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: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.

  [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,
  
  ***** *****
  
  

  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

• 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.

  [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,
  
  ****** *****
  
  

  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.

• 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.

  [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
  
  

  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. 

   

• 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.

  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.

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

  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.

  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,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  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.

  Complaint: ********
  
  The extensive reply from the company amounts to mere empty talk. I can substantiate that I ended up paying approximately $300 more by opting for their monthly plan over a three-year period, compared to what I would have paid with their annual plan, which was mysteriously absent during my initial sign-up. Despite their ongoing claims of the existence of an annual plan (without any supporting evidence), it was not visible during the sign-up process; otherwise, I would have undoubtedly chosen it. 
  
  It is inconceivable that any rational consumer would willingly stick with a company for three years, knowingly opting for a monthly plan when a yearly one could have saved them around $300. The undeniable truth remains: ******** has profited an additional $300 from this situation, yet they refuse to rectify the matter by offering a reasonable solution, such as a 50% discount over the next few years to compensate for my financial loss. 
  
  Their proposed resolution is nothing more than what they would provide to any new subscriber, irrespective of whether they suffered a substantial monetary loss like mine. It appears they either fail to grasp the gravity of the issue at hand or deliberately divert attention to trivial matters, such as the presence or absence of certain details during the sign-up process, which they cannot substantiate themselves. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  tening. They refused to offer a 50% discount on a 4-year plan (equivalent to $300), citing fairness to other customers.Their notion of fairness raises ethical questions. Other customers didn't suffer a $300 loss due to the absence of the annual plan during my sign-up. Their persistence in this stance seems like an attempt to retain my money, disregarding my legitimate concerns. It's frustrating that, despite my financial loss, they continue promoting their services to me with new customer promotions.I want to emphasize that I never requested a refund. My only request was a fair offer to return to their platform.The underlying issue is Wondrium's failure to understand customer satisfaction and ethical responsibility. They've not only provided unsatisfactory service but also profited from my $300 extra. I caution potential customers to consider alternatives that prioritize customer concerns and satisfaction.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2023

  To Whom It May ******************** you for the opportunity to respond to the consumers complaint (Case #********).  The consumers complaint concerns The Great Courses Plus, which is now called Wondrium. Wondrium is a subscription service for streaming education and learning videos available on **** and other platforms. 

  The consumer signed up for the monthly subscription plan at $19.99 per month on April 3, 2018, via the ********** platform.  The monthly payments are made via the consumers credit card.  At the time of signing up for the monthly subscription, the company offered two subscription plans on the **** platform:  an annual plan (12 months) payable in one upfront payment of $179.99; and a monthly plan at $19.99 per month, payable over a 12-month period.   Both subscription plans were presented to the consumer when he signed up on April 3, 2018. The consumer elected to proceed with the monthly subscription plan with monthly payments of $19.99, and the consumers credit card charged $19.99 each month until the consumer cancelled the subscription on June 13, 2023.

  On June 16, 2023, the company emailed the consumer a special price to join as a returning customer.  On September 3, 2023, the consumer responded that he was not aware of any annual subscription plan.  Over the next 10 days, the company engaged with the consumer, who ultimately wanted a special discount going forward at a 50% discount, because he felt he paid too much for the monthly plan when the annual plan was available. The company responded that it did not have the plan the consumer requested.  The company offered the current annual and quarterly plan pricing options for returning customers.  The consumer rejected these offers and filed this BBB complaint on September 22, 2023.   

  Both the monthly and annual plan options were presented to the consumer when the consumer initially signed up,and the consumer chose the monthly plan The options between a monthly subscription plan and an annual subscription plan were equally and fairly presented to the consumer at the time of sign-up in 2018.  Upon selecting the monthly subscription plan,the consumer was billed accordingly until the consumer cancelled the subscription as noted above.  The consumer freely selected their membership plan from the two plans offered. 

  Please be assured that we are committed to delivering excellent customer service to all our customers and this is no exception.  We have offered the current plans to the consumer available to our returning customers.  The consumer has no objection to the quality of the products and service received. Instead, the consumer wants a special 50% discount, which the company cannot do. 

  Please let us know if you require additional information.  

  Sincerely, 

  Wondrium Team