Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Purism, SPC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Purism, SPC

  50 California St Ste 1500 San Francisco, CA 94111-4612

• 

  Purism, SPC

  One Market Street, 36th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On October 16, 2017 (Order #Purism_224917807), I ordered the Librem5 phone (for $599 USD). After waiting for years, I asked for a refund on January 18, 2022 when I have given up on waiting and bought another phone. I was promised that my refund is being processed as of January 20, 2022. On July 24, 2022, I emailed customer support inquiring about the refund and then again on August 2, 2022, to which I have received the following response:"Your refund is scheduled to be processed at the end of Q4 2022."I still have not received a refund as of November 5, ****!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/04/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered a phone in ********************************************************************************************************************* order and ship and they kept promising they would send it even recently in Q3 2023. They failed to send it and now I would just like a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/15/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered a laptop from this company on March 14, 2023, decided to return if, so emailed them, followed all the steps to return correctly and checked with them that I would get a refund, sent my return (April 1) with pictures, and I knew it would take a while for me to see my refund which they had warned me of so I was prepared to wait. They told me they received the item, checked it for any issues and that there were none and that it had been approved for refund (April 30). The past six months I have been back and forth with them asking when I will get my refund and they still say they dont have an answer and I hav regrown extremely infuriated. This is a lot of money to me and they are now not responding to my emails. I understand it has been a while but I waited this long because I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt but now I cant dispute it with my card company.Order number: **********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On March 3rd 2023 I ordered, online, a laptop from Purism SPS, ***********, **.On March 5 my debit card was charged $2803.98.I did not hear from the company until I requested help from the ******************* ***.After fruitless attampts to reslove the issue I informed Purism on April 6th that I have canceled the order and request a full refund.I wrote another letter to ******************* ***(PIU: *******) pleading for help.I got a reponse from ******************* *** on July 3, 2023 letting me know my complaint has been forwarded to Purism.Yet, no response.Last week, I submitte a complaint to FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov).

  Business Response

  Date: 08/14/2023

  Dear *******,

  Thank you for contacting us here. I apologize for the delays with your order. We were (and still are) ready to ship your laptop. I see that following your purchase you changed your mind and requested a refund. I do recognize that it takes us more time than you expected to process it but I assure you that your refund will be processed. I greatly appreciate your patience with us and would be happy to provide you with a $200 store credit on top of your refund as an apology, if you are willing to accept it. Please contact our support for more details referring to this communication.

  Kind regards,
  Purism team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/14/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Balager Ademe

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

  This is concerning my complaint against Purism SPS complaint #********. 

  I received a response from Purism on August 14th with apologies for the delay in refunding the money I paid for a laptop. 

  I have yet to receive the refund I requested. 
  Once again, I ask your assistance to inquire as to why Purism SPS is taking so long to process the refund. 

  Sincerely, 

  Balager Ademe 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/25/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear ***/*****,I write to dispute the recent denial of my refund request for a Librem 14 laptop purchased from Purism (Order #: Purism_1970066815) on June 21, 2023, for $2,177.50. This laptop refuses to charge, despite numerous troubleshooting attempts in accordance with Purism's instructions.Purism's warranty obligation appears to be in default. The advice to return the laptop for a motherboard replacement without device examination indicates a known, recurrent problem that requires more than a simple fix.Beyond inconvenience, a defective battery, charger, or motherboard poses safety hazards. Cases like ***** v. ******* Electronics America underscore the dangers: overheating, leaks, explosions, fires. Consumer Protection Act mandates safe, reliable products. Multiple similar reports from Purism customers suggest this isn't an isolated issue.I am compelled to request a full refund, *********** to purchase from a more reliable ***************, once eroded, is difficult to rebuild. I anticipate Purism will rectify this situation promptly, respecting its legal obligations to consumers.Thank you for your attention to this matter.Sincerely,***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2023

  Dear Sir/Madame,

  The ******** purchased a Librem 14 laptop under following terms and conditions:
  
  *************************

  To quote the relevant part of the policy:

  "Once an order is placed Purism will deliver that product to you, no refund is offered nor given for an order in the processing queue."

