Freeletics
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An auto-subscription warning
The Freeletics app is pretty good. I've used it on and off since 2017, and in my opinion, it can be very helpful for short-term fitness and weight loss goals. However, unfortunately I can no longer recommend a company I once spoke very highly of. Their subscription model uses a classic auto-renew trap, and a quick look at their recent reviews and social media posts will show how many people are affected by this. Auto-subscriptions are nothing new. Many companies use them, and it is your responsibility to ensure you know where you stand. However, the companies unyielding stance on their policies is questionably unethical. On December 31 2020, I bought a 12 month plan in a sale, which looking at my account, I used a couple of times until mid-January 2021. Seemingly I then forgot all about it, and was unaware I was an auto-subscription plan (my fault, and I should have known better having used them for so long). In December 31 2021, I was then billed again for another year. Very frustrating, especially with the pretty awful communications that followed after I contacted them. These are my main issues: - They didn't email/warn me in advance that my subscription was going to renew, especially important given that the renewal amount was higher than what I originally paid. As such there was no notification or way to opt out. - When I discovered the payment in my bank statement, it no longer showed "freeletics", and I had to Google search to work out the origin of the payment - Despite the fact I clearly wasn't using the app (not for 11 months!) and I contacted them a few days after they took the payment, they were adamant that their policy is not to issue any refunds, so there is no 7-14 day refund policy used by most reputable companies. All their correspondence simply pointed me back to their T&Cs. As such, if you use Freeletics then make sure you cancel your contracts - you should still be able to use the app for the time you've paid for, but this should stop the auto-renewal. If you're thinking about using Freeletics, just be aware of the poor customer relations of the company you're giving your money to.