Private Internet Access (PIA) comes with some of the best pricing of any VPN, and often doesn’t feel like a budget service. I say “often” because, sadly, it does sometimes feel like you get what you pay for with PIA. While I’m working on seeing what settings iron out the kinks, the fact is that PIA doesn’t always leave you with the internet speeds you need for everyday use.
If you’ve found PIA unreliable, you may want to know how to end your subscription, get a refund and trade up to a more stable VPN service. Here, I’ll explain how to stop your subscription from renewing, get your money back and delete your account (if you want to go that far).
How to turn off auto-renewal for PIA
Like with most VPNs, the standard way to cancel PIA is to stop your subscription from renewing at the end of the current payment period. Whether you’ve signed up for one month, one year or three years, you’ll get to keep using the VPN until that time expires. Here’s the process to follow.
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In a desktop or mobile web browser, go to privateinternetaccess.com. Click Login at the top of the screen.
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Enter your account username and password. You’ll be taken to your client control panel. It should automatically load on the Subscription Overview tab, but check the left-hand column to make sure.
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Under the username for the subscription you want to cancel, find the “next billing” heading, then click the Turn off auto-renewal link.
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You’ll get a message trying to convince you not to cancel. Click Turn off auto-renewal again, this time at the bottom-left of the window.
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Give a cancellation reason. Feel free to click “I have another reason,” then enter one letter and click Continue with cancellation.
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Finally, the site will offer to connect you with tech support instead of cancelling. Hold the line and click Turn off auto-renewal once more.
Sam Chapman for Engadget
After fighting through all that, you should get confirmation that your account won’t renew when the billing period expires. You’ve now got the rest of the term to look for a new VPN.
Note that if you first download PIA from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, you may have purchased your subscription directly through the app. In this case, your subscription will be managed by the app store you bought it through, and you’ll need to go there to cancel. Just open your profile, tab the subscriptions heading and scroll down to find PIA.
How to delete your PIA account
If you’re certain that you’re done with PIA, you may want to go the extra mile and delete your account altogether. You can do this by submitting a support ticket. Go to helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Contact Us under the Resources heading (near the middle of the page).
Sam Chapman for Engadget
Write a clear, direct message. Feel free to use the above screenshot as an example. To get help faster, you can also use live chat — just go to the main PIA website, then click the button at the bottom-right that reads Need Help? Chat with us! This will get attention on your case right away, but you’ll have to defeat an AI assistant first.
How to get a refund from PIA
PIA only gives refunds within the first 30 days after purchase. If you’re within that window and want your money back, start by cancelling auto-renewal, then send a support ticket or contact live chat as described in the previous section. Say you are requesting a full refund under the money-back guarantee. Stick to your guns, as they’ll probably try to convince you not to go.
PIA alternatives
If you still need a VPN after cancelling PIA — and you almost certainly do if you ever go online — Engadget has a list of the best VPNs to help you with comparison shopping. As a quick summary, Proton VPN is the all-around best service. ExpressVPN is pricey, but gives you great speeds and excellent app design. If you need consistently fast speeds every time, go with Surfshark.