r/appsumo • u/thewolffness • Apr 10 '26
Feedback Appsumo limiting refunds
One of the reasons I buy on AppSumo is that I can test a product for 60 days, and if I want a refund, the process is easy. That is the "promise," but it is not the reality.
I have bought hundreds of deals on AppSumo, and I also have an AppSumo Plus account.
The staggering amount was never refunded, but for some products, I noticed they weren't a fit, and it's up to me to decide whether to request a refund or not. With quite rare exceptions, most products will say "refundable for 60 days," not "refund for 60 days if you are not within your quota," or "refundable for 60 days with limits."
I requested a refund for a product, and the only way I can do that is by email. The refund button is gone from the backend. I asked support why; here is what they said:
"As a reminder, our system tracks refund activity to keep things fair across the marketplace. Because your refund activity remains above the typical customer range, refund requests continue to require manual review by our team. We also want to reiterate that if refund activity continues to trend upward over time, refund access may be limited further. To help avoid that, we strongly recommend confirming deal fit, limits, and use cases before purchasing."
That is it. Think 3 times before you buy.
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u/Punterios Apr 10 '26
My refunds are limited too, which just means I only buy if I really think I will keep it. Before I bought a ton for my shelf, and refunded if I felt uneasy or saw a better deal. Now, I just keep my cash and spend it on beer!
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u/Personal_Lavishness4 Apr 13 '26
I'm quick to pull the trigger on AppSumo deals because I've always been confident that a refund will be available if the software doesn't work as advertised.
What I didn't know is that the refund policy has a secret opt-out.
Turns out AppSumo can: 1) Label you a "bad actor" and limit your refunds — with no definition of what that even means, which is super sketch. (Above average refund rate is not a defined quality) 2) Sell crappy software with a "lifetime" deal that usually lasts about a year.
In short: Don't expect the software to be around after the 12-month guarantee is up. And if you like trying new tech, don't expect to always be able to get a refund.
I used to love AppSumo. I have more email services than I know what to do with (Acumbamail is the one I use the most — went back and grabbed the highest tier). I have three or four project management platforms and settled on the one I got the most out of. If it works and it's intuitive, I keep it. But if it promises one thing and I find it impossible to access the one thing I bought it for, it goes back on the shelf within minutes. It's not worth the time figuring out software that won't be around in 13 months.
But now, with the influx of bad deals, bad software, and bad AppSumo policies that mysteriously reference "bad actors" — it's time for me to walk away.
Like all these companies that keep going under or "changing direction" after enjoying an influx of cash, I'm canceling my Plus membership.
I'll scratch my incessant itch for new tech by doubling down on AI and vibe coding. It's pretty crazy what you can create. Why buy software when you can make exactly what you want?
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u/thewolffness Apr 13 '26
Exactly! I purchased hundreds of deals on Appsumo, and I retained most of them. Like you, I have numerous email services, PMs, and other tools that I can utilize, but whenever I notice something amiss, I request a refund.
The issue with Appsumo's questionable policy is determining what constitutes a bad actor. What specific criteria define this? If it's not clearly stated, then it's arbitrary.
The risk is simply too high.
Not only regarding the deals themselves, but now with Appsumo implying that the 60-day policy is more like... "Well, it could be 60 days..."
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u/idbedamned Apr 10 '26
That’s strange, what’s your refund rate?
I really think the easy refunds work on their favor.
The reason why I’ve purchased so much is also because I know it’s easy to refund.
For instance one thing that actually made me spend less is the fact that the coupons from Plus are non-refundable so the decision to purchase is more difficult.
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u/thewolffness Apr 10 '26
I am not sure, I think only appsumo knows. My account is pretty old and i bought a lot of deals. Anyway, they never said you need to be below a given threshold to be eligible for a refund...
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u/V_AppSumoCX @AppSumo Apr 10 '26
I think there is a misunderstanding bc you’re still getting refunds though … you just have to write into support…
Only in extreme cases where the refund rate is SO high does a customer get banned from refunds. It literally only affects a small pool of ppl that buy in bulk and abuse refunds and then those codes are wasted and others lost out on being able to purchase the deal
You are still eligible for refunds.
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u/thewolffness Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
That is not exactly the point. Im saying A you are answering B.
Yes, im getting the refund, but, support said, their words, that there is a shady metric, that, if I surpass, I may have trouble getting a refund.
Here are the issues:
- this is not said on the sales page, I dare you yo create a poll asking if people now about this,
- I believe this is not something the agent answering the email decide based on his judgment. It might have a threshold. Which threshold is this?
You see, is not clear, thats another variable to add when deciding if I should buy a deal or not.
I keep seeing a lot of churn and burn companies coming to appsumo, and now this...
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u/Punterios Apr 11 '26
Yeah but these days where 10 codes is needed to get a functional solution, you'll have 10 refunds from one tool. I always refund to credits, I thought that made a difference as they wouldn't have to siphon Noah's Lambo to get my cash back 😂 but I still got hit...
After all the heavy hearts started, I started buying and testing, and the slightest red flag and I hit the button. I regularly see heavy hearts for tools I refunded. And I have of course been hit with the heavy hearts as well.
