Consumers have reported unexpected credit and debit card charges from a website called "TheBestPDF" (thebestpdf.com).
If you were charged unexpectedly, act quickly. Cancel the subscription, dispute the charge with your card issuer or payment provider, request a new card number, and report the charge.
What's happening
"TheBestPDF" advertises PDF conversion and editing tools with low-cost trial or short-access offers. Its pricing page displayed two 7-day access options: "7-Day Basic Access" for $0.95 and "7-Day Full Access" for $1.95. Beneath those pricing cards, smaller text stated that users who do not cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the billing period will automatically be charged $39.95 every month until cancellation.
Consumer advocates warn that presenting a tiny 7-day access price in large type while placing the $39.95/month renewal language in much smaller text can function as a subscription trap. It can catch people who reasonably think they are paying a small one-time fee for a PDF task. Consumers have reported paying a small upfront amount, often around $0.95, $0.97, $1.00, or $1.95, and later seeing recurring subscription charges around $39.95/month or a similar local-currency amount.
The Trustpilot page, BBB customer reviews for TheBestPDF, and BBB complaints for TheBestPDF include reports from users who say they did not realize the low upfront charge would convert into a recurring subscription. Over 1,000 complaints have been filed online against this website.
Reddit users have also posted multiple warnings about TheBestPDF, including threads titled "TheBestPDF (SCAM)", "TheBestPDF.com scammers", "Beware of BestPDF - subscription cancellation issues and scam", and "Got charged USD 39.95 by www.thebestpdf.com after an automatic renewal". Across these threads, users describe a similar pattern: paying a small upfront PDF fee, later seeing a recurring charge around $39.95, difficult cancellation and refunds, and needing to dispute the charge and request a new card number.
What to do now
Act quickly. The longer an unexpected or unauthorized charge goes unaddressed, the harder it can be to recover the full amount and stop future billing.
- Dispute the charge with your bank or card issuer. Call the number on the back of your card or visit your card issuer's website and say you want to dispute the charge and file a chargeback. The FTC has a guide on how to dispute credit card charges.
- Request a new card number. Disputing the charge alone may not stop future billing. A new card number helps prevent the same merchant from charging you again.
- Check your statements going back several months. Dispute every charge you did not knowingly authorize.
How to protect yourself
- Be suspicious of "free trials" that ask for a card. If a site needs your card for a "free" or very cheap trial, assume it may become a substantial recurring subscription unless proven otherwise.
- Read the text near the checkout button before paying. Look for words like "trial," "subscription," "renews," "monthly," "cancel," "24 hours," and "refund."
- Search for reviews before entering payment information. Look at independent review pages such as Trustpilot, BBB reviews, and BBB complaints.
- Review bank, credit card, and PayPal statements regularly for unfamiliar recurring charges.
More resources
- How to dispute a credit card charge: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/disputing-credit-card-charges
- Free trials, auto-renewals, and your rights: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/getting-and-out-free-trials-auto-renewals-and-negative-option-subscriptions
- How to stop subscriptions you never ordered: consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/05/how-stop-subscriptions-you-never-ordered
- Report fraud to the FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov
If you need help with an unexpected charge, contact your bank, card issuer, or payment provider directly.
