Colleges and Universities
Boston UniversityComplaints
This profile includes complaints for Boston University's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 6 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 3 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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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:09/10/2025
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 received emails approximately three months in advance to change my password for my email and met the deadline to maintain access to my account. Attempting to access Drive this week prompted me to contact the account administrator, ******* communication was sent about alumni losing access to Drive. I was not given a chance to transfer anything and my data is unaccessible to me. Upon calling the IT department, C notified me their "policy changed" for alumni. I was on hold for about 25 minutes then informed the supervisors are in meetings and will be available around noon.
Business Response
Date: 09/10/2025
Hi N.V.,
I read your complaint regarding your email account. Unfortunately, this is not the right forum to get help with your email. I would suggest connecting with IT again to help resolve this issue.
Best,
Marc
Initial Complaint
Date:06/10/2025
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 became ill during the Spring 2024 semester. I spoke with ***** P. ******** on several occasions, and on July 11, 2024, she submitted a request to change my grade from Incomplete to a Withdrawal status. On May 1, 2024, ***** also assisted me in contacting my professor and guided me through the process of having my tuition removed. She assured me that it would not be a problem. I provided all necessary documentation to her and was waiting to hear confirmation that the matter had been resolved.On November 24, I followed up with *****, as I did not expect the process to take several months. At that time, I was informed that she was no longer with the university. I had to begin the process again, only to be told a different outcome. Now, the university is requiring me to pay $1,834 by July 8, 2025. If I am unable to do so, I am expected to pay the full balance.I have all documentation from ***** and my medical providers supporting my situation. I believe the decision made by the University Service Center is unfair and inconsistent with what was originally communicated to me by *****, who was the Senior Academic Advisor at the time. I am seeking assistance to have these charges removed, as previously discussed with her.Business Response
Date: 06/12/2025
Dear ****** *****,
We have received your BBB complaint, and we would like to direct you to our responses made via email on 6/11/2025. As we discussed there, we have waived your tuition, the remaining amount is due to the federally required return of a portion of the federal student loan you received. The amount ** was required to return to the federal government was based on the duration of your enrollment, as documented by online participation reports.
If you have any further questions, please respond directly to the email sent by the ** Service Center yesterday.
Best,
**** de St. *******
Customer Answer
Date: 06/14/2025
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,******
Initial Complaint
Date:01/23/2025
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 have been charged twice ($83.10 + $332.40) on the same day (09/26/2024) for a dental charge. I have only been going back multiple times to have a crown that I had made at Budsm put back on (3 times), and it still fell off. I was told it would not be a charge!!! I have asked why via mail but no response why as of this request,Business Response
Date: 01/29/2025
We have received the complaint, and we are reviewing it. We will provide a more detailed response, once we have completed our review.
Best,
**** de St. *******
Customer Answer
Date: 01/29/2025
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.] I have asked and have still to this day never seen my insurance (DELTA) payments on my ledger. I am talking about years. I was told there is a year warranty on the services performed but have always been charged the second or third time to fix an issue.
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,****
Customer Answer
Date: 01/30/2025
That is why I filed this complaint because I have 2 insurances (Delta and ************ and they never give you a receipt of my insurance payments?Business Response
Date: 02/02/2025
Hi Mr. ****************************** have reviewed your complaint and we believe that there is a misunderstanding. The clinic had fitted you with a temporary crown not a permanent one, it was that temporary crown that came off. We charged you for two separate procedures, but we did not charge you for recement the temporary crown that came off. The treatment plan that was provided to you outlines the charges.
You have not yet received the permanent crown and canceled your last two appointments for that procedure. We have called you and left a message with this information.
Best regards,
Marc de ******************
Associate General Counsel
Office of the General Counsel | Boston UniversityCustomer Answer
Date: 02/03/2025
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 reject the response because the procedure that you changed me twice has yet to be explained why. When I started coming to BU years ago, it was explained that if any procedure fails, there would be no charge up to 1 year from the date of service. I keep getting different explanations from the student, the faculty, and now billing. There should not be multiple decisions based on who you deal with. I will not answer phone messages, as I stated before, the mail or email is the only forms of communications.
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: 02/06/2025
Thank you for your response. The charges can be broken down as follows:
- Root canal treatment was $831 and your insurance paid $312.40. You are responsible for $518.60 remainder.
-That $518.60 remainder was divided in different invoices (due to insurance consideration of benefits). The charges of $83.10 and $332.40 are part of $518.60 remainder.
As you have paid $318.50 of total $518.60, you still owe $200.10 for the root canal treatment. Regarding the temporary crown, that is temporary. Please contact the office to schedule your permanent crown. If you have any financial questions, please email our finance office at *********************.
