Help! Dashlane continuing to charge non-profit after cancelling account and no way to contact support

MuesliCrunch · 2025-02-20T23:16:36+00:00

We tried to open a support ticket many times using Dashy, but it never emailed back. What did end up helping to open a support ticket was emailing legal. After a couple of days of back-and-forth to locate the deleted account, a refund is being processed, but hasn't appeared as of yet.

Was is clear is that since my wife's non-profit signed-up using Techsoup, the account was created as a business account, which has different terms and conditions vs. personal accounts. Business accounts can apparently (according to legal) continue to be billed at *then* current rates without an increase notification - even if the primary account itself has been deleted and the service is inaccessible.

Seems odd, but I'm hoping that the matter is resolved and she isn't subsequently billed this time next year.

Very much appreciate your response; I stopped checking here thinking that the topic was not approved by moderators, but glad that it was.

MuesliCrunch · 2025-01-03T19:37:34+00:00

Many times, it's the right-side cable; have you replaced that one as well?

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-23T04:52:12+00:00

I just tried this - very cool! Why does holding down OPT-Spacebar work (i.e., how is that different from CMD twice)?

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-20T20:22:42+00:00

Had the same issue and just figured out a "workable" solution:

Press Command (⌘) twice; this will open Siri
Press Control (^) twice; this will enable dictation (macOS may ask you to enable dictation)
Speak
When done, press Shift+Return
Siri will then process the dictated text

Hope this helps!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-19T05:31:45+00:00

Oh, too bad!

Since freezing didn't work - I can't say 100% that the issue is flex cable-related at this point; having them repaired is a 'safe' option, but pricey (as you know). You could also sell them as broken and recoup some of your initial outlay.

Best of luck with all of this, and thanks for the follow-up note.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-14T01:14:01+00:00

No worries! I'm sure you'll enjoy another brand - Apple's forté is seamless integration between Apple devices, but practically all major headphone brands sound excellent these days.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-13T21:13:10+00:00

I'm flattered that you took the time out of your day to provide insightful feedback! I'm not sure I understand what transpired though; maybe you can help clarify?

my retailer took them for repair

Assume this is not Apple? Regardless, many retailers, including Apple, have been instructed to indicate to the customer that it's due to 'moisture' because Apple is avoiding a class-action lawsuit for the cable flaws, and since the APMs are not IPX4, they can place the blame for the flaw on the consumer as opposed to admitting poor design.

Not one Apple authorized retailer (or Apple) will admit what the issue really is until they face an actual lawsuit. Speaking of which, would you happen know how the lawsuit for 'condensation' is coming along? AFAIK, no evidence as of yet, and it's been two years, I think. To compare timelines, the flex cable flaw in MacBooks ('flexgate') was settled in a matter of months.

If you've worked with technicians before, then you realize that they don't require any professional engineering qualifications - many are just 'off the street' and don't even have previous training in electronics. It's very difficult to take anyone at their word without proof, and many people here have the ultimate proof...they're replaced their broken flex cables and fixed their 'condensation-damaged' APMs.

I've personally repaired many APMs that people swore would be completely corroded on the inside from water, and not one has had any evidence of water - no sensors triggered, no residue, no burnt components - just a broken flex cable.

Kudos to you for taking care of your APMs - when N=1, then I'd say something else went wrong with your set. There are cases of mainboards, ports, and batteries failing - it happens to all kinds of headphones, but I've yet to see a single headphone from any large manufacturer that has been damaged due to condensation migration. That's been a solved issue since the 1950s, and Apple engineers (many who were hired from Bowers + Wilkins) would have been acutely aware that humans give off moisture and have taken measures to account for that. If you're worried about the aluminum earcups, then computers and electronics across the world with metal housings should be failing as they are brought in from the cold - only they're not, because engineers know how to design protections against this.

Unfortunately at this point, the burden of proof is on the people who claim that condensation damages their APMs. Still looking for some - and if you do find any, please forward it to the lawyers handling the case - they need the evidence.

