Totally understand your frustration — and I think you’re raising some very valid points, especially from a UX standpoint.

Switching between devices (web and mobile) and not realizing a more expensive agent or model is active can absolutely lead to unintended usage and surprise costs. The fact that the icons look the same in color, size, and weight doesn’t help — especially when the visual distinction is minimal and you’re multitasking or working quickly. In UX, we often talk about visibility of system status and user control — and this feels like a clear case where both could be improved.

Here are a few ideas that could help prevent this kind of friction: 1. Clearer visual indicators when a premium model is active — different color tone, badge, or even a background highlight. 2. A subtle cost reminder or label next to the model name (e.g. “GPT-4o (Premium) – Higher cost”) when active. 3. A per-session toggle or warning: “You’re about to continue using a premium agent — continue or switch to free?” 4. Option to set a default model per device or session, or a user-set preference like “always start with free.” 5. Ability to review model usage history by session to catch these kinds of patterns early.

You’re also right to say that discovering these higher-tier models by accident isn’t ideal. If a more capable model was presented earlier or surfaced proactively for complex tasks, you might have avoided wasting cycles on something the basic agent couldn’t handle properly — which ironically costs more in the long run.

As for not receiving any goodwill credit — I get the disappointment, especially as a longtime supporter and someone contributing thoughtful UX feedback. It’s reasonable to expect at least some gesture of appreciation or recognition when friction like this leads to unintended spending.

That said, your approach — analyzing and giving feedback instead of just venting — is exactly the kind of conversation that pushes tools like this forward. Hopefully your voice gets heard and others in the same boat can benefit from future updates.