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:01/04/2024

  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.

  I found Sondermind thru my insurance EAP plan. With my EAP I have 0 cost for 3 visits with a mental health provider. I submitted my EAP approval as well as insurance info when I signed up. My first visit was Dec 15, 2023.Shortly after that visit I received an email about an upcoming charge, so I used their contact form and sent an email but got no response. My card was charged $38.20.I called them on Dec 26 and the billing person I spoke with agreed that I should not have been charged but the therapist filed with my insurance instead of the ***** but she assured me that they would fix it and I would be refunded.Now on 1/3/2024 I have been charged again $89.12 I think for the same visit (the date is shown as 12/14/23 so I can only assume it's the same visit). I called again 1/3/2024 and waiting on hold for while and then decided to use the call back feature. I never got a call back.I called again 1/4/2024 and again it said the lines were busy so I used the call back feature. I think they may have called - the number was unknown - but it was during a work call so I couldn't take it. So I tried calling again and now I just get disconnected.I really wish I would have checked BBB before getting into this mess.The therapist was late for my first appointment, eating when she connected on the second one and was a no show for the 3rd ... I waited almost 15 mins and have screenshots to prove it. She was nice but this whole system breeds unprofessionalism. And I don't have extra money to be tied up in someone else's mistakes. This should have been taken care of immediately!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/09/2024

  Signed hippa form attached

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/16/2024

  Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We re-submitted the claim to your EAP and a refund for both charges was issued on Jan 9. We are also looking into the therapist's lateness + no show behavior. Please keep an eye out for further correspondence from the SonderMind Support team.
  
  Best,
  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2024

   
  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.
  

  I have confirmed that the refund has been processed and funds returned to my acct. I will consider this completed as long as I am not charged again.

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/22/2024

  I just received an email from Sondermind stating that I will be charged for the 2nd visit DESPITE all these issues with the first. I had a feeling that this was not over. My EAP was good for 3 visits and I should not be charged AT ALL!!!! Of course I try to call and get the "they are too busy to answer" BS and will call me back -- I'm not holding my breath.

   

  This company is BEYOND RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2024

  Hi there, the pending charge was removed and we've contacted the therapist to instruct them to bill EAP. 
  
  Best,
  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/24/2024

   
  Complaint: 21098296
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Since I am not using this service again, I want my credit card info removed from the Sondermind system.

  When they can no longer charge me, I will consider this resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/01/2024

  I received an email today that they have removed my credit card from their system. They have also deactivated my login so I can't verify, but as long as I don't receive further charges I am satisfied that this is resolved.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/01/2024

  The credit card has been removed from the account, and we've sent a confirmation email to the client.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/14/2023

  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.

  $205 was charged to my credit card for services rendered to my son who is almost ***************************************** insurance plan. Sondermind a bit told several times not to use my credit card which was on file from years ago when my son was on my insurance in on my HSA account. We use the credit card for HSA charges. Furthermore the $205 was for a charge that resulted in an insurance snafu or provider issue. Sondermind is the billing for mental health professionals so if the professional/Provider makes a mistake Sondermind just charges the client instead of working it out or alerting the client to a problem. Furthermore my son's insurance which friday health plans which covered mental health at 100% with no deductible or coinsurance. Thus there should be no charges on our credit card his or mine. The same issue has happened to my wife where she has been charged $317.05 do to Sondermind not correcting an insurance claim correctly. Sondermind has no incentive to correct insurance shoes or claims because they can just charge your credit card and get the money right away instead of like any other provider who would typically correct and work with an insurance company to get paid. Myself my wife and my son ******************* have been asking for refunds for several months to no avail. Sondermind Will not pay us back until they get paid by Friday health plans even though they know the day or in receivership and all bills will be paid.To add insult to injury, Friday has received no claim is even though sondermind claims that they resubmitted them. So we can be waiting forever do you get reimbursed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/18/2023

  Could  not have HIPPA signed directly on portal, so attaching here. Also Sondermind justhandles billing and I don't believe has any patient info, but had family members sign regardless.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/21/2023

