Manage Carbonmade

How to cancel carbonmade and understand your refund rights in new zealand

What carbonmade is and why you might need to cancel

Carbonmade is an online portfolio builder designed for creatives - photographers, designers, illustrators, and other visual professionals - who want to showcase their work without coding a website from scratch. The service lets you upload images, videos, and other media, arrange them into custom layouts, and share your portfolio with clients or employers in minutes.

The platform operates on a subscription model with three main plans: Beginner (approximately NZ$17 per month), Professional (approximately NZ$25.50 per month), and Unlimited (approximately NZ$42.50 per month). Each tier offers different project limits, media quality support, and access to premium design blocks.

You might choose to cancel Carbonmade if your creative work has moved to another platform, your project needs have shifted, the subscription cost no longer fits your budget, or you have encountered service issues. Whatever your reason, Stopee understands that cancelling a subscription should be straightforward - and your consumer rights in New Zealand protect you even when a company claims otherwise.

Common reasons to cancel

Many creatives cancel after building their initial portfolio, finding they no longer need the monthly cost. Others switch to competitors like Squarespace, Wix, or Adobe Portfolio. Some discover that Carbonmade's feature set does not match their growing needs, while others simply want to consolidate subscriptions. At Stopee, we recognise that your reasons are valid - and we want to ensure you understand exactly how to cancel without being caught by hidden charges or misleading terms.

Why timing matters

Carbonmade charges on a monthly billing cycle. If you cancel after your invoice is issued but before the next billing date, you will still owe that charge. This is why understanding the exact cancellation deadline - and the permanent loss of your portfolio content - matters before you proceed.

How to cancel carbonmade step by step

Cancelling Carbonmade is a straightforward online process that takes just a few clicks, but you must complete it before your next billing date to avoid a surprise charge.

Cancel via the carbonmade website

1. Go to carbonmade.com and sign in with your email and password.
   • If you cannot remember your password, use the "Forgot password" link on the login page.
2. Look for your Account icon in the bottom left corner of the dashboard and click it.
   • This opens your account menu.
3. Select "Account" from the menu, then click the "Plan" tab.
   • You will see your current plan, next billing date, and payment method.
4. Scroll down and select "Close Account".
   • Carbonmade will ask you to confirm the cancellation and may prompt you to enter your password again for security.
5. Follow any on-screen prompts to complete the closure.
   • Once confirmed, your cancellation is processed immediately, though you may remain charged for any invoice already issued.

Pro tip: Before you click "Close Account", take screenshots of your next billing date and current plan to document the exact moment you cancelled. This protects you if a dispute arises later.

Important warnings before you cancel

Warning: Account closure is permanent and irreversible. Your portfolio, all uploaded images, videos, text, and design blocks are immediately deleted and cannot be recovered. Carbonmade does not offer a grace period or archive option, so save or export everything you want to keep before cancelling.

Warning: Cancelling your account does not automatically issue a refund for your current billing period. If you cancel on day 15 of a 30-day monthly billing cycle, you will still be charged for the full month and will lose access to your portfolio immediately. Plan your cancellation strategically.

Pro tip: If you want to preserve your portfolio after cancelling, take high-resolution screenshots or use a website capture tool like Wayback Machine to save your work before closing the account.

What happens to your account and portfolio after cancellation

Once you close your Carbonmade account, the process is immediate and often final - but understanding what happens next helps you avoid frustration and regret.

Immediate access loss

Your portfolio goes offline within minutes of account closure. Any public links you have shared with clients, employers, or in your portfolio are no longer accessible. Visitors to your old portfolio URL will see a 404 error or blank page. If your portfolio was indexed by Google, search results may take weeks or months to update.

You lose access to your Carbonmade dashboard, analytics, and stats immediately. If you were using Carbonmade to track how often potential clients viewed your work, that data is gone.

Billing and future charges

If you cancel before your next invoice is generated, you will not be charged again. However, if an invoice was already issued before you cancelled, you remain liable for that charge. Carbonmade will not automatically reverse it - you must request a refund separately (see the refund section below).

Your payment method remains on file until you update your account settings. If you want to remove your card details entirely, do so before closing the account, or contact Carbonmade support afterward.

Data retention and recovery

Carbonmade does not offer a recovery or "soft delete" option. Once your account is closed, your portfolio data is permanently deleted from their servers. You cannot reactivate the account and restore your work - you must rebuild everything from scratch if you return.