  Customer reported the problem and claims that they stumbled upon known issue, but we would have to examine the device and inspect it, to be able to confirm their claims. Furthermore, if their claims are confirmed, the laptop will be replaced with a unit that works. We have determined that a certain component indeed has a problem in the original design, but this has now been fixed and any new devices shipped have this component reworked, so that it does not pose a fire/health/other hazard. So the ********'s laptop will be replaced with the one that does not have the same problem.

  The proposed solution is in line with the agreement between the ********, Mr *************************** and ********************** SPC, which was automatically concluded when the ******** purchased the laptop. (See attached screenshot of our shop page, one cannot purchase/create an order without clicking the "I agree to the terms and conditions" checkbox.)
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/26/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 20372233. 
  I have carefully considered your offer to replace the motherboard on my laptop, and I have decided to accept. However, I would like to make it clear that I am doing this under protest. I believe that the charging issue is a defect that falls under the ************************* Warranty Act, and I am entitled to a full refund.

  Please provide the steps to begin the process for repair so I can send you the laptop as soon as possible. I will be documenting meticulously all detailed records of my interactions with Purism, including copies of all emails, letters, receipts, other similar consumer reports of the defect, and before/after images and serial numbers of the parts on the laptop.
  
  I am giving you one chance to make this right. If the returned repaired laptop fails again, or is more than just the motherboard changed I will take it straight to litigation. Ill be working with my lawyer through this process in its entirety. 

  
  I hope that we can resolve this matter without the need for legal action. However, I am prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to protect my rights as a consumer.

  
  Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

  Sincerely,
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/29/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a Librem phone from this company and they were unable to deliver it. I have requested a refund several times, but they have not responded to my request.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2023

  Dear ***, thank you for raising this matter with us. As you know, we started this initiative as a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter which then transitioned into crowdfunding on our site, then turned into an extensive multi-year R&D. Although some crowdfunding campaigns fail, neither deliver nor refund, I'm happy to tell you that we are at a point where we can deliver on our promise. Please confirm your address with our support and we will make sure your phone is shipped within a few days (we will provide a tracking link in this communication for accuracy).

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2023

  This response is unacceptable. I no longer want this phone. I requested a refund.

   

  I have previously made several requests for a refund from Purism and was told they could not refund the money until the phone was ready to ship.

   

  Now that the phone is ready to ship they are refusing to refund my money.

   

  Please refund my money. It has been three years!

   

  **********

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2023

  We have been notified that *** has not responded and therefore the case is closed. ***, if you have any other questions or concerns we invite you to communicate with our support at ****************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order for a phone on 4/8/2023. At the time if purchase, the refund policy was a full refund would be given if the order was cancelled prior to shipping or within 10 days. I emailed support on 4/16/2023 to cancel my order. **** responded on 4/17/2023 stating he had cancelled the order and submitted the refund to the finance department for processing. It has no been over two months and I have attempted multiple times to communicate with support regarding the refund and they continue to deflect and refusing to give the refund (by the way the phone was never shipped either). I have also requested to speak with other individuals or managers, and I have not been allowed to communicate with anyone except ****. This was an amount of over $2000. I wish I would have read the BBB reviews prior as now I understand this company to be scamming people for money. All I am asking is for a refund as I was told I would receive.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/29/2023

  Dear ****, thank you for sharing your experience with us.

  We are looking into your case and your refund. Stay tuned!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 20241310
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The company has been "looking into this" for 2 months.  I will not consider this resolved until I have confirmation of the refund.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** P

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2023

  We are sorry to know our response did not provide an immediate resolution on this case. We assure you that your refund is in the queue and will be processed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2023

   
  Complaint: 20241310
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Please provide me a date that the refund will be processed and then I will accept the resolution.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** P

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I initially paid for extended warranty for a $1900 laptop. When the computer proved defective and had material damage after 12 months of standard travel and use, I returned under warranty for repair. The company said I had to pay full cost of the repairs because "the black anodization has been worn off now, it must have been transported in a tight bag frequently." So the computer is not meant to be placed in a bag? The company has not refused to resolve the situation amicably, has continued to retain my device without providing the repairs or a solution beyond charging for something that should be covered under warranty.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/12/2023

  Dear *******,

  We have reviewed your complaint and are willing to make things right. We will reach out to you with more details by email. 

