Unauthorized money deductions by SmartyMe app on App Store

kenardo128 wrote:

Same here and it's insane that apple has done ntn about it considering all the complaints. The crazy thing is that they charged an account not registered on apple which means they stole my information. Any charge from any app, even YouTube comes up as apple.com on my account but not this one.

That is because it has nothing to do with Apple. Since you just think it is Apple's fault, you have failed to realize what actually happened. They did not get your bank account information from Apple.

What happened was that you made an online purchase from somewhere and there was an offer on the screen that said you could save an additional $10, or whatever it was for you, and you clicked it. Smarty advertises this promo on well known sites such as eBay, Nike, and even on the AT&T site when you are paying your monthly bill. The savings is just a free trial for their service, where you will be billed after the free trial if you do not cancel before that. Users typically don't even know they signed up for a free trial and fail to cancel before they see their charge. It was that site where they were able to get your account information.

That is why it is not billed to your Apple Account like your other charges and has nothing to do with Apple. The actual website where you made the purchase was likely 30 days before you saw the charge on your credit card when the free trial started, so you should be able to figure out what site that was. It was not an Apple website, and Apple certainly did not give them your account number. You think you are entering your payment information on the website for your purchase, but you are actually giving it to Smarty. It is spelled out on the website, but is in fine print and overlooked by you. It is not just you, many others have been fooled as well.

Now that you know what happened, resolving the issue is the same. First you go to the merchant that is billing you and if you cannot get it resolved, then you have to dispute the charge with the credit card being billed. Here is the link to contact Smarty:

https://smartyme.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/27102279613329-How-do-I-cancel-the-subscription

After you figure out the website that allowed Smarty to trick you into a free trial, let us know what website that is to get the word out. The website gets money from Smarty for advertising, but maybe if people start calling out the website, they will think twice about partnering with Smarty.

CmaDR wrote:

Same here, and when I called apple, they verified that I hadn’t downloaded the app. After a lot of drama, I ended up changing my card number, which the rep said would prevent them from charging me again.

It has nothing to do with the app in the App Store. You made a purchase online and there was an option to save some money by trying the free trial subscription to SmartyCash. The purchase you made could have been a month ago where you have now just saw the subscription charge after the trial ended. These offers appear on well known websites such as eBay, Nike, Amazon and even if you pay your AT&T bill online. The subscription with Smarty is made directly with them and does not involve Apple at all.

I assume you contacted the bank of the card being charged, but you need to know that simply changing your card number does not prevent subscription charges from appearing on the new card. Your bank must specifically block that charge. The PNO (Payment Network Operator), such as VISA or Mastercard, use a Credit Card Updater service that automatically transfers subscriptions over to any new card. Your bank is also well aware as they participate in the update process to notify the PNO.

Nikki_SmartyMe wrote:

Hi there! Kindly note SmartyMe is a legit App Store up with bite-sizing lessons. If you'd like to cancel the subscription simply drop us a line at support@smartymeapp.com and we'll handle everything else.

The problem is that the ads are misleading, which is why you see so many users who did not know they were signing up for a free trial that becomes a subscription. There is really one solution that will solve the problem, and that would be to make it clear to the user that they are signing up for a subscription. It should be a clue when you see so many people wondering why they are being charged for this.

The app has nothing to do with the subscription you had and you don't even need the app to see the subscription charges. SmartyApp partners with many websites where you made a purchase and there was an option for a reduced price. In the details there was likely more information, but it was overlooked. What you agreed to was a free trial that would become a subscription. The charge you see likely occurred from a transaction made 30 days ago when the free trial started.

This has nothing to do with Apple and you would have been charged whether you had an iPhone, Android phone, or no phone at all and made a purchase from a different device where there was not even an app. It does not require you to create a different account and the website you used that partnered with Smarty is who you should contact or refuse to give them your business. Review your purchase history with that payment method and look for places where purchases were made probably 30 days before you saw the first charge and it should not be too difficult to figure out the source.

MarciJohan wrote:

I signed up today and paid but the download part was gone. They push so many other upsale stuff and the one that I chose Smartyme Arts was not there and hey! Paid and not even downloaded the app.

I tried to call their number and nobody gets calls. I sent an email. I need a help from Apple Store to cancel this charge and also connected my bank to know the situation happening.

If I understand correctly, you signed up for a subscription with the Developer directly and did not use an in-app Purchase that is managed by Apple, then Apple has nothing to do with that subscription and you will need to cancel directly with the developer. If they are not responsive, you will need to dispute the charge with your bank. Here if what they say about cancelling the subscription, either on their website or be sending an email.

https://smartyme.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/27102279613329-How-do-I-cancel-the-subscription

The only subscriptions that Apple can cancel are those made with an in-app purchase while using the app downloaded from the App Store where the charge will come from Apple. Many companies manage their own subscriptions on their website bypassing Apple's ability to cancel them. Some of those companies are Netflix, Amazon, Walmart, Hulu, and many more that also have a presence on the internet to sign up with them directly.

And to be clear, you are not being billed by Apple? You have already confirmed that you do not have the app or created an account with them and that has all been true for others as well. The Smarty website even confirms you do not need to create an account or use an app. Those that did find this charge on their card made a purchase on a website, and did not know they were agreeing to the Smarty subscription. It is absolutely deceptive and finding the source where you were tricked is going to be the key.

