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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
04/10/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I saw an ad stating that I could sign up for Punchbowl and get a 7 day feee trial and then pay $95 - $100 for a yearly subscription. I went ahead and processed the transaction. I didnt think anything of it until I saw a correspondence from Apple and Punchbowl stating that I was charged for the subscription and that the start date was April 8th, the day I downloaded the app. I tired explaining my situation and my refund request was denied twice. Ive filed a third request, this time under fraud because its not right.
Business response
04/11/2024
Hi, thanks for reaching out. Our Support team has confirmed that you initially created an account with us in *************************************************************** 2021 which we provided with no issue. It appears you recently created an account through Apple (April), in which case you would be billed right away as you had already used ** your free trial through Apple in 2018. We have not received any communication from you, please send an email to ******************************* and our Support team would be more than happy to walk you through your account details. - ****** in MarketingCustomer response
04/11/2024
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
Regards,Oscar
Initial Complaint
04/02/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I made an evite for my daughters bday on punchbowl in August 2023. They have 30 day free trial. As is mentioned on their website, please see below : - How Do I Cancel My Membership?Web To cancel your membership on the web, sign into your Punchbowl account. Click on the account icon, which appears next to the search icon at the top of any page, and select Account Settings from the drop-down menu (you can also directly access this page here). Click the Cancel Membership link found under Billing.NOTE: You can track RSVPs and manage your event from our free iOS or Android app. I was charged on August 6th, 2023. I assumed the charge will be reversed when I cancelled it within 30 days. Their website says really easy to cancel if you change your mind within 30 days. However, now I see the charge was never reversed. I tried reaching out to them and their representative is saying I had to email them to get it cancelled. What their website is portraying is definitely fraudulent. They are taking advantage of consumers who think the account is cancelled and following their instructions to cancel.Business response
04/03/2024
Hello, we offer a 7-day free trial, not 30 days. If you do not cancel within the free trial window, you will be charged the amount of the subscription that you signed up for. Similarly, we offer a 30-day money back guarantee for all paid subscriptions. To request a refund, customers are instructed to email our Support team with this request within the first 30 days of their membership. Our refund policy can be found here: ************************************************************************
Per our records, your account was created in August but we were not contacted regarding a refund request until this week which, unfortunately, is outside of our refund window. We have escalated this to a manager who has responded to you via email.
Initial Complaint
02/29/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
-Requesting data deletion due to a security concern beyond my control because of 'information gatherers', have no account, deleted, but check backend for ****************** -No new account privilege, have it set, to protect from possible impersonation -I no longer associated with Punchbowl.comBusiness response
03/04/2024
Hello, thanks for reaching out. It appears you contacted our Support team in December 2023 and your account was deleted per your request. We do not have any active accounts under either of the email addresses provided. Please send an email to ******************************* if you have any questions or if there is anything else we can do to help. -****** in MarketingInitial Complaint
02/22/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Punchbowl.com stole $35 from my Paypal for a "service" I was forced to sign up for a year ago. They make it nearly impossible to find, let alone cancel any "subscriptions". I used there site a year ago and now have recurring fees that I can not end! I can not reach these people for any help.This is the online culture we live in today with sketchy companies that steal from customers by making it impossible to sign in, send messages, call....none of these options are available.I've had three charges to paypal this week that I do not know what they are!!! and can not stop them from occurring!!!Business response
02/22/2024
Hi *******, You can easily log in to your account by navigating to the top right of our homepage and entering your account information. From there, you can also update or cancel your subscription.
While we don't offer technical support over the phone, our Support team responds to emails quickly (often within an hour!). I have confirmed with Support that you were able to contact us by email this evening and a refund was promptly issued. Please send an email to ******************************* if there is anything else we can help with!
Initial Complaint
02/16/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Hackers used my email to send Punchbowl invitations to my contacts as what seems to be a long-term phishing process. Punchbowl has failed to stop this, freeze the account, provide list of who got the invites and replied, etc. Punchbowl does not provide live tech support or help. Emails to them bounce back. It appears to me that Punchbowl has been compromised or is numb to how their system has been hijacked.Business response
02/20/2024
Hello, we have attempted to reach out to you multiple times and each email bounced back with an error message. It appears that you entered an incorrect email address for us to contact you when submitting a Support request on our website. The email address that you submitted was ******************** however your contact information from this complaint has a different email address *********************** We have just sent a new email reply using the email address listed on this complaint in attempt to contact you once more.
