ComplaintsforShopify Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  11/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Super frustrated with Shopify's extreme delays in payouts. Lack of transparency in timeline and False promises. Basis for Complaint: - Payout Delays: Extreme delay in Payout without any proper explanation or concrete timeline - Lack of Transparency: Despite repeated requests, Shopify failed to provide clear reasons for the delays or updates. Requesting Actions: - Clear Timeline: Immediate provision of a specific payout date or timeline. - Request for Compensation: Due to the business impact of the delayed payouts, I requesting for compensation for losses incurred. - Improve Communication: Shopify should improve transparency and communication with clients, especially regarding sensitive issues like financial transactions. Shopify Support conversation summary with ticket numbers: 2024 May 2 - Ticket # ********: Support Agent ******. He confirmed the account was under review, which was causing the delay. Despite assurances to expedite the review process, I did not receive a satisfactory explanation for the delays or a concrete timeline for resolution. 2024 May 4 - Ticket # ********: Support Agent **********. She acknowledged the lack of payout dates on my account and noted that my account was still under review. ********** escalated the issue internally. During this conversation I was also promised the payouts will happen in 1 week. But, never happened. 2024 May 7 - Ticket # ********: Support Agent *****. He explained that my account was undergoing verification, which is standard for new merchants but failed to provide a specific timeline for when I could expect the resolution. No definitive answer or progress on my payouts. 2024 May 8 - Ticket # ********: Support Agent *******. She cited a thorough review as the reason for the delay and assured me of prioritization. However, yI expressed concerns about the lack of specific information and the repetitive nature of the responses, which did not address the actual progress of my case.

  

  Business response

  12/05/2024

  Hello ******** ****,
  
  Thank you for getting in touch and for providing that information. My name is *****, I'm an Operations Lead at Shopify and I'll be glad to help you with this.
  
  After reviewing your message, I spoke with our Merchant Trust team, who have let me know that the payout hold on your account was placed by our banking partners. When a hold is placed by our banking partners, it can take a little extra time compared to when a hold is placed directly by us. Our Merchant Trust team has reached out to our banking partners to inquire about this hold, and typically these are resolved within 2-3 business days once this reachout has occured, unless further information is required. (I cannot gaurantee that it will be resolved in that time however).
  
  The Merchant Trust team has also sent you this information and some additional information in a new ticket, number ************************************* 
  
  I recognize how imporatnt it is to get your payouts going for your business and as mentioned above, I have taken steps to try and have them resumed as soon as possible. However, we are unable to provide compensation related to this process as this review process is consistent with the Shopify Payments Terms of Service (TOS).
  
  Should you have any further questions, while you can definitely ask them here, you can also ask them directly to the Merchant Trust team on the ticket mentioned above, as they will be best equipped to answer questions related to the payout hold.
  
  Kind Regards,
  ***** * | Operations Lead

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have two Shopify Plus stores with you guys. A few days you guys locked me out of my account for no reason. After uploading the documents your account security team demanded, I got another email asking even more documents because the security officier in charge was not satisfied with the documents I uploaded. I uploaded more IDs and document as per the second email. Then the account security just ghosted on me and refused to answer any questions nor unlock my account for me. Mr. **** from the account security team is really difficult to get a hold of nor to figure out what additional documents might satisfy him - this is essentially pushing us off Shopify to find other alternative ecom planforms. If that's the case, why not just be straightforward and not waste my and your time on this matter. I am only describing this discriminatory case here because the account security team is impossible to reach and we have no choice but to go to another platform.

  

  Business response

  11/05/2024

  Hello *** ***,
  
  My name is *****. I'm an Operations Lead here at Shopify, and I'll be glad to help you with this.
  
  Generally speaking, due to public nature of the *** in order to look into the issue with you, we would send you an email so we can authenticate you for the account, and work through any appropriate next steps related to your issue. In this case, it appears that you may not have provided an email address along with this *** complaint. In order for me to look deeper into your specific issue/store, would you be able to respond to this complaint with your email address, so I can reach out to you directly and discuss your specific store?
  
