Unsubscribing does not always stop charges, and refunds can stall

Developers discussing subscription waste on Hacker News describe a recurring problem: users cancel or request refunds but still get billed or hear nothing back. One commenter says a refund request for a forgotten subscription was ignored entirely, while another recounts a vendor that agreed to a partial refund and then went silent, prompting a chargeback. Other threads point to recurring pricing models that charge for one-time needs and per-seat plans that keep billing for unused licenses. Commenters argue that the real failure happens after a subscription is discovered, not in finding it. Several suggest the most effective fix is cancelling directly through the bank or card provider, though that approach has limits.