Academia Research review: Predatory billing practices and unfair refund denials - avoid at all costs!

​I am writing this to warn other researchers and students about the deceptive billing practices of Academia.edu.
​In January 15 , I used a trial to download 6 specific research papers. Since then, I have not used any Premium features and had no intention of continuing the service. However, on February 22, 2026, I was suddenly charged 145,000 KRW for a "first-year annual subscription" without any prior notification or invoice.
​My account settings clearly had the "payments for Academia Premium" notifications disabled, yet they proceeded with the charge without my consent. This is a clear violation of transparent billing practices.
​What is even more frustrating is their customer support. Despite their own policy stating that "first-year subscription payments are refundable within 30day," they repeatedly send me the same "copy-and-pasted" template response claiming renewals are non-refundable. They are not even reading my emails or addressing the fact that this is my FIRST year, not a renewal.
​I have already requested a refund on the same day the charge occurred, but they continue to ignore my legitimate rights as a consumer.
​If you value your money and privacy, DO NOT link your payment information to this site. I am still demanding a full refund immediately

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