  As I do not have your email currently and cannot look directly into your store, I am unable to provide store specific information. That being said, I wanted to share that when our Accounts team locks an account, it is usually to preserve the security and integrity of a store from bad actors. From the screenshots you provided which look to be communication with our Accounts team, this appears to be the case. We recognize that not having access to your account can be a disruption to your business, however if a bad actor has gained access to your email or account, locking the account prevents them from making any changes that may cause even greater disruption or damage to your business. Security is very important to us, which is why the Accounts team will require certain information to verify you as the Account Owner or Staff Member on an account before unlocking it, to make sure your account is secure.
  
  All that being said, as mentioned above I'll be happy to look into your specific store once I have more information. If you can reply back with your email address that would be great. In addition, if you can provide any current ticket numbers of your tickets with our Accounts team, that will help me get up to speed on the issue and next steps even more quickly.
  
  I look forward to your response.
  
  Kind Regards,
  ***** * | Operations Lead

• Initial Complaint

  08/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Shopify put my payouts on hold with no notifications. They have my money, their customer service doens’t reply me and I am completely in the dark. I have a small jewelry store in Manhattan and only use shopify for POS, none of my clients ever had any issues with my products. I never even got a return request. I need money to pay my employees and bills. Please resolve this issue asap! Thanks.

  

  Business response

  13/05/2024

  Hello *********, 
  

  My name is ****, I am a Support Lead here at Shopify. 
  

  Thank you for reaching out to share your recent experience with a Shopify Payout hold. We understand how account review can be frustrating and are happy to confirm that upon review I can see that this issue has since been resolved. For additional information on this case, our banking partners had requested an account review before payout release. This account review is standard process when using a payment gateway and is typically resolved within 24-48hours. 
  
  Please let me know if you would like additional information regarding your case, due to the pulblic nature of *** and the internal account information this involves we will have to move to a private email thread for discussion. 
  
  Kind regards, 
  **** | Shopify 

  Customer response

  13/05/2024

  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  Although Shopify should have notified me about it and made the review within 48h they didn't, which was extremely stressful and frustrating. Leaving my trust in the platform shaken. 
  
  At the end with 5 days of no replies or updates from their customer service, my payouts were released. 
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 21685307, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********** *******

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hey!shopify has closed my account and hold my funds for 130 days now.they still didnt send my payout!!!

  

  Business response

  05/05/2024

  Hello ******,
  
  ***** here, an Operations Lead at Shopify.
  
  Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding your payout hold and including the screenshot of the email you have with our Merchant Trust Team. In order to address your specific concerns, please respond back to that email directly. The Merchant Trust Team is the best suited team to answer your questions and concerns about your payouts.
  
  Thank you,
  *****

  Customer response

  07/05/2024

   
  Complaint: 21661181
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  27/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On April 24th my SHOPIFY WEBSITE -Account | ********************************* was placed on hold - effectively they have Hijacked my website not allowing me even access to any of my content - I am UNABLE to log in / cannot advise my customers of this issue - without my website I have no business. Shopify advised that they are "reconsiderng my account for eligibility to use Shopify' - and asked for a whole heap of information under these headings - such as * Proof of address * Proof of business association * Proof of inventory * ************ links related to your business (if none, please explain how are you driving traffic to your store) - also advising if one is unavailable, to provide a relevant substitute and/or an explanation as to why it cannot be provided etc. 1.Firstly I am horrified how a supposedly reputable company as Shopify can HIJACK / close down my website until I prove that I am essentially a business. With no correspondence they had concerns - they basically took my last 5 years worth of work and put it ON HOLD.2.I have been in business business(es) for over ********************************************************* ********* the highest awards in our country. You dont achieve this status by being a bogus business. I have provided them my LinkedIN in page so they can verify that I am a reputable business owner. 3. in all my years of business I have NEVER had my content hijacked by a website platform or to justify who or what I am. 4.The time I have spent on the Shopify website is excessive to get it to this stage so I have provided them with as much information as possible plus TESTIMONIALS from high profile Australians who recently backed our business for funding for proof WITH NO TELEPHONE SUPPORT I cannot move my business forward. I am locked out of my account / no website / no nothing - I am appalled. Shopify can make or BREAK a business it seems. My Shopify Account | *********************************

  

  Business response

  29/04/2024

  Hi *******************, 
  
  My name is ****, I am a Support Lead here at Shopify. Thank you for providing information on your recent experience setting up a Shopify store. 
  
