Academia.eduReviews 3

​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

Academia.edu tried to charge me $498 for a Premium renewal I never authorized. The charge was flagged as fraud by Amex and was still pending when I contacted their support. Instead of helping, their representative (Alberto) refused to refund and sent me a canned message about how my money "supports global research." This is deceptive and predatory billing. They trap users in subscriptions, ignore explicit cancellation requests, and refuse to return money even when the charge is unauthorized. I have already disputed the charge with American Express as fraud and permanently deleted my accounts. For a company that claims to serve academics, these practices are unethical and exploitative. My advice: Do not trust Academia Premium. Once they get your payment details, you risk being billed for hundreds of dollars without consent, and you will not get it back.