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:10/11/2024

  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.

  To Whom It May Concern,I am filing a formal complaint against ******* regarding the unjust deactivation of my accounts, which has denied me access to products I rightfully purchased through their platform. This account deactivation occurred without any prior notice or explanation, preventing me from accessing products with a total value of approximately $15,****** no point was I informed by AppSumo that there were limitations on the number of products I could try or refund. There is no clear indication of such restrictions in their terms of service or membership agreements. Despite this, AppSumo took the liberty of deactivating my accounts without any communication or opportunity for me to address their concerns.This action by ******* violates my consumer rights, as it has unlawfully restricted access to goods that I have purchased in good faith. I have made several attempts to contact them to resolve this issue, but I have yet to receive a satisfactory response.I respectfully request that the BBB investigate this matter and assist in facilitating a resolution that includes the following:1. Immediate reactivation of my AppSumo account.2. Full access to the products I have purchased.AppSumo's handling of this situation has been deeply frustrating and unfair. I trust that the BBB can help ensure that this matter is resolved in a timely and just manner.Thank you for your assistance.Sincerely,***** **** AppSumo accounts: ******************* ********************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  Despite working with the customer to reach a resolution, the customer continues to write into our Support team every day asking for an update. Our Securities team (a separate **** from our Support team) has a significantly longer resolution time given the nature of the concerns they are handling. 

  Despite engaging in behavior clearly violating our Terms of Use, the customer is demanding account restoration. 

  The customer writes, "there is no clear indication of such restrictions in their terms of service or membership agreements", yet we have provided this information to them per our terms directly in emails. 

  Additionally, a screenshot was shared of the customer writing into our membership community where they clearly admitted "I didn't fully read the terms and conditions" (screenshot included in the attachments).

  Our team continues to work with this customer (see email attachments) and would appreciate their patience while we work to continue to review their case - even despite our Terms of Use being broken. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/22/2024

  Complaint: 22410091
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have been fully cooperative in providing all requested information, yet this issue has remained unresolved for over three weeks. Despite sending multiple emails and attempting to contact staff directly for an update, I have not received further communication regarding the case. Given the significant amount of money involved, this lack of response is concerning. I am also worried that if this continues, I may miss the dispute windows with my banks, potentially losing access to my purchases if my accounts are not deactivated.
  
  While I acknowledge that I may not have thoroughly reviewed the terms, I am dissatisfied with how this situation has been handled. When I applied for the refunds, no warnings were issued, which raises concerns. I want to clarify that my intention was not malicious - I simply repurchased the products at a discount.
  
  Despite these frustrations, I still hope to remain a loyal AppSumo customer. I would appreciate your prompt assistance in resolving this matter.

  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2024

  This customer continues to state that we have not replied, however, you will see from the screenshots that we have replied and followed up on:

  - October 30th

  - October 28th

  - October 22nd

  - October 15th

  The customer refuses to respond to the Securities team directly with the requested information and only engages with our company via live chat - despite being asked to respond to the Securities team. 

  Per my last message to BBB, the customer admits to going against our policy. The Terms of Service have been provided multiple times. 

  We will follow up again with them today in hopes of helping, however, we do not anticipate a response from this customer given their history. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/05/2024

  Complaint: 22410091
  
  Please refer to the attachment [Gmail - Re: Live Chat on Oct 11]. I have responded to every email from the security team, yet they continue to insist that I havent replied.
  In my responses, I have:

  1. Admitted fault for not thoroughly reading the terms.
  

  2. Submitted all necessary documents and provided reasons for my refund requests to support their investigation (both through the form submission and in emails).

  However, in their email sent on 10/28, they claimed I hadnt responded to any of their messages. Despite my repeated attempts to contact them via email and reaching out through support team on their website to forward my messages, I have only received a general response that they are working on it, without any substantial updates on the investigation into my accounts.

  This situation has been very stressful, and Im eager to resolve it as soon as possible. If this explanation is unclear, please feel free to reach out to me by phone, and I would be happy to discuss it in detail.

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

  Business Response

  Date: 11/12/2024

  Dexin, 
  
  As you can see from our many conversations provided previously, there are no replies to our emails in our Email Ticketing System nor our Spam inbox. 
  
