事情的起因，要从 2025 年 9 月 6 日说起。当时主包正在参加高教社杯全国大学生数学建模竞赛（CUMCM），为了寻找资料，通过 Academia.edu 平台支付了 1 美元下载了两篇关键的参考文献。那时的我，完全没有意识到这个看似平常的操作，已经为一个月后的风波埋下了伏笔。
时间快进到 10 月 23 日，一封来自 PayPal 的邮件通知，如遭晴天霹雳。邮件显示，我的账户向 Academia.edu 支付了 89 美元。这笔扣款发生的前一天，主包收到学校的科研补助，银行卡里有了足够的钱被扣除。主包心里咯噔一下，因为主包从 9 月 6 日到现在，没有收到任何邮件提醒我会续费。
类似的经历不久前才发生过。之前主包曾因忘记取消 Scribd 的自动续费而被扣除了 10 美元，但那次退款过程异常顺利，通过平台右下角的智能客服的指示进行操作，很快就拿到了退款。
然而，Academia.edu 的流程堪称「迷宫」。官网没有明确的自助退款入口，只有一篇“如何取消自动续费”的教程。按照指引，我必须先完成一长串问卷、拒绝数次“专属折扣”与“不可错过的会员福利”，才能真正关闭 PayPal 的自动扣款权限。这只是止血，而非拿回已被扣走的 89 美元。
Cancel my Academia Premium subscription Auto-Renewal – Academia Support
我们这些计算机爱好者和从业者，一直以来都对国产软件中那些隐蔽的自动续费和流氓收费政策深恶痛绝，但现在看来，Academia.edu 的做法甚至有过之而无不及。无奈之下，我开始在网络上寻找同路人的经验，我看到一篇 Reddit 的帖子发现不少人被Academia.edu悄悄扣除了几百甚至上千美元。
Any chance to get Academia.edu Refund? : r/academia
主包参照帖子的做法，向官方支持邮箱“support@academia.edu”发送了第一封申诉邮件，态度还算客气，希望能和平解决。
Subject: Refund Request - Annual Subscription Charge (PayPal: exc*****com)
Dear Academia.edu Support Team,
I am writing to request a refund for a recent charge of $89.00 made to my PayPal account (exc*****com) for an annual premium subscription.
I have not used the Academia.edu premium services in the past month, and I was not aware that my subscription was set to auto-renew. This charge of $89.00 was unexpected.
Given that I have not been using the premium features, I kindly request a full refund of this $89.00 charge.
I have already gone into my PayPal account and canceled the automatic payment agreement to prevent any future charges.
Thank you for your understanding and prompt assistance with this matter.
Sincerely,
Churnie HXCN
几天过去，邮件石沉大海，杳无音信。我意识到，邮件可能无法引起对方的重视。于是，我找到了官网的工单提交系统，将我的申诉正式作为工单提交。经过搜索，发现提交工单的途径如下：
Submit a request – Academia Support
主包提交工单的同时，也向支持邮箱同步发送了一封，邮件内容如下：
Subject: Refund Request - Annual Subscription Charge (PayPal: exc*****com)
Dear Academia.edu Support Team,
I am writing to request a refund for a recent charge of $89.00 made to my PayPal account (exc*****com) for an annual premium subscription.
I have not used the Academia.edu premium services in the past month, and I was not aware that my subscription was set to auto-renew. This charge of $89.00 was unexpected.
Given that I have not been using the premium features, I kindly request a full refund of this $89.00 charge.
I have already gone into my PayPal account and canceled the automatic payment agreement to prevent any future charges.
Thank you for your understanding and prompt assistance with this matter.
Sincerely,
Churnie HXCN
第二天，回信来了。主包曾天真地以为，这会是一个误会的解除，或至少是一次平等的沟通。然而，屏幕上显示的文字却让主包当场红温：
Subject: Your Academia Premium Payment
Hello Churnie,
Thanks for getting in touch with us regarding this payment. Our records indicate that this payment is for an Academia Premium subscription renewal.
While we're unable to process refunds for subscription renewals, we want you to know that your support genuinely makes a difference in advancing research worldwide. Your subscription helps us connect researchers globally, improve our recommendation systems, strengthen our infrastructure, and develop new tools, like better ways to find and apply for grants, that benefit the entire academic community.
I have cancelled the auto-renew on any subscription associated with this email address, so you will not be billed again on this subscription. However, if you have a subscription with another email address, you may need to contact us from that email address to get that payment cancelled. You can also reply to this email address and we will look into your issue in more detail.
We’re so happy that you have been a part of Academia Premium, and we hope to see you back at a later date.
If you have any questions, please reply to this email. Your request is Ticket ID # 9**092.
