Anthropic Claude Design users are reporting loss of access to their previous projects after unsubscribing from the service, raising concerns about data retention policies and subscription practices in AI tools. The issue was highlighted in a Hacker News post on May 13, 2026, that received 139 points and 58 comments.
Users Lose Access to Historical Projects
A user with the handle pycassa reported losing access to Claude Design projects after canceling their subscription to try a competing service. After five months subscribed to Claude Code Max, the user attempted to return to previous projects and discovered complete loss of access. According to the post, this represents a departure from standard practice among LLM applications, where historical sessions typically remain accessible after subscription cancellation.
The access revocation appears to extend beyond just project files. Users also report losing promotional credits that Anthropic had previously provided to compensate for service reliability issues during certain months, even after resubscribing to the service.
Broader Pattern of Access Issues
The reported problems extend beyond simple subscription cancellations. Additional reports from late April and early May 2026 indicate UK account holders experienced unexpected access revocation despite maintaining active Max subscriptions. These users received messages stating "Claude Design is available to users on subscription plans" even while actively subscribed, suggesting systematic access control issues rather than isolated incidents.
The user acknowledged the engineering complexity behind billing systems and usage tracking, noting that "complex rate limiting which is now a norm, identifying other harnesses to count them against extra usage are all probably not easy to implement without very rough edge cases." However, they emphasized that problematic edge cases consistently disadvantage users rather than the platform.
Support Response Concerns
The post also raised questions about support accessibility, with the user noting that issues appear to receive resolution primarily when raised by accounts with large social media followings. The user expressed sympathy for Anthropic engineers, particularly those engaging publicly on social platforms, while highlighting systematic patterns where billing and access issues disproportionately impact regular users.
Key Takeaways
- Claude Design users report losing access to all previous projects immediately upon subscription cancellation, contrary to standard practices in other LLM applications
- Promotional credits provided by Anthropic for service issues become permanently inaccessible after plan expiration, even upon resubscription
- UK subscribers experienced unexpected access revocation in April-May 2026 despite maintaining active Max subscriptions
- The Hacker News discussion received 139 points and 58 comments, indicating widespread community concern about AI service subscription practices
- Users report support responsiveness appears limited primarily to accounts with significant social media presence