Vacuum Cleaning Systems
iRobot CorporationImportant information
- Customer Complaint:
BBB with the use of artificial intelligence, analyzed the complaints on 6/26/24
BBB shared the findings and recommendations with iRobot Corporation.
The findings appeared to show:- Product reliability (warranty and repair issues)
- Customer service (refund and exchange problems)
- Product performance (service issues)
- Delivery and logistics
iRobot Corporation on 7/21/24 responded to BBB with:
iRobot’s values align with the BBB recommendations. Many of the recommended programs already exist today at iRobot, and we are always iterating and working to improve our processes.- Quality control:iRobot has a robust quality operation which is broken down by product and area. Hypercare efforts are run with each product launch.
- Customer Service Training: All of our customer care agents are put through a rigorous process of in-person training and self-directed training modules, followed by a shadow period with seasoned agents before they work independently.
- Our website provides detailed information on each of our products, including features, specifications, our 60-day home trial, warranty coverage, customer reviews, and pricing. We also offer a "Help Me Choose" feature and a "Compare Products" tool to assist customers in their shopping journey. Each of our products has a detailed owner's guide and we have an online database available on our website with access to hundreds of product-related knowledge base articles. Customers may also reach out to our Customer Care team with any product questions.
- iRobot utilizes UPS as our delivery partner. Our warehouse, logistics, and customer care operations teams work closely with UPS to settle delivery issues, disputes, and inquiries from our customers.
Complaints
Customer Complaints Summary
- 365 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 126 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:09/30/2022
Type: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 have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********.
The resolution sounds good but I still want the robot to work. Please renew subscription so that I can use the service. Im happy to put the two months that youre trying to refund towards November and Decembers payments. Please advise as I would love to get this resolved.
Warm Regards,*******
Business Response
Date: 10/21/2022
Hello *******,
We are sorry to hear of the difficulties that you have experienced thus far, this is not the experience we want for any of our customers.
We are going to reach out to collections on your behalf to have you removed, we will also refund for the 2 months of service in which the robot did not work. This will need to be done with a check as we are no longer able to take care of this through the system, we apologize for the inconvenience.
A member from the corporate ************* team will be reaching out to you shortly.
Thank you,
iRobot *************
Business Response
Date: 10/24/2022
Hello *******,
We can certainly handle this for you - we won't however be able to apply the refunds to the next 2 months of service as we no longer have access to the original transactions. Because of this, the refund will be in the form of a check.
We will route a release form to you for the amount of the refund and have the Select team re-instate your membership.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/28/2022
Type: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: Nov 18th ***********: $696 (2 Year Contract)Business committed to provide Robot vacuum cleaner.Name of dispute is Volation of Contact/False Advertising, ***************************** the following. "The Early Termination Fee is prorated, which means that as more time passes, you will pay less to terminate the Membership early. If your Term began on or after October 5, 2021, the Early Termination Fee can cost a maximum of $696 for a two-year Term Commitment for each set of Membership Products and decreases by the amount of your Subscription Fee monthly."Instead of Decreasing as per the contract the company has charged me $1524.48 which exceeds the maxium amount possible not respecting any previous payments and sent it to collections. Below you will find the below contract Unable to provide irobot account Number as they removed it from the portal after being sent to collections.Collections Account Number: ******* Collector/Accomplaice: *************Business Response
Date: 10/04/2022
Hello *****,
We apologize again for the error here - according to your case history, it would appear as though an agent has adjusted the termination fee owed to collections to reflect the correct amount and provided you with the information you need to close out this issue.
We are sad to see you go and with you the best - please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any further questions.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/27/2022
Type: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.
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved.
Regards,
*****************************onse and did not hear back. I sent a follow-up email requesting a response Sept. 16, 2022 and Sept. 26 2022 with no response yet. My product is still under warranty but the company and not even responding to my requests.Business Response
Date: 09/28/2022
Hello *********,
We have looked through your case history and want to apologize for the difficulties thus far with both your s9 and the support you've received - this is certainly not the experience we want for any of our customers.
At this time, we would like to offer you a complete replacement of the unit. We will provide pre-paid return shipping labels so you can send back your malfunctioning unit for quality review.
Please advise if you would like to proceed with a new replacement robot as a resolution.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/23/2022
Type: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.
Ive been having issues with connectivity to my roomba for over a month. I have submitted 3 technical support requests and messaged the company on multiple social media platforms. Each automated reply promises a response within a couple days but no one has ever responded to any of my submissions or attempts. I am unable to use my roomba in the way it was designed to be used and because all replacement parts come directly from iRobot, I am still forced to continue to give them money in order to use my roomba - despite the fact they show no regard to their ******** customers. Case number ******** as per an automated reply from iRobot.Business Response
Date: 09/26/2022
Hello ****,
We sincerely apologize for the long wait, this is very unusual and not the experience we want for any of our customers. We will look into what we went wrong here.
In the mean time, we have reached out to the managers and an agent will be reaching out to assist you today, someone from iRobot corporate will be reaching out as well.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/22/2022
Type: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 the I robot subscription. Im on my third robot and they all have problems. They fail to meet the standards advertised. The company refused to let me out of the remainder of the subscription. I threatened litigation and they informed me per my contract I cant take them to court, only litigate with their third party litigation company. *** called and sent emails but never hear anything back. At this point I feel Im entitled to be let out of my subscriptionBusiness Response
Date: 09/28/2022
Hello ******,
We apologize for the difficulties you've had with your robots, this is not the experience we want for any of our customers.
