I am posting this as constructive feedback and a documentation of my personal experience, not as an attempt to avoid responsibility. The invoice has been paid and my responsibility is acknowledged.
What happened
The license was automatically renewed and an invoice was issued. After an unsuccessful card charge, the situation escalated very quickly toward debt collection and almost legal enforcement.
Before the license expiration, no reminder was sent, no “last chance” notice was provided, and no check was made as to whether the plugin was actually in use. After the automatic renewal, an invoice was issued, a failed payment notice was sent, and a “last chance” notice followed (sent by “SomeDepthCompany” GmbH, not directly by Shopware), after which the case escalated to debt collection.
It is important to note that the “last chance” notice arrived only after there was no longer any reasonable opportunity to prevent the situation.
Payment difficulties
Payment via IBAN/SWIFT transfer could not be completed because my bank rejected the transaction due to incorrectly structured payer data. The payer was listed as a webshop name that I had freely entered in the system, while the payment was being made from a private individual account.
I never provided a TIN nor registered that webshop as a legal entity. Despite this, the debt was treated as if it belonged to a business entity, which further complicated and delayed the payment process. The payment was eventually completed by card after I noticed an alternative link.
User experience
When attempting to manage the subscription, the user is easily redirected between multiple environments and websites, without clear continuity or certainty about where specific actions are actually performed. In such an environment, even with good intent, canceling a subscription becomes confusing and unreliable.
Core issue
Due to one oversight on my part, combined with a complete lack of timely communication on your side, the situation escalated very quickly to debt collection. At the same time, multiple system and process errors occurred without consequences, while a single user mistake resulted in maximum escalation.
Reasonable expectations
The cancellation process should be as visible and straightforward as the purchase process. Users should be clearly and timely informed about upcoming automatic renewals, especially for annual subscriptions, and debt collection should be used as a last resort, not as an early response.
Question for management
How are cases like this treated in your internal statistics?
Is this type of charge considered a “retained customer” or a “successfully rented license”?
Closing
I am not requesting a refund and I do not dispute the obligation. This feedback is shared here publicly and transparently.
I will not use the paid plugin, as it is not needed (ironically, I originally purchased it because the 30-day trial period was too short for proper evaluation).
From my side, the matter is concluded.