Do NOT get Express VPN

VPN
1

I’ve used Express VPN in the past. I started using it again on April 13, 2023. In August, I decided to cancel my subscription, so I looked around their website for the unsubscribe button but I could not find it. Finally, in the subscription section, I saw an “Edit Subscription” button. On the page that followed I saw a “Turn Off Automatic Renewal” button that was at the bottom of the screen but blended in inconspicuously with other buttons that didn’t seem related to the subscription, it took me a while to find this button. I clicked the “Turn Off Automatic Renewal” button , thinking I would be unsubscribed from the service.

Next few months go by and I am still getting charged. I thought to myself, well, maybe I didn’t actually cancel the subscription. So this time I went back to their website and I thought I had it figured out! I needed to click the “Turn Off Automatic Renewal” button twice to finally cancel my subscription. A month goes by, it is now Dec 12, 2023, and I get a notification that I was charged yet again. It turns out that in order for one to cancel their subscription for Express VPN, they must locate the “Turn Off Automatic Renewal” button and click it 3 times.

Each time you click the button, it makes you think you cancelled the subscription by adding an ambiguous message. The first message is:

“You are about to turn off automatic payments. Are you sure you would like to continue?”

So you assume naturally that by clicking the “Turn Off Automatic Renewal” again your subscription will be cancelled. Next time you click it, it says

“Be sure to make a payment before to keep your subscription active.” and “Note: You’ll get an email reminder before your subscription expires.”

Making it seem like you’ve cancelled your subscription, however it is not until the 3rd time that you click the button that it finally says

“Your subscription has been canceled”.

This, to me, as a Front End Software Engineer and active user of technology was one of the worst user experiences I’ve ever dealt with in my life. Not only is clicking the button multiple times odd, the entire way information about your subscription is displayed is counter intuitive. I can only imagine what those who are less technically literate experience when going to this page. This seems like deceptive practice on behalf of the company, and I warn anyone who wants to get a subscription with these guys.

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2

I got around this by subscribing with PayPal and you can cancel the recurring payment on PayPal very easily

3

I just switched over to Mullvad yesterday from Express and THOUGHT I had canceled it. Went back just now, and sure a fuckinnough it wasn’t canceled. You saved me some money, thanks my dude.

4

Extremely common with any subscription service, you might as well say “Do NOT use the Internet” because it comes down to the same thing. Just read well and don’t assume. Better yet, just use paypal service and cancel it from there, instantly no hassle.

And putting the “me as a high end top tier software engineer” just screams crybaby to me, nobody is impressed and frankly you’re shitting this much on ExpressVPN? Try another VPN … oh wait, same issue. Just quit VPN’s altogether I guess? Again, for you the solution is just uninstall your internet, sell your PC and just use cash, or else who knows what other company is gonna enrage the big boy software engineer next. Lol.

Seriously this screams so much like the fat dude “Worst thing ever” from The Simpsons, I’m almost wondering if this wasn’t some top tier troll post.

5

Oh it’s deceptive and intentional alright. No way people that can make a great vpn can’t code a cancel routine better than this. I’m happy to share in the message that this is shit. Consumer Reports even noted them as having poor cancellation routines.

Hey ExpressVPN (I know you read this), as I wrote you - there is no need for this crap; if your product is good enough it will sell itself.

6

Amazon does the same thing when you’re trying to cancel the prime subscription.

7

Happened to me exactly the same way. Cancelled finally today.

8

I was just billed last month when I was positive I turned off auto renewal. I was on annual. I complained and got a refund. This is scummy and I won’t be returning to them.

9

My story exactly. I didn’t even bother contacting them; just talked to my bank and reported them as a fraudulent company. They will continue to do this though as they have been.

10

Yes this has been an old trick of theirs for at least 2-3 cycles.

You’ll have to jump the hoops until you see “Automatic Renewal: OFF” and the big green button below it “Turn On Automatic Renewal” on the Subscription page of your account.

They’re not the only ones to do something like this. I’ve encountered slightly less persistent processes with some online newspaper or periodical subscriptions.

11

Yup, well said, Express VPN is like Hotel California

12

Unfortunately extremely common with subscription services these days.

13

I did the free trial. Cancelled during trial period. Still charged and was not able to get my money back. Only contact is through email.

14

ExpressVPN pulled a similar scam on me. While traveling in Mexico last November, I purchased a 1 month plan that included an expiration. I just noticed today that they’ve been charging me for the past 4 months since!

I contacted support via chat and the guy said, “looking at your account, I don’t see where you requested cancellation.” I said that my 1-month subscription had an expiration. He said that they could only refund for one 30 day period. So I said that I’d just contact my bank and have them reverse the charges as fraud. He then said, “OK, we can refund you for the 4 months.”

What a joke; I’ve never had ANY trouble with any company’s subscriptions in the past. This company is shady at best and practices like these need to be reported.

15

I had to cancel the subscription through the app store. It is very annoying, the cancel button on their website leads me to the same page which does not allow me to cancel. very suspicious behaviour

16

Just change your credit card to one that you can freeze.

17

This is your sign to get NordVPN

18

Sounds like a scam indeed

19

I had a 6 month subscription and my card had expired when it tried to renew. I decided to pay for a 1 month sub with a onetime visa ZIP pay.

Then I saw nordvon was rated higher now and also cheaper due to a sale so I got a year of Nord and used the ExpressVPN online help chat to refund my purchase and cancel. It was extremely easy tbh.

20

The exact same thing happened to me yesterday (did not get a cancellation confirmation email so went back to check and realised it’s 3 pages of clicking before it’s ultimately cancelled). My intention was to switch to NordVPN but a day later, ended up renewing express VPN subscription again :person_facepalming:t2: