accessiBe Web Accessibility

We installed this app after we were hit with a lawsuit.
It was our understanding that the Accessibe widget would ensure that handicap users would easily be able to navigate our website.
That's why we were quite surprised to be hit with a second lawsuit soon after as there were minor bugs on our website that the widget did not catch. Apparently, we were not well-educated as to what the app can do and cannot do. Now we know....

I am extremely disappointed with my experience with accessiBe and, in particular, the way my billing and refund request was handled.

I installed the accessiBe widget on my Shopify store and within approximately 10 minutes realised that the pricing was being charged in USD, which was not what I had expected. I immediately contacted accessiBe for clarification and was specifically told to deactivate the widget straight away. I did exactly that.

Because I was concerned that I might still be charged, I contacted Cynthia at accessiBe several times to confirm that I would not be charged for having the widget active for such a short period of time. Rather than receiving a clear answer, my messages were repeatedly ignored and I was effectively ghosted.

I was then absolutely shocked to discover that I had been charged $253 for a service that I had not actually used.

I contacted accessiBe again to try to resolve the issue. Initially, I was told to contact Shopify directly, which I did. After going through that process, accessiBe eventually responded and advised me that they refused to issue a refund.

So, to be clear:

The widget was active for approximately 10 minutes.
I realised the pricing was in USD and immediately contacted accessiBe.
I followed their instruction to deactivate the widget immediately.
I repeatedly contacted them to confirm I would not be charged.
My messages were ignored.
I was subsequently charged $253.
I contacted both Shopify and accessiBe trying to resolve the issue.
Despite the extremely short period of activation and the fact that I did not use the service, accessiBe refused to refund the charge.

What I find most frustrating is not simply the charge itself, but the complete lack of customer service and communication when I was actively trying to prevent this exact situation from happening. Had someone simply responded to my messages when I first contacted them, this could have been resolved before a charge was ever made.

Instead, I was ignored, charged a substantial amount of money, sent back and forth between Shopify and accessiBe, and ultimately told that accessiBe would keep the money for a service I did not use.

For a company selling an accessibility solution that is supposed to make websites more customer-friendly, I find this level of customer service particularly disappointing.

I would strongly recommend that anyone considering accessiBe carefully checks the billing currency, cancellation terms and refund policy before installing the service. My experience has left me with absolutely no confidence in the company's customer service or willingness to treat customers fairly.

Beyond the fact that the app dramatically slowed down our website, to the point that it needed to be uninstalled, the company continues to misrepresent the legal coverage that its services provide to a website that uses it.

They were forced to pay a $1,000,000 fine in 2025 to the US Federal Trade Commission due, and this is directly from the FTC's website, "to settle allegations that it misrepresented the ability of its AI-powered web accessibility tool to make any website compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for people with disabilities. The Commission approved the order as final in April 2025."

Lastly, I find their billing practices to be underhanded.

To me, that's the trifecta: the app slows down the website, doesn't offer the legal protection they advertise, and rebills you whether you want it or not and makes cancelling very difficult. There are plenty of other providers out there, so I advise looking around.