Unexpected Immediate Charge for Musescore Subscription

Hey fellow Musescore users,

I wanted to share a bit of a pickle I recently found myself in with Musescore's subscription process - hoping
to bring some clarity to anyone who might face the same issue, and maybe get some advice on how to
proceed.

I recently decided to hop on board and try out Musescore, largely due to the 7-day free trial that they
advertise. I thought, "Great, a chance to test the waters before committing to a year-long subscription!"
So I clicked to subscribe, entered my credit card info, and even got a pop-up reassuring me that I wouldn't be
charged until after the trial period. Sounds good, right?

Well, not quite. To my surprise, I found that my card was charged the annual fee of $40 immediately -
no free trial, no waiting period. Bit of a bummer, to be honest.

So, I reached out to Musescore's support team. They told me that there are two types of subscriptions -
'trial' and 'instant.' According to them, I had chosen an 'instant' subscription, which is why I was charged
upfront. But here's the thing: the term 'instant' was never used during my sign-up process.
Plus, I wasn't warned that by ticking the 'Spring offer' box, I was skipping the trial period. The promise of
a trial period is how I was lured into the subscription page in the first place!

To top it all off, it turns out I'm not the only one who's had this issue. A quick Google search showed me
many cases of folks getting immediately charged without expecting it. It almost feels like the website is
designed to lead you to outcomes you didn't anticipate.
examples:
https://musescore.org/en/node/323195
https://musescore.org/en/node/325777
https://musescore.org/en/node/330108
https://musescore.org/en/node/331497
https://musescore.org/en/node/300078
and many many more complaints like that. It's not a coincidence.

I've got screenshots of the whole process attached, and nowhere does it mention anything about an 'instant'
subscription or forfeiting the trial period. I've asked them to reconsider and refund me the charge,
given these circumstances.

Have any of you faced a similar situation? How did you handle it? Any advice would be hugely appreciated.
Also, for anyone considering signing up, do tread carefully and make sure you understand exactly what
you're getting into.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Hoping we can bring some light to this issue and prevent further confusion.