Shopify’s Failure to Support LGBTQ2S+ At-Risk Youth Entrepreneurs: A Story of Neglect and Broken Promises
Introductions
Shopify, a Canadian company celebrated for empowering entrepreneurs, markets itself as a platform that helps small businesses thrive. Yet, for a group of LGBTQ2S+ at-risk youth in Canada, all on social assistance, Shopify’s actions tell a different story—one of neglect, bureaucratic stonewalling, and broken promises. These young entrepreneurs, striving to break free from cycles of poverty, homelessness, and addiction, have been trapped in a six-month dispute with Shopify over erroneous charges, a cancelled store, and a locked domain, resulting in three months of lost revenue for a financially disadvantaged group. This is their story, and a call to action for Shopify to do better.
The Dispute: A Nightmare Begins
Our organization, a small business run by LGBTQ2S+ at-risk youth, relied on Shopify to sell products and build a sustainable future. Initially, our monthly fees were manageable, covering platform and vendor app costs. Without warning, our bill skyrocketed due to charges from a Meta ad app we hadn’t even used. We promptly challenged the billing and cancelled the app. The vendor promised a refund within 72 hours, but it never arrived.
A week later, we contacted the vendor, who claimed the refund was issued and directed us to Shopify. Shopify assured us the refund would process within a week. When it didn’t, we followed up repeatedly, only to be met with excuses and deflections. For six months, we’ve been caught in a frustrating cycle: the vendor insists Shopify is responsible, while Shopify claims it’s the vendor’s issue. Meanwhile, we refused to pay our bill, leveraging the only power we had to demand resolution.
Shopify’s Response: Shutting Down Dreams
Instead of resolving the dispute, Shopify escalated the situation by cancelling our store, cutting off our access to the platform and locking our domain. This has left our business—a lifeline for LGBTQ2S+ at-risk youth on social assistance trying to escape systemic challenges—in limbo. The cancellation has caused three months of lost revenue, a devastating blow to a financially disadvantaged group working to overcome poverty, homelessness, and addiction. We cannot operate, move to another platform, or even access our own domain. Shopify’s customer support hides behind policies, refusing to take responsibility despite the issue stemming from their platform, their approved vendor, and their billing system.
This isn’t just about money; it’s about a company failing to live up to its pro-entrepreneurship ethos. Shopify’s actions have directly harmed a group of young people working to overcome systemic barriers. By shutting us down and withholding our domain, Shopify is perpetuating the very cycles of marginalization it claims to help break.
A Call to Action
Shopify must take accountability. We demand:
- Immediate Refund: Process the refund promised over six months ago for the erroneous charges.
- Reinstate Our Store: Restore access to our Shopify store so we can continue our mission.
- Release Our Domain: Allow us to move to another platform if Shopify cannot resolve this issue.
- Transparent Policies: Reform customer service and vendor dispute processes to prevent others from facing similar neglect.
To the public, we ask for your support. Share our story, amplify our voice, and hold Shopify accountable. LGBTQ2S+ at-risk youth on social assistance deserve better—they deserve a platform that truly supports their dreams, not one that traps them in bureaucratic nightmares and causes significant financial loss.
Conclusion
Shopify’s mission is to “make commerce better for everyone,” but for our group of LGBTQ2S+ at-risk youth, it has done the opposite. By ignoring our plight and causing three months of lost revenue, Shopify is complicit in keeping marginalized communities trapped in cycles of poverty and exclusion. It’s time for Shopify to step up, resolve this dispute, and prove it values the entrepreneurs it claims to