  After reviewing the situation, we determined we did not receive the updated insurance information until 11/7/23. We submitted dates of service 8/17 and 8/29 to the new policy. As a courtesy, we are able to refund the client for date of service 7/7/23 and 8/1/23. We were going to initiate a refund for date of service 8/8/23 and 8/22/23, but since it was disputed with the client's bank, we are unable to follow through as SonderMind has submitted evidence for the dispute. We will need to wait for the banking institution's decision, which can take upwards to 3 months. However, we expect a response from the institution in February ****. SonderMind will be on a company wide break starting Friday December 22 until Jan 2, ****. When we return, we will follow up with our internal teams on the status of the refunds.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/08/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  SonderMind has overcharged me for 12 therapy sessions with USD 117 each time from 7/24/23 to 11/24/23 (totaling USD *****), whilst all the explanation of benefits letters I received from my insurance company (Cigna) show USD 0 patient responsibility. Furthermore, after disputing these overcharges with SonderMind, SonderMind wrongfully deactivated my client account and caused me to lose access to my pre-scheduled therapy session on December 3, 2023, impeding my treatment and recovery process as a patient who suffer from clinically diagnosed mental health illness. As a SonderMind client, I was entirely cooperative when SonderMind disabled the scheduling functionality due to a wrongful overcharge by SonderMind for the service on 8/18/23, and was promised over customer service phone calls that a similar overcharge issue will not appear, and that SonderMind's billing team will take care of it in the future. Before SonderMind decided to deactivate my account on 11/28/23, no one from SonderMind reached out to me regarding any potential billing issues that SonderMind saw on their end. I have been proactive in contacting SonderMind and complying to all the requirements SonderMind has named to get my account reactivated, and followed up several times via recorded customer support phone call and emails. Whilst I was promised by SonderMind that my account will be reactivated within 5 business days on 11/29/23, I have not heard back from SonderMind regarding the account reactivation process until 12/8/23, 8:40AM CST, albeit the facts that I informed SonderMind about my pre-scheduled 12/3/23 appointment during the 11/29/23 recorded phone call (where SonderMind's customer service representative rudely denied my right as a customer by saying "You should not have disputed with your bank", and "we can expedite the account reactivation if you do what we ask"), complied with all terms that SonderMind named in a timely manner, and proactively followed up with SonderMind.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/11/2023

  Please find the signed and dated HIPAA Form attached for your records regarding BBB Complaint 20978018. 
  
  Please just let me know if there is anything else that I can help provide! 
  
  
  Thank you, 
  *** (****) ***
  

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/12/2023

  The clients account was reinstated, they've been refunded, and the claims were resubmitted. Moving forward, they should be charged correctly. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Today, 10/31/23, I lost $100 to Sondermind. They took out 4 different $25 copays for 6/22, 7/6, 7/20 and 8/17. Mind you, they already took out a $25 copay for my 10/12 service day on 10/24 (this was correct). I called them to find out why and they blamed it on my insurance company. I called my insurance company and they advised that they received those claims on 10/17/23. It looks like Sondermind did not submit the claims in a timely fashion and when they found out, they just ran it all through. This is not right. I was not prepared to have all those copays deducted from my account like that. I should not have to be penalized for claims that have not been submitted on time. I am baffled. I have never had an issue with this before with ******. Claims were being processed fine up until this point. I would like my $100 back because they need to submit their claims timely. I should not be responsible for their mistake. I don't care what the policy says.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2023

  Good afternoon, 
  
  Please see the attachment.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2023

  The clients claims were initially submitted in timely manner by the provider, however, there was a roster issue and the claims were rejected by our clearing house. The claims were rebilled/submitted to insurance on 10/17/23 and insurance processed all claims at once which then generated a bulk charge, which is typical as our system will generate a charge once we hear from insurance and they have determined there is client responsibility. Unfortunately, this is not something we are able to control. However, we do send an email 3 days before charge in case a client may have any questions or if they need assistance with a payment plan. Per our Financial Responsibility Agreement, the client is responsible for the charges because the sessions did occur, they were ultimately processed correctly, and in the correct copayment amount.
  
