The "Family Emergency" Refund Email. Does It Actually Work? I Tested It.

I tested the "family emergency" excuse across 5 different refund requests to see if it works. I wrote: "I need to request a refund due to an unexpected family emergency. I would really appreciate your understanding." The results: 3 out of 5 approved the refund. 2 asked for documentation. Compared to my control group where I simply said "I changed my mind," the family emergency excuse had a 60% success rate versus 20%. However, I felt guilty about lying twice. The two companies that asked for documentation made me realize that companies are starting to scrutinize this excuse. My advice: only use the family emergency excuse if it is true. If you get caught lying, you will not only lose the refund but also damage your credibility with that company permanently.