这是一封毫无温度的模板邮件。它用冰冷的口吻告诉主包，“订阅续费无法退款”。然后话锋一转，开始进行道德绑架，声称主包的89美元是在“支持全球学术研究”。
这番说辞堪称虚伪的典范。我为下载的两篇文献支付了费用，而这笔89美元的扣款，我既不知情也未使用服务，何谈“支持”？将不透明的收费包装成对学术的贡献，这种行为不仅令人不齿，更是对学生和研究者的极大讽刺。
我感到极大的讽刺和愤怒。在查阅了另一篇名为《Academia Refund Warning》的博文后，我决定强硬表示我的态度。我必须清晰地表明我的立场：这不是一次常规的“续订”，而是一次未被告知、未经授权的扣款。我打算再次提交工单，明确指出他们的行为侵犯了我的消费者知情权，并威胁如果问题得不到解决，我将采取一切必要的后续手段。
Academia.edu charged me $371.80 AUD without warning—and refused to refund it - Lee Hopkins, Writer
我的第二次申诉邮件语气强硬了许多，我详细阐述了这笔交易的背景，并正式引用了他们的30天退款保证政策。我明确告知他们，如果退款被拒绝，我将立即通过 PayPal 发起“未经授权的交易”拒付申请，并向美国商业改进局（BBB）和联邦贸易委员会（FTC）提交正式投诉。
Subject: URGENT Follow-up: Refund Request for Unauthorized Charge (Ticket ID # 9**092)
Dear Academia.edu Support Team,
I am writing to formally dispute the denial of my refund request concerning the $89.00 charge processed on October 23, 2025 (Ticket ID # 9**092). Your previous response stating that refunds are not processed for "subscription renewals" is unacceptable. This situation is not a standard renewal; it is a case of deceptive billing and a failure to secure informed consent.
My interaction with your platform was extremely limited. On September 6, 2025, I paid a fee of $1.00. This payment was intended solely to access two specific documents required for my participation in the CUMCM (National College Student Mathematical Modeling competition). This transaction was understood to be a one-time access fee. At no point was I made clearly aware that this action enrolled me in an $89.00 annual subscription.
Following this single interaction, I did not use the Academia.edu platform again. I received no email notifications, reminders, or invoices between September 6 and October 23. There was no communication indicating that a trial period was ending or that a significant charge of $89.00 was imminent. This lack of transparency is a failure to meet basic consumer protection standards. Had I been properly notified, I would have canceled the service immediately.
The $89.00 charge on October 23 was unauthorized. It was drawn from my PayPal account (exc*****com) without my explicit knowledge or recent consent. This sum represents my school subsidy, and its unexpected removal has caused significant financial distress. Your justification that this payment "helps connect researchers" is an inappropriate deflection. I have already paid for the documents I accessed. This $89.00 charge is for a premium service I never knowingly requested, never used, and never intended to purchase.
Furthermore, my initial request cited your 30-day money-back guarantee. The charge was posted on October 23. My request for a refund was submitted well within this 30-day window. Your refusal to honor this policy for a charge I was not even aware of is unjustifiable.
I have already canceled the automatic payment authorization within my PayPal account to prevent future charges.
Please consider this my final attempt to resolve this matter amicably. I request an immediate and full refund of the $89.00 charge.
If this refund is not processed promptly, I will be forced to escalate this issue. I will proceed with filing a formal chargeback with PayPal, classifying this as an "Unauthorized Transaction." I will also submit official complaints to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These complaints will detail Academia.edu's deceptive billing practices and predatory auto-renewal policies.
I expect a confirmation of my full refund.
Sincerely,
Churnie HXCN
令人失望的是，这次详细的申诉收到的，竟然是一封与之前内容完全相同的模板邮件。他们甚至给我分配了新的工单号，仿佛我是一个全新的申诉者，之前的沟通记录完全不存在。这种机械、敷衍的处理方式，让我彻底放弃了对他们客服系统任何友善沟通的幻想。
Subject: Your Academia Premium Payment
Hello Churnie,
Thanks for getting in touch with us regarding this payment. Our records indicate that this payment is for an Academia Premium subscription renewal.
While we're unable to process refunds for subscription renewals, we want you to know that your support genuinely makes a difference in advancing research worldwide. Your subscription helps us connect researchers globally, improve our recommendation systems, strengthen our infrastructure, and develop new tools, like better ways to find and apply for grants, that benefit the entire academic community.
I have cancelled the auto-renew on any subscription associated with this email address, so you will not be billed again on this subscription. However, if you have a subscription with another email address, you may need to contact us from that email address to get that payment cancelled. You can also reply to this email address and we will look into your issue in more detail.
We’re so happy that you have been a part of Academia Premium, and we hope to see you back at a later date.
If you have any questions, please reply to this email. Your request is Ticket ID # 9**677.
面对如此敷衍的回应，我意识到必须采取最强硬的姿态了。我结合了朋友的建议和网络上的经验，准备发出最后的通牒。这次，我不仅要重申之前的法律和平台威胁，还要加上一个他们无法忽视的筹码：舆论监督。我威胁我的朋友在 YouTube 和 TikTok 上拥有超过 230 万的粉丝，如果我的正当权益得不到保障，我会将我的全部遭遇，包括所有的邮件往来截图，公之于众，让更多学生和研究者看清他们不光彩的商业手段。同时主包用PayPal绑定的邮件同步发送了一版，证明退款是本人操作。
Subject: Final Demand for Immediate Refund: Unauthorized Charge on PayPal (exc*****com) - Ticket IDs #9**092, #9**677, #9**679
Dear Academia.edu Support Team,
This is my final communication to amicably resolve the issue of the unauthorized $89.00 charge to my PayPal account (exc*****com) on October 23, 2025. Your repeated, identical responses under ticket IDs #922092, #922677, and #922679, which state that refunds are not processed for "subscription renewals," are entirely unacceptable and fail to address the specific, serious nature of my complaint.