  Best,
  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/20/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/22/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Ref#: ******** I was charged a ****** no show/cancellation fee for rescheduling my therapy appointment less than 24hrs of the appointment date/time due to an emergency illness. Even after explaining the situation and requesting a reschedule the day of the appointment my therapist still refused to change or amend the charge due to their policy. This is not about whether this is a valid claim its about whether the proper discretion was applied by this provider. No one has addressed this. When discretion can be applied and the provider continues to restate the policy without regard for the circumstances, this is concerning when providers should be showing compassion and ***** when building trust with the patients they serve. There were many factors that she could have considered such as 1) my first instance of a no-show 2) she herself had an emergency situation which caused her to cancel her first appointment with me without notice, she responded 5 days after the cancellation that she had an emergency which caused her to cancel all her appointments last minute 3) I requested a reschedule of the appointment not a cancellation 4) I woke up the morning of the appointment and was ill, there isnt a way to predict this 24hrs prior. However she choose to restate and reinforce the policy without considering any of these factors above. I attempted to dispute with sondermind support and they refused to amend the charge because they said its up to the discretion of the provider. How does a policy not take into consideration emergency situations beyond the clients control? This situation has caused me more stress and anxiety when all I was trying to do is get mental health care. How are sondermind providers not encouraged to consider the circumstances surrounding a patient not being able to attend a session at the last minute? Unless the point of this policy is to be concerned with their bottom line over the health and well-being of the patients they claim to serve.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Hi there,
  We are sorry to hear that you did not have a good experience with your provider, and we've highlighted this concern to the appropriate leadership. As customer service previously stated, claim submission is up to the providers discretion. SonderMind is not able to amend the claim. At this time, we can offer a payment plan that fits the clients needs.
  
  Best,
  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 20767430
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Your provider cancelled my first appointment last minute the day of the appointment due to an emergency. I was not notified about why the appointment was cancelled until 5 days later. This is unacceptable and contradicts your policy for clients to be responsible for their notifications of no shows for appointments. How do you not apply ***** and discretion in a situation like this? Youre telling me because she didnt want to amend the no show fee that you are sticking by her decision? But she can cancel appointments at the last minute and not notify the client? This behavior should not be supported. I was also told by *********************, Clinical Quality Specialist that the no show fee would be refunded or amended, on a email I received 11/02/23.  I understand the need to have a no show policy but in essence if it doesnt matter what the circumstance is when someone is in violation of it, I believe you should remove may be subject to a no show/cancellation charge. I think mental health professionals should attempt to be liberal and compassionate in their approach and application of the policy otherwise it feels as if this policy is in place just to make the money off clients. Its important that providers try to establish trust, compassion, and understanding in all interactions otherwise we have no basis for building a relationship. Im disappointed that you stand behind providers that have exhibited lack of the aforementioned skills. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Attached you will find my message to the provider about her last minute cancellation and her response 5 days later. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Attached you will find the email from a quality specialist with sondermind who validated my experience and promoted client satisfaction and best practices by asking the provider to rescind the no show fee. Your response to this complaint further demonstrates that you all do not promote client satisfaction or best practices.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Attached you will find the email from a quality specialist with sondermind who validated my experience and promoted client satisfaction and best practices by asking the provider to rescind the no show fee. Your response to this complaint further demonstrates that you all do not promote client satisfaction or best practices.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2023

  According to our records, the no-show claim was cancelled on 11/12 per provider request and they no longer have a pending charge at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2023

  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 September 19 2023, I had a virtual appointment with a therapist at Sondermind. Just before the appointment, a power line in my neighborhood broke, causing power and Internet to go out, this making me unable to attend the meeting. I informed the therapist a couple hours beforehand and she advised me she'd charge me $85 due to a 24 hour cancellation policy but that I could dispute with Sondermind support. Support will only tell me that the therapist is solely responsible for making this decision. The therapist is now unresponsive. I have given proof from my **************** of the outage and that it was out of my control, however they have charged $20 on my credit card and have informed me I owe them $65 more. Right now no one will take responsibility for being in charge of this dispute and I'm left with a $85 charge when the session itself would have been free.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/14/2023

  This message says I can electronically add my name but there is nowhere to do that

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  I have no printer. Attached is an e-signed HIPPA form, it will have to do.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2023

  Hi there,
  We understand that this session could not be attended due to unforeseen circumstances, however, it was cancelled within 24 hours which falls within our policy, making it a valid claim. It is up to the providers discretion if they would like to cancel the session. We did reach out to the provider and they wanted the claim to remain. At this time, we recommend trying to contact the provider directly for a resolution.
  

