Cancel Carbonmade: Step-by-Step Guide

How to cancel Carbonmade and protect your rights in new zealand

What Carbonmade is and why you might cancel

Carbonmade is an online portfolio builder designed for creatives-photographers, designers, illustrators and visual professionals-who want to showcase their work without writing code. You upload images, videos and other media, arrange them into custom layouts, and share your portfolio with clients or employers in minutes.

The service operates on a monthly subscription model. Carbonmade charges approximately NZ$17 per month for the Beginner plan, NZ$25.50 per month for Professional, and NZ$42.50 per month for Unlimited. Each tier offers different project limits, media quality support and premium design blocks.

You might cancel Carbonmade because your creative work has moved to another platform, your project needs have shifted, the monthly cost no longer fits your budget, or you have encountered service issues. Whatever your reason, Tocancel recognises that cancelling a subscription should be straightforward and transparent-and your consumer rights in New Zealand protect you even when a company makes cancellation difficult.

Common reasons creatives cancel Carbonmade

Many users cancel after building their initial portfolio, finding they no longer need the monthly cost. Others switch to competitors like Squarespace, Wix or Adobe Portfolio when their needs grow beyond what Carbonmade offers. Some discover that Carbonmade's feature set does not match their workflow, while others simply want to consolidate subscriptions and reduce spending. At Tocancel, 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 before you cancel

Carbonmade charges on a monthly billing cycle tied to your invoice date. If you cancel after your invoice is issued but before the next billing date, you will still owe that charge. This is why understanding your exact billing date and the permanent loss of your portfolio content matters before you proceed. Therefore, take action before your next renewal date to avoid paying for a service you no longer use.

How to cancel Carbonmade step by step

Cancelling Carbonmade is a straightforward online process, but you must complete it before your next billing date to avoid a surprise charge on your account.

Cancel via the Carbonmade website

1. Go to carbonmade.com and sign in with your email and password.
   • If you cannot remember your password, click the "Forgot password" link on the login page.
2. Look for your Account icon in the bottom left corner of the dashboard.
   • This opens your account menu and navigation options.
3. Select "Account" from the menu, then click the "Plan" tab.
   • You will see your current plan, next billing date and payment method listed here.
4. Scroll down and select "Close Account" or "Cancel Subscription".
   • 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 before you cancelled.

Pro tip: Before you click "Close Account", take screenshots of your next billing date and current plan. This protects you if a dispute arises later with Carbonmade or your payment provider.

Important warnings before you cancel

Warning-account closure is permanent: 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 you cancel. Download all assets to your computer before you proceed.

Warning-cancellation does not guarantee a refund: Cancelling your account does not automatically issue a refund for the current billing period. If you have paid in advance or if your invoice has already been issued, you may need to request a refund separately. This is why documenting your cancellation date is critical.

Your consumer rights and what they mean for you

In New Zealand, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 gives you specific legal rights when you buy goods or services, and these rights apply to Carbonmade subscriptions.

What the consumer guarantees act protects you for

Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, Carbonmade must supply a service that is fit for purpose, delivered with reasonable care and skill, and described accurately. This means you have the legal right to:

• Receive the service as advertised and without defects or technical failures.
• Cancel within a reasonable time if the service is not fit for purpose or does not match the description you relied on when you signed up.
• Claim a refund or compensation if Carbonmade fails to deliver the service according to its terms.

If Carbonmade has misrepresented its features, failed to process your cancellation correctly, or charged you after you cancelled, you have grounds to escalate a complaint. As a result, you should never accept a company's claim that "all sales are final" or that you cannot cancel-these statements may breach your legal rights.

How to enforce your rights if Carbonmade refuses to cancel

If Carbonmade ignores your cancellation request or continues to charge you after you cancel, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Commerce Commission, New Zealand's consumer protection authority. The Commerce Commission enforces consumer law and can compel companies to refund consumers who have been wronged.

To lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission, visit their website or call 0800 94 68 68. You will need to provide proof of your cancellation request, screenshots of your account and billing records, and a summary of what went wrong. The Commerce Commission takes breaches seriously and has the power to recover your money and investigate unfair trading practices.

Your legal position is this: you have the right to cancel and receive a refund for services you have not yet used, and no company-including Carbonmade-can prevent you from exercising that right.

Refunds and billing after you cancel

Understanding how Carbonmade's refund and billing practices work will help you avoid unexpected charges and recover money if you are entitled to it.

How refunds work when you cancel

Carbonmade does not automatically refund unused portions of your current billing cycle when you cancel. If your invoice has already been issued, you have paid for that month and will not receive a refund unless you specifically request one. However, you should not be charged for any billing period after the date you cancelled-if you are, you have the right to dispute that charge with your bank or payment provider.

To increase your chances of receiving a refund for an unused portion of your subscription, document the exact date and time you cancelled, then contact Carbonmade's support team within 7 days of cancellation and request a prorated refund. If they refuse, escalate to the Commerce Commission with your evidence.

Checking your billing history before you cancel

Log into your Carbonmade account and navigate to your Plan or Billing section. You will see your next billing date, the amount you will be charged and your payment method. Note the exact date-this is your deadline for cancellation if you want to avoid paying another month. If you are unsure when you will be charged, Tocancel recommends cancelling at least 2 days before your billing date to ensure the payment does not process.

After you cancel, monitor your bank or credit card statement for 30 days to ensure Carbonmade does not attempt to charge you again. If a charge appears after your cancellation date, contact your bank immediately and dispute the transaction as unauthorised.

What happens after you cancel Carbonmade

Knowing what to expect after you cancel will help you plan your next steps and avoid confusion.

