ComplaintsforBrainly.com

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello,I have been continuously charged by brainly despite not having an active plan. I was charged again today, March 13th, 2024 despite currently having a lifetime free plan. I was charged today for a total of $24. These are reoccurring yearly charges. I have billed for a total of 5 times over what I am assuming is a few years, $24 each payment, totaling in $120 worth of charges.I have filed a dispute with PayPal over the charge, as well as emailed the company for more information about these reoccurring charges. To my knowledge, there are no other accounts these charges could be coming from. I also have not been sent emails from the company with a receipt for these charges, PayPal is the only record.

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  We informed the user that they had two ********************** accounts.

  The subscription on one account ended last year and currently, this is a free account. The subscription on the other account was still active and we canceled it for the user so it does not renew in the future. 

  Brainly subscriptions are recurring, which means they renew periodically until canceled. When the subscription is about to renew, we send expiration reminders, and we inform the users that we do not provide refunds if the subscription is not canceled on time. This information was included in the emails sent to the email address linked to the user's account with still active subscription.

  Best regards,

  Brainly Team

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Total scam! I received a charge for $39.00 from this website. I contacted them and disputed the charge, requested a refund and cancellation of any future charges. This was immediately after being charged. They replied and told me they would cancel future charges but they wont refund me for the year they charged me! I relied and told them I did not sign up for a subscription and never agreed to charges. Once again they replied and said I was responsible for a year charge. How can I be charged a year for something I IMMEDIATELY notified them about and requested a refund one? I contacted PayPal and changed all my passwords. I am only left with contacting my banking institution to file fraud. Its a shame that companies like this run SCAMS !! You can see on my screenshot that I IMMEDIATELY notified them after they charged me! IMMEDIATELY

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  Hello ******,
   
  Thank you for contacting Brainly.
   
  If you think your card has been used fraudulently, we advise contacting your bank. They will help you get your funds back and will secure your card to avoid any future unauthorized charges.
   
  However, unfortunately, we wont be able to process a refund, as according to our policy, refunds are not available. You can learn more about it in our email communications and in our Help Center --> ***************************************************
   
  The subscription on account sharonbtfr has now been canceled. It will remain active until the end of your plan, but it will not auto-renew.
   
  Note that to activate the 7-day free trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan if not canceled, and be aware that we do not provide refunds. This information was included in the emails sent to *********************. 
   
  If you have any questions, please always feel free to get in touch.
   
  
  Best,
  
  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  02/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 2/4/2024, I registered for a free 7-day trial with Brainly. At the end of the free trial, Brainly was charging me $39 subscription if I would not cancel by the and of the free trial which was 2/11/2024. I canceled the free trial on 2/9 and they still charged me on 2/11/2024/ They didn't send any confirmation email on 2/9 which I think it was intentionally set up like that by Brainly so to say later that I have no proof that I canceled. However, they charged me on 2/11 @ 3:01 pm and I canceled immediately @ 3:28 when I got a notification from my PayPal account. I tried to solve the issue with Brainly but they are very adamant about their service although it is very clear that they are lying and stealing people's money. I have seen numerous complaints about this exact issue over the Internet. It is outrageous that there are companies taking advantage of other people in such way, by stealing people's money. Thanks,

  Business response

  02/28/2024

  Hello ******,

  Thank you for your message.

  You started a free trial on 4 Feb. Since it was not canceled before the 7-day period, it converted into a subscription.

  As you can see in the images below, we keep our users informed about every stage of their trial or subscription. You received an email on 4 Feb informing you the trial had started and another one on 10 Feb informing you your subscription was about to start.

  Unfortunately, we wont be able to process a refund, as according to our policy, refunds are not available. You can learn more about it in our email communications and in our Help Center -> ***************************************************************************************************************

  Our system indicates that the subscription on account philiparsintescu was canceled 18 minutes after the free trial turned into a paid subscription. It will remain active until the end of the plan, but it will not auto-renew.

   No previous cancelation attempts have been recorded on our end. You would have received an email confirming if your subscription had been canceled.

  Note that to activate the 7-day free trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan if not canceled, and be aware that we do not provide refunds. This information was included in the emails sent to **************************.