  Best,
  The SonderMind Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/31/2023

   
  Complaint: 20728414
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I see you state that your resolution should be to reach out to the therapist. As I initially stated, the therapist is unresponsive. Seeing as you are her employer, it seems you will have to respond on her behalf. I looked on the Sondermind website today (10/31/2023) and see that there is no balance due. I have attached a screenshot. Please confirm that this is accurate and no further bills will be sent to me.

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Correct, there are no pending charges at this time.

   

  Best,

  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I began using Sondermind as a counseling tool. Counselor fine. But, although they accept my insurance, Fepblue, I have random charges, charges for appts canceled well within time limit. I have requested many many times these issues be resolved. Per my insurance they keep coding incorrectly. It's been since Mid July and they have yet to resolve one claim and won't refund me for appts not used.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Upon further review, we can confirm a session did occur for each claim submitted, verified by our systems. However, we were able to reprocess 3 out of the 5 claims with the correct copayment amount. Two of the dates of service, 7/7 and 8/18, are still being denied by insurance but in the meantime, we have manually approved refunds for those dates and we are continuing to work with insurance on those claims. Here is a breakdown of the pending refunds at this *********************** of service: 7/7/23 - $130.76 - Refund pending.
  7/14/23 - No refund issued. The client paid $30.
  7/28/23 - $73.16 - Refund pending
  8/18/23 -$124.31 - Refund pending
  8/3/23 - $73.16 - Refund pending
  
  We are always here if you'd like to speak with our team further. We can be reached at ************, Monday - Friday, between 7 AM - 6 PM MDT.
  

  Thank you,
  The SonderMind Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/19/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is PARTIALLY satisfactory to me. Please see attached for the bill submitted by Sondermind on a day I did not have an appt.  I would like a refund for this as well.

  Your work is tremendously appreciated.

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/24/2023

  Based on the photos submitted and our internal records, we can confirm that sessions did happen for each of the dates in the photos. We have issued refunds for each of the dates in question, except for 7/24, because the client was not charged the full, contracted amount like the other sessions. As noted in our previous communication, the the 7/7 and 8/18 session are still being denied by insurance, but we are continuing to work with insurance on those claims. In the meantime, we are happy to set up a payment plan that fits the clients situation.
  
  Best,
  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/26/2023

   
  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,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  Back in February this year (2023), I started working with my therapist through Sondermind. It seemed like a good platform, and they took my insurance. There were bad reviews, but I shrugged them off. Oops.Much like the other complaints here, my insurance was accepted and happily taken for the first 2 visits I had with them, I paid ***** on 2/28/23, and then ***** on 3/14/23. Very generous prices for therapy sessions.The next session was 4/4/23, and I was charged ******. But I wasnt notified of a price change. I wasnt notified that insurance was no longer covered. So I went again to my next appointment, 4/14/23. (Again, another charge for ******). I went a third time, without realizing this price hike, on 5/2/23. I wasnt given an invoice for MONTHS. After the third appointment, I had randomly checked their website and saw that they would charge me more, so I stopped service with them.Months go by, and sure enough, 9/16/23, I get notified of all 5 of these charges happening at the same time. For a while I thought my insurance HAD covered it, and there was a number glitch on their site.So I contacted Sondermind, they confirmed that they did accept my insurance at a time, and then stopped accepting it mid-sessions. No warning, no heads up, no nothing. And apparently not even a courtesy refund or reduction of cost. I was willing to work with them and pay a reduced amount, but they gave me no compromise.Charging your customers 12x the price with no heads up, AND, for some reason, ALL of these at once? Thats really great for someones mental health! For this to be fixed, I request the total 381.96$ for the last 3 sessions to be waived or heavily reduced. I will pay the 10-12$ previous amount for each session, as agreed upon when I signed up.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Thank you for your response and resending that message! Im not seeing a place to sign and submit via that link, but I have signed the *** and will attach it here. If you could get it where it needs to go, that would be super helpful!
  