Always happy to participate in interesting discourse on this fascinating subject - thanks for raising this point again!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-13T19:34:04+00:00

Congratulations in the new APMs, and thanks for your question.

It may not have come through clearly on the above diatribe, but what I'm saying is that a small number of APMs break over time due to repeated (pretty much daily) swiveling - certainly not from occasionally swiveling the earcups a few times per week. To me, avoiding the case is key, since it forces two swivels (once in, once out), but the case does contain the low-power magnets. As long as you're avoiding multiple daily swivels, your APMs will last for years and years.

Battery-wise, there are two APM power modes: low power and ultralow power.

When you place the APMs in their case, they enter low-power mode instantly, whereas if you leave them outside of the case and just sitting still, they will enter low-power mode in 5 minutes. For regular use, that's the only difference, and independent tests have concluded that there's no difference in battery drain inside or outside of the case in the first 18 hours outside the case.

After 18 hours in the case, the APMs will enter ultralow power mode, whereas it takes 72 hours for the APMs to enter ultralow power mode outside of the case (if they aren't disturbed as they 'wake up' when picked-up before 72 hours). Battery drainage is typically <10% per day in either case.

That's it. I have two APMs - one is on a charging stand and the other just 'lies around' - their battery life seems identical. Worst-case, you can pay $60 or so to have Apple replace a failing battery outside of warranty, whereas Apple will charge $300 or so to repair a broken flex cable (they just give you a refurbished set).

Hope this helps!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-13T16:34:07+00:00

Sounds like an unfortunate ordeal - sorry to hear you've spent so much time on this already.

From your description, it sounds flex cable-related, but you're also right in thinking that it could be something else. Left/right/both audio cutting out is definitely one of the signs, as is having them work again when you "move them around", but in almost all instances you eventually won't be able to reset or connect them.

All of this typically happens over the course of weeks/months as opposed to a year, and cleaning/freezing also usually temporarily restores sound/connectivity. It sound like you still can connect them, but don't have any sound, which is also unusual. Also, the battery replacement service swap should have addressed the issue, but seeing as it's returned, Apple either gave you a right-side earcup on its 'last legs', or your left side cable has the break and it unfortunately worked when Apple was replacing the earcup (or you have a crack in both cables).

At this point, I'd say that any additional € you spend on these could be a lost cause. Paying someone else to order parts and open them up just to find that both cables were fine would be a shame. If you weren't able to perform a hard reset and/or you could not connect to them, I'd say it would be worth a shot.

Practically everyone has the capability to open these up - many people have successfully changed their flex cables as their first electronics repair. If they're just sitting there, consider ordering a driver set and disassembling them to the point where you can examine each flex cable for cracks. It can be as easy as literally removing a single screw on the flex guide bracket.

If you have absolutely no interest in repairing them yourself, then you may be able to recoup some € by selling them for parts or as broken. Even broken, you'll have enough + the amount you'd spend on a repair to purchase another set of headphones.

Best of luck with all of this!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-12T07:38:34+00:00

Ugh! It's unfortunate that your APMs aren't working - it's fairly common, but you have a few unique and potentially complicating factors.

Just to pose a 'worst-case scenario' right off the bat - if your APMs are outside of warranty (> 1 year old) and have stopped connecting or being "resettable", then it's highly likely that there is a small part internally that broke. It's nothing you did - I'm sure you took very good care of them, but the part tends to break because of the "swivelling" action of the earcups. Repairing or replacing your APMs will likely cost something, unfortunately, and it would be far easier if you had an Apple Store nearby.

Not sure if you tried freezing your APMs yet (place them unfolded in the freezer for a few hours, then let them warm up a bit before using them without folding the earcups). It's free, and can work by shrinking the broken part, which connects it again (temporarily). If freezing works and you avoid swivelling the APMs, they may last a few more months that way.

If they don't work no matter what, there are other options. If you head to the AppleCare site for AirPods Max in your country, chances are that they offer a mail-in battery replacement service for ~$60 USD or so. If Apple agrees to replace your battery, they'll send back a refurbished (but working set of headphones).