  Due to the public nature of *** and the internal account settings this issue mentions, I have sent through a private email to discuss further. Please note that when merging a new payment gateway to a store our banking partners may request proof of product inventory and/or proof of account identity for security purposes. Once this information is sent through the Shopify Admin, a review of these documents must be approved by Shopify as well as the Banking Partners. 
  
  As mentioned above, I've sent through a seperate email to go over the specifics for this account. 
  
  Speak soon, 
  **** | Shopify

  Customer response

  30/04/2024

  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that they have refunded my initial 12 month shopify SAAS payment and reactivated my account on **********************. The explanation was very nonchalant with no real explanation but I am grateful for your assistance as at least we can now trade. 

  Please note since having gone through this ordeal I have spoken with at least 4 other Australian Shopify accounts who have gone through a similar experience sadly.  - thank you for your assistance. Much appreciated
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******************************

• Initial Complaint

  26/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Shopify is double charging me and keeps saying it is from the month before. I sent screenshots of payments received and AFTER that date there were at least 5 other attempts to withdraw another $29 in that same month. They refuse to address my concerns and keep sending me screenshots of my payments and ignoring the fact they are trying to STEAL payments. They have been paid this month and tried to charge me again yesterday and Wednesday. They are harassing me at this point.

  

  Business response

  01/05/2024

  Hello *******, 
  
  My name is **** and I'm a Support Lead at Shopify. I understand how important proper billing is to the success of your business and I'm happy to help. 
  
  I have reviewed your billing history and your prior tickets with Support. I understand what has happened in this instance, however due to the public nature of the *** I am unable to provide specific details here, as this is not an authenticated channel. However, I have reached out to the account owner email address for your store, with more information about your billing and your refund request. 
  
  Please let me know if you have any further questions. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****
  Support Lead | Shopify
  
  

  Customer response

  01/05/2024

  
  Complaint: 21630999
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I see this is ALWAYS going to be my FAULT! NO matter what information Shopify is sent yall clearly REFUSE to even acknowledge something is WRONG! I am not longer going to be worried about Shopify STEALING as I am going to take MY OWN PREVENTATIVE methods. Shopify has ZERO accountability and is standing on that. Yet there is ONE rep that took the time to really look at the double billing issue, but they are ignoring that so they can continue to harrass me. 

  ****
  2:25 pm
  Hi *******,
  This is **** again, from Shopify Support.  I wanted to reach out to provide further clarification regarding the billing concerns you raised during our recent conversation.
  After reviewing your account, it appears that the multiple charges you observed on your bills were due to the timing misalignment between Shopify's billing cycle and the billing cycles of certain payments. This discrepancy led to charges appearing on different bills, causing confusion.
  I understand your confusion. Rest assured, we are actively working to rectify this issue and ensure that your billing is accurate moving forward. Also, you can check your payment timeline but going to Shopify admin > Settings > Billing > choose a bill > payment timeline: SCREENSHOT ATTACHED

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

  

  Business response

  07/05/2024

  Hello *******, 
  
  I know how vital it is to understand your finances, and to ensure that you are being billed appropriately. I have confirmed that your billing is accurate, and I have sent a timeline of your recent invoice to explain in detail the charges in ticket ********. Additionally, your requested resolution of a credit in the amount of $29 has been applied to your account as a goodwill gesture. 
  
  If you have any further questions about your invoice history, please reply to ticket ********. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****
  Support Lead | Shopify

  Customer response

  07/05/2024

  
  Complaint: 21630999
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the *** is a JOKE and has been NO help in getting Shopify to LOOK at the information presented and see that there is an issue to be looked into. I'm not even asking for MONEY, I am only asking that Shopify STOP STEALING from me through double-billing. Instead Shopify responds using braindead canned responses. So with that being said, it is my hope that each and every person who has worked on this case have the exact same feelings I have now in EVERY transaction you are involved in both your personal and professional life. It is my hope that every business and personal transaction you are involved in you receive the same level of service that you have provided to me.
  
  Sincerely,

  
  I AM DONE!

• Initial Complaint

  26/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve been charged over $450 within the last twelve months for an email associated with an account I’ve been deactivated. I was told to create a new Shopify in order to use the url I wanted however later found out out I did not have to do that so I continued using my original account . I have since deactivated set account and I am still continuously being charged and Shopify refuses to refund me despite me advising I am out of job and can’t afford to keep being charged as I am displaced and homeless . This company frauded me from beginning by advising to open new account trying to have me pay more as well as continuing to charge me even when they clearly see I closed account .