  Let me know if you need anything else!
  
  
  - ******
  

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/20/2023

  Hello,
  Our records indicate that this client was using ********************* Plan, which we are OON with and therefore, we deactivated his insurance. There may have been some confusion as we do accept UHC, which is what was uploaded to the client's account and being charged by the provider. It appears RMHP was covering some sessions, but promptly stopped covering. Per our Financial Responsibility Agreement, it is the client's responsibility to confirm their insurance is one we are in-network with. However, we were able to drop the charges for services rendered on 4/4, 4/18, and 5/2. For claims of services rendered 2/28 and 3/14, they were partially paid and we updated the contracted rate to match the self-pay rate. This left a $0.36 pending charge that has been written off.
  
  We hope this resolves the matter at hand, but please let us know if there are any other questions or concerns.
  
  Best,
  The SonderMind Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/20/2023

  I appreciate the response and you guys looking into this.

  Just to clarify, I will be getting a reimbursement on my credit card for those waived fees? As I was already charged for them.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/20/2023

   
  Complaint: 20642419
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I just want to clarify, if I indeed will be receiving reimbursement from those charges. You said they will be waived, but they've already been charged a while ago. If these will be reversed, then we are good to go.

  Thank you for looking into this, and for your time.

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2023

  Hi there,
  There are no refunds due at this time. Here is a breakdown of how the claims were handled:
  5/2/23 - The client paid $127.32. RevOps honored the self pay rate ($85) and transferred $42.32 to claim #******* (4/4/23)
  4/18/23 - The client paid $127.32. RevOps honored the self pay rate ($85) and transferred $42.32 to claim #******* (4/4/23)
  4/4/23 - Received two transfers from claims 5/2 and 4/18 in the amount of $42.32 each equaling $84.64. The remaining $0.36 were written off. Claim is fully paid.
  The client paid $127.32 on both claims for 5/2 and 4/18. RevOps honored the self pay rate for both and the amount that was overcharged, was transferred to 4/4/23. The remaining 36 cents was written off.
  For the claims on 2/28 and 3/14, the client paid what insurance advised us they were responsible for.
  
  Thank you,
  The SonderMind Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/09/2023

   
  Complaint: 20642419
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There was no refund given, the amount of money is way too large to expect customers to have to shoulder. I do not suggest anyone doing business with Sondermind. 

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/06/2023

  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.

  Prior to joining Sondermind, I was experiencing financial anxiety about whether or not the services would be covered under my insurance (UnitedHealthCare). I am entirely financially independent, so I have to be very cautious about healthcare and making sure I can afford services. I called their customer service support team who reassured me that they were considered to be in-network. However, a few days ago, I started receiving charges to my SonderMind account for ****** per session dating all the way back to MAY. I called them to figure out why I was being charged, and they told me I had not met my deductible yet according to my insurance. However, in-network costs for therapy are supposed to be a $20.00 co-pay and no deductible. I'm still in the process of calling my insurance to try and resolve everything, but I'm a first-generation college student and don't really have the time or money to spend resolving an issue I did my best to avoid. Their business practices are predatory, and they get their income from this whole delayed payment scam. I'm happy to pay the $20.00 per appointment that I anticipated (although this is still frustrating because I'm being charged 3-4 months later), but to charge me full price literal months later and not say anything is extremely unethical. Now, I may be forced to foot a $2200 bill which would require me to drop out of college. Thanks, Sondermind.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/06/2023

