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:07/06/2025

  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.

  Great Courses Plus worked wonderfully during the free trial and then stopped working imeediately once they had my money.For the 1st 2 weeks Great Courses Plus worked flawlessly, but since the free trial ended the videos all simply evaporate off my phone.I'm AUTISTIC, semi-homeless and couldn't get through school the way the rest of you take for granted and Great Courses Plus was the very first time in my life that I have been able to get access to any of this information about the world, the universe and the people in it. I was overwhelmed with joy at finding a way to study things like physics and communication and immediately started downloading all these wonderful courses.Then the free trial ended and I discovered that Great Courses Plus is an outright SCAM and that all the courses are literally VAPORWARE that dissolves off my phone regardless of how much of my time and wifi I waste downloading them over and over.I have spent longer than the free trial at this point, trying to get this SCAM to work and I AM NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH A REFUND.Starting SATURDAY, 12 JULY 2025 I will start making and posting ******* videos about how Great Courses Plus staff STEAL FROM *******.It's SICK and SADISTIC to s**** with disabled people this way and the people at Great Courses have until 11 July, 2025 to make this scam work on at least 1 Android, after which I'll be putting up videos about how Great Courses STEALS FROM ********.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/30/2025

  Dear BBB and Consumer:

  Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to respond to the complaint ID# ********. We take customer feedback seriously and are committed to resolving any issues that may arise.

  We would like to clarify that the customers experience with our platform had no correlation to their disability. The issue experienced was due to a known technical issue impacting all users of our Android app who were downloading lectures. We are happy to report that this issue has since been resolved.

  In an effort to make things right and as a sign of goodwill, we offered the customer a complimentary ******* membership, allowing them to reconnect with our courses and try the platform again. We hope this gesture demonstrates our commitment to ensuring a positive experience for all our users.

  We have already reached out to the customer to discuss their concerns further, and we are currently waiting for a response. Once we have heard back from the customer and have had the opportunity to discuss the matter directly, we will provide a more detailed update and formal response to the BBB.

  Thank you for your understanding. We remain committed to resolving this matter in a timely and satisfactory manner.

  Great Courses Plus Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/30/2025

  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 returned 15 courses to The Great Courses on 9/19/24 & 10/15/24 via **** certified mail . Since 2009, I've bought hundreds of courses from this company. They guaranteed satisfaction, so I returned a few of the courses that were either duplicate purchases or inferior quality. When I called for status a month later, they told me it could take up to 2 months. I have called every month since then without a resolution. My latest call was 2/21/25. They told me they had to taken detailed notes on my prior call, but since nothing was done, they would expedite my request to their claims department. It is 5 weeks later and I have still heard nothing. I would prefer an exchange for other courses that I suggested on the return, or alternatively, a refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond and work toward a resolution with the consumer. 

  We attempted to contact the customer by phone and left a voicemail on April 10th. Following that, we sent a detailed email outlining the next steps in the resolution process. 

  At this time, we are awaiting a response from the customer before proceeding further. 

  Sincerely, 

  Customer Service Manager

  Business Response

  Date: 04/14/2025

  Greetings BBB and Consumer:

  We wanted to clarify that our initial response was simply to inform your organization that the resolution process was underway. It was always our intention to provide a more detailed update once a final resolution had been reached.

  I am happy to report that as of April 14th, we have successfully communicated with the consumer. We appreciate the consumer being very patient and understanding throughout this process. 

  After conducting a thorough investigation, we discovered that our warehouse never received the package. Unfortunately, as a result, the return and exchange did not take place. The consumer kindly provided a tracking number; however, due to the time that has passedalmost a yearthe tracking number no longer yields any results.

  Despite never receiving the return, as a courtesy, we processed a return for a gift certificate. This gift certificate was then used to pay for the new courses (exchange), ensuring the customer received the requested product.

  We are pleased to inform you that the consumer is now satisfied with the resolution.

  Thank you for your attention to this case.

  Sincerely, 

  Customer Service Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/19/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. I would like to thank you for your help. Had you not sent a complaint to them, there is no doubt they would have ignored the matter, hoping I would give up.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2025

  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 tried Great Courses on a free trial. I found nothing of value to me when scrolling through their offerings on day one. I forgot that I was on a trial and was charged a $30 monthly fee for something that is useless to me and I'll never use. I canceled the subscription and reached out for a refund immediately within minutes of being charged. Two customer service **** have refused to refund my money.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond. 

  We respectfully believe that our subscription terms were clearly described during and readily available after the enrollment process. On the final screen of the enrollment process, before clicking Join now, our Terms of Services are available to be read. We also provide the statement that "You agree that your membership will begin immediately. You agree that at the end of your free trial, The Great Courses will automatically continue your membership and charge the membership fee to your payment method until you cancel." It is the responsibility of the customer to cancel their membership before the auto renewal date to ensure they are not billed. 

  While we do not believe any credit is required, we aim to provide **************************** and are happy to issue you a refund. A $30 refund was processed for the account, ************************* Please allow 5 to 7 business days for the refund to clear your bank.