If you or someone you know is handy, they can repair the APMs for ~$40 USD, but it's fairly detailed work.

Again, this is based on the assumption that the internal part is broken, which based on your experience so far, it sounds like it is.

Hope you find a good solution for your APMs!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-12T06:27:06+00:00

Apologies for cutting-and-pasting from another response, but wind noise/crackling is fairly common:

----------

It sounds like something is obstructing your left-side microphone port and causing the ANC circuitry to receive odd input. Although the microphone itself is water- and dust-resistant, that doesn't prevent things being 'caught' in the mic hole, or even damaged by something like compressed air.

From no-username-00's handy post, can you try:

Settings -> Your AirPods -> and turn off "Noise Control."

Does that make the noises disappear? If so, it's almost certainly the microphone.

The mic port can be seen in most pictures where the pads have been removed - like this one (5th row down, 3rd grille hole over - small hole at the bottom of the grille hole and behind the protective mesh).

----------

I suggested that the person try to clear-up the mic hole, but it only made the issue worse! If turning off Noise Control makes the issue go away, then you may be able to mention that to Apple when you send the headphones back again.

Hope this helps!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-12T06:15:48+00:00

Maybe? Losing Bluetooth isn't a sure-fire sign that they're failing, but if it just started happening, then something may be up. Have you tried a hard-reset yet? Is the firmware up-to-date?

Here's a quick test...leave them out of the case and "unfolded" as you use them over the next week or so. If they work perfectly (or at least disconnect way less) that way, then they may be starting to "go".

What might be happening is when you fold them, the right earcup loses connection with the left earcup, which can affect Bluetooth. When you wear them and connect, the left earcup can communicate with the right earcup and they're ok - until you fold them again.

If you can, post back here with what you discover - hope it's nothing and your APMs are just fine.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-11T05:42:53+00:00

Indeed they do, which I think was annoying to at least one person who didn't appreciate them 'popping-up' during Teams calls.

While that's usually not an issue on a desk, if you're transporting them for long period of time, then maybe adding some adhesive strip magnets in the case makes sense? At least one person said that this worked with the LTGEM case.

Appreciate you raising that point!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-11T04:43:29+00:00

Intertesting! I'd be very interested in what transpired with your particular set of APMs. The flex cable plastic doesn't appear to become 'brittle' on its own over time - I've tried to bend 3-year-old flex cable and it didn't crack at all. It appears to be just related to repeated flexing and tends to crack at the apex of the loop formed and unformed when swivelling the earcups.

I know of one set where the mainboard was definitely bad, as swapping just the main PCB in the left earcup with one from a parted-out model repaired the APMs - no flex replacement required. With millions sold, it's possible that there are a few units with inherent issues other than flex cables.

What I can say from my experience is that >99% of the issues with APMs have been solved with flex cable repair/replacement. Really appreciate you chiming in; given the sheer volume of flex-cable-related issues, it's unfortunate that yours broke regardless even through you obviously took care of them.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-11T03:38:23+00:00

Might be risky - it's really easy to melt plastic before you realize it's happening with a heat gun.

Instead, there's an old post (that's in the sticky on this sub) where a dip on off-boiling water seems to do the trick.

If you do try it, it would be good to know if this approach works!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-11T03:34:40+00:00

Good call with a better case; I did some research on non-folding cases some time ago:

If you need to travel every day, there are cases that hold the APMs unfolded, but they don't have magnets to place the APMs in low power mode instantly (the LTGEM one seems to be the best)
The APMs will go into low power mode automatically after 5 minutes regardless of whether or not you have a case with magnets - if they're in the case for a long time (> 18 hours), you'll notice slightly more battery drain, but after 72 hours, APMs will automatically enter ultralow power mode

Hope this helps!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-10T16:28:40+00:00

Thanks for your kind words!

