Complaints

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:01/10/2025

  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.

  **Complaint Summary for BBB:** I encountered significant difficulty canceling my MasterClass subscription despite following their app-based instructions. Attempts to resolve the issue were met with unhelpful responses from AI chatbots and a no-reply email addresses. Their **************** number directs to the same unhelpful resources. When I finally received an email from their staff, ******** from ************************ the focus was solely on processing a renewal rather than addressing my cancellation request. MasterClass ignored my concerns and managed to charge my card for a $254.40 renewal, which I did not authorize. Upon requesting a refund, I was informed via their AI bot that refunds are not issued. This behavior feels deceptive and unfair.I am seeking a full refund for the unauthorized renewal and confirmation that my subscription is canceled for 2025.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/14/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about Eunice's experience with the MasterClass Subscription renewal charge, and we appreciate ****** bringing this to our attention. The MasterClass support team has followed up with ****** to confirm that we have issued a full refund for the renewal charge, and the funds should be reflected back in the customer's account within the next 5-10 business days. We apologize for the inconvenience and are standing by if any additional assistance is needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2025

  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.

  The Company said, on December 19, 2024, that it would cancel my subscription if it was unable to bill my "form of payment" for a fifth time. The company made four attempts to access my form of payment between Dec. 12 to Dec. 19. Then a charge appeared in January 2025. I find it unlikely that they waited until two weeks to charge my card for a "fifth" attempt to renew an unwanted subscription. I want a complete refund of my money and an immediate cancellation of that subscription.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about Michael's experience with the subscription renewal refund charge. We always allow our member to cancel their renewals within their account settings. That said, we apologize for the inconvenience caused here and we have reached out to ******* to confirm that we have issued a full refund for the renewal charge. ******* should see the funds reflected back in the account charged within the next 5-10 business days. We're standing by if any additional assistance is needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/07/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  On 1/6/2024 MasterClass forcibly renewed ny subscription without my permission. They provided no prior notice about a renewal. My bank denied the charges 3x over the period of a week but not sure how, they managed to sneak in the auto renewal charge. When I tried to cancel and unsubscribe, the account page on their website makes it impossible to do so - unless another credit card of mine is inputed into their website. To make matters worse, I have tried to reach out to customer service to no avail. At one time, I was on hold for over 1 hour! The ** controlled email support does not help either. MasterClasss practice of forcibly locking in customers and forcing an auto renewal is a SCAM and it should be stopped. I want my full refund of $120 back and I want my subscription cancelled permanently. I was finally able to cancel the subscription only after they wrongly and forcibly renewed my subscription. This unscrupulous behavior by MasterClass should stop immediately. No one should be forced to auto renew. They should also refund my $120 back immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/07/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about the inconvenience caused with the MasterClass subscription renewal. It is never our intention to mislead our customers, and we always allow customer to cancel the auto-renewal within the account settings. Additionally we send a 30 day renewal reminder email to the customer ahead of the charge. The ********************** support team has reached out and confirmed that we have issued a full refund for the renewal charge, and the account is now cancelled. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused and are standing by if any additional assistance is needed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/07/2025

  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. However, a notice of renewal was never sent to me as the business claims, neither did it land in my spam folder. MasterClass should take the necessary measures to improve on their subscription renewal system by sending out several notices prior to renewal. The cancelation process should also be straightforward and not made impossible.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/06/2025

  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 tried Master Class beginning January 2024. I tried one class and was not impressed. I had no intention of renewing. Unbeknownst to me, they auto-renew. They charge a full year when renewing- $240. I received a notice *** e-mail and cancelled immediately. They billed me anyway. My account shows I am cancelled but am paid through January 2026. I tried using their chat function for service- it is automated and not a human. It states you cannot receive a refunbd for renewal. I called and no one ever picks up- they tell you to use the site. I sent an email- nbo response yet. This is such a scam. They get your credit card number when you sign up, charge you for a full year, auto renew, don't give refunds. I want a full refund of $240.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about Dwain's experience with the MasterClass subscription renewal charge. We always allow our members to manage their subscription within their account settings, and send a renewal reminder email 30 days ahead of the renewal. Given the confusion caused we have issued a full refund for the renewal charge and ***** should see the funds reflected back in the account charged within the next 5-10 business days. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience and are standing by if any additional assistance is needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/03/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  On December 28, 2022, I realized that I had been charged for a renewal at the $240 family plan rate though I no longer needed multiple devices for **********************. I changed my plan to the $180 Duo plan after renewal, and MasterClass kindly refunded me $60 difference.However, a year later, on December 28, 2023, I was again automatically renewed, this time for $240. I simply assumed the price of the product increased.However, on December 28, 2024, after another $240 renewal, I reviewed my account and realized that a $180 tier still existed and, instead, I had been upgraded back to the family plan without my consent back on December 28, 2023 at the renewal. I again changed my subscription back to the "Duo" level, and was refunded $60 for the 2024 renewal.However, I requested a $60 refund for the 2023 renewal as I had been upgraded without my consent or any action of my own. When contacting MasterClass Support, I was told that my account showed that I had upgraded back to the Family Plan on May 22, 2023, however there was no email confirmation from MasterClass and, importantly, at no point was I charged for MasterClass for any alleged upgrade. I did not upgrade on my own, and instead, was not changed to or charged for the Family Plan until MasterClass, on its own, automatically renewed me at the $240 plan on December 28, 2023. MasterClass Support says I cannot be refunded as I agreed to the annual subscription plan. However, I only agreed to be renewed at my current plan level, which at that point was now the $180 Duo. MasterClass, on their own, increased my plan level and cost. While I was warned of an upcoming renewal on November 28, 2023, the email also said the upgrade to the family tier was "complimentary," which clearly was not true and instead my plan tier was upgraded and I was charged for that higher level without consent. It was not made clear that I was being changed from the $180 plan I had agreed to be renewed at. I want my $60 overcharge refunded.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/07/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about Patrick's experience with the MasterClass subscription renewal charge. The MasterClass support team has followed up with ******* to issue a partial refund for the renewal charge last year, and a full refund for the charge this year. ******* should see the funds back in the account charged within 5-10 business days. We are very sorry for the inconvenience we have caused and are standing by in any additional assistance is needed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/07/2025

