How to Cancel Your Shit VPN and Get Your Money Back

Your VPN is probably owned by an alleged ex-malware company, logging your data despite “no-logs” claims, or charging you 3x the signup price on renewal. Time to get out.

I’m not here to sell you another VPN. I’m here to help you escape the one that’s screwing you.

Whether it’s ExpressVPN (owned by Kape, allegedly ex-malware distributors), NordVPN (hid a breach for 18 months), or any of the other corporate data harvesters or Chinese owned VPNs, this guide shows you exactly how to cancel, fight for refunds, and switch to something legitimate, or nothing at all.

Most cancellation guides are written by the VPN companies themselves (directly or indirectly on vpn review sites they own). This one’s written by someone who’s cancelled dozens of them, fought their dark patterns, and won refunds they said were “impossible.”

Cancelling a VPN is like trying to politely leave a conversation with someone making scented candles for a living.

🚨 Before You Cancel: Secure Your Evidence

CRITICAL: Do this BEFORE cancelling:

Screenshot Everything
- Your current subscription details
- Billing history (all charges)
- Any promises they made (emails, ads)
- Your account dashboard
- Auto-renewal settings
Download Your Data
- Invoice history
- Account information
- Any usage data they admit to having
Document Their Lies
- Save their “no-logs” policy page
- Archive their marketing claims
- Screenshot their “guarantees”
Check Your Credit Card
- Note all charges
- Check for hidden fees
- Look for currency conversion scams

Why? Because they’ll “lose” your account data the second you cancel, then claim you were never a customer when fighting for refunds.

ExpressVPN: The Malware Company’s Cash Cow

Parent Company: Kape Technologies (allegedly distributed malware as Crossrider)

Cancellation Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (They really don’t want you to leave)

How to Cancel:

Log into your account at expressvpn.com
Navigate to “Subscription Settings” (they hide it)
Click “Manage Settings” → “Turn Off Automatic Renewal”
Ignore the guilt-trip pop-ups
Confirm cancellation (they’ll ask 3 times)
Screenshot the confirmation

Dark Patterns They Use:

“Special offer just for you!” (appears after cancelling)
“Pause subscription instead?” (still charges you)
“Downgrade to keep some protection” (same features, fewer options)
Multiple confirmation screens with confusing wording

Nuclear Option:

Can’t cancel through their site?

Contact your bank/card issuer
Report as “merchant refusing cancellation”
Request chargeback for future charges
Block them from charging your card

Getting Your Money Back:

They claim “30-day money-back guarantee” but in my experience:

They’ll claim you used “too much data”
They’ll say you’re “outside the guarantee period”
They’ll offer “account credit” instead of refunds

What works: “I’m filing complaints with consumer protection agencies in multiple jurisdictions including the FTC and my country’s consumer authority.”

NordVPN: The Breach Hiders Who Actually Improved

Parent Company: Nord Security (also owns Surfshark, AtlasVPN)

Cancellation Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥 (Confusing on purpose)

Real talk: NordVPN hid their 2018 breach for 18 months (unforgivable). But they’ve also made real security improvements since then - RAM-only servers, independent audits by Deloitte/PwC, transparency reports. If you’re leaving because of the breach cover-up, I get it. If you’re leaving because they’re owned by the same company as Surfshark, I also get it.

But if you’re switching to ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, you’re going from “reformed liars” to “current alleged malware distributors.” Pick your poison carefully.

How to Cancel:

Log into Nord Account
Go to “Billing” (not “Subscription” - that’s the trap)
Find “Cancel automatic payments” (tiny gray text)
Select reason (required, pick “Too expensive”)
Decline their “special offers”
Confirm via email link (check spam folder)

Their Tricks:

Subscription page shows “Active” even after cancelling
Email confirmation often goes to spam
“Pause” option that still bills you
Currency conversion markups on renewal

The Fast Track:

Email: [email protected] Subject: “Immediate Cancellation Required - GDPR Request” Body: “Cancel my subscription immediately. Under GDPR, I also request deletion of all my personal data. Account: [your email]”

They legally have to respond within 30 days.

Surfshark: Nord’s Fake Competitor

Parent Company: Nord Security (same as NordVPN)

Cancellation Difficulty: 🔥🔥 (Identical to Nord’s process)

How to Cancel:

Literally the same process as NordVPN because it’s the same exact company:

Login → Billing → Cancel automatic payments
Ignore the “exclusive discount” popup
Confirm via email

The Scam:

In my opinion, they’re pretending to compete while being the same exact company. When you “switch” from Nord to Surfshark for a “better deal,” you’re just moving money between their pockets.

CyberGhost: More Kape Garbage

Parent Company: Kape Technologies (yes, the alleged malware company again)

Cancellation Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Absolute nightmare)

How to Cancel:

You CAN’T cancel online (yes, really)
Must contact support via:
- Live chat (often “offline”)
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +1-347-586-9061
They’ll demand:
- Account verification (multiple times)
- Reason for cancellation (don’t engage, just repeat “cancel”)
- Try to transfer you between agents

What to Say:

“I want to cancel immediately. No, I don’t want to discuss it. Yes, I’m sure. Cancel now or I’m calling my bank.”

When They Refuse:

Screenshot the chat/email
Contact your payment provider
File complaint with BBB
Leave reviews warning others

IPVanish: The FBI Informants

Parent Company: Ziff Davis (also owns PCMag that reviews them)

Cancellation Difficulty: 🔥🔥 (Straightforward but sketchy)

How to Cancel:

Log into account portal
Click profile icon → “Subscriptions”
Select “Cancel Subscription”
Reason: Pick anything
Confirm cancellation

Watch Out For:

They keep charging for “add-ons” after cancellation
Email confirmations often don’t arrive
Account shows “active” until expiration (confusing)

The History:

Remember, this is the VPN that gave logs to the FBI despite “no-logs” claims. In my opinion, cancelling them is doing yourself a favor.