The most common websites where I have seen that resulted in a Smarty subscription was eBay and one called Fanatics, but there are many others. You are in the best position to determine what site that could have been for you. You also have the ability to file a complaint with your Consumer Protection agencies in the EU. Here in the US, we have the FTC.

fecalameu wrote:

I have just been charged for something I have not signed up for. How to stop it?

• Are you referring to the SmartyMe charge like the poster?
• Is this a charge that you see in your Purchase History, which would mean it was managed by Apple?

View your purchase history for the App Store and other Apple media services - Apple Support

• Subscriptions that are managed by Apple are cancelled here:

View or cancel app subscriptions on iPhone - Apple Support

If not in your Purchase History, then it did not come from Apple and you will need to contact the merchant that charged you and if unsuccessful, dispute the charge with the card that was charged.

Another good resource offered by a User Tip is here:

Billed, but you didn’t buy? - Apple Community

aquarius13 wrote:

App Store has included an app that is charging unauthorized access to customers’ accounts. There is no way to contact them by phone. Their email address doesn’t help get any answers.

please help. This is happening to many people.

For the many people that are experiencing a SmartyMe charge, it has nothing to do with the app and the charge is occurring on their Credit Card, not their Apple Account. This is due to inadvertently signing up for a Free Trial of SmartyMe on a website where there was a discount offered for a purchase that was made. If the charge is due to the app from an in-app purchase, then cancelling done the same way as any other Apple managed subscription.

View or cancel app subscriptions on iPhone - Apple Support

For those seeing the charge on their Credit Card, then the solution is the same for any other charge you may see on the card, contact the merchant and if unable to resolve the problem, then dispute the charge with your Credit Card.

I heard this smarty me app being advertised as something to do instead of scrolling through mindless instagram or YouTube or social media networks, they touted to instead pick a category to improve your learning such as math, history, science, etc. so I signed up for the free trial only to realize I was going to be charged 24.98 within a few days if I didn’t cancel a day before, I cancelled immediately and signed up for a lower amount option that cost I believe 6.98 after 2 days of trying it out, I decided I would not use it either and canceled that as well. Very quickly I noticed on my phone I had a charge for the 24.98 shortly after I had cancelled the second SmartyMe trial of two days. I could find zero information in my Apple purchase history or my Apple subscription history which was very strange! I am currently waiting on hold for an Apple advisor in the Apple app department. I am thankful for Apple’s service when I call for help resolving issues!!i am still on hold as they are very busy! I just was able to talk to Apple support and she found out the purchase I made for SmartyMe was not made through apple’s App Store but I made it clicking on the advertisement page I saw and that is why I cannot find the purchase easily on my phone! The SmartyMe app did not cancel my subscription and still charged me so my next step will be to call my bank to be sure they do not continue to charge me. I also sent an email asking SmartyMe not to charge me in the future! Thank you again Apple Support!

Van Dau wrote:

They got me last month and this month, each time it was double charge $50 so I already lost $100. Very angry.

I cant even login, and when I tried to send password recovery the automate email announced it is too busy!

Please be aware. This company is dishonest, scam and should be brought to judge!

• Start by disputing the charge with the bank of the card that was charged.
• If you are in the US, you can report them as a scam here, otherwise it would be your local consumer protection agancy: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Hi there! Kindly note SmartyMe is a legit App Store up with bite-sizing lessons. If you'd like to cancel the subscription simply drop us a line at support@smartymeapp.com and we'll handle everything else.

mfsgemini wrote:

I signed up for this app through the App Store. I cancelled within 24 hours. It was not set up the way I was hoping. I have confirmation of this cancellation. My Apple account says my subscription expired. Smarty claims I signed up through Apple and then again through my email. BS. My charges are reflected through my Apple account. I am disputing through my credit card.

For most users that are unable to resolve the problem with Smarty, disputing through your credit card is what needs to be done.

For a purchase managed by Apple, you would have the option to request a refund here:

Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support

JonKernPA2 wrote:

I asked to cancel, and they complied right away. (I will check in one month's time.)

I am also asking for a refund of the nearly $200 (and to let me know what app, if any, I supposedly was using).

It was not from an app at all. You went to a website that offered the service and were tricked into a subscription. It is not just nefarious websites where it is seen as Ebay users have seen it where a purchase will be discounted by clicking a button (which is the Smarty subscription) and even some online bill pay services such as AT&T have the ad pop up where you can get a reduction in your payment.

With it being back in November it may be difficult to remember what website it was. It is usually related to a purchase where they offer a discount and starts as a free trial, so the actual purchase would have been before the first Smarty charge you saw, and maybe a month before if it was a 30 day free trial.

jgasts wrote:

I signed up for a 28 day free trial and cancelled it 7 minutes later, but they had already charged me.

What happened to it being a free trial!!!!!

If you do not see it in your Purchase History, then you are not being billed by Apple and it is Smarty that is billing you directly and you will have to resolve that problem with them.

View your purchase history for the App Store and other Apple media services - Apple Support

We would not know why they are charging you or the explanation they have. It may be that you had previously used their free trial and it can only be used once. When you saw the free trial offer, you were not logged into your account, so they had no idea you had used one before. For example, I have used a Hulu free trial, so no longer eligible for another one, but if I go to there website now I will see a Free Trial offer on their homepage just like anyone else that goes there, but if I attempt to use it again, I would be charged and not get another free trial. I would contact them and request a refund.

Same here, and when I called apple, they verified that I hadn’t downloaded the app. After a lot of drama, I ended up changing my card number, which the rep said would prevent them from charging me again.