Your account access and portfolio removal

Once you close your Carbonmade account, you lose access immediately. Your portfolio goes offline and your custom domain (if you had one) will no longer point to your Carbonmade site. All your content-images, videos, descriptions and design blocks-is deleted within 30 days. You cannot retrieve it after that point, so export or download everything you need before you cancel.

Email confirmation and record-keeping

After you cancel, Carbonmade may send you a confirmation email. Save this email as proof of your cancellation date. If Carbonmade does not send confirmation, take screenshots of your account page showing the cancellation (if it displays a message) and keep all documentation for at least 12 months. This protects you if a dispute arises later.

Moving your portfolio to another platform

Before you cancel, decide where your portfolio will live next. Popular alternatives include Squarespace (which integrates portfolio features into website design), Wix (beginner-friendly with drag-and-drop builders), Adobe Portfolio (integrated with Creative Cloud), Cargo (designed for visual artists) or a custom website hosted on WordPress or Webflow. Tocancel recommends spending a few hours comparing these options before you cancel, so you have a new home for your work ready to go.

Common mistakes when cancelling Carbonmade

Cancelling a subscription can feel daunting, especially when your creative work is tied to the platform. Here are the mistakes we see most often-and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: cancelling without saving your work first

This is the costliest error. If you delete your account without downloading or exporting your portfolio, your images, videos and design blocks disappear forever. There is no recovery option. Therefore, before you click "Close Account", spend at least 30 minutes taking screenshots of each project page, downloading high-resolution images to your computer and noting down all text, descriptions and metadata. Tocancel strongly recommends testing an export or screenshot of each project to confirm the quality is acceptable before you proceed.

Mistake 2: cancelling without checking your billing date

Many users cancel just after paying for a new month, assuming the cancellation is immediate and refund-proof. In reality, Carbonmade will not refund the current billing period unless you specifically ask and can justify why you deserve a prorated refund. Therefore, mark your billing date on your calendar, then cancel within 48 hours of when your invoice is due-not after it has been charged. This way, you can contact support and request a refund before the payment processes.

Mistake 3: not requesting a refund if you cancel mid-cycle

If you have cancelled but realise you paid for a full month and used only half of it, you have the legal right to request a refund under the Consumer Guarantees Act. Many users assume they cannot get money back and do not ask. Instead, contact Carbonmade within 7 days of cancellation, explain that you cancelled mid-cycle and ask for a prorated refund. If they refuse, escalate to the Commerce Commission. A clear refund request in writing (email) creates a paper trail and increases your chances of success.

Mistake 4: not checking for recurring charges after you cancel

Occasionally Carbonmade's system fails to stop billing, or the cancellation does not process correctly. This is why you must check your bank or credit card statement for 30 days after you cancel and look for any charges from Carbonmade. If you see a charge after your cancellation date, dispute it with your bank immediately as an unauthorised transaction. Do not assume it was an error-take action and recover the money.

Pricing tiers and what you are paying for

Understanding what each plan includes will help you decide if Carbonmade is worth the cost-and whether you should cancel.

All plans include a custom domain, basic analytics and access to Carbonmade's design blocks. Higher tiers unlock more projects and some premium features, but the core functionality remains the same. If you are paying for Unlimited because you rarely use it, downgrading to Professional or even Beginner might save you money before you cancel entirely.

Should you cancel or downgrade instead

Before you cancel completely, consider whether downgrading to a cheaper plan might be a better option.

Reasons to downgrade instead of cancelling

If you still want to maintain a portfolio on Carbonmade but want to save money, you can downgrade to a cheaper plan. Log into your account, go to the Plan tab and select a lower tier. This will reduce your monthly cost immediately and take effect on your next billing date. You will lose access to some features, but your portfolio will remain live and accessible.

Reasons to cancel completely

If you do not need the platform at all, downgrading is just delaying the inevitable. Complete cancellation makes sense if you have moved your portfolio elsewhere, you no longer create visual content, or you want to eliminate this subscription entirely to reduce your monthly expenses. At Tocancel, we support whatever decision is right for your situation-whether that is cancelling or downgrading.

Checklist before you cancel Carbonmade

Use this checklist to ensure you are fully prepared before you cancel.

How tocancel helps you cancel Carbonmade safely

Cancelling a subscription should not feel risky or complicated. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel services like Carbonmade by providing clear, step-by-step guidance and reminding you of your legal rights. When you use Tocancel to learn how to cancel, you get access to proven processes, consumer law references and escalation advice if something goes wrong.

If Carbonmade refuses to cancel your account or continues to charge you after you have requested cancellation, Tocancel can help you understand your options under the Consumer Guarantees Act and guide you toward the Commerce Commission if necessary. You are never alone in this process-Tocancel's mission is to empower you to take control of your subscriptions and protect your rights.

Contact information and escalation

If you need to contact Carbonmade for support or escalate a cancellation issue, note that the company does not provide a local New Zealand postal address for account matters. For service inquiries, technical support or disputes, the only address available is their United States office: Element6, LLC (Carbonmade's parent company), located in the USA.

For fastest resolution, use the in-app support chat on Carbonmade's website or send an email through your account dashboard. Document all communications and keep copies of every message. If Carbonmade fails to respond or refuses to cancel your account, escalate to the Commerce Commission at 0800 94 68 68 or via their website.

Remember: you have the right to cancel, and no company can refuse you that right indefinitely. Tocancel encourages you to take action today if you have decided to move on from Carbonmade. Whether you are downgrading, cancelling or switching platforms, you are making a smart financial decision-and Tocancel is here to support you every step of the way.