I paid $60 for a 'lifetime' VPN subscription from a random site and it stopped working after 3 months

4 comments

4 Comments

Man, I used to think those deals were just sketchy but harmless. Seeing it laid out like this, it's clearly a planned cash grab. They're not even trying to hide it anymore.

kevinw941mo ago

Remember these companies count on you not suing over sixty bucks. The real scam is pricing it just low enough that fighting back feels stupid, but they multiplied that by thousands of suckers. You basically pre-paid for three months of a service they always meant to shut down.

finley_smith1mo ago

That sixty dollar number is so specific and it hits home. I had a fitness app do the same thing with a forty dollar annual fee that auto-renewed right before they shut down. You're completely right about the math, they bank on the fact that taking them to small claims court over that amount feels like more trouble than it's worth. It's a calculated move that turns customers into a revenue stream for a failing product. Makes you feel powerless even though you're the one who got played.

-1

hollyscott25d ago

Yeah, the "calculated move" part is what gets me. They basically sold us a timeshare in a digital cardboard box. Lifetime warranty just meant the lifetime of their patience before they ran off with the cash. It's genius in a super scummy way, like a magic trick where the rabbit was just your money leaving your wallet.