policies.

Anyone unhappy with the state of all things Apple is free to try another company.

A Free Trial can only be used once, so if you attempt to use multiple free trials, you will be charged immediately. The offer most likely said that New Subscribers were eligible for a free trial. The same is true for Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and even Apple TV. You were not being targeting as an eligible person, it is the same offer available for all services. The same is true for the Free Trial of Apple Music with the purchase of AirPods. The trial is only for new subscribers and if you already used a trial, you are not eligible. You will see in this example it specifically states New Subscribers.

You can try to request a refund here:

Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support

Apparently it’s your job to remember. I clicked to get a free month, got immediately charged and when I disputed right next second, the refund was still rejected.

Yes I think so (although I’d never used it) but I would expect the system to know if I’d already had one and was only due one! The confusing thing here is that because I have had various new devices I have had numerous free trial offers on Apple TV and Apple Music so didn’t really think this was unusual.)

That’s unacceptable. Don’t flash “try for free” if you’re going to charge someone. Adjust your ads based on the customer’s purchase history. It’s baiting and then pointing the finger at the customer with something that’s OBVIOUSLY mislead several people. The fact that Apple remains oblivious is just another true showing of character.

jonniecrossley wrote:

Yes I think so (although I’d never used it) but I would expect the system to know if I’d already had one and was only due one! The confusing thing here is that because I have had various new devices I have had numerous free trial offers on Apple TV and Apple Music so didn’t really think this was unusual.)

For future reference, if you had used the Free Trial before, you would not see it shown in the details of the charge before you double click the side button. It would only show the subscription price. When the free trial is available, it will show the length of the free trial, then the subscription price and when it would start.

Was it a 3rd party App?

M1 Mac mini, macOS 15.0.1;  Watch, series 10 GPS-only, watchOS 11.0.1; iPhone 16, iOS 18.0.1; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 18.0.1; HomePods, audioOS 18.0.1 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2

No one can buy something accidentally. The App Store shows you the sale details, as shown in Mac Jim's comment. You see what you are getting and have to double-click the side button to approve the sale. If you have already used the free trial for that app or service, on the purchase page, it would not say "free trial".

Well answer this…why, if it’s not baiting, does Apple refuse to refund people who’ve said they misunderstood it?

Seems to me that it’s a “got ya” type of attitude when the company refuses to acknowledge that a large amount of people have misunderstood it, and doesn’t offer a simple refund.

gooner007 wrote:

if you have done that quickly they have no right to refuse your refund so long as you have not used it.

That makes no difference. The intent and contractual agreement to pay is authorized after the user double clicks the side button with the amount showing on the screen. It is not something that is done by accident. Forgetting to cancel a free trial is not a valid reason to get a refund. That is the users responsibility.

In a related matter, I am subscribed to HBO/Max and did not watch any content on their service last month, do you think they would refund me since I did not use the service. The answer is no, and the resolution is the same, pay for the service you agreed to and cancel if you wish to avoid any future charges.

This happened to me too. I clicked ‘1 month free” and got charged!! This is clearly unacceptable.

Have you already used a free trial for this app in the past?

If so, that would be why you were charged as soon as you tried to get a second free trial.