  Please let us know if we can help you with anything else. 
  
  Best,
  
  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed up for a free trial. Received a charge at 11 pm 2/18 for $10. Went to my Brainly profile- free use until the 23. Weird right? So I cancel my subscription, and am glad the charge was declined. Thinking they charged me early (because they did) I went to check my email to make sure I got a confirmation. Lo and behold- TWO emails confirming a cancellation, BUT each email stating a different date through which I could continue using the subscription. One stating 2/18 (today) and one stating the 23rd. Wtf?? I have literal screenshots and can prove all of this. Glad my bank declined the charge automatically. Dont trust them.

  Business response

  02/21/2024

  Hello ******,
  
  Thank you for your message. 
   
  We apologize for this confusing emails, it looks like there was an issue on our side and we are investigating it.  Note that you started this trial on 12 Feb, and unless you canceled it, it would convert into a paid subscription on 19 Feb, as explained when you started the trial (screenshot attached).
   
  The details you provided allowed us to locate your Brainly account **********, which had a trial subscription and is linked to the email address ***********************************************.
   
  You registered your Brainly account using Apple and opted to hide your login. As a result, Apple assigned an automatically generated email address ending in ************.appleid.com to your Brainly account.
  
  We can see that your free trial subscription on account ********** has already been canceled, so there won't be any new charges to your credit card. 
  
  Please remember that Brainly trials are only offered to first-time users. If you try to reaccess the trial in the future, you will be denied and automatically billed for the subscription you select at checkout.
  
  Let us know if you have any questions!
  
  Best,
  
  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for a 7 day free trial. The system was wrought with ads and half the time just kept asking me to sign up again! I attempted to cancel but was unable to locate the subscriptions link. They put a hold on my card a day early and despite canceling before the money had left my account they're still trying to take $40 dollars from me. I requested a refund and received no response.

  Business response

  01/03/2024

  Hello ********,
  
  Thank you for contacting us.
  
  There is no Brainly account linked to the email address **************************** However, if you were charged, then the Brainly account with an active subscription must be associated with another email address. We also never got an email from **************************************************, and we must remind you that this is our only communication channel. All emails must be sent to ****************************************.
  
  Depending on the way you were charged, please provide the following information that should allow us to locate it:
  
  Credit/debit card
  First and last name of the cardholder
  Last 4 digits of the credit card that was charged
  Date of the latest charge
  Exact amount charged
  
  PayPal
  PayPal Invoice ID - a long sequence of letters, numbers, and dashes. You can find it by logging into your PayPal account, navigating to PayPal Activity, and selecting the payment from Brainly.
  
  App Store/Google Play
  Purchase receipt
  
  Please note that once we locate your subscription, well be able to cancel it for you, but we wont be able to process a refund as we do not offer refunds for already-started subscriptions. Click here to learn more --> ********************************************************************************************************************
  
  Looking forward to hearing from you!

  Customer response

  01/12/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Company is refusing to refund my money. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Customer response

  01/12/2024

  I already sent them the information and have the subsequent emails to prove it. It still does not change the fact the the business refuses to refund the money taken.

  Business response

  01/17/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  We received the required information, and we were able to locate the user's Brainly account with an active subscription. We confirmed that the subscription had been canceled after the free trial turned into a paid subscription and informed the user that we would not be able to process a refund, as according to our policy, refunds are not available. The user will have full access to the subscription benefits until the end of the plan. 

  Regarding the early charge, the free trial on the account in question was activated on 22 Dec 2023, and since it was not canceled on time, it turned into a paid subscription on 29 Dec 2023, precisely 7 days after the free trial activation. If the user received an email confirming she would be charged after 29 Dec, we request it to be forwarded to us so we can look into this further. 

  If you have any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,

  Brainly Team

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A transaction in the amount of $24 was deducted from my checking account on December 18, 2023 by Brainly.com. I contacted Brainly and asked multiple times for a refund, I provided the documentation they requested showing the transaction and the last 4 digits of the debit card (****) used for the purchase! The representative said he cannot find the transaction with the information (****) provided and he needs the user name on the account in order to refund my money! *** explained to him multiple times, I did not order Brainly and therefore would not know the user name associated with the account. Im 62 years old and have no use for Brainly.com.