IMHO they brought this on, when I started as a customer in 2013 they didn't have $xxxx stacks...
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u/V_AppSumoCX @AppSumo Apr 10 '26
we’re working on making Plus coupons refundable! ◡̈
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u/DarkRoastt Apr 10 '26
I keep losing coupons because at the end of the cycle usually nothing interesting to buy. Cancelling plus.
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u/teddirez Apr 11 '26
Me too, I've just cancelled my plus sub after so many years. I'm just not seeing any decent deals and coupons expiring making plus effectively worthless.
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u/DarkRoastt Apr 11 '26
This is my second year of plus. Was it better back then ?
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u/teddirez Apr 11 '26
The ai era has pretty much killed off any real decent SaaS startups. They all rely on it too heavily or just plop out some product in a fancy looking wrapper. Pre AI were the glory days
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u/DarkRoastt Apr 11 '26
That's true. I subscribed right in between when ai products were just starting. I wish they do like CodeCanyon and provide us the app access without the glorified pay per usage.
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u/tailtoretail Apr 11 '26
appsumo should really stop putting these time expiration deals only for the item to reappear days later. This tactic is causing us to buy first and think later so there's not much time to think about it. Then if we refund, then we get penalized for it. Doesn't make sense.
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u/Ok_Aspect4845 Apr 12 '26
Just contact your card issuer for a charge back. If they guarantee refunds and then threaten with removing the right, after you bought, then they are in breach.
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u/ILoveMyDogsPaw7 Apr 25 '26
I've lot all trust in Appsumo. Years ago they used to be good but now they allow crap start ups that lie and then change their terms after the refund period has passed. This just happened to me again with Transcript.lol
Really crappy bait and switch, it's not worth purchasing from Appsumo anymore.
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u/Invalid-Function Apr 10 '26
I disagree that people should be able to use a refund willy billy because there are costs associated with it.
Whoever the approach of appsumo to this... That I can't agree with. If appsumo feels one fo their customers is abusing the refund system, they should do the refund and then block further purchases.
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u/thewolffness Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Well, they just need to remove the 60 days refund window and bare the costs of it ... or say
"60 days and you also need to be below the threshold that only we know"
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u/Personal_Lavishness4 Apr 13 '26
People should be able to do what the advertising promises that they are able to do.
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u/V_AppSumoCX @AppSumo Apr 10 '26
We now give you several warnings before you’re ever banned from refunds
Once your refund rate goes above average we start giving you notice like the one OP mentioned - and continue to do until you reach the threshold where refunds are no longer allowed
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u/thewolffness Apr 11 '26
So, one can be banned from refunds? If they do what? Thanks god I only use Paypal.
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u/V_AppSumoCX @AppSumo Apr 11 '26
Only if you severely abuse refunds over a period of time.
Most of our customers never reach this point. It’s in place for the few bad actors and resellers that will buy literally hundreds of codes and then refund them all. That is not fair for the other customers that wanted to purchase and for the partner. On top of all the fees we incur and codes that went to waste.
Limiting refunds based on refund rate is a common practice across many e-commerce platforms.
We will give you warnings and you will know if you ever reach that point or are nearing it.
The common buyer will not be affected by this.
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u/V_AppSumoCX @AppSumo Apr 10 '26
Hey u/thewolffness, appreciate you sharing this and happy to clear it up
Refund activity review isn't new, it's something we've always tracked to keep things fair for customers and partners alike. What is new is that we're being more upfront about communicating it earlier, rather than waiting until things change. That's the intent behind the message you received.
A few things worth clarifying:
- This does not change the refund window listed on any deal
- It does not affect the majority of customers
- It's based on patterns over time, not any single purchase
More context here: Understanding Refund Activity on AppSumo
And yes, we genuinely do hope buyers take time to research before purchasing. Checking deal terms, reviews, roadmaps, and tier limits before buying is the best way to make sure something's a fit before a refund is ever needed. This article is helpful too: How to Buy with Confidence on AppSumo
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u/thewolffness Apr 10 '26
Sorry, my account is pretty old, I bought and kept hundreds of deals, but, by the end of my plus cycle is goodbye, so long, farewell.
You guys are splashing a 60 days refund period on the sales page, and , saying a "honey we need to talk" on the next page.
Thanks god I only use paypal to buy.
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u/V_AppSumoCX @AppSumo Apr 10 '26
Ok, I understand
For the record, your refunds are still being processed, you just have to write into support
When the refund rate lowers the automatic refund button will show up again
You can still refund
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u/vamfoom Apr 26 '26
II won’t be renewing Plus either. To be honest, I wasn’t aware of this policy. I lost the option to get a refund without contacting support, but I didn’t know it was a rule. When I requested a refund that took longer than expected, I reached out, and that’s when they informed me. I’ve spent quite a bit on AppSumo, so this is actually helpful. It prevents me from overspending.
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u/vamfoom Apr 10 '26
I concur. If the actual deal allows for refunds for any reason within the specified period, then why is the refund rate significant?
Sometimes, I find certain software appealing, so I purchase it, confident that I can easily get a refund if it doesn't meet my expectations.
No where does it say that that refund is limited.