Manage Sips By

How to cancel sips by and recover your money: a canadian consumer's guide

What is sips by and why you need to act now

Sips By positioned itself as a personalized tea subscription service that curated small collections of specialty teas based on individual taste preferences. The service shipped monthly boxes directly to Canadian subscribers and operated primarily through its website.

Here is what matters to you right now: in mid-2024, Sips By stopped operating. The company shut down without notice, leaving hundreds of Canadian customers unable to access their accounts, retrieve contact information, or obtain refunds for prepaid subscriptions. If you subscribed to Sips By and paid in advance, you need a clear action plan. Stopee has built this guide to walk you through your options and protect your rights as a consumer.

Why sips by failed its customers

Multiple customer complaints reveal a pattern: subscribers received no shipments, could not log into their accounts, and received no response from support. Many Canadian customers discovered they had been charged for boxes that never arrived. The company appears to have ceased operations without fulfilling outstanding orders or processing refunds-a serious breach of consumer trust.

Your immediate priority

If you paid for a Sips By subscription and did not receive your full order, time matters. Chargebacks and payment disputes have deadlines, typically 60 to 120 days from the transaction date depending on your bank. Stopee recommends you act within the next 5 to 7 days to maximize your chances of recovering your money.

Your consumer rights in canada

Canadian law protects you when a business fails to deliver goods or services you have paid for.

What the consumer protection act says

Under the federal Competition Act and provincial consumer protection statutes (such as Ontario's Consumer Protection Act), you have the right to receive goods or services as described. If Sips By charged your payment method but did not deliver the tea boxes or ship them to your address, the company has breached its obligation to you. You are entitled to seek a remedy-either delivery or a full refund.

Additionally, if you paid in advance for multiple months and the company shut down partway through your subscription period, you have a claim for the undelivered portion. Prepaid goods are protected under the same statutes. You do not lose your rights simply because the company has closed.

What happens if sips by ignores you

If you cannot reach Sips By or the company refuses to refund your money, you can escalate to your provincial consumer protection office. In Ontario, contact Service Ontario; in British Columbia, contact the Office of the Registrar of Mortgage Brokers and Consumer Services; in Alberta, contact Fair Trading Alberta. These agencies investigate complaints and can issue enforcement orders. Stopee's research shows that filing a formal complaint often accelerates a company's response, especially if the company is still operating but simply unresponsive.

Your payment options and cancellation methods

How you cancel Sips By depends on how you paid and whether you subscribed directly or through an app.

If you subscribed through the website

Attempt to cancel through your Sips By account first, though most users report the website is no longer accessible.

If you subscribed through apple app store or google play

Your subscription may be managed by Apple or Google, not by Sips By directly. You can cancel your recurring charges through their platforms even if you cannot reach Sips By.

If you cannot cancel and paid by card

Contact your bank or credit card issuer to initiate a chargeback or payment dispute. This is your fastest lever for recovering your money.

How to cancel sips by: step-by-step

Follow these steps in order, and document everything you do.

Step 1: attempt direct cancellation

1. Visit the Sips By website and log into your account.
   • If the website is offline, proceed to Step 2.
   • If you can log in, navigate to Account Settings or Subscription Management.
   • Look for a "Cancel Subscription" or "Pause" button.
   • Click it and follow the prompts to confirm cancellation.
   • Screenshot your confirmation and save it to a secure folder.

Step 2: cancel through your payment platform

1. If you subscribed through Apple App Store, open Settings, tap your name, select Subscriptions, find Sips By, and tap Cancel Subscription.
   • Confirm the cancellation and take a screenshot.
2. If you subscribed through Google Play, open the Google Play app, go to Menu, select Subscriptions, find Sips By, tap Cancel Subscription, and confirm.
   • Screenshot your confirmation.
3. These actions stop future charges immediately, even if Sips By cannot be reached.

Step 3: dispute the charge with your bank

1. Contact your bank or credit card issuer by phone. Have your account number, transaction dates, and order confirmation ready.
   • Pro tip: Call, do not use online chat. Speaking to a human creates a paper trail and ensures your dispute is logged immediately.
2. Explain that you paid for a tea subscription service that has shut down and did not deliver your order.
   • Provide your transaction date, the amount charged, and Sips By's website address.
   • State that the goods were not received and the company is unresponsive.
3. Ask your bank to file a chargeback under the "Services Not Rendered" or "Goods Not Received" category.
   • Warning: Most banks have a 60 to 120-day window from the original charge to dispute it. Act immediately if your charge is older than 90 days.
4. Request a reference number for your dispute and ask when you can expect a resolution (typically 30 days).
   • Write down the agent's name, date, time, and reference number.

Step 4: file a complaint with your provincial consumer protection office

1. Visit your provincial consumer protection website:
   • Ontario: Ontario.ca (Service Ontario)
   • British Columbia: justice.gov.bc.ca
   • Alberta: fair-trading.alberta.ca
   • Other provinces: search "[Your Province] Consumer Protection" or "[Your Province] Fair Trading Office"
2. Complete the online complaint form. Include:
   • Your name and contact information
   • Sips By's website and any known contact information
   • Your transaction date, amount, and order confirmation
   • A clear description of what you purchased and what you did not receive
   • Screenshots of your unsuccessful attempts to contact the company
3. Submit the complaint and save your confirmation number.
   • Pro tip: Consumer protection agencies often respond faster than the company itself and can investigate on your behalf.

