News about Discord being sued in a class-action lawsuit over its Nitro subscription cancellation practices has been making the rounds. Some rumors even claim Discord might pay $731 to every user. Let’s dig into the facts and break down the ridiculous Discord Nitro Subscription Lawsuit.
The Discord Nitro Subscription Lawsuit Breakdown Summarized
If you don’t want to read everything, here’s a summary explanation of the Discord Nitro Subscription Lawsuit:
The Buzz About Discord’s Nitro Subscription Lawsuit
News is circulating about Discord facing a class-action lawsuit over its Nitro subscription cancellation practices, with rumors suggesting a $731 payout for users. Spoiler: that’s not true.
The Basics of the Lawsuit
- First reported by Rob Frenum on X, the lawsuit involves Jessica Huelett as the plaintiff.
- She claims Discord’s practices violate California’s Automatic Renewal Law (ARL).
- Her goal? To push Discord to improve its cancellation process, while seeking damages, restitution, and punitive measures.
What ARL Requires
- Companies need to provide easy, timely, and cost-effective ways to cancel subscriptions.
- No unnecessary hoops or obstacles should block cancellations.
Discord’s Alleged Violations
- Jessica argues Discord’s cancellation process doesn’t meet ARL standards.
- But the steps are straightforward: go to User Settings > Subscriptions > Cancel.
- It takes less than a minute, and users keep their benefits until the billing period ends.
Jessica’s Main Claims
- She subscribed to a $20 Nitro plan on October 1, 2024, but ran into issues canceling it.
- She accuses Discord of either preventing cancellation or requiring excessive multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompts.
Reality Check on Cancellation Complaints
- YouTube tutorials exist for canceling Nitro, but these usually address confusion over free trial promotions, not actual issues with the process.
- Discord’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaints often revolve around:
- Misunderstandings about free trials.
- Slow customer support.
- Fraudulent charges (e.g., unauthorized Nitro purchases).
Legitimate Billing Concerns
- Subscriptions purchased on desktop can’t be managed through the mobile app, adding extra steps for some users.
- Hacked accounts can complicate cancellations, and Discord’s support team isn’t always quick to respond.
About That $731 Payout Rumor
- It’s entirely false—no mention of it exists in the lawsuit. Someone likely made it up.
The Full Discord Nitro Subscription Lawsuit Explained
The story was first reported by Rob Frenum, who posted on X about Discord facing a class-action lawsuit on Tuesday regarding its subscription practices. If you want to check the legal documents yourself, there are five available, dating back to December 17, 2024. The lawsuit, filed with the assistance of Kevin J. Cole, cost $1,435.
For those unfamiliar with legal jargon, a class-action lawsuit means one person represents a group of individuals with similar grievances. In this case, the plaintiff, Jessica Huelett, claims Discord’s subscription practices violate California’s Automatic Renewal Law (ARL). She is also suing up to 10 unidentified individuals or entities listed as “John and Jane Does.” This essentially means she doesn’t know their identities but believes they may be relevant to the case.
The Plaintiff Is Suing For Discord’s Subscription Cancellation Practices
This lawsuit isn’t about the price of Discord Nitro. Instead, it challenges Discord’s alleged failure to comply with ARL, which requires companies to:
- Provide a cost-effective, timely, and easy-to-use mechanism for canceling subscriptions.
- Ensure customers can cancel subscriptions without unnecessary obstacles.
Jessica’s goal is to secure damages, restitution, and punitive measures, as well as force Discord to amend its cancellation process. She also aims to represent California residents who purchased automatic renewal subscriptions from Discord within four years before the lawsuit was filed.
Discord’s “Alleged” ARL Violations
The lawsuit claims Discord’s cancellation process doesn’t meet ARL standards. However, looking at Discord’s current system:
- Canceling a Nitro subscription involves going to User Settings > Subscriptions and clicking “Cancel.”
- The process takes less than a minute. After confirming cancellation, users retain their benefits until the subscription period ends.
The only potential issue might be the confirmation pop-up asking users, “Are you sure you want to cancel?” This extra step could be argued as a minor obstacle, though it’s debatable whether it truly obstructs or delays termination.
Discord Nitro Subscription Lawsuit Claims
The plaintiff, Jessica Huelett, purchased a subscription (3x Server Boost Monthly Nitro) for $20 on October 1, 2024, through Discord’s website. She claims the cancellation process was unethical, though evidence suggests Discord provides an accessible method for subscription management.
After making her purchase, the plaintiff received an email from Discord confirming her Nitro subscription. The email clearly stated that she could update or cancel the subscription by visiting her user settings. Clicking on the “Visit Your User Settings” link in the email takes users directly to the settings page on Discord’s website, where subscriptions can be managed.
Despite this, the plaintiff claims she repeatedly attempted to cancel her subscription using the link but encountered issues. According to her, Discord either:
- Prevented the cancellation altogether (a claim disproven by how simple the process is).
- Required mandatory multifactor authentication (MFA) prompts on both her laptop and phone, which she described as an unreasonable burden.
The lawsuit alleges that the cancellation process is not timely or easy to use, citing examples like requiring users to navigate to the subscriptions tab, click “Cancel,” and confirm through additional menus.
YouTube Tutorials and Discord Subscription Complaints
The plaintiff’s complaint references YouTube tutorials on canceling Nitro subscriptions, arguing they exist because users find the process confusing. However, most such tutorials exist due to free Nitro promotions, where users sign up for free trials without understanding they’ll be charged after the trial ends.
The lawsuit also references complaints from Discord’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) page. Some examples include:
- Users misunderstanding free trials and accidentally subscribing to annual plans.
- Slow responses from Discord’s customer support.
- Cases of fraudulent charges, like a user discovering unauthorized Nitro purchases on their card.
Valid Issues with Discord’s Billing System
While the lawsuit over Discord Nitro subscriptions seems exaggerated, there are genuine concerns about Discord’s billing system.
- Platform Restrictions: Subscriptions purchased on desktop cannot be managed through the mobile app. Discord’s message in such cases directs users to the desktop app or web version, adding an extra step.
- Hacked Accounts: If a user’s account is compromised, canceling a Nitro subscription becomes challenging. Support can be slow, leaving users to resort to filing disputes with their banks.
So, What About the $731 Payout in the Discord Nitro Lawsuit?
The widely circulated claim of a $731 payment to every user is false. The lawsuit makes no mention of such an amount. This figure appears to have been fabricated.
History of Discord Subscription Lawsuits
Past class-action lawsuits against Discord have also ended without compensation for users. For example, a similar case filed in October 2023 concerning automatic renewal practices was dismissed in June 2024.
However, a different lawsuit involving a banned underage user resulted in a settlement. In that case, a 10-year-old purchased a Nitro subscription, but after Discord banned the account for violating the minimum age policy, the platform continued billing the parent for 13 months. This specific case had merit, leading to compensation.