  Fondly,
  Purism team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 20154151
  
  I am rejecting this response because: it seeks to take the complaint back through a channel which proved ineffective and provided to previous solution. And for transparency's sake, it is important to allow the resolution of this matter to be publicly available for anyone seeking to do business with Purism in the future.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/16/2023

  Dear *******,

  Thank you for contacting us and raising your concerns. We see this as an opportunity to learn and improve our service and products for you and other customers.

  We have reviewed your concerns and confirm that you have purchased our laptop which we have received from you for a repair.

  We also confirm that the laptop was under warranty for a year after purchase and has been in use for 12 months.

  We do not confirm that we required you to pay the full cost of the repair. Instead, we proposed you cover our cost for the parts (therefore not paying their full cost) and we asked no additional payment for labor (therefore not incurring any costs).

  We confirm that "the black anodization has been worn off now, it must have been transported in a tight bag frequently." You further ask if the the computer is not meant to be placed in a bag.

  Our laptops are not ruggedized. "A rugged computer or ruggedized computer is a computer specifically designed to operate reliably in harsh usage environments and conditions" which means you can not bend a regular laptop over the *** lid 181 or carry the laptop in a very tight backpack. This specific laptop that we have received from you shows clear signs of significant wear. Based on what we see, we have reasons to believe the device has been extensively transported in a tight bag.

  As per our warranty which you accepted when you purchased our device, we cover manufacturing defects, rather than damages occurring during ownership.

  Regardless, as we mentioned, we would like to make things right and therefore invite you to consider our offer to partially pay the cost of the parts without paying the cost of labor. We think it is a reasonable offer considering the heavy use of your laptop and the expiration of the warranty period. Your laptop is held with us pending your decision and should you choose not to proceed - we will ship your device back to you as soon as you inform us to do so.

  We are looking forward to your reply and would be open to other ideas you might have, if our proposal doesn't suit you well. We are aiming to resolve this in a spirit of win-win, where we keep you our happy customer and show you how much we appreciate your support, balanced with our viability and avoiding taking a loss on something that is clearly is not covered under warranty. We hope for your understanding and cooperation and are happy to work with you on finding a mutually acceptable solution.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/21/2023

   
  Complaint: 20154151
  
  I appreciate your timely response and acknowledgment of the issues at hand. However, I must respectfully contest several points mentioned in your letter.
  
  Firstly, it is incorrect that the laptop's warranty period had expired, as documented in an exchange with your representative in April and May, a full two months before the expiry of the warranty. Were that assertion to be true, and that the warranty did expire, that does not absolve you, as the manufacturer, of your responsibility to uphold the integrity and durability of your product beyond the arbitrary period of one year in light of the issues which gave rise to this complaint.
  
  Secondly, while your proposed offer for me to cover only the costs of the parts may seem reasonable to you, I find it unjust, as it implies that the fault resides with me, the customer. You argue that the wear on the laptop's black anodization is indicative of its frequent transportation in a tight bag. This, you claim, is not the intended use of your product, as it is not "ruggedized". However, a laptop, by its very nature and design, is intended to be portable and hence, is subject to being carried in various types of bags and containers. Your assertion that the laptop has been "extensively transported in a tight bag" is purely speculative, without concrete evidence or any defined standard for what constitutes as excessively tight. One could reasonably assert, based on your comments, that you engaged in falsely advertising your product as a laptop when, in fact, it is a desktop. Therefore, I must question your interpretation of "regular use" and the durability expectations for your product. If a laptop is unable to withstand being transported in a bag, as laptops are commonly used, it brings the durability of the product into serious question. As a consumer, I should not be held accountable for utilizing the laptop in a manner that aligns with its inherent portability.