  Here is my signed complaint management form granting consent to contact my insurance provider. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  For some additional information, I have been in contact with the company regarding this issue since September 5th, 2023. My insurance says that because I'm not receiving services from my provider in Franklin County that I should be covered under the tier that allows for a ***** co-pay per session. The reason I have to seek services outside of Franklin County is because everything affiliated with ********** in Franklin County s a ***** co-pay but services outside of Franklin County are able to maintain a ***** co-pay Sondermind says that because my therapist's virtual location is set to Franklin County that I have to pay full-price for each session until I reach my deductible. However, my therapist is physically located in Cuyahoga County, and my insurance has notified me that this should not make a difference in terms of where I receive physically receive telehealth services. I am trying to brainstorm all possible options and have been browsing reddit for people who have experienced the same issue. It is possible that my therapist may be using the wrong billing code to indicate that I am receiving services in Franklin County but not that they are being provided from outside of Franklin County. My insurance policy number is #******* and is under the name ***************************. The customer service phone number is ************** if you need additional information. Please help, they keep charging my bank account and I keep getting late fees from my bank. It has been impacting my mental health as well as physical health because I can no longer Instacart groceries and do not have access to a vehicle to pick them up myself. I have screenshots of when I first started talking to them as well as the most recent interactions we've had. Feel free to let me know if there is anything else I can provide. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/26/2023

  According to our records, there was a delay in insurance processing as the claims had to be resubmitted to the correct payor. The claims are being processed by HealthSmart Benefit Solutions within Franklin County. Per our Financial Responsibility Agreement, it is the client's responsibility to ensure their health plan benefits can be used for our services, which can be verified by calling the number on the back of the insurance card. At this time, unless the insurance can look at the claims and tell us what code is "wrong," our only option is to offer a repayment plan that fits the clients needs.
  
  Thank you,
  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/28/2023

  I got an email for an impending charge to my card last month, so I called Sondermind and asked if the charge could be moved to next month. They agreed, and I felt satisfied with things. However, I just received four charges tonight, totaling to ****** in my account with no warning. This is unethical. I can not pay my rent this month now, nor can I afford Christmas presents for my family. They told me there was an option for a payment plan. I would've called and gotten the payment rescheduled had I known. I am sick to my stomach at how a company like this can continue operating. I want them to refund three of the payments as soon as possible, as I was not adequately informed of the charges. If not, I will be seeking legal services. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/11/2023

  A refund was issued, and we are working with the client on next steps.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 20563815
  
  I am rejecting this response because: a temporary refund has been given after illegally charging me for four sessions at once without warning. I am still expected to pay each charge and am limited to a payment plan of six months maximum. 
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2023

  According to our records, we did establish a customized payment plan, outside our normal parameters, and the client responded to ** on 12/12 stating "Love you forever for this. Thank you SO much, this is the first time I feel like my concerns have been addressed with SonderMind since August. It really means a lot."

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  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.

  Sondermind is refusing to bill my insurance company and to assist me for almost a year now. I started counseling services with ******* **** in June 2021 who bills through Sondermind. At this time, my insurance was through ********** Blue Shield Anthem. In Aug. 2021, I got additional insurance through ******, but was still with Anthem as well. On my account, I had my **************** due to it covering 100%. I had no problem with having two insurances for 4 months. Starting Jan. 10, 2022 a problem started to arise where Anthem was not paying anymore. I was not made aware of this until Sep. 2022. On Sep. 21, 2022, I again emailed my insurance information to Sondermind. I have since shared it over the phone several times as I was trying to work with them. I sent Sondermind a follow up email Dec. 22, 2022 because ****** communicated with me they still had not received anything from Sondermind regarding the unpaid invoices that Sondermind was now directing me to pay them (Sondermind). I asked Sondermind why they still hadn't submitted claims to ******. Sondermind replied same day to this email indicating they didn't have my insurance information. I sent them the insurance card and claim dates that were already in the email chain between Sondermind and me (dating back to September, 2022). Now the claims are too late to file; which is due to Sondermind's failure to timely respond. I have communicated consistently over phone and email with Anthem, ******, and Sondermind since Oct. 2022. Both insurance companies have worked with my and tried all they can, but can't do anything because Sondermind won't submit the claims and both insurance companies shared Sondermind is not doing their job. Sondermind has been difficult to work with and has failed to help in anyway. They have been unprofessional in their communication, response time, and continue to intimidate to extract payment from me rather than following the process to collect payment from my insurance.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/22/2023

  Please see attached. 

