Many students sign up for Chegg to get access to textbook solutions, expert Q&A, and other academic support resources. However, some users find that even after they think they’ve canceled their subscription, they continue to be billed on a recurring basis. There are a few potential reasons this can happen:
Forgetting to cancel subscription
The most common reason for getting unintentionally charged by Chegg is simply forgetting to properly cancel your subscription. Chegg subscriptions don’t expire – they need to be actively canceled by the user. If you forget to go through the cancellation process before your next billing date, you’ll automatically be charged again.
Confusing cancellation process
Chegg’s cancellation process involves more steps than just deleting your account or canceling the renewal. You need to specifically navigate to the “Cancel Subscription” page in your account settings and confirm your request to cancel. Some users mistakenly think they’ve canceled when they haven’t completed this full process, resulting in surprise charges.
Canceling too late
Chegg’s subscriptions are set to auto-renew on your billing date each month or year, depending on your plan. If you attempt to cancel right before your next billing date, it may already be too late to avoid the next charge. You typically need to cancel at least 48 hours in advance of your renewal date to avoid being billed again.
Accidental reactivation
If you reactivate your canceled Chegg account for any reason, even just to access old material, it will automatically restart your subscription. This catches some former users off guard who didn’t realize simply logging back into a canceled account would trigger renewal.
Troubleshooting Unexpected Chegg Charges
If you find unwanted Chegg charges on your credit card statement, here are some steps to resolve the issue:
Verify account cancellation status
Log into your Chegg account and check under “Subscription” in the account settings to confirm if your subscription still shows as active. If so, complete the official cancellation process.
Review billing history
Your account’s billing history will show all past and pending subscription charges. Review this to see if there was an accidental reactivation or renewal you weren’t aware of.
Contact Chegg customer support
Reach out to Chegg’s customer service team for help identifying and resolving any erroneous renewals or reactivations. They can cancel future renewals and potentially refund recent unwanted charges.
Dispute charges with your bank
If you’re unable to get an unsatisfactory response from Chegg support, consider disputing the charges with your credit card company or bank. Provide details on your cancellation attempts and lack of notification of renewal.
Adjust account settings
To prevent repeat mistaken charges, be sure your Chegg account settings are updated to prevent auto-renewal of subscriptions if you attempt to access the account again later. Remove any saved payment information as well.
How to Properly Cancel a Chegg Subscription
To fully cancel your Chegg subscription and stop recurring charges, follow these steps:
Log into your account
Pull up the Chegg website and log into your account using your email and password. Hover over your profile icon in the top right and click “Account”.
Go to subscription status
In the left sidebar menu, click on the “Subscription” option to view your current subscription details. This will show your plan, billing date, and status.
Select “Cancel Subscription”
On the right side of the page, click the red button that says “Cancel Subscription.” This will open a cancellation confirmation pop-up window.
Confirm cancellation
The pop-up will summarize your current plan and charges. Check the box confirming you want to cancel your plan and end recurring billing, then click “Cancel Subscription” in red.
Check account status
After completing the process, your account status should update to “Canceled” within 24 hours. Log out then back in to double check.
Following these steps will formally terminate your subscription and prevent any future automatic renewal or billing. Just be aware your access to Chegg study tools will end as soon as your current period expires.
Avoiding Unwanted Chegg Charges
Here are some tips to help avoid getting charged unexpectedly by Chegg after canceling your subscription:
- Cancel at least 48 hours before your renewal date
- Triple check account cancellation status after submitting request
- Remove saved payment methods from your Chegg account
- Don’t log back into a canceled account unless reactivating service
- Set account to block auto-renewal if you do log back in after canceling
- Dispute any erroneous charges quickly with bank/CC company
Staying proactive about the cancellation process is the key to ensuring you don’t get unintentionally renewed. Be vigilant about checking account settings, billing dates, and payment details.
Chegg Subscription Costs and Plans
Chegg offers several subscription plan tiers, with varying pricing and access levels. It’s helpful to understand the different options when signing up, canceling, or troubleshooting billing issues:
Monthly Subscription
Plan | Price (per month) | Access |
---|---|---|
Basic | $14.95 | Textbook solutions |
Standard | $29.95 | Textbook solutions, Q&A expert help |
Premium | $39.95 | Full study pack access |
Annual Subscription
Plan | Price (per year) | Access |
---|---|---|
1-Year Basic | $95.40 | Textbook solutions |
1-Year Standard | $179.40 | Textbook solutions, Q&A expert help |
1-Year Premium | $239.40 | Full study pack access |
Review your account details to determine which plan you’re currently subscribed to when going through the cancellation process.
Getting a Chegg Refund
If you’ve been erroneously charged by Chegg, getting a refund for those extra subscription fees is possible, but not guaranteed. Here are some tips for pursuing a refund:
Request refund immediately
Contact Chegg support as soon as possible after the unwanted charge and request a refund. Provide details on the billing mistake and ask them to reverse the charges.
Check billing history
Any refunds Chegg issues will show up as a credit on your account billing history. Keep an eye on your balance details to see if a refund comes through.
Follow up if needed
If a refund doesn’t come within 10 days of your request, follow up again with Chegg customer service for an update on your case. Keep notes of who you spoke with and what they promised.
Involve bank if no resolution
If Chegg does not voluntarily refund the erroneous renewals fees in a reasonable timeframe after multiple requests, notify your bank or credit card provider and ask them to reverse the charges through the dispute process. Provide supporting details and documentation from your interactions with Chegg to strengthen your claim.
While Chegg may not always refund billing mistakes, persistence and quick action will increase your chances of getting those unintended charges reversed. Preventing the errors in the first place, of course, is always the best approach.
Cancellation Policies of Other Subscription Services
Chegg is far from the only site that uses automatic recurring billing for subscriptions. Here is a comparison of the cancellation and refund policies of some other popular subscription-based services:
Netflix
- Cancellation takes effect at end of current billing period
- Must cancel at least 24 hours before next charge date
- Partial refunds offered for early cancelations
Amazon Prime
- Cancellation effective immediately when requested
- Pro-rated refunds provided if canceled mid-period
- All benefits revoked once subscription canceled
Hulu
- Cancel anytime, takes effect at billing renewal date
- No prorated refunds provided for early cancelations
- Can reactivate canceled account anytime
Sirius XM
- Cancellation immediate but may take 1-2 billing cycles to take effect
- Contact within 3 days of canceling to avoid next charge
- Account remains active until end of prepaid period
The auto-renewal and cancellation policies of subscription services can be tricky. Carefully review the fine print before signing up.
Conclusion
Getting unintentionally charged by Chegg after attempting to cancel your subscription is a common frustration for students. With a recurring automatic billing model, extra vigilance is required on the user’s end to fully terminate the account and stop additional charges from occurring. Following Chegg’s official cancellation process properly, monitoring your account settings periodically, and acting quickly to dispute any erroneous renewals can help you avoid those pesky surprise Chegg fees.