PureVPN: The Log Liars

Parent Company: Gaditek

Cancellation Difficulty: 🔥🔥🔥 (Support maze)

How to Cancel:

Login to member area
Navigate Settings → Subscription
Click “Cancel My Subscription”
Battle through guilt-trip pages
Select “Proceed to Cancel”
Confirm via email

Their Games:

“Technical issues” preventing cancellation
Support claims they “can’t find your account”
Automatic plan “upgrades” after cancelling

Fastest Route:

Tweet at them publicly. They hate public cancellations.

💣 Nuclear Refund Tactics

The 30-Day “Guarantee” Lie

Most VPNs claim “30-day money-back guarantee” but in my experience, they’ll fight you. Here’s how to win:

Level 1: Nice But Firm

“I’m requesting a full refund under your 30-day guarantee. Order #[number]. Please process within 48 hours.”

Level 2: Legal Threats

“Your refusal violates consumer protection laws. I’m filing complaints with:

FTC (USA)
ACCC (Australia)
Trading Standards (UK)
European Consumer Centre (EU) Please process my refund immediately to avoid regulatory involvement.”

Level 3: Public Shame

Tweet at them with screenshots
Post in r/VPN about their refund refusal
Leave Trustpilot review during refund fight
Comment on their Facebook ads

Level 4: Chargeback

Tell your bank:

“Merchant refusing to honor refund policy”
“Service not as described”
“Deceptive billing practices”
Provide all documentation

Success rate in my experience: 90% if you’re persistent

After the First Month

Harder but not impossible:

For Recent Charges:

“Unauthorized renewal” (if they hid auto-renewal)
“Service outages made it unusable” (check downdetector)
“Deceptive marketing claims” (mention the ownership/logging lies)

For Older Charges:

Focus on their lies (breach cover-ups, fake no-logs)
Mention false advertising
Threaten class action participation

🎯 Your Escape Plan

Option 1: Switch to Mullvad (The Only Honest VPN)

Why Mullvad:

No email required (random account number)
€5/month flat (no fake sales)
Cash by mail accepted
Actually fought police raids successfully
No affiliates (that’s why nobody promotes them)

How to Switch:

Cancel your current VPN
Go to mullvad.net
Click “Generate account”
Save your account number
Pay however you want
Download and login with number

My affiliate link: They don’t have one because they’re not scumbags

Get Mullvad (€5/month - No Account Required)

Option 2: Use Free Alternatives

For most people, these are enough:

DNS Privacy: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1

Prevents ISP snooping
Faster than your ISP
Actually free
No account needed

Ad Blocking: uBlock Origin

Blocks trackers
Removes ads
Open source
Actually free

Actual Privacy: Tor Browser

Real anonymity (if used right)
Free
No company to trust
Slow but actually private

Option 3: Accept You Don’t Need One

In my opinion, unless you’re:

Watching foreign Netflix
In China/Iran
Torrenting
An actual target

You don’t need a VPN. HTTPS already encrypts your traffic. Your banking app is already secure. The coffee shop hacker isn’t real.

⚠️ Post-Cancellation Warfare

They WILL Try to Charge You Again

Common Scams:

“Accidental” reactivation
Hidden subscriptions for “add-ons”
Currency conversion fees
“Partner services” charges

Protection:

Use a virtual card (Privacy.com)
Set spending limits
Monitor charges weekly
Document everything

They WILL Email Forever

Expect:

“We miss you” (they miss your money)
“Exclusive comeback offer” (same shit, different discount)
“Security alerts” (fear mongering)
“Account compromised” (lies to make you log in)

Solution:

Mark as spam
Unsubscribe with prejudice
Filter their domain to trash

📋 Cancellation Checklist

Before cancelling:

During cancellation:

After cancellation:

🔥 The Scorched Earth Protocol

If they won’t cancel or refund:

File Complaints:
- FTC.gov/complaint
- BBB.org
- Your state’s attorney general
- ConsumerFinance.gov
Leave Reviews:
- Trustpilot
- Reddit (r/VPN)
- Twitter (tag them)
- Their Facebook page
Nuclear Options:
- Report to payment processor
- Join class action lawsuits
- Contact tech journalists
- Make YouTube video

The Bottom Line

Your VPN is probably:

Owned by questionable companies (according to reports)
Potentially logging despite claims
Overcharging you on renewal
Not protecting you from real threats
Solving problems that don’t exist

In my opinion, cancelling is the smartest thing you can do. Switch to Mullvad if you actually need a VPN, use free alternatives if you just want basic privacy, or accept that HTTPS already protects you from imaginary coffee shop hackers.

The VPN industry reportedly makes billions selling fear. Stop paying them for it.

If You Actually Need a Replacement

Best option: Mullvad - No email, cash accepted, €5/month forever

Try Mullvad (€5/month - Cancel Anytime)

Privacy-focused alternative: ProtonVPN - Swiss laws, free tier, transparent

Get ProtonVPN Free Tier

Streaming-focused (reformed villain): NordVPN - Works with Netflix, actual refunds

Try NordVPN (They Actually Refund)

-The Angry Dev Cancelled 47 VPN subscriptions and counting

P.S. This guide is based on my experience and research. Your results may vary, but in my opinion, these companies deserve every cancellation they get.

P.P.S. If this guide helped you escape, share it. These companies rely on people not knowing how to cancel. Let’s cost them millions.