  We appreciate you taking the time to share your customer experience. We hope the ******************** and the consumer finds our response and action clear, fair and helpful.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2025

  Type:Product 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 noticed a charge on my credit card on Jan 12 for an unrecognized service. When I looked into it, it said it was from The Great Courses. I was not aware that I had a subscription and did not receive a notice of the impending charge. I contacted Great Courses on January 15 to request my account be cancelled and for a refund. They refused saying I agreed to terms that stated they would not provide a refund after a payment had posted. I do not have a record of agreeing to these terms.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

  Before subscribing, a customer can read our Terms. The next billing date is always accessible in the My Account section. Additionally, we send a payment reminder email 30 days prior to the charge.

  While we do not believe a refund is necessary, our *********************** team issued a refund on January 22nd. Please allow up to 7 business days for the refund to clears the customer's bank account. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/23/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  Brittany Rock
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2024

  Type:Product 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.

  They claim to have sent a refund to my *************** account on May *******. My account doesnt show a credit. No refund has been received in any of the following months. I have received two emails from them without any explanation.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/28/2024

  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.

  Sept. 25, 2024 I mailed a check #**** for a DVD Great Courses for $54.32 for DVD's as advertised in a catalog. I have been ordering from this company for many years and have about 100 of their courses. Ii had not received the order and when I inquired was told the order was being held up by the *******************, that my check had not been sent to the bank, that my order had shipped, I have many E-mails of lies and several phone conversations of lies. My check has not been sent to the bank, per inquiry to my bank, the order has not been mailed, as far as I know the DVD's have not been manufactured. Great Courses is still accepting credit card orders but has failed to even submit my check to it's bank. Based on the lies and misinformation from Great Courses I believe they are going out of business but are still taking credit cards.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/03/2024

  Video FINALLY received 11/2/24!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2024

  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.

  This issue has been discussed with the company for several months. I have purchased 95 courses ranging in price from $25.00 to over $100.00. As part of the purchase of most courses, the Great Courses agreed to provides free online streaming. There was not mentioned that this streaming would be provided through their app or that advertising would be made on that streaming at the same time. When I discussed my displeasure with the advertising, I was told the app was their app and they could do what they wanted with it. I told them I had a ground line hookup to my telephone that was owned by the phone company but they did not advertise on my phone. What was the difference? They flatly refused to stop using my Ipad to advertise. They previously had entered ads for future courses which I objected to, to no avail. Now they are putting flags on by course pictures in my menu blocking my view of the courses. I have objected many times without a solution. The advertising resulting in my purchases clearly indicated by purchase of the course involved free online streaming. The purchase made the online streaming as my property and not mention was made of having to share that streaming property with The Great Courses. I feel they are trespassing on my property and I am demanding they stop. Your help in facilitating this action would be appreciated.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2024

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the consumers complaint (Case #********).  The consumers complaint is in reference to labeling that appears on some of our The Great Courses video title cards within the consumers video library of purchased courses. This labeling to which the consumer objects, identifies the consumers purchased DVD courses.  The company provides a complimentary service to consumers which service allows the consumer to stream the videos directly from The Great Courses mobile apps and website.  The courses are identified in the form of a title card (similar to the packaged DVD cover),which shows the course name, and related images or photos.   This title card appears in the consumers video library, which video library contains all of the consumers DVD purchased courses. Additional detail on the title card appearing in the consumers video library may denote that the course currently is in a sale, via a sale banner appearing on across the bottom of the title card, or some other current course promotion.  The title card in the consumers video library is the same title card for the course as it currently appears on the main website which all customers see.    When the title card on the main website is changed, the title card in the consumers video library will also change.   This is a universal feature, and we cannot customize each title card in a consumers video library.  
  
  Please be assured that we are committed to delivering excellent customer service to all of our customers and this is no exception.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  

  Sincerely, 

  The Great Courses Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/22/2024

  Type:Product 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 was a Great Courses Plus subscriber until 2023. Great Courses sent me solicitations saying that they had improved their offerings and would let me resubscribe at a discounted rate. I decided to resubscribe, but I was unable watch any video. I followed all the instructions provided by Great Courses to set up my account and hardware, but nothing worked. Their system did not recognize my account and kept telling me I needed to create a Great Courses (not plus) account, link to ********************** (not plus) account, create a second Great Courses Plus account, etc. Their system kept bouncing me between these different contradictory instructions endlessly. I spent a day after creating my new account, trying to get the Great Courses system to function, and then I decided it wasn't worth the frustration and cancelled my subscription.Great Courses was aware that my account had only been open for one day and I had not watched video content, but they refused to refund the amount they charged for a three-month subscription. They insisted that they do not offer any refunds according to the terms of use. I pointed out that the Terms of Use require that they provide me with a service I can use, but that doesn't seem to matter to them.Great Courses was a good company years ago, but they seem to be more like a scam now.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/24/2024

  My full first name is: *******.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2024

  To Whom It May ************************** you for the opportunity to respond to the consumer's complaint. 

  We offer two different products: The Great Courses and The Great Courses Plus. 

  The Great Courses is our a la carte business. Customers may purchase DVDs and downloads to own. The Great Courses Plus is our streaming subscription service. Customers pay a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee to access all content on The Great Courses Plus platform. 