My interaction with your platform was a single, isolated incident on September 6, 2025. I paid a $1.00 fee to access two specific documents for my participation in the National College Student Mathematical Modeling competition (CUMCM). This was understood to be a one-time, pay-per-view style transaction. At no point was I clearly and transparently informed that this action would enroll me in a recurring annual subscription of $89.00.
Crucially, your company failed to provide any form of communication between September 6 and October 23. I received no email notifications, no reminders of a trial period ending, and no invoices warning of an imminent significant charge. This complete lack of notification is a severe breach of consumer rights and transparent billing practices. Had I been properly informed, I would have taken immediate action to prevent this charge. A "renewal" implies prior consent, which was never established for this $89.00 amount. The charge was therefore not authorized.
Your company's justification that this payment supports researchers globally is an inappropriate deflection from what are clearly unethical billing practices. It is profoundly ironic to claim to support research while imposing financial hardship on an undergraduate student. The $89.00 charged to my account constituted my school subsidy, and its unexpected seizure has caused me considerable financial distress. I am a student aspiring to a career in research, and this experience has been disillusioning. While your terms of service may be constructed to permit such actions, they are in direct conflict with ethical business conduct and consumer protection standards.
I must also point out your refusal to honor your own 30-day money-back guarantee. The charge was processed on October 23, and my initial refund request was submitted well within this period. Your dismissal of this policy in my case is unjustifiable.
Consider this your final opportunity to rectify this situation internally. I demand an immediate and full refund of the $89.00 charge.
If this refund is not confirmed within the next 24 hours, I will proceed with the following actions without further notice:
First, I will file a formal chargeback with PayPal. The dispute will be classified as an "Unauthorized Transaction." The primary evidence for this dispute will be your failure to provide any advance notification, invoice, or warning for this charge, proving I did not authorize it.
Second, I will submit official complaints to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These complaints will detail Academia.edu's predatory auto-renewal policies and deceptive billing practices.
Third, I will publicly document this entire experience. I will share my correspondence with your team on my personal website and social media platforms to warn other students and researchers. I will also engage an associate, who maintains a combined audience of 2.3 million followers on YouTube and TikTok, to ensure this warning about your company's unethical practices reaches the widest possible audience.
I expect a prompt confirmation that my full refund of $89.00 has been processed.
Sincerely,
Churnie HXCN
这封邮件发出去后，主包不到三个小时内就收到了回复。这真是效率最高的一次。对方一改之前的傲慢与冷漠，干脆利落地同意了我的退款请求，并表示退款将在 5 到 10 个工作日内到账。这次的沟通效率，与之前相比简直判若云泥。
Subject: [Academia] Re: Final Demand for Immediate Refund: Unauthorized Charge on PayPal (exc*****com) - Ticket IDs #9**092, #9**677, #9**679
Hi Churnie HXCN,
Thank you for continued followed-up on this issue. After discussing this with our team, we've decided to grant you a one-time exception to our refund policy. However, moving forward we will not be able to offer refunds on renewal payments after your 30-day low cost trial and we will not be able to process any additional refunds for you on this subscription or any additional subscriptions.
Depending on your bank, you will see the refund show up anywhere between 5-10 business days from now.
With your free account, you'll retain access to all our Academia free features, such as uploading and downloading single papers, messaging, basic analytics, title search, and your profile.
Please let us know if we can help you out with anything else, and thanks for being a part of the Academia community!
Thanks! Alberto (he/him) Academia Customer Support
最终，这笔 89 美元的巨款回到了主包的账户，这场历时数周的拉锯战终于画上了句号。
这场经历让我深刻地认识到，在不合理的商业行为、冰冷的商业规则和自动化的客服系统面前，消费者的沉默和妥协是他们最乐于见到的“默许”。你的每一次妥协和退让，都会变成他们系统后台里一个被默认勾选的“同意”选项。
希望我的故事能成为一个提醒，一个火把。当你陷入类似的困境时，请记住：不要害怕让你的声音被听到。掌握规则，将你的申诉从无力的请求，升级为有力的通牒。唯有将自己从一个待宰的羔羊，转变为一个了解规则、手握筹码、且不惜一战的对手时，你才能赢回本该属于你的尊重和权利。
最后，也是最重要的提醒：谨慎管理绑定自动续费的支付方式。 尤其是用于外币支付或绑定自动续费的银行卡，避免卡内长期留存大额资金，以防类似“意外”扣款造成重大损失。因为有些陷阱，从你点击“同意”的那一刻起，就已经张开了。
本文封面图片来源：Omorphia (@Omorphia1) on X