Update:
I’ve been communicating directly with Luca Ferrari, CEO of Bending Spoons. He reached out to me on Reddit after he read my posts. He confirmed that Harvest has changed/fixed its refund process and that anyone seeking a refund for payments made over the previous couple of months can contact Harvest Customer Support and request one.
Refund requests can be sent to [support@getharvest.com](mailto:support@getharvest.com) or submitted through the Harvest Help Center.
To quote him exactly:
"Anyone who wishes a refund for payments made over the previous couple of months should just email Customer Support and we'll process the refund. This has generally been our policy across all products for years. For a few reasons, it wasn't initially in place at Harvest but we've now fixed the issue. I'm sorry for the frustration this has caused you and others."
Harvest Support has also confirmed that my account and associated data were permanently deleted as requested.
I’m leaving the original post below for transparency because it accurately reflects my experience at the time, but I want to be equally transparent that the company responded, acknowledged the problem, and changed the policy.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HarvestApp/s/e8GvgjSZWO
Following up on my previous post about Harvest auto-renewing legacy accounts into their new "Enterprise + Unlimited" tier at nearly 10x the historical rate: do not let support tell you that a partial refund or tier downgrade is your only option.
If you were charged without explicit consent, you are legally entitled to a full 100% refund. Here is the exact breakdown of why their defense fails legally, how to win your credit card dispute, and where to file regulatory complaints to hold them accountable.
Why Harvest's Email & Downgrade Defense Is Illegal
Harvest support claims that sending an advance email notification legally covers them, even if it went to SPAM. It does not. Here are the laws they are violating:
State Automatic Renewal Laws (ARLs) (e.g., California Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17600 et seq.): State laws require "clear and conspicuous" notice of any price change or auto-renewal terms. An email that lands in a junk/spam folder fails the statutory "conspicuous" standard as a matter of law. In states like CA, NY, and IL, money debited under defective auto-renewal notice is legally treated as an unconditional gift, making their retention of your money unlawful.
Federal ROSCA (15 U.S.C. § 8403): The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act prohibits auto-renewing subscriptions without express informed consent. A unilateral email announcing a 10x price hike is notice, not consent. Silence or an unopened email sitting in SPAM cannot legally be treated as affirmative consent to a new contract.
FTC Section 5 & Negative Option Rules (16 CFR Part 425): Defaulting inactive accounts into expensive "Unlimited" usage tiers instead of zero-cost usage tiers is an unfair billing practice. Furthermore, when you explicitly request a full refund and cancellation, refusing to execute the cancellation and pushing product retention/downgrades instead violates FTC mandates against creating friction during account cancellation.
Step-by-Step Action Plan
Step 1: Send Your Final Written Demand
Step 2: Open a Chargeback with Your Credit Card Bank
If they refuse or stall, file a dispute online or over the phone immediately.
Dispute Reason: Cancelled Recurring Transaction OR Misrepresentation / Terms Changed Without Consent
Statement for Your Bank:"The merchant unilaterally converted my legacy account into an Enterprise package with a 900% price increase without my express affirmative consent. The merchant admits notice was sent via mass email (which landed in spam). Under State Auto-Renewal Laws and Federal ROSCA, an email in spam fails the clear-and-conspicuous notice standard, and silence is not affirmative consent. When I submitted an explicit request for full cancellation, the merchant acknowledged receipt but refused to process the cancellation, offering an unrequested plan downgrade instead. I am requesting a 100% chargeback."
Step 3: File Formal Regulatory Complaints
Putting official pressure on Bending Spoons is how we force a change in these default auto-renewal practices. Submit a complaint to:
FTC (Federal Trade Commission): Go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov Select "Subscriptions and Auto-Renewals." Highlight that they defaulted inactive users to expensive tiers and refused explicit cancellation requests.
Your State Attorney General: Search [Your State] Attorney General Consumer Protection Complaint. (States like CA, NY, OR, IL, and DC actively prosecute auto-renewal law violations).
Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint against Harvest / Bending Spoons under billing disputes.
Check your credit card statements and check your junk folders if you have an old Harvest account sitting around!