Please note, the spam emails you are referring to are not sent by Punchbowl. This phishing attempt is using the Punchbowl logo and graphics to fraudulently attempt to appear as our company. Because the emails are not sent by Punchbowl, we have no insight as to who they were sent to. It does not appear that you are a Punchbowl customer or have an account with us, so there is nothing for us to freeze on your behalf.
While we don't offer technical support over the phone, our Support team responds to all requests sent to ******************************* very quickly (often within an hour!) even on nights and weekends. Please send an email to ******************************* if there is anything else we can do to help!
Initial Complaint
01/12/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Punchbowl.com has a cancellation system for membership that does not work. I tried to cancel my membership multiple *********************** via their website, but Punchbowl.com keeps autorenewing my membership and charging me year after year. I had it when I tried to cancel my membership online via their website, and they charged me again for membership in November of 2023. I disputed the charge with my credit card company, and punchbowl.com rejected my charge dispute. Only after receiving contact from my credit card company did they cancel my subscription, but they won't give me a refund for the membership charge.Business response
01/16/2024
Thank you for reaching out. I'm so sorry you didn't have a good experience. Our records show that you first contacted our Customer Support team on January 12th, and a full refund was promptly issued that day. Please send an email to ******************************* if you have any other questions or concerns. We're here to help! -****** in MarketingInitial Complaint
01/11/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I initially signed up for the trial to send invitations for my daughter's 7th birthday party. I was then charged for an annual membership, in which I did not agree to nor have I continued to use the services. I did not authorize the purchase of an annual membership and would like my money back.Business response
01/12/2024
Hello! It appears that you signed up for the Annual Plus membership which automatically begins once your 7-day free trial has ended. For annual memberships, the charge for the full year of membership is issued at the start of the billing period instead of being charged month-to-month. We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Please reach out to ******************************* and we would be more than happy to help you! - ****** in MarketingInitial Complaint
10/24/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I had used punch bowl in August of 2023 for my daughters birthday party invites. I made sure to cancel it after the party, and I am still being charged. It is now October 24th, and I was just charged ***** randomly. I thought possibly they charged me for a year subscription, but the next date for charge says next month. I dont know why I keep cancelling, and somehow I am getting re-enrolled. I am a single mom, and every little bit counts and this was going to be the money for my daughters picture day tomorrow.Business response
11/10/2023
Hello! It appears that you also reached out to us via email and your refund was promptly issued. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help.Initial Complaint
06/26/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
IN 10/2022 I sent an invitation to my family using a free week offer from Punchbowl on line business. I cancelled this membership 1 day after the free week, emailed ************************* 10/22/2022 and received her response10/25/2022 stating "she had cancelled the annual membership& issued me a refund for the remaining 11 months of the yearly membership now and that I should see the refund in 3-5 business days. Today, 6/23/2023, I discovered that I'm being charged a monthly fee by Punchbowl for a membership that I was told was cancelled in 2022. I never reinstated the membership after the cancellation in 2022. I received an email from ***** at Punchbowl today stating," according to our terms, it is the responsibility of the customer to cancel the subscription when it's no longer needed-- we have no way to know when customers wish to terminate their membership if they don't explicitly inform us. Our typical refund window is 30 days. However, we have made an exception and refunded you the last 6 charges. Given the time that has passed, we are not able to process additional refunds." If the subscription was cancelled in 2022 and never reinstated how does this company continue to charge my account for a membership that I didn't want or need?Business response
06/27/2023
Thank you for reaching out, it appears as though there was a manual error when processing your refund. I see that our COO has also reached out to you and a full refund has been issued. If there is anything else we can do for you please don't hesitate to reach out to us at *******************************. We want you to be happy! -***** in MarketingInitial Complaint
02/17/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Canceled service in January but still being billed.Business response
03/21/2023
Hi. Thanks for reaching out. We would be happy to help you receive a refund. Please just reach out to us at *******************************. Also if you have any other questions we would be happy to answer them. We want you to be happy! - ***** in Marketing
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