  In order to ensure full due diligence, can you please forward all of your responses to our October 28th thread to *****************************?
  
  Our team has been working tirelessly to help and are eager to receive your responses. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2024

  Complaint: 22410091
  
  I have attached all the emails in the *** in my last response. I have included the entire thread again in the *** (sender time and information are highlighted in yellow). Please review it and investigate why they did not appear in your mailbox, as this could cause significant issues in the future.
  From 10/15 to 10/16, 3 emails were sent in response to your 10/15 7:03 PM email.
  From 10/22 to 10/24, 2 emails were sent in response to your 10/22 1:44 PM email.
  From 10/28 to 10/30, 3 emails were sent in response to your 10/28 6:28 AM email.
  From 10/30 to 11/5, 3 emails were sent in response to your 10/30 1:41 PM email.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/23/2024

  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 paid AppSumo for a lifetime account to JumpStory, but when I go to the website (******************************) it says the company closed down. Since they did not fulfill the terms of my purchase, I require a refund. AppSumo sold me lifetime access to a company that only lasted a few years, which is a ripoff and a shady practice.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2024

  
  Customer ***** purchased the FreshStock tool in November 2020 from the AppSumo website (a third party marketplace which sells software listed by the tool creators (our "partners"). He has been using the product since then (nearly 4 years). When you purchase a lifetime deal from AppSumo, this refers to the lifetime of the product rather than your lifetime. The nature of lifetime deals is that sometimes you'll have access to a product for many years for a low one-time price, and in other cases tools will occasionally shut down or otherwise become unavailable sooner than we'd hope.
  
  At this time, the FreshStock tool is now integrated within Design Pickle, and it is no longer functioning as a stand-alone product. While the assets still exist, they can only be accessed by customers with a Design Pickle subscription. Such is often the case with SaaS tools are they evolve and grow as the company and economy changes but - to reiterate - the product is still available for use. and was for nearly 4 years as a stand-alone product for the low cost of $69 (one time payment).
  
  Our refund policy provides customers with a ****** money-back guarantee, however, because nearly 4 years have passed, ***** is well outside the refund window by several years but refuses to acknowledge this. When we provided him with a coupon as a courtesy, he refuses and filed a BBB complaint.
  Our team has had frequent interactions with ***** and have tried at length to explain this to him as well as provide documentation from both our help center and terms of use:
  
  - ********************************************************************************
  
  - ***********************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2024

  Complaint: 22186897
  
  I am rejecting this response because you sent me the same generic response that you did on an entirely different claim. This is for JumpStory, not FreshStock. Stop being lazy and read the details of this particular claim.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/11/2024

  Hi *****,

  We apologize if our response feels generic or impersonal. Our intention is to reiterate the information that has been provided to you and showcase that our decisions are based on company policy. 

  Your initial complaint ("I purchased a lifetime account for FreshStock on Nov 5, 2020. Today, I logged into FreshStock and was greeted with the message, "Your subscription is expired - Because I paid for a lifetime account, and I am still alive, and the account is being denied access, I was sold a scam product and I demand either a refund or for my lifetime access to be restored. I do not accept a measly 10% discount on a future purchase as I no longer trust this company to deliver on what they offer") does focus on FreshStock, so that is what we responded to with priority. 

  As confirmed in our *********** (***********************************************************), "Once you purchase and redeem a lifetime deal, you have access to that tool for the lifetime of the product. As long as the tool is still available, the partner has agreed youll have access to it. While wed love to be able to guarantee that your purchase will last forever, as a third-party reseller, we cant always control what happens on the partner side of the things" - but note that this does not mean your lifetime. 

  Regarding JumpStory, JumpStory team announced the closure of their tool in July, 2024 due to not being able to financially sustain the company and having to file for bankruptcy. This tool was first for sale in our store December 2019. Because you purchased JumpStory more than a year ago in February 2020, were unable to provide a refund either in the form of AppSumo credits, or to any other type of reimbursement for this tool as it is several years outside of our refund window.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/11/2024

  Complaint: 22186897
  
  I am rejecting this response because: you are not offering any compensation for a "lifetime" account that "ended". I love how you say, "Hi *****" then go on to say, "We apologize if our response feels generic or impersonal." Feels impersonal? My name is *****. Not *****. What a joke. My point was that you incorrectly responded to the complaint referencing a completely different company. I will not accept anything but a refund or at minimum, a partial refund. You sold me a faulty product and are unwilling to do anything about it.

