Twitch Faces Backlash Over “Malicious” Chargeback Leaving Streamer in Debt

Twitch streamer Viiki recently voiced her frustration with the platform after experiencing a significant financial setback. A user who had generously gifted her subscriptions (subs) initiated a chargeback, leading to a debt of over $242 for the streamer.

Viiki gained notable visibility on Twitch’s front page back in January 2025, during which she received several subs from the user. However, shortly after, the individual claimed they forgot about existing financial obligations and requested a refund, prompting them to reverse the transaction.

Taking to social media, Viiki criticized Twitch for failing to provide adequate protection against such chargebacks, which has compromised her trust in receiving subs and bits through the platform.

Financial Impact on Streamers Raises Concerns

In her post, Viiki explained the ordeal: “A reminder that Twitch does not have ANY protection. While I was featured on the front page a month ago, I had a viewer who spent over six hours in my chat, showcased their wealth, and generously donated subs, ” she shared.“Now they want their money back because they ‘forgot they had other bills.’”

She expressed her feelings of being wronged, stating, “This is very malicious, and my experience on the front page has been soured. I’m left with a chargeback that puts me $111 in debt with Twitch. This situation creates financial insecurity and encourages viewers to exploit the system.”

Despite the setback, Viiki received overwhelming support from her audience, who contributed through Twitch Prime subscriptions, which cannot be charged back. She announced, “Thanks to all the contributions, I can cover the $111 debt. It’s remarkable that Twitch Prime subs are safe from these cases!”

A reminder that Twitch does not infact have ANY protection. Whilst I was on the front page on Twitch a month ago, I had someone come in and hang out for 6+ hours, boast about their money, donate subs/ bits that I was very grateful for. He has then proceeded to harass my… pic.twitter.com/B8lFXMZfcP

— Viiki (@itssviiki) February 12, 2025

Following the incident, Viiki revealed that Twitch’s response to her situation was unsatisfactory. Despite clarifying that the viewer was fraudulent, Twitch failed to take appropriate action. She expressed her disappointment: “**update** is that nothing is gonna be done. We all know now that the viewer is a fraud who sought attention from my front page feature but Twitch is ignoring the context from his chat logs, emails, and tweets.”

**update** is that nothing is gonna be done. We all know now that the viewer is a fraud and wanted attention from a front page slot and feel a hero but twitch is ignoring the context from his chat logs, emails/ tweets. Bleed purple more like bleed dry trynna pay them back ha pic.twitter.com/z9WhJWn7Yy

— Viiki (@itssviiki) February 13, 2025

In reaction to Viiki’s situation, many users shared their own experiences regarding chargebacks of gifted subs, rallying against Twitch’s handling of these issues. One user lamented, “Absolutely insane that this has been allowed to happen.” Another added, “Twitch should implement a no-refund policy for subscriptions without fraud claims.”

Furthermore, a third commented, “I genuinely believed that subs were the best way to support creators, thinking we were protected by Twitch. This is troubling; I might prefer donations now, as PayPal provides better protection.”

This incident is not unique, as Twitch has previously faced backlash over its treatment of creators. Last September, several VTubers accused the platform of “harassing” them after a series of controversial bans on notable content creators. The ongoing challenges faced by streamers regarding financial security and platform policies continue to garner attention from the community.

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