Review: User-Friendly Yet with Hidden Traps

In my opinion, Strikingly is a user-friendly website builder that allows individuals to create attractive websites with ease. It offers a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible even for those with limited technical knowledge. The drag-and-drop functionality enables users to customize their websites without the need for coding skills. Additionally, Strikingly provides a range of templates and design options, making it easy to create professional-looking sites. Overall, for individuals who want to quickly build a visually appealing website, Strikingly is a great choice.

Initial Experience and Customer Experience

I have been using Strikingly for several years. Recently, I decided to cancel the account as a test. After cancelling, the service was terminated immediately, even though I still had 24 days left in the 1-month subscription for which I had paid. This issue highlights a significant inconvenience for customers, as contrary to what might be expected from other services like Amazon or Spotify, Strikingly has a much different policy regarding cancellations and service continuation.

During the cancellation process on the website, it was not clearly mentioned that the service would be stopped immediately after cancellation, not at the end of the subscription period. Therefore, if you want to cancel Strikingly and still use the 1-month subscription you have paid for, you must remember to cancel on the very last day. If you forget, your subscription will be automatically renewed for one more month. This is not a convenient policy for customers and is a clear drawback that might impact user satisfaction.

Customer Complaint and Resolution

I complained to customer service, but they did not want to extend my subscription for the remaining 24 days for which I had paid. Instead, they told me I would have to pay for a new subscription if I wanted to continue using the service. This further emphasizes the lack of user-friendly policies that can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. It is disappointing to see that even when customers bring issues to the attention of the service provider, proper resolution is not always immediate or satisfactory.

I kept pushing for a better solution and eventually, after sending my reviews to customer service, they granted me a free 1-month subscription to compensate for the 24 days I was not able to use. While this was a positive resolution, it required significant time spent messaging with customer services. Furthermore, the customer service team initially did not consider my request fair, but only granted the free subscription after I provided my critique.

Comparison with Alternatives

Strikingly is not competitive compared to alternatives in the market. There are other similar solutions with better features than Strikingly for the same price and without the tricky customer policies that are disadvantageous to the customer. For example, some competitors offer more transparent cancellation policies and better support for customers who need assistance.

Conclusion

While Strikingly is a user-friendly website builder that offers a range of templates and design options, its stringent cancellation policy makes it less favorable for many users. Although Strikingly has made efforts to address customer concerns and provide compensation, it is clear that the overall experience can be improved. For now, Strikingly is rated 2 stars, with room for improvement in the areas of customer service and policy transparency.