  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/06/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  February 14th, there was a charge from my bank account in the amount of $29.00. I've never heard of this company. I have tried reaching out twice for a refund and explanation. I haven't even got a response.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/01/2024

  Good evening, 

  My name is ***, *******'s Senior Customer Experience Manager and I am contact you on behalf of customer ********************************* who filled a report on us due to not receiving a response from our Support team. The complain ID is: ********. 

  I'm so sorry to hear that ****** didn't receive our response, however, I can assure you we responded twice to ****** - without a reply from him. 

  Attached you will see our auto-reply which was sent to ******, followed by a response from our Senior Support Specialist ****** on March 7th to ***************** in ticket thread #******. 
  
  In our. most recent reply, we asked ****** for additional information to help locate his unauthorized charge in question. Please know that our Support team takes unauthorized charges very seriously and has a ********************* entirely dedicated to assisting with these types of concerns. We pride ourselves on having an average 24-hour resolution time when it comes to helping customer complaints. 
  
  In order to ensure that a response is received, I will also be reaching out to you directly at ***************************************************** through my Gmail in hopes of getting this resolved. 

  Please let me know if you need anything else from me or our team at this time. 
  
  Thank you! 
  
  - *******************
  Senior Customer Experience Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/12/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  Appsumo deactivated my account along with undelivered purchases in the form of digital products and software. They stated that it's their sole discretion and that I might have violated their TOS which was made in 2022. I've been a member and a user since 2020 and they have held over $3000 in merchandise unactivated and not refunded. They stopped replying to emails.They deactivated two accounts ******************** ******************** They have over $6000 of software on lifetime subscription combined locked up.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/20/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  Hi team Appsumo blocked the refunds on my account and hence, I was unable to request the refund on their portal. Now, when I am reaching out to them through their email support, it took them 12 weeks to get back to me and now they are saying that the refund period is over. Invoice ID ************************************ Amount $240.30 Product - *********** I would request you to help me get the refund. Otherwise, I will file a chargeback against them. Thanks *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 purchased a Life-time deal for a software called Active Webinar from Sumo Group, Inc. However, I was locked out of my account and was unable to gain access. Due to several months of going back and forth, and not be able to access my account, I requested a refund to be issued. I was refused a refund so I have a lawyer to write a letter on my behalf due to the lack of response or progress. A lawyer has not been retained. We received a response from their legal department asking me if I will still like a refund. I responding to the email stating that I will still like a refund and would like to know when the refund could be issued. Time went by and we received no response so I sent a follow up email. Sumo Group, *** representative stated they can no longer respond to me but would contact my lawyer directly. The lawyer that wrote the letter on my behalf, has yet to receive a response from Sumo Group, Inc. I have attached the letter in which the lawyer has written on my behalf as well as the email from the Sumo Group, Inc. Please let me know if you need anymore information for me to get this issue resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  Appsumo sells software that is for lifetime use. They due due diligence on companies and founders and sell the lifetime codes/licences at deep discounts. I purchased Abhisi.com support software five codes for $279.45 on 11/18/2020 The product started giving issues after few months and I contacted Abhisi support multiple times but they didn't fix the spamming issue that happened form their tool.Abhisi eventually shutdown even before giving its value back and it cheated all its customers by not refunding the amounts.Appsumo got commission from Abhisi Sales and if Abhisi tanked, Appsumo should be returning at least the commissions they received for a software they sold for lifetime use.Appsumo is also selectively discriminating. On some products that shut down, they worked with founders to give full refunds. On some products that did well, they changed the terms and took side with founders to dupe early investors.Here ****** closed and Appsumo should refund full money. They should also publish their contract and full terms on how they protect customer interests when they do due diligence in bringing Appsumo Select products on their website for lifetime deals