Best,
Marc de St. Maurice
Customer Answer
Date: 02/06/2025
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.
I have asked for a detailed ledger many times and as of this email, none has been provided. My insurance payments are never shown on the billing statements, just the charges. The instructor has told me more than once that this session is a no charge, that has never shown up either. For some reason credits are never on the billing statements. My 2 insurance company's credits are never on the statements either, WHY ????:??
FAQ
Regards,****
Initial Complaint
Date:10/05/2024
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 enrolled my son (12+) in the ********************** at Boston University's Fitness and ***************** on 08/20/2024. The program was scheduled to run from 09/09/2024 to 12/12/2024, four times per week, with each session lasting two hours. The total fee was $750.There was no mention on the website (********************************************************************************) or in the receipt about a requirement for parents to remain with their child during the program. (see attachment)We only learned about this requirement after the program had started, and my son was not allowed to attend his class until I arrived by taxi. I contacted the business owner to explain that we couldn't accommodate this new requirement due to short of notice (I am teaching in the evening and my husband has health issue that prevent him to stay at swimming pool 8 hours/week) and requested either an alternative solution or a refund for the remainder of the program, but I have not received a response.Business Response
Date: 10/07/2024
We have reached out to the customer directly and resolved the issue.Customer Answer
Date: 10/08/2024
[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,
**** *****Initial Complaint
Date:07/30/2024
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.
My daughter's name is *********************** ID ********* and she is a student at Boston University. For the Summer 1 semester, she enrolled in a course "HP 353 O1", but she had to drop the class abruptly. My mother (her grandmother) passed away in Feb 2024, since she had been struggling Stage 4 Lung Cancer with a hip fracture. I have attached her death record and pictures. Her grandmother's death, has been extremely hard on our family very emotionally. She briefly looked at the calendar and saw I could still drop HP 353 O1 which she was enrolled in, and so she dropped the course, so she can spend more time with her family. She dropped the course on 05/30/24 (the last day to drop without a 'W' and with a refund) and saw she hadn't gotten a refund for the tuition cost yet, so she reached out to Student Accounts same day. Student Services said verbally and in an email that it would take a while for the refund to be processed and will be posted to her account because the ** Student Portal had been experiencing lags, but they promised she would definitely get a refund. After some more waiting she reached out again, and it was then that they told her that online summer courses have a different schedule (they are classified as nonstandard courses) and the last day to drop without a 'W' and with a refund was the first day of classes, which she was totally unaware of, and that she should reach out to the ******************* She have always been a responsible student, keeping track of deadlines. She was unaware that online courses were not standard courses. Also, they confirmed in an email that I will get a FULL Refund. she was unfamiliar that online courses had a separate calendar. She was going off the calendar posted on the '** Summer ****** which says broadly that the last day for tuition credit was 05/30 for Summer 1 Term courses. It is NOT fair now they are not issuing her a refund of $3180 going back and forth in emails. They promised her refund in an email but not honoringBusiness Response
Date: 08/05/2024
Prior to receiving this BBB compliant, Boston University received a tuition refund policy exception request in relation to this matter. I inquired into the status of the request, and it is pending. A final decision on this matter is expected in 7-14 days. The complainant will receive notice as to whether or not the exception is approved promptly after a determination is made.Customer Answer
Date: 08/06/2024
[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 attached the email they sent to my daughter on 6/4/2024 saying they will credit the dropped class. As they confirmed, I can wait for 10 more days to see if it gets reflected. Thank you for your assistance.
Regards,
*********************Initial Complaint
Date:12/07/2023
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 was charged to my credit card in June/July 2023 for a FirRec membership of July.1 to Dec.30,2023,which is a automate charge without my consent.I contacted the staff, the staff sent email to me" Our website has disclosed the membership with automately renewed if you don't stop it one month ago",I think this is an unfair clause for consumer.I couldn't read all the terms like insurance,usually the *** and common sense work, the consumer should be notified before they will be charged, including my utility, rent,insurance,as a individual,I can not read all the detailed stuff, the FitRec gym should invoice or bill me like all the other merchants do, I was injured and when I found this charge in Aug from my credit card bill.Business Response
Date: 12/15/2023
Dear **********:
You have a six-month, auto-renewing Friend of ** membership at Boston Universitys Fitness & ***************** (FitRec). You indicate you did not know the membership was auto-renewing and assert that your credit card was therefore charged without your consent. However, the University clearly stated the auto-renewing nature of the membership on multiple webpages you visited in the process of joining FitRec. Indeed, the webpage on which you started the process of joining FitRec states: The 6-Month membership option is available during open enrollment periods only. Memberships automatically renew every January 1 and July 1 until cancelled. This information is not buried in text but is two of just five lines of text immediately adjacent to the link to start the membership process. When you clicked the link, you were taken to a second webpage where you added the chosen membership option to your shopping cart.This webpage stated: This is a primary membership plan billed every six months and offers a savings off the monthly rate. This is an auto-renewing membership plan and you will be charged on July 1 and January 1 of each year until cancelled. Then, in bold text the webpage stated: In order to cancel, a cancellation form must be received by the 25th of the month prior to avoid being charged for the next six months. This second webpage also provided a link to FitRecs Cancellation Policy and online cancellation form, which makes it easy for one to cancel a membership before it renews. Finally, it is worth noting that you continued to a webpage where you explicitly agreed to abide by FitRecs Membership Handbook. That Membership Handbook contains a section on Membership Plans, Renewals, and Periods, which states the following about six-month membership plans:
+Members can receive a discount off the monthly rate if they commit to and pay up front for one six-month membership period.