We have reached out to the Select team and recruited an agent to cancel your membership and waive the fee. They will assist you in returning any unit(s) you may still have at this time.
We are sorry to see you leave the iRobot family.
Best,
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/13/2022
Type: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.
Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered.
The number I have been calling is ****************.
I don't remember ever receiving a case number but I can provide model number of my Robot if needed. Everytime I call I get transferred or call back promises that never happen.
Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
FAQ
Regards,Ebonne
Business Response
Date: 09/14/2022
Hello Ebonne,
We are sorry to hear of the poor service you have received thus far, that is not the experience we want our customer to have.
We are eager to help but are unable to locate an account in our system that aligns with the contact information you have provided.
Can you please provide a case number and/or the email address you have been using to open support cases with us? Once we have this information, we will be able to better assist you.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Business Response
Date: 09/28/2022
Hello Ebonne,
When you call or email in to to iRobot ************** you are assigned a case number. If you did not receive one, then you may not have been using the correct contact information to reach us. I provided the correct phone number on my last response.
Here is that number again: ************ or you can always try emailing at *************************************** and a case will be automatically generated for you.
Please provide the model and serial number of your robot as I am unable to locate you in our system so we are able to create a case for you and get you into the hands of a trusty agent who can get your robot up and running.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/10/2022
Type: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 ordered a vacuum from IRobot and tried to return it in brand new condition within the companys return window. I called many, many times and emailed many times to get a return label and information about how to return it. I never received a label or this information despite speaking with several people. Every time I was told that my claim would be prioritized and I would receive an email with a label and a call back, but never did. I still have the vacuum in new condition. It is unfair of the company to not let a customer return an item within the valid return window simply by ignoring them and never sending the information. I have email documentation showing my interactions with the company, including an email saying my claim being prioritized and I would receive the return info shortly, but then I never got any other information. I just want to be able to return this vacuum! It has been almost a year and I have contacted them SO MANY TIMES with no resolution. I know businesses are short staffed in this pandemic but this is unacceptable and poor business practice.Business Response
Date: 09/13/2022
Hello *******,
We sincerely apologize for this frustrating chain of events that lead you here to Business Complaints, this is not the experience we want for any of our customers.
We have emailed a pre-paid return label to the email address you provided so you are able to ship your robot back to us.
We will follow up with an email regarding further return information.
Thank you,
iRobot *************Initial Complaint
Date:09/03/2022
Type: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.
Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered.
[You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution. If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
FAQ
Regards,*******
Business Response
Date: 09/09/2022
Hello *******,
We are sorry to hear of the issues you have been experiencing with your robot, this is not the experience we want for any of our customers.
It would appear that a replacement robot has been sent out to you on order# ******* and a return label was issued to send your faulty robot back.
Should you have any further questions/comments/concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you!
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:09/01/2022
Type: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 the self cleaning iRobot 13- back in May 2022 and it worked only once. I contacted roomba support and all they did was sending me parts with a long time window Of retrieving the parts unscrew change parts what a huge dissatisfaction what a huge mess after spending such a huge amount in this.Business Response
Date: 09/09/2022
Hello *****,
We apologize for the service you have received thus far, we never want a poor experience for members of our iRobot family.
As a courtesy for your troubles, we have issued a full replacement robot with dock to avoid the hassle of taking the unit apart. This has been sent under order# ********
We have sent a return label as well so you may send back the existing faulty robot and dock, you may use the box your new unit will be arriving in.
Please do not hesitate to reach back out should you have any further questions/comments/concerns.
Thank you!
iRobot Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:08/28/2022
Type: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 have not heard from the business in response to my complaint which goes along with what I was saying about them avoiding me, and ignoring my emails. my bank that no such refund was initiated. After several emails to iRobot that went unanswered I decided to call to physically speak to a person. I spoke with ***. After giving me several excuses as to why I shouldnt get the refund, he had me email him proof of the emails stating I would be refunded. He said they did do the refund then violated my privacy by making me email screenshots of all my bank transactions after I had placed the order. After seeing that I did not get the refund, he told me hed send the refund that night. That was not done. A week later I called back and spoke to *** again. He didnt seem to recall the conversation with me and wanted to know why I wanted a refund. I started explaining the situation to him again and during that time he hung up on me. After not receiving vouchers, then getting one that didnt work, unanswered emails, being lied to, and even being hung up on, it is blatantly clear they NEVER intended on giving me a refund.Business Response
Date: 09/09/2022
Hello *****,
We went to process the refund for your order however were unable to do so because adjustments in the amount of $354.41 on credit# **** had already been made covering the cost of your order US00072695 for various accessories.
A credit won't appear on your account as you were not charged for the order according to the system - can you please confirm if or not you were charged for order# US00072695 in the amount of $354.41 ?
If you have a charge for this order, we will look into another avenue for refunding the order.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
Customer Answer
Date: 09/12/2022
Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered.
I am not sure where you got the figure of $354.41. The total for my order was $322.51, & I do have a charge for it. See attachments.
Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
FAQ
Regards,*****
Business Response
Date: 09/13/2022
Hello *****,
We tried calling and left a voicemail, then a follow up email explaining the full details but we found that there was an issue with the credit process on your case.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and we thank you for providing various screenshots/information which helped lead us to determine the issue at hand.
We have gone through the backend of the system and pushed your refund through for the full order total, we have provided the receipt here and on the email that was sent to you.
Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any further questions/comments/concerns.
Thank you,
iRobot Customer Care
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