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:12/12/2023

  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 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

  Date: 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 Answer

  Date: 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

  Date: 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 Answer

  Date: 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

  Date:11/29/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  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

  Date: 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

  Date:11/07/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  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

  Date: 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 Answer

  Date: 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

  Date: 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
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I subscribed to Brainly for a free trial. I cancelled before the trial was up but was charged anyway. I remember very specifically cancelling. However, even in an email they told me I didnt cancel.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Our system indicates that the subscription on the users 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. 

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

  Best,

  Brainly Team

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/10/2023

  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]

  This is the exact same thing that was said in the email back to me. I understand that the only evidence I put forth is I remember cancelling. However, unless there is a way to provide proof that I did in fact cancel after I was charged, I will accept the next offer. Until then, I will keep rejecting.

   

   

   

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

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

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Our system clearly indicates over 3-hour difference between the time the subscription was activated and charged and its cancelation.

  Once the user canceled their subscription, they must have received an automatic cancelation confirmation, stating they would have access to their subscription benefits until 17 Oct 2024, which proves the subscription was canceled after its activation. 

  If the free trial had been canceled on time, the user would have received a confirmation stating they would have access to their free trial benefits until 17 Oct 2023.

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

  Best,

  Brainly Team
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  I signed up for a SEVEN DAY FREE TRIAL with Brainly to help my son with his homework. They charged my card on the seventh day, which is included in my seven day free trial. They should have charged my card on the eighth day. I canceled my subscription on the seventh day, which is included in my seven day free trial, and they charged my card anyway. The company is taking absolutely zero accountability and refuses to refund my money and not acknowledging the fact that they stole my money and is going against their 7 day free trial that they are advertising by charging me early. I have attached below one image of the 7 day free trail period clearly stated, there are more clearly stated l online, however I did just attach one.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  We offer a 7-day subscription free trial to first-time users, and we communicate clearly and transparently the date on which the charge will be processed if the free trial is not canceled. 

  Our system indicates that the user activated her free trial on 23 Oct. Since her free trial was not canceled, she was charged the subscription fee on 30 Oct, precisely 7 days after her trial was activated.

  In the email communications we sent to the user prior to the charge, we informed her shed be charged on 30 Oct. If she received an email stating the charge would be processed on 31 Oct, we requested that she forward it to us so we can investigate it further. So far, it has not been received.

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

  Best,
  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2023

  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.

  My daughter subscribed of 7 day trial then instantly got charged $39 for yearly subscription and they wont refund

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Unfortunately, we could not locate any Brainly account associated with the email address the user provided.

  We have contacted the user at their email address and requested more details to be able to locate their Brainly account with an active subscription.

  We also informed the user that once we locate the account with an active subscription, we will be able to cancel it, but we will not be able to provide a refund, as according to our policy, refunds are not available. 

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

  Best,
  Brainly Team

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2023

  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.

  Hello! I feel like this company does not care what so ever. I didnt even make a purchase with this company someone else has used my card to make the purchase and used my gmail to make the accounts. I only realized when I check my account. I had to forget password in order to go to the account to change password. This is an absurd, I will contact my bank and tell them this statement.Then they said that they sent out a letter stating that they told me that a trial was going to end. I didnt even receive this email, If i had I would have know that someone made a fake account

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  As explained to the user, to activate the ***** free trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan if not canceled within the designated timeframe, and are aware that we do not provide refunds. 

  It's of utmost importance for us to keep our users updated about every stage of their free trial, therefore, once the free trial starts, we send communications such as free trial activation notification, free trial expiration reminder, and subscription start confirmation.

  We double-checked and can confirm that all the above information was sent to the email address the user contacted us from.

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

  Best,
  Brainly Team

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/15/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  On 9/13/23 I received an email receipt number #********* for a transaction of $39 from Brainly. I emailed Brainly to let them now that my child (who is 16) used my laptop and started a seven day trial. She said she was not aware of this app being able to charge me. I emailed Brainly multiple times. I've had no response. This business is crooked and very unprofessional. I never authorized this transaction and would *** a refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/15/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  We responded to the user twice, confirming that we canceled the subscription and informing her that we would not be able to provide a refund, as according to our policy, refunds are not available. 

  Wed like to emphasize that clear communication is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, to activate the 7-day trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan until canceled, and be aware that we do not provide refunds. This information was included in the emails sent to the email address that the user contacted us from. 

  Please note that the age on the Brainly account in question is 27.

  If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch!

  Best,

  Brainly Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Today I received an email saying I was charged for an entire year . I assumed I was using a trial , I contacted them today and wanted to cancel as I said I was unaware and they refused . I went into the account and saw the subscription which I cancel however they refused to refund my money even though its the day of charge . I wont use the service and I find it reprehensible to refuse to refund on day that it was charged. It was not clear that I was actually subscribed . Very deceptive business practice .

  Business Response

  Date: 09/14/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  To activate the 7-day trial, a user must confirm they want to start it, understand it will turn into a recurring paid plan if not canceled on time, and are aware that we do not provide refunds. 

  It is of utmost importance to us to keep our users updated about every stage of their free trial, therefore, we send communications such as free trial activation notification, free trial expiration reminder, and subscription start confirmation. 
  

  All the communications were sent to the email address associated with users Brainly account. 

  The user activated their trial on 5 Sep, and since it was not canceled, it turned into a paid plan on 12 Sep. The subscription was canceled by the user on 14 Sep.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/30/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  This company has what seems to be a robot named ***** that replies to emails concerning charges to my account. I asked for a refund because I did not intend to purchase the use of a help with a homework answer site for $96. ***** originally asked me for the payment method that I used in order to refund me but then continuously replied to my emails requesting an immediate refund with you purchased the app via Apple so you need to request a refund from Apple. I never purchased, clicked on or downloaded the app and explained that the purchase was made on my debit card from Safari. ***** now replies with our new policy states we do not issue refunds. This is unethical and immoral. I want the $96 refunded because I have never used Brainly and certainly never plan to.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/31/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Were sorry for the initial confusion in our correspondence and directing the user to the App Store. 

  As explained in our latest reply sen to the user, to activate the ***** free trial, we always ask users to confirm they want to start it, they understand it will become a recurring paid plan if the free trial is not canceled within 7 days, and they are aware that we do not provide refunds. 

  However, as a goodwill gesture and due to miscommunication on our part, we confirm the users charge has been refunded.

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