refraction bsdf reflection

hello! this is my first time using this forum, so apologies if i don’t follow the guidelines.

i am trying to use a transparent material with pretty intense refraction. the user guide says that refraction bsdf and glass bsdf can be used with verge, and there is an example image that matches exactly what i am trying to accomplish.
both the refraction bsdf and the glass bsdf also look correct in the blender viewport. however when i test it on verge, the material reflects the hdri so much that there is no transparency whatsoever.

is there a setting i am missing? does it have to do with my lighting set up, or the solid color background? i am somewhat inexperienced with blender and verge, so i am really not sure what i am missing

i have tried using a mix shader to combine the refraction/glass bsdf with a transparent bsdf, and it fixes the issue with reflection, but it also removes all refraction.

i have attached images of what i am describing. i could also share my blend file if needed.

thank you for your time!