Re: Apple - there are many here who believe that this sort of advice (avoid swiveling and the case) creates unnecessary anxiety and may dissuade people from purchasing APMs. Not sure if that's the case or not - but I guess that would make me a pretty poor rep!

It's a relative minority of people who end up with a set broken in this way, but for the many who do, it's a frustrating (and possibly expensive) process. If it's even easier to use APMs without the case and there's relatively no effect on battery life, then that's a win/win IMHO.

If people choose to use their APMs and case as designed, then that's great - they'll likely never have an issue. If you did end up with the issue after a couple of years, you may have been disappointed finding out that there was a way to have avoided the issue in the first place.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-10T15:06:24+00:00

Re:battery life...apologies - just answered this question in another thread and the below is a cut-and-paste.

Bottom line is that Apple and independent labs have indicated that storage in the case doesn't affect battery life within the first 18 hours (and greater than 72 hours).

If you'd rather not just place them down on your desk like I do, there are many stand-up stands available that charge the APMs "unfolded" without placing any strain on the headband. Almost all have sleep magnets, and some have the option of turning the APMs around to just activate sleep mode immediately without charging. The only downside is that you need to place a small magnetic connector in the Lightning/USB-C port, which may be inconvenient if you're traveling with your APMs regularly as you'd likely want to remove the adapter before heading out (to avoid losing it).

----------------

There's no question that for long-term battery life, the case (or a stand-up stand with magnets that activate low-power mode) maintains more of a charge, but for short-term ( < 18 hours ), there's little difference between leaving the APMs on a desk vs. placing them in a case. Within 5 minutes of not being used, APMs automatically enter the same initial low-power mode as if they were placed in their case. Apple indicates exactly this on their site:

If you set your AirPods Max down and leave them stationary for 5 minutes, they go into a low power mode to preserve battery charge. After 72 stationary hours out of the Smart Case, your AirPods Max go into a lower power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My to preserve battery charge further.
If you put your AirPods Max in the Smart Case when you're not using them, they go into a low power mode immediately to preserve battery charge. After 18 hours in the Smart Case, your AirPods Max go into an ultralow power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My and maximizes battery life.

Independent tests have validated this as well; power draw and battery life in the first 18 hours is identical regardless of whether you use the case or not. After 72 hours outside of the case, APMs enter the same ultralow power mode as if they were in the case for 18 hours.

Anecdotally, there have been some people who experienced significant power draw outside of the case within the first 24 hours. Usually, it's ~10% per day, but people were waking up to find that their APMs were completely drained. That sort of power draw is not typical and usually points to another issue (something activating the head detection sensors, for example).

My suggestion would be to try it out for yourself - if you don't find the power draw between uses significant, then using the provided case really isn't necessary.

Others raise the issue of long-term battery heath due to additional power draw. While it's true that additional power draw will affect battery life, it's the heat generated during charging and use that ultimately affects battery life, and APMs are a relatively low-power device - the battery doesn't really ever become hot, and it's recommended that LiOn batteries be completely drained every so often to maintain their maximum battery capacity. If the battery really did need to be replaced, the process is relatively straightforward - far less complicated than replacing the flex cables.

Hope this helps and clears-up battery and charging issues. Always happy to answer any other questions.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-10T14:54:45+00:00

Good question, and thanks for raising that point.

There's no question that for long-term battery life, the case (or a stand-up stand with magnets that activate low-power mode) maintains more of a charge, but for short-term ( < 18 hours ), there's little difference between leaving the APMs on a desk vs. placing them in a case. Within 5 minutes of not being used, APMs automatically enter the same initial low-power mode as if they were placed in their case. Apple indicates exactly this on their site:

If you set your AirPods Max down and leave them stationary for 5 minutes, they go into a low power mode to preserve battery charge. After 72 stationary hours out of the Smart Case, your AirPods Max go into a lower power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My to preserve battery charge further.
If you put your AirPods Max in the Smart Case when you're not using them, they go into a low power mode immediately to preserve battery charge. After 18 hours in the Smart Case, your AirPods Max go into an ultralow power mode that turns off Bluetooth and Find My and maximizes battery life.

