This is the downside of subscribing to third party services through Apple. I only subscribe to iOS/iPadOS apps or Apple services through them. But never to anything I can get directly from companies like Dropbox and Netflix, etc.
Using Apple can be very convenient, until you have a problem.
When I upgraded my Dropbox subscription it was diectly via the browser on my desktop computer not through the App Store.
Fortunately Iāve not encountered a problem with Apple subscriptions. One supplier has continued to provide the service, seemingly not having noticed my sub ran out, but I can simply not use their service.
The main advantage of going through Apple is the easy cancellation and reviewing of subscriptions and trials. I donāt like the idea of my card information hanging around miscellaneous software and service providers who sometimes make it challenging to cancel (looking at you, Times of London newspaper!)
It might cost you time. Time that was probably better spent with your wife and your kids?
(But I have had a bad experience with Apple as well, so I understand where you are coming from).
So, why did you not use the Apple Site for the Refunds, instead of going your āpainfulā way?
As stated in the OP:
Maybe you let the OP answer by himself, as you are sometimes wrong with your suggestionsā¦ 
Neither have I. Iām an Amazon Prime and YouTube Premium subscriber. And both offer other streaming services, including AppleTV+, as add-ons. But I donāt purchase anything through them either. My problem isnāt with Apple, itās having any third party between me and another provider.
If I deal directly with a company and have a problem I can open an app, dispute a charge, and let my bank deal with them.
Re: Times of London. I hate it when companies make it hard to unsubscribe. Itās been years but the last time I checked both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times would let you subscribe online but required you to call them to unsubscribe. I would probably re-subscribe if not for that policy.
Iām a subscriber to both but feel your pain. Thereās an interesting law (idea) working its way through the US Congress right now that would require companies to allow unsubscriptions by the identical methods they allow subscriptions. However you got āin,ā they have to allow you to get āoutā by the same means. Seems like a good idea.
That would be great for gym memberships. Most of those you can āgetā by showing up at the gym and signing some paperwork, but to get āoutā you need to actually mail a formal letter containing specific language to some address on the other side of the country.
This is hilarious.
Youāre asking him why he did the last step, apparently assuming that Appleās own customer service wouldnāt have thought of just directing him to their own refund site - and Iām the one thatās āsometimes wrongā with my suggestions.
You are making your own story here, without knowing how the OP āaskedā for the refund in the first place, and without having any knowledge about what they where talking about in detail the call with CS.
But donāt worry, I became used to a behavior like that, if I have to deal with that special group of peopleā¦
From your point of view It was a āperfect phone callā 
Beside that I am still interested in what really happened, maybe the OP is explaining it a little bit more!?
Took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about here. But thatās because Iāve used the āignoreā feature to great effect.
It does. Iām surprised such a law didnāt come forward in the EU. It may make sense for businesses to have different entry/exit methods for contracts, but for consumers exciting a contract should be as easy as entering in.
Thatās exactly the case with The Times. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with a salesperson trying to convince me that it was great value, despite being able to see I hadnāt read the newspaper in a month (mostly because of its untrustworthy editorial practices.)
This may be off-topic, but reading your story I remembered how I had a similar feelings last year, when my Mac stopped to be supported. I have 2017 MacBook Air, which I bought in 2019 and in that time it was on Apple.com website. So I bought a new computer which Apple still selled and three year later they just āno, itās garbage, weāll not update it anymoreā. And I decided to move to all third party apps and started to use a familyās Windows PC more, but then accepted it and realized that I still ālikeā Apple (whatever it means) and their approach to technology and now use mostly first party apps and iCloud, some kind of Stockholm syndrome (of course Iāve not suffered that much being stuck on Monterey, but I was definitely offended)
Sorry you got burned. Apple will still sell you a $53,000 intel mac pro today. Then offer you around $1000 on trade in. Now that out of warranty Macs can be prohibitively expensive to repair I wonder if that will destroy their resale value?
Have you tried emailing Tim Cook directly? Maybe with some local or App Store Apple people ccād?
Tim Cook claimed to get 700 to 800 customer emails a day. Maybe your ācustomer feedbackā might be the type to get his attention.
Thatās a good idea. Thank you.
Okay, isnāt this supposed to be a lighthearted suggestion thread?
My suggestions:
Buy through a friendās business who has volume purchase access. Do something to qualify for the educational discount. Buy used, overspecced hardware rather than new moderate configs.
If Movies Everywhere is still a thing, buy digital media elsewhere and make iTunes give you a free copy. Sign up for any streaming services through their websites, of course.
Sign up for a couple extra Genius Bar appointments a year (asking legitimate questions only so to not annoy the employees.) Be expensive (and maybe learn a few things from the tech!) Have your family visit as well but instruct them to buy nothing!
Use third party phone insurance instead of AppleCare. Third party insurance will pay less than you would for a replacement phone out of pocket.
I can understand being very dissatisfied with a company. But while an individual may get some kind of satisfactory solution to their problem by emailing Tim Cook or contacting customer service again, there is no way an individual can āpunishā Apple.
And irritating the staff at any store you frequent is never a good idea.