  -HIPPA form uploaded by a BBB staff

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2023

  Hi,

  We understand ******* has concerns regarding billing and after further review of her account we show the claims in question were submitted to the only insurance on file at the time, which was ****************************** ********* processed the claims and denied deeming the client responsible for the full contracted rate. Due to billing concerns ******* contacted SonderMind in September, and that is when her ****** insurance was then uploaded. We sent in a request to our billing team to have the 10 claims between 1/10/2022 and 7/18/2022 resubmitted to the updated ****** insurance on file. However, our billing team could not resubmit the claims due to the insurance policy not being active. The ****** insurance policy on file was then deactivated and claims were converted to self pay. 

  On October 20, 2022, our billing team emailed ******* informing her of this and let her know that was no active ****** policy on file. 

  ******* reached out in March requesting an explanation of benefits showing the denials from Anthem. However, this was not something that we could provide and we referred her back to her insurance directly to retrieve those explanation of benefits. 

  We understand these charges were unexpected and we can definitely assist in creating a payment plan if needed. 

  Should she have any questions, she may contact us directly.

  Kind Regards,

  SonderMind

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 20331334
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Sondermind is correct that the insurance on the file, at the time, was ********** Blue Shield Anthem which denied the claims. When I was properly contacted about this in September, I reached out to ********** Blue Shield Anthem and learned the claims were rejected due to ****** now being my primary insurance and received letters from Anthem in the mail. That is when I shared my ****** information with Sondermind to bill instead and heard nothing back from Sondermind until I continued to reach out time and time again. I even called ****** twice to see if Sondermind had reached out, and they claimed that Sondermind never billed them for anything. I also got no notices of rejection of claims from ****** or Sondermind. When I reached out to Sondermind about this, they shared that they took the card off file due to the claims not being able to submit though ****** said they are just waiting to hear from them. This information would not have been communicated to me unless I had reached out as much as I did to Sondermind. Though my insurance changed in August 2023, ****** shared with me several times they could still accept the claims up to 90 days. Sondermind refused to bill again,saying it was out of their time. This is a result of their lack of communication and even will to help those they are billing as I see in several Sondermind reviews many have faced the same problems as myself.  If these claims were denied and Sondermind actually tried to *********************, I ask for documentation to support their statement that they went through that process and were denied.  
  They shared that I should contacted them directly, but I have for 8 months and have proof of it. All I have gotten in response is helpless messages about not being able to do anything and to set up a payment plan. If Sondermind would have billed my primary insurance, which is my legal right, these claims would have been covered by either my primary or secondary insurance. Instead theyve sent me in circles and not completed their job. Due to the lack of response and ownership to my communication, I have now been dealing with this for 8 months and seeking BBB for help. At this point, due to the lack of completion on their end and the claims being too far out for insurance to support, I would like them to dissolve the cost.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/28/2023

  Okay, thank you for letting me know! I want to point out that their timelines that I experienced before is what prevented me from properly being able to resolve my bill issues. Their timeliness is why I reached out for support and it seems they are continuing to not communicate effectively. 
  

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/05/2023

  After review, the clients insurance was added to their account on 9/22/22 - however, it was not active, which is why it was deactivated (the coverage termed 8/31/22). Timely filing from the 22nd of September would have been 6/24/22, meaning there are only two dates of service after that time that are eligible to submit to ******. The final two sessions (June 30, 2022 and July 18, 2022) are billable to insurance, but any sessions before that are still the clients responsibility per the timely filing guidelines. We will re-submit claims for the dates of *********/30/22 and 7/18/22. We were also able to push out the pending charges for over a month to allow time for our team and insurance to process. The remaining balance remains the client's responsibility, but we are happy to assist with a repayment plan that works for them.

  Best,
  The SonderMind Team

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/02/2023

  Sondermind has shared they will resubmit only 2 dates. I look forward to see how my insurance will respond as it is now out of their window. If my insurance will not cover due to their lack of action, I would like these two dates removed from my fee and written off. The delay here is now on Sondermind. Additionally, the other days they will not bill are due to the lack of their communication. I sent email trails of communication pertaining to why my fees were not covered and all of this could have been remedied if they were communicating.  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/20/2023

  Both claims for dates of ***********/30/22 and 7/18/22 have been written off and the client was not charged.
  
  Best,
  SonderMind