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  As explained in the emails sent to the user, we acknowledge the subscription charge was processed by Brainly, but unfortunately, we could not locate any transaction that would match the payment details provided by the user. 
  
  We believe the last 4 digits of the card might be different, and the cardholder's name could have been misspelled or not provided while making the purchase. Hence, we cannot find the charge on our end. 
  
  We're truly sorry we were not able to help the user in locating the transaction. We advised them contacting their bank, so they can assit further.
  
  In case of any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,
  Brainly Team

  Customer response

  12/29/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Hi, this has been ongoing issue with Brainly! I have to call every year to try and get a refund and the following year, it repeats! The card number **** is correct which corresponds with the withdrawal transaction reflecting on the bank statement I have previously provided.  My banking account has not been compromised as this has been an ongoing issue with Brainly the past 2-3 years! Im not understanding how Im supposed to cancel a subscription when it cant be found yet my debit card information is on file and Brainly continues to withdrawal money from my banking account every year?! Help me to help this make sense please!!!!
  
  
  Thank You
  ******** 
  

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting us.

  Brainly subscriptions are recurring, which means they renew periodically until canceled. Unfortunately, did not contact us before 20 Dec 2023, which is the date of the latest renewal. 

  We informed the user we investigated further and were finally able to locate the Brainly account associated with the subscription charges. We also confirmed the subscription on this account had been canceled. 

  Since the user stated she did not recognize the email address linked to the Brainly account in question, we advised contacting the users bank, so they could help you get the funds back and secure the card to avoid any future unauthorized charges.

  If you have any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.
  

  Best,

  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  12/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Amount of money taken from my bank account when on the company's website they have 2 different subscriptions plan semi-annual for $18.00 billed every 6 months and annually $24.00 billed once annually ($2.00 per month) 2023. They took $39.00 from my account. This is why I want my money. I feel this is misrepresentation from what they took from me and what is stated on their website. And they did not cancel the subscription as requested. They cancel after they took money out of my account. So I want it back.

  Business response

  12/21/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  As explained in the emails sent to the user, our system clearly indicates that the subscription on the users Brainly account was canceled after the free trial turned into a paid subscription. No previous cancelation attempts have been recorded on our end. If the free trial had been canceled, the user would have received an email cancellation confirmation. And if there were any cancellation attempts that didnt go through, our system would indicate it. 

  Regarding the pricing, the plans that the user mentioned at $18 and $24 are no longer available, and they are not advertised anywhere on our website or in the app.

  In case of any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,
  Brainly Team

  
  

  Customer response

  12/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   The company is not being honest about everything and especially about their plans prices not being on their website. Where did they think I got it from. I don't know anything about their company so I would not make up a lie. Companies are to be honest in order to servicing customers but this company is so dishonest in order to keeping my $39.00. What a shame 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  Hello *****, 
   
  Thank you for your message. 
   
  As previously explained, our current subscription prices are the ones that you can see on our website, and we do not have any subscriptions for $24.
   
  Regarding your specific case, your son started a free trial on the account linked to the email ************** on 8 November 2023. This free trial on account ****** was not canceled and it turned into a subscription on 15 November 2023. The subscription on that account has since then been canceled and it won't renew.
   
  We inform in our email communications, our Help Center, and in our Terms of Use that refunds are not available. 
   
  To activate the 7-day free trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan if not canceled, and be aware that we do not provide refunds. This information was included in the emails sent to **************. 
   
  We do our best to communicate clearly and transparently. Therefore, we cannot take responsibility for not following the procedure on the users end.
   
  If you have any other doubts, we will be more than happy to help.
   