Step 5: send formal notice by registered mail (if needed)

1. If the company is still operating or you want to create a legal record, send a registered letter to Sips By's corporate address requesting cancellation and refund.
   • Address your letter to the company's registered agent or corporate office.
   • Include your order number, subscription dates, amount paid, and date of payment.
   • State clearly: "I request cancellation of my subscription and a full refund for undelivered goods as of [date]."
   • Attach photocopies (not originals) of your order confirmation and payment receipt.
2. Send the letter via Canada Post's Xpresspost with proof of delivery.
   • Keep the receipt and tracking number in your file.
3. Keep a photocopy of your entire letter package for your records.

What happens after you cancel

Cancellation should stop recurring charges immediately, but because Sips By has shut down, the outcome depends on which method you used.

If you cancelled through the website

Future shipments should not occur and no further charges should appear on your statement. Monitor your account for 2 to 3 billing cycles to confirm.

If you cancelled through apple or google

Your subscription is cancelled at the platform level, and you will not be charged again starting with the next billing date. Any charges that occurred after your cancellation date may be eligible for a refund through the platform.

If you initiated a chargeback

Your bank will investigate and either credit you back or deny the dispute. You will hear the outcome within 30 to 60 days. If successful, Sips By (or its payment processor) will be notified of the chargeback, which creates a record. Multiple chargebacks against the same business can trigger payment processor suspensions.

If the company shuts down permanently

You will lose access to your account data, order history, and any account credits. This is why saving screenshots and receipts to your own device is critical. Stopee strongly advises you to download or photograph your order confirmation the moment you complete the cancellation steps above.

Will you get a refund from sips by

Sips By did not publish a clear refund policy on its website, and customer reports indicate the company did not issue refunds before shutting down.

What you should expect

If you paid for a subscription and received no shipment, you are entitled to a refund under Canadian consumer law regardless of what Sips By's stated policy says. A business cannot legally withhold money for goods it did not deliver. Your leverage comes from three sources: your payment provider (chargeback), provincial consumer protection offices (complaint investigation), and small claims court (civil remedy).

Realistic timeline for refund recovery

Pro tip: Start with a chargeback immediately. It is the fastest and requires minimal effort. Consumer protection complaints and small claims court are fallback options if the chargeback is denied.

Sips by pricing and what you paid for

Understanding your subscription cost helps you calculate your refund claim.

If you purchased a 6-month prepaid plan and received only 1 box, you paid for 6 and received 1, so your refund claim covers 5 months plus associated shipping costs. Document exactly what you paid and what you received so you can defend your chargeback if the company's payment processor challenges it.

Common cancellation mistakes and how to avoid them

You are making one of the hardest consumer decisions: standing up for yourself after being let down by a business. Here are the traps that slow down your refund.

Mistake 1: waiting too long to act

Chargebacks expire 60 to 120 days after the original charge. If your Sips By charge is older than 90 days, your window is closing. Contact your bank today, not next week.

Mistake 2: not documenting your attempts

Screenshot every step: your failed login attempts, the offline website, your chargeback reference number, the consumer protection complaint confirmation. If the company contests your chargeback, your documentation is your evidence.

Mistake 3: assuming the company will respond

Sips By has shut down. Sending an email or filing a complaint through the website will not reach anyone. Use official channels only: payment providers and government agencies.

Mistake 4: filing multiple disputes for the same charge

Contact your bank once and file one chargeback per transaction. Multiple disputes for the same charge can confuse your bank or trigger fraud alerts on your account. One clear, well-documented dispute is more effective.

Mistake 5: giving up after the first refusal

If your bank denies your first chargeback, you can still file a consumer protection complaint or pursue small claims court. Multiple avenues exist. Stopee has helped thousands of Canadians recover money from failed subscription services by pursuing escalation when the first attempt failed.

After cancellation: your action checklist

Use this checklist to track your progress and ensure you do not miss a deadline.

Why customers chose sips by (and what went wrong)

Before its shutdown, Sips By earned positive reviews for personalized tea curation and responsive customer service. Customers appreciated the taste quiz that matched them to specialty selections and the international shipping convenience.

However, recent reviews from mid-2024 onward reveal a dramatic decline: prepaid boxes undelivered, accounts inaccessible, customer support unresponsive, and refunds refused. The company's shutdown was sudden and left no forwarding information or customer support channel. This is not a typical subscription cancellation scenario; this is a business failure that harmed customers financially.

Your path forward with stopee

If you subscribed to Sips By and paid for tea that never arrived, you have consumer rights and multiple recovery options. Start with a chargeback through your bank-it is the fastest and most effective first step. Follow up with a consumer protection complaint and registered letter to create an official record. Monitor your bank account closely and document everything.

Stopee has helped thousands of consumers cancel problematic subscriptions and recover their money by cutting through corporate delays, identifying the right escalation channels, and ensuring you meet critical deadlines. You are not alone in this situation, and you do have leverage. Your bank, your provincial consumer protection office, and small claims court all exist to protect you when a business fails to deliver.

Act today. Stopee is here to guide you through every step of your recovery.