  
  Finally, your proposal fails to recognize the balance of power and responsibility in our commercial relationship. The burden of durability, in this case, should not fall on the consumer, but on the manufacturer. A warranty period, under which this device fell at the time of the initial correspondence (a delay inherited only by your own internal failure to communicate in a reasonable timeframe) is intended to protect consumers against manufacturing defects, not to limit the manufacturer's responsibility for the lifespan of their product. This pattern of malicious behavior is further evidenced by the delayed communication from your end, seemingly deliberate, conveniently corresponding to your stated belief that the warranty met its expiry, leading one to suspect **************;business practices designed to evade responsibility.
  
  Therefore, my stance remains unchanged. I respectfully demand that the full cost of the repair, including the parts, should be borne by Purism. As a gesture of good will, in such a case I would be willing to pay any return shipment costs.
  
  I eagerly anticipate a satisfactory resolution of this matter and appreciate your understanding.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/30/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 29th, 2019, I ordered a "Librem 5" phone from Purism SPC on their website: ************************* was a pre-order item, and I was advised that it may take some time to produce the phones and ship them out to customers. At the time I was fine with this.On September 18th 2019, I was asked by Purism to choose my shipping batch for the phone. On June 24, and September 10 of 2020, and on February 18, March 9, and April 8 of 2021 I received updates detailing the progress in the design and manufacturing process of the phone, including statements about production delays due to COVID-19.On August 27th 2021, I reached out to Purism to request an update. They stated my device would be shipped Q4 2021. At this time I requested a refund and stated my dissatisfaction with waiting.They stated:"I'm afraid per our pre-order refund policy, refunds for pre-orders are only possible once we reach the clients place in the pre-order queue,at which point we will contact you to confirm your shipping details,and you can choose to decline shipping and receive a refund."On December 28th, 2022, I requested another update.They responded the following day with an estimate of: "some time in late Q1 2023"On March 23rd, 2023, I received a message stating my pre-order was ready to ship. At this time, as per the refund policy, I requested that they refund my purchase. On May 6th, 2023, I sent another message requesting an update and stating my dissatisfaction. I received a reply:"I have created a ticket for your order to be canceled and refunded. When it is being processed, my colleagues from our financial department will contact you to confirm the payment details."On May 12th I followed up, requesting an update and suggested that I would take action with my credit card provider and consumer protection agencies. I received a reply stating "I am sorry but I have no new information at this moment."I contacted them on May 13th, and again today. Still no refund

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/18/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On March 16th, 2021, I purchased a Librem 5 phone for ****** from purism. The purchase went through on my debit card 3/17/21. My order number is: #Purism_823469710.On May 11, 2021, I reached out to Purism to get a status update on when I could expect the phone, they said, "Your order should ship in Q4 2021 or Q1 2022. I am sorry for this.Kind regards,*********************"On Jan 17, 2022, I reached out and asked for a status update on the order, and was informed, "we expect to be able to manufacture and ship your Librem 5 in Q3 2022 at the earliest. " I informed *********************, that wouldn't work for me and that I would like a refund.On March 1, 2022, I sent the following to the support email at Purism, "I ordered a Librem 5 last March and wait time until shipping is going to be too long for me. Therefore, I would like to initiate the refund process.My order number is [Order #Purism_823469710], and the order date was (March 16, 2021)."******************************* responded with the following message on March 1st, 2022: "Hello,Your request has been filed and forwarded to our finance department. Please note that there is a delay in refund processing, it could take several weeks for the completion. We apologize in advance for the delay. When done, our finance department will contact you to check your bank account info so that they can return your money.Kind regards,******************************* Support Manager Purism SPC"On 5/26/22, 7/10/22, 3/17/23, and 5/16/23, I reached out regarding an update on the refund and received no meaningful response other than that they were delayed. All I want is a refund. I paid. I have never received the product, nor have I ever received a shipping date for the product. This is a scam. I have attached my FTC report and invoice paid. If you BBB has any recommendations, like should I contact the ************* PD, I would appreciate it.