Understanding carbonmade's refund policy and your rights

Carbonmade's Terms of Service state that all payments are "final and non-refundable, except at Carbonmade's sole discretion." This language is designed to discourage refund requests, but it does not override your legal rights as a consumer in New Zealand.

What carbonmade's terms say

The company explicitly does not offer an automatic 14-day cooling-off period or refund window - unlike many digital services. Their policy places the burden on you to contact support and convince them to issue a refund on a case-by-case basis. There is no guarantee of success.

Your new zealand consumer rights

Under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, every service provider in New Zealand must supply services with reasonable care and skill, and the service must be fit for the purpose stated or reasonably expected. Crucially, suppliers cannot contract out of these rights by including "no refunds" clauses in their terms.

This means:

• If Carbonmade's service is defective, broken, or not as described, you may have grounds for a refund or remedy even if their terms say "no refunds".
• If you were misled about features, project limits, or media support, consumer law protects you.
• If the service fails to meet basic standards of care or functionality, you are not bound by the "final and non-refundable" clause.

Stopee encourages you to understand these protections because many companies rely on your assumption that their terms are absolute.

How to request a refund from carbonmade

If you believe you have grounds for a refund - whether because the service was defective, you cancelled within days of signing up, or you were misled - contact Carbonmade support with:

• Your account email address and account creation date.
• The date and amount of the charge you want refunded.
• A clear, factual explanation of why the service did not meet your expectations or the law's standards. For example: "The platform deleted my portfolio without a recovery option, which was not disclosed during signup."
• A screenshot of the charge or email receipt showing the amount.
• Your preferred refund method (original payment method or bank transfer).

Carbonmade may take 5-10 business days to respond. If they decline and you believe they have breached the Consumer Guarantees Act, you can escalate to the Consumer Affairs division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) or seek assistance from a consumer advocate or legal professional.

Carbonmade's lack of local contact details

Carbonmade does not publish a New Zealand postal address or local phone support line. The only address listed in their terms is their US-based parent company, Element6, LLC. This makes it harder for you to pursue formal complaints or legal action in New Zealand. At Stopee, we believe this is a red flag - transparent companies provide local contact options and escalation paths.

Carbonmade plans and pricing in new zealand dollars

Carbonmade prices all plans in US dollars on their website, which means your actual New Zealand cost depends on the current exchange rate and your payment processor's fees.

Pricing table and features

Important: These NZ$ amounts are approximations only, based on an exchange rate of approximately 1 USD = 1.7 NZD. Your actual charge may be higher or lower depending on the exchange rate on your billing date and any fees your bank or payment processor adds. Check your actual statement in NZD to see the true cost.

Common mistakes to avoid when cancelling carbonmade

We understand that cancelling a subscription can feel stressful, especially when your creative work is involved. Here are the traps that catch most users - and how to sidestep them.

Mistake 1: cancelling mid-cycle and expecting an automatic refund

Many users assume that cancelling on day 15 of a 30-day billing period entitles them to a pro-rata refund. Carbonmade does not offer this. You will be charged for the full month and lose access immediately. To avoid this, cancel only on or after your next billing date appears, or contact support beforehand to confirm your exact cancellation deadline.

Mistake 2: not saving your portfolio before cancellation

This is perhaps the most painful error. Once you click "Close Account", your portfolio is deleted permanently. There is no undo button, no archive, no recovery option. If you still need those images or layouts, take screenshots, use a website capture tool, or download files directly from your account before you cancel.

Mistake 3: assuming the "no refunds" clause is final

Many users see "all payments are final and non-refundable" and give up without requesting a refund. Your New Zealand consumer rights are stronger than this language suggests. If the service was defective or you have a legitimate complaint, contact support and reference the Consumer Guarantees Act. Stopee has seen refunds issued after initial denials when consumers cite the law.

Mistake 4: not documenting your cancellation date and time

If a charge appears after you cancel, you will need proof of when you submitted the cancellation request. Take a screenshot of your confirmation message and save any confirmation email Carbonmade sends. Without this, disputing an unwanted charge becomes harder.

Mistake 5: leaving your payment method on file

After you close your account, your card details remain stored. If Carbonmade reactivates your account for any reason (rare, but possible), they can charge you again. Remove your payment method from your account settings before cancelling, or contact your bank to prevent unauthorised charges.

Steps to take after you cancel carbonmade

Cancelling is the first step - but protecting yourself afterward is just as important.

