This simple email saved me from a $75 mistake
My carelessness cost me, and I'd bet you've done the same. Here's how you can often undo it with a simple ask.
Hi there, my friend.
I made a careless mistake earlier this month, and I’d bet you’ve done the same. Maybe even a few times.
I forgot to cancel a free trial membership before it ended.
They warned me when I signed up that I’d have to pay $75 if I didn’t cancel in time. They even sent me a very clear email two days before the end of the free trial to remind me that it was ending soon. I saw it. I made a mental note (which may be the single most worthless thing on Earth, BTW) to cancel in plenty of time. And then, of course, I forgot.
I was so mad at myself. It was definitely not the first time this had happened.
Have you ever done this before? Come on. Be honest. You’re among friends here.
Asking for a break
It would be one thing if the charge was only a few bucks. Maybe it wouldn’t be worth the hassle of sending the note. However, $75 is real money. Spending a few minutes to potentially save that amount of money is a no-brainer, I think.
Still, there was absolutely no guarantee that my ask would be approved. It was 100% my fault. Any refund would simply be them doing me a solid, and I wanted to make sure to acknowledge that in my note.
Here’s what I wrote, with a subject line of “Cancellation and refund request”…
“Hi there. I recently was charged $75 at the end of my free trial. However, I had intended to cancel prior to time running out.
I know you are under no obligation to grant my refund, but I’m asking you to consider it.
If you would grant it, I’d be happy to rate the app and give it a positive review in the App Store.
Thank you for your consideration.”
That’s it!
I sent it to their info email address and things moved quickly after that:
Immediately got an auto-reply email confirming receipt and saying they’d aim to reply to my note within 72 hours.
About 12 hours later, I got an email from a customer service representative saying they would honor my request and that the refund would take 5-10 business days to complete.
About 15 minutes after that, I got another email with documentation further confirming that the refund would happen.
Later that day, the refund appeared in my credit card transactions.
Could not have been easier. Within a few days, I left a strong review in the App Store, as I had promised.
This whole process might have taken me 15 minutes and it got me $75. That’s an hourly rate that anybody would love.
What makes this email effective
If — OK, when — you find yourself in a similar situation, please feel free to use my email as a template. That’s why it is there.
But before you do, it is important to understand what makes this email work:
It is polite. People don’t want to help jerks.
It doesn’t waste their time. Customer service reps are busy. Get to the point.
It acknowledges fault. You’re not blaming the company or calling them evil. You messed up. You know it. You’re just asking them for leniency.
It is a win-win. Good reviews are like gold, especially for smaller companies. Offering to help them out in this way could potentially make them look at your request more kindly.
Even if your email does all of these things, are you guaranteed to get your way? No, of course not. I firmly believe, however, that I did help myself by approaching the situation this way. It has worked for me in the past, and I believe it will work for me again in the future, so I wanted to pass it along.
Have you asked for this type of refund?
We want details — good, bad or ugly! Share them below.
Until next time!
Matt