Scam behavior : charged $170.54 cad for a "free trial" then attempted $238.26 CAD the next day
As an international student in Canada, managing a tight budget while being restricted to part-time work, every dollar matters. That’s why what happened with Smodin was not just disappointing. It was alarming. I signed up for what was clearly presented as a free trial. I never used the service — not a single credit, not a single feature. Yet, I was charged $170 for an annual subscription, with no warning, no confirmation screen, and no explicit consent on my part. To make matters worse, there was a second attempt to charge me $238.26 CAD, which my bank thankfully blocked. I never agreed to any of this. When I contacted the customer support, they claimed that since the service is digital, it couldn’t be refunded. That rationale is both technically and ethically flawed. Access to digital services can be revoked, accounts can be deactivated, and usage rights can be disabled. Especially when there has been no actual usage. In my case, the platform shows zero activity: no credits used, no tools accessed, NOTHING AT ALL. You cannot call this fair business. I only entered my card details with the intention of exploring the service during the trial period, and at most, I would have considered opting for a one-month plan if I found it useful. Smodin's practices does not reflect transparency. It’s entrapment. I’ve reported this to my bank and will pursue the matter further with consumer protection agencies. I urge others to steer clear of this platform. And to Smodin : reverse this charge and cancel the subscription and ISSUE A REFUND. UPDATE MAY 9th Hi, You initially charged me $170.54 CAD. You then issued a partial refund of only $161.59 CAD, and without any explanation, you proceeded to charge me an additional $21.42 CAD on the same day. This means I am still out $30.37 CAD in total — and I have no idea why. I never used the service, never authorized these amounts, and never received a clear explanation of any fees. This behavior is unacceptable, and borders on deceptive billing. I demand: A full refund of the $21.42 CAD, An explanation for the missing $8.95 from the original amount, and A written confirmation that no further charges will be made to my account. You had a chance to resolve this fairly. Do not make this worse by hiding behind vague policies — I expect transparency and immediate action.