Overview
The Athletic is a sports media company that offers in-depth coverage and smart analysis of hundreds of professional and college sports teams across North America and some English football clubs. It covers major leagues like NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and more. The Athletic provides breaking news, live commentary, detailed feature stories, and exclusive interviews. Users can personalize their experience by selecting specific teams and leagues to follow. They offer mobile apps for scores, stats, news, and audio content, as well as podcasts with exclusive sports stories. There are newsletters for sports updates and live sessions where fans can interact with journalists in real-time. You can subscribe to The Athletic on its own or get it bundled with The New York Times.
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The information is directly sourced from The Athletic's official About page, which clearly explains their main services and offerings in simple terms suitable for a consumer audience.
How to Get a The Athletic Refund: Step by Step
If you purchased through The Athletic website with credit card or direct purchase:
- Go to TheAthletic.com/contact-support.
- Describe the billing issue clearly, stating that you were double charged or billed after cancellation.
- Include the last 4 digits of your card and the card expiration date in your message.
- Wait for the support team to respond and process your refund request.
If you purchased through Apple iOS App Store:
- Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
- Tap your Apple ID at the top.
- Select Subscriptions.
- Find and select The Athletic subscription.
- Go to reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in with the Apple ID used for the purchase.
- Click on "I'd like to", then choose "Request a refund".
- Select the reason for your refund, such as an unexpected renewal or accidental purchase, then submit the form.
- If the charge doesn’t show up, confirm you are signed into the correct Apple ID or check your email for the purchase receipt.
If you purchased through Google Play Store:
- Open your web browser and go to play.google.com.
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Navigate to Payments & subscriptions > Budget & order history.
- Locate the The Athletic subscription purchase and click Report a problem.
- Select a reason related to unwanted charge or accidental purchase.
- Fill out the refund request form and submit it.
- You will typically receive a reply within a day but can take up to four days.
- If more than 48 hours have passed since purchase or you have additional issues, contact The Athletic support directly.
How to Contact The Athletic
If you need assistance, here’s how you can get in touch with The Athletic support team:
Tips and Tricks for Getting a The Athletic Refund
- Be persistent: Send multiple emails if necessary; some users report success after 2-3 emails.
- Use clear and polite language: Mention your reason calmly, such as dissatisfaction with service or specific issues like unfulfilled promises.
- Request a prorated refund if you cancel mid-subscription, as some users had refunds when asking for unused months back.
- Mention cancellation and refund explicitly in your communication to make your request clear.
- Escalate by replying to automated responses: Continue the conversation even if the initial reply seems generic.
- Contact during business hours to increase the chance of response.
- Use email rather than phone, as phone lines are often busy or unresponsive.
- Reference any promises made (e.g., "world-class coverage") if service quality was below expectations.
- Block the payment method as a last resort if no resolution is achieved.
- Check your subscription type: Annual fees are often non-refundable, but asking still sometimes works.
- Follow up after a few days if you don’t hear back within 48–72 hours.
- Keep copies of all correspondence for reference in escalation.
Why Do People Request Refunds from The Athletic
- Unexpected or unauthorized auto-renewals without warning or notice.
- Refusal to issue refunds even when cancellation is requested the same day as auto-renewal.
- Charged after canceling subscription or free trial periods.
- No communication or receipt provided following renewal or charge.
- Customer service unresponsive or non-existent, making refund or cancellation discussions difficult.
- Subscription confusion or mix-ups with other services leading to unexpected charges.
- Discontent with content focus or service not meeting expectations.
- High renewal rates charged without prior notification.
- Refunds often require third-party intervention like PayPal claims to resolve.
- Perception of unfair business practices, described by customers as "scam" or "legal robbery."
The Athletic Refund Script
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Hello,
I hope this message finds you well. I'm reaching out regarding a billing issue I encountered with my recent subscription to The Athletic. I accidentally received a charge that I did not intend to authorize.
Given the circumstances, I would greatly appreciate it if you could process a refund for this charge. Thank you for your help with this matter.
Best regards,
The Athletic Refund Policy
The refund policy of The Athletic states that you may cancel your subscription at any time, but there are no refunds for cancellation. This means that once you cancel, you will not receive a refund for any remaining time on your subscription period.
The Easiest Way to Get a The Athletic Refund
If you’re frustrated trying to get a refund from The Athletic—or if you didn’t even realize you were being charged—Chargeback can help. Chargeback is a personal subscription manager that automatically detects hidden, recurring charges like Netflix, Hulu, and hundreds of others. With one click, we can cancel unwanted subscriptions, flag suspicious billing, and even initiate refund requests on your behalf. No more waiting on hold or navigating confusing help pages. Just connect your bank or card account, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Start reclaiming your money today with Chargeback
Editorial Note: These articles reflect the opinions of Chargeback's writers. Everyone's situation is unique; therefore, it is important to conduct your own research and note that our self-help tools are not guaranteed to help with any specific problem.
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