+This plan is for a six-month commitment. Please see Cancellations for cancellation and refund details and guidelines.
+Six-month memberships are based on a July 1 to December 31 and/or January 1 to June 30 calendar.
+Your plan will automatically renew on the first day it expires.
So, as you can see from the attached copies of the aforementioned webpages and FitRec Membership Handbook, in signing up for the six-month membership,you proceeded through at least two webpages that clearly informed you of the auto-renewing nature of your chosen membership, and you explicitly agreed to abide by the terms of a Membership Handbook that did the same. You also previously held an auto-renewing monthly membership with FitRec, which might have familiarized you with the auto-renewing nature of FitRec memberships generally. Auto-renewing memberships like FitRecs are not unlawful and are compliant with FTC regulations.
In your complaint and in previous correspondence with the University,you suggest that you stopped attending FitRec due to injury. In the previous correspondence, you also indicated that you had moved out of the area of FitRec.The University informed you in response to your correspondence that, pursuant to ************* law, you could cancel your six-month membership and receive a pro-rata refund if you provided documentation either that (1) upon a doctors order,you could not physically or medically receive the services (of FitRec) because of significant disability for a period in excess of three months, or (2) you moved either your residence or your place of employment more than twenty-five miles from FitRec. To date, you have provided no documentation of either circumstance.If you have documentation that you qualify for a refund, the University invites you to provide it. However, the University is not in a position to ***** refunds to ******* users other than in accordance with the law and the terms of the FitRec Membership Handbook.Customer Answer
Date: 12/18/2023
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.
1:I think the rule is wrongly set,I received couple notices every year from different business including healthcare insurance, auto insurance,lease,banks,I have never met automate renewal service which costs $400 without notification. They have their right to post anything, but that's unfair for consumers as for my personnel I won't be able to read the content seriously including the bank consent, insurance consent, what I did is to sign with BOA,Chase,because you couldn't change it.and they will send notice as well.
Btw,of course I didn't read the consent because I trust BU for both security and fairness so that I can proceed the payment with my credit card.
For other party without trust,I won't pay online with my credit card.
It is hard for a consumer in an information explosive society.this is the common sense.
2:I proposed I just need a resolution to postpone the membership to Jan.1,2024 to July.2024.as I won't go to FitRec from July.1 to Dec.30.2023
FitRec of BU is just repeating the communication,that doesn't reflect the fairness to consumer as a common law.
I like BU and FitRec,and I would love to still involve,just need a pospone to "Jan.1 to June.30"
3:I found I moved out only 10 miles and my injury didn't have a physician's record.
[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.
Regards,*****
Business Response
Date: 12/21/2023
Dear **********: As noted in our last response, the auto-renewing nature of your FitRec membership was not buried in some fine print, but was identified clearly and conspicuously multiple times in the process you completed to sign up for the membership. While you identify multiple services you use where you receive advanced notification of renewal, there are also plenty of memberships (including gym memberships), subscriptions, streaming services and other services that do not--and are not required to--provide notification before renewal (whether monthly, semi-annually or annually). Our renewal process is in compliance with all applicable law. It is not unfair to hold a customer to the clear terms of the ********************** he signed up for and agreed to.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/03/2024
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
As I said, a lot of people don't read and rely on notice regardless BU ****** non legal enforcement authority.Doing business in a good faith.A 6 month membership renewal is different from Amazon Prime.House insurance,helthcare insurance though those are always providing paper notice.
I like BU ****** center,I said,I just need to have a resolution to defer the membership to: Jan.1 to June.30.2024.
BU ****** center doesn't lose anything.
Regards,*****
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