   
  
  Best,
  
  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  12/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I recently signed up for Brainly's 7 day trial and I just got charged $39 on Sunday 12/10 at 1:11 am after my free trial ended. I was waiting for the trial ending email from Brainly so it completely slipped my mind to cancel the trial. I think the email must have gone into my spam folder because I did not receive it. I emailed Brainly on Sunday 12/10 at 1:19 am that I would like a refund and that I had canceled my subscription. I really can't afford to pay for this subscription right now. I told them to delete my account so I don't have access to Brainly and to please refund the money because I will incur late fee charges on my card because I cannot afford to pay this right now. They refuse and keep saying that it is my fault. Yes, I understand that they have a policy, but I would think that they would care about their clients and refund when I am saying that they can delete my account too. I just don't have the money for this right now. They seem to only care about the money instead of their customers. After this, I am not going to use Brainly anymore and definitely will be letting others know that it is not a good company that values its customers.

  Business response

  12/12/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  We always strive to communicate clearly and transparently. All the information that users need to be aware of is provided during the signup process, including the refund policy. 

  Our system indicates that all the communications were sent to the email address associated with the user's ********************** account. We encourage the user to always double-check the email address associated with their Brainly account and to check their inbox regularly for important updates regarding their account and upcoming charges and renewals.

  Alos, wed like to confirm that the users Brainly account has not been deleted. There was no account deletion request submitted. The user can still access their ********************** account and paid subscription.
  

  In case of any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,

  Brainly Team

  Customer response

  12/20/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Like I said, the email probably went into my spam because it is not in my inbox. Ive checked multiple times. I emailed customer service and asked them to delete my account but they have not responded. I literally said that I CANNOT afford this expense right now. I just dont have the money and the business doesnt care about that. All they care about is making money even if it means their customers struggle. That much is confirmed by the amount of complaints they have. I have attached an image of me asking them to delete my account and refunding me the money. If they delete my account, then they can be sure that Im not just asking for a refund to get a free full year subscription. 

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  01/03/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  As explained in our previous messages, we do our best to be as informative as possible about our policies. We communicate them clearly and transparently before a user starts their free trial/subscription as well as in the communications that follow the free trial/subscription activation.

  If you have any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,

  Brainly Team

  
  

  Customer response

  01/03/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved. This is not going anywhere and I dont have time to repeat myself to brainly. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of the transaction: 11/28/2023 The amount of money you paid the business: 39 dollars I forgot to cancel the annual subscription today, and I was charged 39 dollars. I did not receive any emails before the automatic charging. I am an international student. I am not very familiar with the Internet, and I have little money. I didn't use the functions of subscription at all.

  Business response

  11/30/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Unfortunately, we wont be able to process a refund, as according to our policy, refunds are not available. More details can be found in our *********** ans Terms of Use.
  
  Please note that to activate the 7-day free trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan if not canceled, and be aware that we do not provide refunds. This information was included in the communications sent to the email address associated with the users Brainly account.

  In case of any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,

  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  11/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I saw an unwarranted charge on my bank account, moments later i see an email about a brainly subscription. I have never used brainly and I never will. I dont understand how such a think is possible as to getting charged for something you dont want and dont need. My request number is #*******. My final question is do i take it up with my bank as this was an unauthorized charge!!

  Business response

  11/08/2023

  Hello, ******
   
  Thank you for your message.
   
  Brainly is an online platform for students, parents, and teachers. We offer a lifetime free Brainly Basic plan, as well as paid subscriptions so that our users can choose the option that best suits their needs. 
   
  While were sorry you missed the timeframe to cancel your plan free of charge, and we understand it might be a disappointing experience, we must emphasize that our policies are stated explicitly in our Help Center, Terms of Use, and email communications sent to ***********************. 
   
  We do our best to communicate clearly and transparently, and cannot take responsibility for not following the procedure on the users end.
   
  Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  
  Best,
  
  Brainly Team

  Customer response

  11/08/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I will not accept this answer, either I will go through my bank and Refund it, or I will get a refund! This was an Unauthorized charge! Made through my card! How is this acceptable! You basically just took a hundred bucks for free!!!

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  12/08/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  We always strive to communicate clearly and transparently. All the information that users need to be aware of is provided during the signup process, including the refund policy. Additionally, the user was reminded via email about their free trial coming to an end and being about to turn into a paid subscription, to give them enough time to cancel their free trial if they wished to do so. Unfortunately, the timeframe for cancellation free of charge has been exceeded. 
  

  In case of any more questions, please always feel free to get in touch.

  Best,
  Brainly Team
  

  
  

*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. ↩