Request for Refund Due to Unintentional Charges (Student Account)

Question

Subject: Request for Refund Due to Unintentional Charges (Student Account)

Dear AWS Support Team,

I hope this message finds you well.

I'm a university student currently studying software engineering and recently started exploring AWS services solely for educational purposes. I deployed a very simple Spring Boot project using Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon RDS, and Route 53 purely to understand the basics of web deployment and domain connection. This setup was strictly non-commercial, with no actual services or revenue-generating activity involved.

However, I've noticed an unexpected billing amount of approximately $13 this month, primarily due to my Route 53 registration. As I currently have no income or employment, this charge poses a significant financial strain for me as a student.

Considering my situation, I kindly request a one-time refund or credit for this unintended expense. I fully appreciate AWS services and intend to continue learning responsibly, ensuring careful monitoring to avoid future billing issues.

Thank you very much for your understanding and support. I greatly appreciate your consideration of my request.

Warm regards,
Han DongChan

re:Post Agent · Answer

I understand your situation as a student exploring AWS services for educational purposes and encountering unexpected charges. Here's what you can do:

1. First, make sure to delete all resources you've used to prevent further charges, especially the Elastic Beanstalk environment, RDS instance, and any Route 53 resources you no longer need.

2. To request a refund, you need to contact AWS Billing Support directly. This can be done by opening a support case under "Account and Billing" in the AWS Support Center. This type of support is free of charge.

3. When creating the support case, provide detailed information about your situation. Explain that you're a student using AWS for educational purposes, describe the project you were working on, and mention that you were unaware of the potential charges. Include information about your university and course if possible.

4. Be sure to mention that this is a one-time request due to your current financial situation as a student without income.

5. While AWS will review your request, there's no guarantee of a refund. However, they often consider such requests from students sympathetically.

6. For future use, familiarize yourself with the AWS Free Tier and its limitations. Also, consider using the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate costs before using services.

7. Set up billing alerts in your AWS account to notify you when your usage exceeds a certain threshold. This can help prevent unexpected charges in the future.

Remember, while AWS offers many services in their Free Tier, some usage may still incur charges. It's always important to monitor your usage and understand the pricing for the services you're using, especially for services like Route 53 which often have separate charges for domain registration.

AWS Support will review your case and guide you through the process. They may also provide information on how to better manage your AWS account and avoid unexpected charges in the future.  
**Sources**  
[my bill was paid and amzon is requiring me more bill | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUqMS5Wpd7RcOhtf4NPZYV5Q/my-bill-was-paid-and-amzon-is-requiring-me-more-bill)  
[Refund Inquiry for Unauthorized AWS Charges | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUAKGVway1RiaYS18eAT5Qbg/refund-inquiry-for-unauthorized-aws-charges)  
[Accidently left RDS on for 2 weeks and was charged $739. Got panicked and deleted the account in a rush. (Student) | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QU-3KxTqZYRT-pOr9Xbsz3yg/accidently-left-rds-on-for-2-weeks-and-was-charged-739-got-panicked-and-deleted-the-account-in-a-rush-student)

Request for Refund Due to Unintentional Charges (Student Account)

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