Immediately after cancellation

• Verify that your portfolio is offline and no longer accessible at its public URL.
• Save a copy of your cancellation confirmation email if Carbonmade sent one.
• Update any links on your personal website, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio directories that pointed to your Carbonmade portfolio.
• If you relied on Carbonmade's portfolio link in client proposals or job applications, send updated links to recent contacts.

Over the next 7-14 days

• Check your bank or credit card statement to confirm no new charges appear. If you see a charge you did not expect, contact your bank immediately and note the date.
• Monitor your email for any messages from Carbonmade or payment processors.
• If you requested a refund, Carbonmade typically responds within 5-10 business days. If they decline, decide whether to escalate (see the section below).

Building your alternative portfolio

If you need a new home for your work, consider alternatives like Squarespace, Wix, Adobe Portfolio, or a custom website built with Webflow or WordPress. At Stopee, we recommend comparing platforms on features, pricing, data retention policies, and ease of cancellation - not just launch speed.

Your consumer rights in new zealand and how to enforce them

New Zealand consumer law protects you in ways that Carbonmade's terms do not acknowledge. Understanding these rights empowers you to challenge unfair practices.

The consumer guarantees act 1993

This Act is the foundation of your rights as a consumer. It requires that every service, including digital services like Carbonmade, must:

• Be supplied with reasonable care and skill.
• Be fit for the purpose for which services of that kind are commonly supplied.
• Be fit for any specific purpose disclosed by you to the supplier.
• Be supplied within a reasonable time.

Critically, suppliers cannot contract out of these rights. A "no refunds" clause does not override the Consumer Guarantees Act.

How this applies to carbonmade

If Carbonmade's service is defective - for example, if it deletes your portfolio without warning, fails to upload media correctly, or misrepresents features in ways that harm you - you may have grounds to request:

• Repair or replacement of the service.
• A refund.
• Compensation for loss or inconvenience.

You do not need to accept Carbonmade's "no refunds" policy if the service has breached these standards.

Escalating a dispute

If Carbonmade refuses to respond or denies your request unfairly, escalate as follows:

1. Contact the Consumer Affairs division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) at mbie.govt.nz or phone 0800 943 600.
   • Explain your issue and provide evidence: screenshots, emails, cancellation date, charge history.
2. File a complaint with the Disputes Tribunal if the amount is under NZ$15,000 (or NZ$20,000 if both parties agree).
   • Visit disputestribunal.govt.nz for forms and process details.
3. Seek legal advice from a consumer law specialist or Citizens Advice Bureau if the amount is significant.
   • Many offer free consultations.

Pro tip: Keep all evidence - screenshots, emails, bank statements, cancellation confirmations - in one folder. This makes escalation faster and stronger.

A checklist for cancelling carbonmade safely

Use this checklist to ensure you cancel without regret or surprise charges.

• Before cancellation: Download, screenshot, or export all portfolio content you want to keep.
• Before cancellation: Note your next billing date from your Account > Plan page.
• Before cancellation: Check whether you want to request a refund for your current period.
• During cancellation: Take a screenshot of your confirmation page or note the exact date and time you closed the account.
• During cancellation: Save or forward any confirmation email to a personal archive folder.
• After cancellation: Verify your portfolio is offline by visiting its public URL in an incognito browser.
• After cancellation: Check your bank statement 3-7 days later to confirm no new charges.
• After cancellation: Update links on your LinkedIn, personal website, and client materials.
• If disputing a charge: Contact your bank within 60 days with evidence of cancellation.
• If requesting a refund: Email Carbonmade support within 14 days of your charge with a clear reason and account details.

Why stopee helps thousands of consumers cancel subscriptions safely

Subscription cancellation should not be a battle. At Stopee, we empower you with clear, step-by-step guidance and knowledge of your rights so you can cancel confidently and recover money when you are entitled to it. We understand that creative professionals like you rely on tools like Carbonmade, and we respect your decision to move on when the fit no longer works.

Whether you are cancelling Carbonmade because you have outgrown it, found a better alternative, or simply want to trim your subscription costs, Stopee has helped thousands of consumers navigate the process - avoid surprise charges, preserve their work, and enforce their consumer rights when companies push back.

Visit Stopee (stopee.com) to explore guides for cancelling other subscriptions, understand your rights under New Zealand law, and access tools to track your active subscriptions so you never lose track of recurring charges again. Your money, your time, and your peace of mind matter - and Stopee is here to protect them.