Tell HN: LTSE Equity Is Sheisty | Hacker News Reader

Tell HN: LTSE Equity Is Sheisty

46 pointsboolymammoth9 comments

Our startup initially chose LTSE Equity [1] for our cap table management. We were told in writing that it is an annual plan that then goes month-to-month.

Fast forward 16 months and we haven't been using it. It's just not that useful of a tool for us, so we are switching to a competitor.

The button to change plans in LTSE's dashboard doesn't work, it just shows a spinner. So we contacted support, who insisted on a meeting before cancelling the plan. We said we are not interested in meeting, and now they are saying our plan is annual, and we have 8 months remaining.

We plan to file chargebacks as we have in writing that the plan is month-to-month, but I wanted the community to know that LTSE Equity uses dark patterns to avoid cancellation, and is doing business dishonestly in general.

[1] https://equity.ltse.com/

Honestly, this is perhaps more of a "talk to your lawyer" thing than an HN thing.

Not really, considering the myriad past discussions on dark patterns in technology.

Yes, but it is also good to be warned as a community about companies that exhibit these dark patterns.

The distinction is subtle:

- minimum 12 months, then month-to-month

- annual plans billed in 12 monthly installments, which will always be extended by another 12 months

The second can be made to be seen as the first, and this wouldn't be the first time I saw this trick used.

The onus on us talking to our lawyer seems silly when we have an alternative in writing. So our plan is to refuse payment and let them "talk to your lawyer" if they like.

> We plan to file chargebacks as we have in writing that the plan is month-to-month

Says on their pricing page that it's annual

> PER MONTH, ANNUAL TERM

We clarified this point during signup and were told that we could go month-to-month on the plan itself, not just the payment. Support does not seem to believe this.

Sounds like you need to try getting a hold of someone higher up then? Could work.

Presumably it says on their contract that it's month-to-month

> We were told in writing that it is an annual plan that then goes month-to-month.

I wish there was a place where we could denounce dark patterns like this.

It's becoming more and more common each day for a service make it difficult to cancel a service, delete your account or even let you speak to a human

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