  In early June, we released a new feature that would allow a user, of both products, to link their accounts together, if desired. This will allow a customer to access their purchased/own content from their subscription account. 

  We strive to provide excellent customer service. We sincerely apologize that the customer was stuck in a sign in loop. Our records indicate the consumer was refunded $32.72 on June 20th. 

  We ask that this request be reopened and updated to reflect that the customer's request was resolved. 

  Sincerely, 

  The Great Courses Plus Team 

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2024

  To Whom It May ************************** you for the opportunity to respond to the consumer's complaint. 

  We offer two different products: The Great Courses and The Great Courses Plus. 

  The Great Courses is our a la carte business. Customers may purchase DVDs and downloads to own. The Great Courses Plus is our streaming subscription service. Customers pay a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee to access all content on The Great Courses Plus platform. 

  In early June, we released a new feature that would allow a user, of both products, to link their accounts together, if desired. This will allow a customer to access their purchased/own content from their subscription account. 

  We strive to provide excellent customer service. We sincerely apologize that the customer was stuck in a sign in loop. Our records indicate the consumer was refunded $32.72 on June 20th. 

  We ask that this request be reopened and updated to reflect that the customer's request was resolved. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/26/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/12/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 complaint is about order confirmation # **********. I got DVDs ordered from this company this month. I was under the impression that the 12 DVDs were going to be in 12 different cases. I saw that multiple DVDs were mounted in each of two cases and one case had a lose DVD. The DVDs were stacked to stuff them in one case. So if you want to watch the bottommost DVD, you will have to remove all above it each time. The DVD cases are of the size used to store one DVD. I have not watched any DVD. I never saw this way of packing DVDs. This was not advertised by the business. The business packs DVDs in this way to make more money later by charging customers for new DVDs for replacing the broken ones. I have not counted the DVDs that I got because of how they were stacked. I mention 12 DVDs since the business advertised 12 DVDs. I did not unstack the DVDs. So I have not inspected them for scratches and cracks. I am concerned that they will break if I try to separate them. If they break while taking out, it will not be my fault. The business has deceived me. I should not be expected to waste time on packing these DVDs into boxes and go to post office to return them to this company. If the DVDs have not broken already, they will break over time due to fall due to the way the company provided them. The company should refund $104.46 to my credit card immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/29/2023

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the consumer’s complaint (Case #********). 
  
  The consumer ordered a 2-course set of our The Great Courses DVDs, with a total of 12 DVDs in the set, on December 4, 2023.  Upon receipt of the DVD set, the consumer contacted our customer service team via email on December 11, 2023, with concerns regarding the DVD packaging.
  
  The consumer was concerned about the DVDs being stacked within the case and requested we provide additional empty DVD cases.  Our customer service team responded via email on December 14, 2023, to address the consumer’s concerns, provide additional information regarding the packaging, and assure the consumer that although we are not able to provide additional empty DVD cases, the DVDs are 100% guaranteed and that we’ll replace any at no cost to the consumer should they break, scratch, warp, or will not play.  Additionally, our customer service team did try to reach out to the consumer with a follow-up telephone call but were unable to reach the consumer as there was no answer and the option to leave voicemail was unavailable.
  
  Should the consumer still prefer to return the order, we are happy to process a return for the consumer upon receipt of the returned order. Please be assured that we are committed to delivering excellent customer service to all of our customers and this is no exception.
  
  Sincerely, 

  ******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  We have been doing business with The Great Courses (previously The Teaching Company) for over 30 years. In August, after receiving a course that we decided not to listen to because the Wondrium courses are not near the quality of their other courses, so we returned it unopened on August 16th asking for a refund of our purchase price, as they promised on their website. We also returned 2 other courses after reading that if we were not happy with the quality they would put a credit on our account for the amounts paid. They have acknowledged receiving these 3 courses to their company. We have contacted them asking for the refund and credits, and have been told to be patient. We believe that almost 3 months is pretty unacceptable, and would like this resolved. They give no estimate of resolution, just "be patient."

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2023

  I informed The Great Courses that I had contacted the BBB.  The next day they issued a credit for one of the 3 courses that I returned.  They are supposedly working on the credits for the other 2 courses.  Apparently just knowing that you would be involved was enough for them to handle this.  I appreciate your follow up as well.

   

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the consumers complaint (Case #********) regarding delayed processing of a refund for a total of two returned orders which included a total of three The Great Courses (TGC) DVD(s).  Due to a recent change to a new customer management software, there are some issues with processing returns and issuing refunds.  
  
  We sincerely regret and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in processing the consumers refunds. We were able to process a refund for $64.12 back to the consumers credit card on November 6, 2023, for the returned order including one TGC DVD. A refund check was issued in the amount of $75.74 for the second returned order, for two TGC DVDs.  The refund check was mailed to the consumers billing address on file on November 24, 2023. The consumer should receive the check within 7 to 10 business days (about 1 and a half weeks).  
  
  Please be assured that we are committed to delivering excellent customer service to all of our customers and this is no exception.

  Sincerely, 

  ******************, Wondrium Support Manager

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/28/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************