No grace period, no discretion
I cancelled after accidentally missing the trial cutoff, a few hours after my 14-day trial rolled into a paid subscription and asked for the $9 refund. The reply quoted the Terms of Service at me, explained that I had been informed at signup, and declined. They then asked why I wanted the refund, after already refusing it.
I used the product once during the trial to test. The charge was hours old and the account was already cancelled. Refunding it would have cost them $9 and taken one click.
I've run a subscription software business. Missed-renewal refunds get approved without argument, because a customer who leaves with a neutral impression costs nothing and may come back, and a customer who leaves annoyed writes reviews.
The policy is presumably within their rights. It's just a poor read of what a lapsed trial user is worth. I'd have shrugged and moved on; instead I'm writing this.
Reply from ArtPlacer
Hi James,
While our refund policy is outlined in our Terms of Service and applies to subscriptions once the trial period has ended, we also understand that policies are only one part of the customer experience. How we handle situations like this matters, and we’re sorry that our response left you feeling that there was no room for understanding or discretion.
We also appreciate the thoughtful feedback you shared about how a situation like this can affect a customer’s overall impression of a business. We never want someone who has enjoyed trying ArtPlacer to leave feeling unheard or disappointed.
Your feedback has been shared with our team, particularly around how we approach these cases and how we can make the experience feel more considerate and human.
Thank you for taking the time to explain your perspective so candidly. We’re truly sorry we didn’t handle this in a way that left you with a better impression of ArtPlacer.