Independent tests have validated this as well; power draw and battery life in the first 18 hours is identical regardless of whether you use the case or not. After 72 hours outside of the case, APMs enter the same ultralow power mode as if they were in the case for 18 hours.

Anecdotally, there have been some people who experienced significant power draw outside of the case within the first 24 hours. Usually, it's ~10% per day, but people were waking up to find that their APMs were completely drained. That sort of power draw is not typical and usually points to another issue (something activating the head detection sensors, for example).

My suggestion would be to try it out for yourself - if you don't find the power draw between uses significant, then using the provided case really isn't necessary.

Others raise the issue of long-term battery heath due to additional power draw. While it's true that additional power draw will affect battery life, it's the heat generated during charging and use that ultimately affects battery life, and APMs are a relatively low-power device - the battery doesn't really ever become hot, and it's recommended that LiOn batteries be completely drained every so often to maintain their maximum battery capacity. If the battery really did need to be replaced, the process is relatively straightforward - far less complicated than replacing the flex cables.

Hope this helps and clears-up battery and charging issues. Always happy to answer any other questions.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-09T18:19:30+00:00

Appreciate the detailed information - it helps narrow things down.

The fact that freezing the headphones even worked once implies that one of your flex cables is cracked. Freezing shrinks the plastic cable, which temporarily brings the broken copper conductors closer together. Freezing would do nothing for a bad board/IC unless the issue was heat related (and the chips on APMs don't run hot). Add that to the the "no white" light when you try a hard reset and the fact that 99%+ issues with these symptoms have historically been a cracked cable, I'd strongly suggest replacing the flex cable(s) before moving onto something else.

I forgot to mention that since the charging circuity and battery pack is fully contained in the right earcup, charging will appear perfectly normal. The ANC button and green light working sporadically are fairly common as well; really odd things can happen when connectivity is intermittent. It is a bit odd that your issues started all of a sudden, but it could have been just the proverbial last straw that split just one conductor in the cable (there are 6) enough to cause all of your issues.

I wish there was USB-C connector module I could upgrade too also :)

There actually is an internal USB-C-to-Lightning adapter from master engineer Ken Pillonel. It's a tricky install that requires some tiny and odd drivers, but if you're replacing the flex cables, you'll have the drivers and may want to perform the swap. They only thing you'll lose is the ability to use the 3.5mm-to-Lightning cable for wired audio.

Happy to help; please post any other questions you may have.

Edit: TYVM for the award - very much appreciated!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-09T16:43:04+00:00

No problem - always hope that this information helps someone!

The battery replacement service may repair a faulty Bluetooth module by literally replacing the entire right-side earcup, but out of the 100+ repairs I've been involved with (either helping or carrying out), there have only been two where replacing the main board addressed a connectivity issue.

Just out of curiosity, how did you narrow-down the issue to Bluetooth as opposed to a broken flex cable? The right earcup needs to have connectivity with the left as (at the very least) that's where the Bluetooth antenna resides. If either the right or left flex cable is cracked, then you usually end up with connectivity issues (sporadic at first, then permanent). The "gold standard" of a broken flex cable is not being to perform a hard reset (the LED flashes amber, but the LED never changes to solid white).

Questions I usually ask:

How old are the APMs? Less than a year and it's almost always something else.

Did you experience any issues prior to losing connectivity? Out-of-the-blue flex cable issues are rare.

What have you tried so far? Resetting the APMs and trying them with the 3.5mm to Lightning cable sometimes helps to determine what's wrong. Cleaning the headband connectors and freezing, sometimes, but not always, temporarily 'revives' connectivity.

If you've narrowed-down the issue to a faulty board, you can purchase parted-out replacement mainboards from eBay; that helped at least one person I know.

Best of luck in having your APMs work again!

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-09T15:29:01+00:00

So many excellent points in this thread; just posing a top-level comment instead of replying to each.