  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,
  
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/02/2025

  Type:Billing 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 was just charged $190 for a subscription for a service I do not use. The fee appeared in my bank account without my ever having received any warning that the subscription was going to renew.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/08/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about Daniel's experience regarding the MasterClass membership renewal. The MasterClass support team has followed up with ****** to confirm that we have issued a full refund for the charge, and the funds should be reflected back to the account charged within 5-10 business days. We apologize for the inconvenience and are standing by if any additional assistance is needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/02/2025

  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.

  Transaction date 12/18/2024/ Gist delivery scheduled for 12/25/2024 Purchased MasterClass gift Premium membership for family member Purchase allows up to six log ins, gift receiver spent over 1 hours trying to add log ins.Emailed several times to ask for help/ no response I used the chat function as we could not get anyone to reply. Was told we cannot cancel. Asked them them to switched membership I purchased to my email. Was told no. Asked to cancel again, and again was told no. We have not used the membership to access any of the video contents.Very poor customer service

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about Andrea's experience regarding the MasterClass subscription charge. The MasterClass Support Team has followed up with ****** to confirm that we have issued a full refund for the charge, and the funds should reflect back in the account with 5-10 days of the refund date. We apologize for the inconvenience and are standing by if anything else is needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/02/2025

  Type:Product 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.

  12/23/24 Membership Renewal Last year on 12/23/23, I gifted a friend membership. This year I was charged $180.00 as an auto renewal. I contacted them the same day and their response was they couldn't process a refund. My options were: 1) cancel today with no refund and no access to membership even though I would have paid for a year 2) accept 50% refund $90 and auto renew next year again. The gifting membership deal is a scam and meant to trick customers. To make it worse, I never received a notification about the renewal or charges. There is only a generic customer service response and no option to get my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about ******* experience with the MasterClass subscription renewal. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused, and always allow our members to manage their subscription within their account settings should they choose to not renew. The MasterClass Support Team has reached out to ***** to confirm that we have issued a full refund for the charge, and the funds should reflect back in the account charged within the next 5-10 business days. We are standing by in case any additional assistance is needed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2025

  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,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/29/2024

  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 gifted master class to my husband years ago, it prompted him to put in his own CC information. He was charged the following year (2023) and he cancelled, wasnt issued a refund (same reasoning as everyone else). IT HAPPENED AGAIN this year, the system saying he signed up for some other type of membership, which he didnt. Masterclass held onto his CC information and charged him, effectively stealing. Its a convenient way for this business to steal from people and not be held liable for criminal charges . This time it was 198$.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/29/2024

  We are very sorry to hear about ********* experience with the gift renewal for her husband. The MasterClass support team has reached out to ********* husband to confirm that we have issued a full refund for the renewal charge and the funds should be reflected back in the account within the next 5-10 business days. We are standing by to assist if anything else is needed. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/27/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  On June 21, 2021 my wife signed up for Master Class, 1-year subscription, under a "buy one get one free" promotion. On December 21, 2024 I noticed a charge on my credit card for $180. Going back, there was also a charge on 12/21/23 in the same amount. I believe those charges go back farther, but cannot confirm with my bank. Master Class automatically renewed the subscription because they "sent an email notifying of the automatic renewal and did not hear back." Why December instead of June? To avoid my radar? This is unethical. As a "courtesy", they are refunding the $180 for the most recent transaction, after first offer 50% off. Their "policy" does not allow refunds beyond 30 days. What company tells you they are going to automatically renew something that was supposed to be a one-time transaction, and then proceeds with that renewal because you don't tell them not to? Read the complaints. This is common practice for Master Class.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2025

  We are very sorry to hear about ********* experience with the MasterClass subscription renewal charge. The MasterClass support team has reached out to ******* and issued a full refund for the renewal charge. The funds should be reflected back to the account charged within the next 5-10 business days. We are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience caused and are standing by if any additional assistance is needed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/02/2025

  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,
  
  ******* ******