Recently, I tried to locate a lost phone and came across a website (like Finda.net) that offered a service for 50 cents. I paid, but instead of a one-time charge, I was billed 39 euros for a subscription I didn’t know about. The terms were in fine print, and I missed them. Canceling the subscription was tough—the website’s cancel button didn’t work, and support only responded after a couple of days.
How do these subscriptions work? Is there a way to tell in advance if you’re being signed up for something expensive?
Comments
Classic dark pattern. These sites use low-entry micro-payments to bypass your skepticism, then hide a recurring subscription in the fine print — often buried in terms or pre-checked boxes.
The red flags?
• Vague pricing (“just 50 cents”)
• No clear checkout summary
• Cancel button that mysteriously fails
Best move: treat any site asking for a credit card before showing full functionality like a scam until proven otherwise. And always search “[site name] scam” — you’ll be surprised what shows up.
Basically, they make the one-time fee super clear but hide the subscription part in tiny text. Next time, check the checkout page for any pre-checked boxes that say “recurring payment.” To cancel, you can try emailing their support with a clear subject like “Cancel Subscription Request” and keep a record of it. For refunds, contact your bank ASAP and ask about a chargeback—most banks are pretty good about reversing unauthorized charges if you explain the situation. Good luck
What worked for me was calling my credit card company and explaining I didn’t agree to a subscription. They reversed the charge in like two days.
start to use PayPal for sketchy sites because it’s easier to dispute payments there
Reading usually works.
This is on the homepage of Finda.net
IMO this is not even that hidden of a gouge.
Also the website is literally pitching the very creepy idea of being able to get someone’s location based on nothing more than their phone number, so its not exactly a trustworthy company or service IMO.
As for getting your money back if you haven’t, if you paid with a credit card they can help.
These sites often operate on a freemium model with a low entry fee to hook you, then auto-enroll you in a subscription. The fine print is legal but shady—most countries require terms to be disclosed, but they don’t have to be obvious. The non-working cancel button might be a deliberate design flaw to keep you subscribed. Check their Terms of Service (usually at the bottom of the site) for cancellation instructions. If that fails, your bank can initiate a chargeback under “unauthorized transaction” if you didn’t explicitly agree to recurring payments. Also, use a virtual card for these sites in the future—it’s a one-time card number you can disable instantly.
I explained this in a previous comment, but these services can’t actually track phones. They just text a phishing link to the number and count on the recipient being gullible enough to click on it and share their location.
Most people know better than to click these links so their “service” is largely useless, but they still con you into paying a hefty subscription fee.