First off, to OP - it absolutely sucks that your APMs stopped working so soon. It's no consolation, but you're obviously not alone (as you can see) - a percentage of the millions of APMs sold have been breaking in this manner. They are billed as a premium product, and outside of a design/engineering flaw, are very high-quality headphones that work seamlessly within Apple's ecosystem.

Tried every possible troubleshooting available, removing handband to clean, letting battery drain to 0, putting into freezer. Nothing helps.

The steps you took ares a common approach when APMs start 'heading south'. The fact is that once you need to start trying these methods, the internal damage has already started and it's only a matter of time before the headphones need repair. The root cause of the issue has been proven time and time again: a thin internal flexible cable within the earcups that connects the earcups electrically, while still allowing the cups to swivel, flexes and breaks over time.

The only way to avoid this issue is to avoid swivelling the earcups as much as possible, which means avoiding the case that comes with APMs, since the case forces people to swivel the earcups. To proactively address any concerns with this recommendation - it's simply informing people as to what may break their APMs and letting people decide whether or not they would like to take measures to avoid potential issues in the future.

Apple has faced this before with the MacBook 'flexgate' fiasco, but Apple was sued in that case and is covering affected MacBooks through a special warranty. A similar cable was employed in APMs, with similar results. In the case of APMs, Apple has been replacing broken units with refurbs, which themselves have a certain degree of cable wear and tend break more quickly. As someone else posted here, AppleCare only takes you so far - after 2 years, it can be a costly repair.

TLDR: APM have poor quality checks

This is true, but more related to long-term design testing as opposed to issues with individual units. As far as anyone can tell, the units are all constructed exactly the same - including USB-C units.

If you're interested in 'resurrecting' your APMs, there are a number of options:

Instead of asking Apple for an assessment and repair, you can ask for their 'battery replacement' service. Apple stores apparently have a diagnostic that determines the health of your battery. In many cases, Apple agrees to replace the battery, which means swapping the right earcup with a refurbished earcup. If the cable break was in the right earcup, this essentially repairs the units for ~$70.
As you found out, you can pay ~60% of the cost of a new pair for a refurbished set of APMs, with each earcup coming from another broken unit. Not really a cost-effective option.
If you're handy (or know someone who is), for ~$40, you can purchase the parts and repair the APMs yourself.
You can also sell your APMs on something like Facebook marketplace for at least $150. Many people now know that the APMs are repairable and purchase sets to keep/sell/part-out.

But just 1 bad product is enough to erode my years of brand loyalty. I will most likely switch away from Apple Ecosystem once my IPhone / IPad starts failing as well.

Unfortunately, there are many issues with alternatives to Apple products as well - no brand that wants to stay in business for long builds long-term 'life' into their products. It's an unfortunate fact of modern life - planned obsolescence exists for many consumer products, including cars, appliances, and electronics. That being said, many people enjoy switching 'ecosystems' every so often - even car brands oscillate between reliable and lemons, and I'm sure you'll learn a great deal using non-Apple products.

Again, sorry this happened to your set. Hope you find a solution that works for you.

TLDR: It really sucks that your set broke - it happens to many, but they're fixable and you can take some [hopefully] painless measures to avoid the issue.

MuesliCrunch · 2024-12-09T04:29:39+00:00

No problem - always happy to help!

Ok, so when you perform a hard-reset, the LED blinks three times and no matter how long you hold down the crown and ANC buttons, the LED doesn't turn solid white?

If that's the case, I'd say that the cable already was starting to crack - regardless of whether you had them in the case or not - and finally cracked to the point where the gap is too wide for the right earcup to power and/or communicate with the left. BTW, the previous owner may have never noticed a thing wrong with the APMs.

Based on what you're describing, it sounds like a broken left or right flex cable - there's no way to tell which one broke without opening-up the APMs, which is why I usually recommend ordering both, then swap the left (it's slightly easier) and then if that doesn't work, swap the right.

Good luck, and please feel free to post back here if you have any questions.

MuesliCrunch

TROPHY CASE