Author Topic: Corona auto-renewing and billed without notification  (Read 596 times)

2025-01-02, 09:45:00

simtub

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So I've been running the 3 month free trial for Corona, and just today it automatically took payment and billed me for a whole year subscription which I don't even need anymore since we have licenses in the office. I'm so pissed! I didn't even recieve any email to say that my trial was expiring and that on a certain date the software would be auto-renewed or billed. That's 500 USD gone down the drain..
« Last Edit: 2025-01-02, 09:51:45 by simtub »

2025-01-02, 13:25:15
Reply #1

dj_buckley

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Yup, i raised this a couple of months back.  I used to get emails about my upcoming payment etc etc, this year I just got an email to say it had been renewed, it didn't even tell me how much etc etc.  The communication side of things is very poor these days

2025-01-03, 04:40:22
Reply #2

simtub

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Yes, not even a single email to say that there was an upcoming payment. I'm so angry about this. I didn't even need to renew as we have licenses at work. I just feel like it's cash grab by playing off people unaware of their subscription dates.


Yup, i raised this a couple of months back.  I used to get emails about my upcoming payment etc etc, this year I just got an email to say it had been renewed, it didn't even tell me how much etc etc.  The communication side of things is very poor these days

2025-01-03, 10:56:27
Reply #3

pokoy

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If there was no information prior to downloading/installing the demo about 'automatic' purchase of the product without further notice after the demo runs out, they have no valid contract with you and it's illegal. Chaos is now registered in Germany afaik, they'd even have to accept your withdrawal from the sub within 2 weeks without any explanation from your side. What are they smoking?

2025-01-06, 17:48:34
Reply #4

TomG

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Not sure what is happening here, but it's not related to a Corona Trial:

- There is no 3 month Corona Trial. That sounds more like an NFR.

- To get a Corona Trial, no payment details are taken, so an autocharge is not possible.

- Trials do not auto charge and turn into subscriptions, they simply end. So even if your Chaos account had payment details in it e.g. for another Chaos product, the Trial will not charge you, while running, when it expires, not ever.

This is important to clarify, as don't want anyone feeling frightened to use the Trial, so correct information is important.

The last detail is emails are always sent out when a renewal is coming up, so whatever this was, you should have notification somewhere (be sure to check spam etc.). Last, and most important for the poster now that we've covered general information for those who come across this post, do please send in a ticket via https://support.chaos.com/requests/new . Be sure to let them know the email of the personal Chaos account that was charged, but since you mention there may be some crossover or mix up with company accounts, please let them know the emails for those Chaos accounts too if you are able to do so. That way they can get a full picture of what is going on and be able to help out.

Do note it has to be by ticket, because the support team here doesn't have access to billing and licensing set ups, it's just the technical side of things handled on the forum. Sorry to hear you've had some trouble, and thanks for taking the extra time to send in the ticket to get things looked into!
Tom Grimes | chaos-corona.com
Product Manager | contact us

2025-01-06, 17:56:09
Reply #5

dj_buckley

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The last detail is emails are always sent out when a renewal is coming up, so whatever this was, you should have notification somewhere (be sure to check spam etc.).

Nope, nothing.

Just an order confirmation email.  No details of how much.

Then a renewal confirmation email.  No details of how much.

Then an invoice email.  Finally showing how much.

Then a payment successfully processed email.

Nothing in spam, nothing received in the lead up to the renewal etc etc etc.

Am I right in thinking its a legal obligation to remind customers that a renewal is coming up?

2025-01-06, 17:57:55
Reply #6

TomG

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BTW, you should send in a ticket about that too https://support.chaos.com/requests/new

(and again for clarification for newcomers to the post, this was about renewal of an existing subscription, and is unrelated to the Trial version).
Tom Grimes | chaos-corona.com
Product Manager | contact us