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: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. 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/18/2023

  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.

  8/5/23: My daugher was billed for a trial 7 day period to use their platform. After becoming aware of their no refund policy, I researched further by reviews of 2 sites which there are several claims on Brainly misusing client information by charging clients without permission. Also, they have a poor customer service which leads me to believe this is a money scam. They target kids under 18 in hopes that they will not cancel in time after the 7 day period. They state that no refunds are available on the site, however, there seems to be a lot of testimony that Brainly is still charging regardless. Please look into this company before they ******* more people.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Our policies are stated explicitly in our ************ and in the communications that were sent to the email address associated with the users Brainly account with an active subscription.

  The 7-day free trial on the account in question was activated on 29 Jul. Within the free trial period, a user could cancel their subscription free of charge. The trial turned into a paid subscription and was charged precisely after 7 days on 5 Aug. 

  Wed like to reiterate that the user was informed about every stage their free trial was at and was sent messages such as free trial activation notification, free trial expiration reminder, and subscription start confirmation. 

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

  Best,
  Brainly Team
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2023

  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.

  My nephew had gotten into my account and applied for the Brainly Plus trial with my information. I did not authorize this purchase and I also did not receive an email back but I had canceled the subscription and sent an email the same day I got charged $39. According to the terms of service I can get a refund within the 7 days and as well as 72 hours. I have not yet disputed this with my bank as Im giving them time to respond but I also do not want a shady response in return.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/17/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting Brainly.

  Our regular response time is up to 72h business hours. The user contacted us on Tuesday, 15 Aug, and we have just responded her.

  Unfortunately, we won't be able to process a refund as, according to our updated policy, refunds are not available. This information is available in our T&Cs and *********** and was included in the email communications the user received.

  In case of any more questions, please always feel free to contact us.
  

  Best,
  

  Brainly Team

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2023

  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:

   As I have mentioned to ******, the agent who replied to my customer support ticket, I did not authorize any purchases.

  In addition, the terms of use mention that they do not allow children under the age of 13 to register for an account. I had told ********************** that my nephew has registered my account without authorization. It is under their terms of use and they seem to only follow them to their convenience.

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

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

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting us.

  We'd like to reiterate were transparent about our policies, and we keep our users updated about every stage their free trial at, sending communications such as free trial activation notification, free trial expiration reminder, and subscription start confirmation. 

  All those communications were sent to the email address associated with the Brainly account with an active subscription. This is also the email address the customer is writing us from.

  Please note the user's age on the account in question was selected as 20 upon registration, and College was selected as the education level.

  In case of any more questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2023

  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]

  Again as stated from the start, I did not authorize any purchases. I do not check correspondence from emails that are not used. I am obviously using this email since it was compromised and to verify that it is now secured. I wouldve immediately canceled any trials and purchases had I authorized it, because companies like this do this on purpose. In this case, my nephew had gotten on my device, because he was doing his practice test. He had told me that he was using Brainly to double-check his choices. The questions he had searched were all on Brainly so to his convenience, he used it. He used my age and my education level, because he had used my name and my information. I have not used brainly in 3 years and if I did, I wouldve not made a new account when I already had another one prior to this. I do not need to use Brainly as this is irrelevant to my current education.
  

  Regardless, I previously stated that Brainlys Terms of Use policy mentions that children under the age of 13 are not allowed to use the service. My nephew is under the age of 13. He was not allowed to use my information, subscribe to a trial, purchase any subscriptions, or use the service to begin with.

   

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

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