  

  Business response

  28/04/2024

  Hello *******,
  
  My name is *** and I’m a Support Lead at Shopify.
  
  Thank you for sending this complaint through to us. I can recognize this situation has not been ideal and I shall be reviewing your store to determine what has occurred. 
  
  Due to the public nature of the *** I am unable to discuss account specific details. I shall email you at the email provided on this complaint with some questions to authenticate yourself and the store and once this is answered I’ll be able to investigate. 
  
  
  Warm Regards
  
  *** - Shopify Support Lead

• Initial Complaint

  25/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I opened a Shopify account with hopes of utilizing the platform to make the checkout process better for my customers. I paid for a subscription in the amount of $348 on March 25, 2024. I set up my account and was told that the setup process was successful based on the onboarding tasks that are provided by Shopify. My Shopify store went live on April 6, ******************************** I waited a few days thinking that the payment needed to go through a process as listed on the Shopify *********** page guide. The information listed gives the indication that if you wait for some time the issue will resolve itself after the credit card company and Shopify resolve the backend process. I can see that the customer paid, however, the credit card payment never reached my account. I contacted the Shopify *********** on April 21, 2024 via their chat and asked to chat with an advisor. I spoke with *****, who told me that there is something going on with the payment on the backend side and ***** stated that she had escalated the matter and someone would be in touch with me asap, but no one has been in contact with me. At this point, I am afraid of having other orders come in and the payments are pending. I reached out to the Shopify *********** again today, April 25, 2024 since there is no phone number to speak to a live person and again I was told by **** that there is nothing that can be done, there is no way to escalate my issue to a live person for immediate resolution, and I will have to continue to wait for an unknown period of time. I feel like this is unacceptable because I am trying to operate a business that currently has a payment process that is capturing payments that are not being deposited to my account and the only thing that Shopify agents say when you contact them is wait. Can you please help me get a resolution? At this point I don't know what to do or if any additional information is needed from me to resolve this. Please help.

  

  Business response

  30/04/2024

  Hi *******, 
  
  My name is ************** am a Support Lead here at Shopify. 
  
  Thank you for letting us know about this issue. Due to the public nature of the ***, I am unable to discuss account details in this portal. I have sent you an email to the address provided with more information. Please respond to ticket ******** directly if you have any questions or concerns. 
  
  Thanks, 
  ***** | Shopify Support Lead 

  

  Business response

  30/04/2024

  Hi *******, 
  
  My name is ************** am a Support Lead here at Shopify. 
  
  Thank you for letting us know about this issue. Due to the public nature of the ***, I am unable to discuss account details in this portal. I have sent you an email to the address provided with more information. Please respond to ticket ******** directly if you have any questions or concerns. 
  
  Thanks, 
  ***** | Shopify Support Lead 

  Customer response

  30/04/2024

  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  I was contacted on via my personal email address and will see what the outcome is from there. Thank you so much.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  16/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I selected Spotify as my web site for my business due to the lack of actual customer serving interaction, I chose to transfer my domain and site to another webmaster. They charged me twice after I have switched and the April’s payment cause and nsf fee . The agent said that I needed to recoup the 36.00 from my bank since they applied it… I need my 36.00 nsf and the 39.00 charge from March (they already refunded April

  

  Business response

  16/04/2024

  Hello ********,
  
  My name is ****, an Operations Lead from Shopify.
  
  Thank you for contacting our team regarding your domain issues and the NSF fee you were charged. To address your concerns effectively, I will contact you via email using our secure communication channels. As security is a top priority at Shopify, we are unable to discuss sensitive account information publicly on the *** platform. I have already sent you an email and opened a ticket (#********) to gather more details from you. Kindly respond to the email so that we can discuss your account specifics and explore any necessary actions moving forward.
  
  I look forward to your response.
  
  Thank you,
  **** | Operations Lead - Shopify
  
  

  Customer response

  16/04/2024

  
  Complaint: 21577288
  
  I am rejecting this response because it's 
  Unsatisfactory! The nsf came from your company that   debited an account that you shouldn't  have done ... thats my banks discretion to chose to grant me with a nsf refund now if your saying I'm not due a refund for March even though I switched prior to the billing date then im am strongly  asking for my nsf fee. I have several copies of conversations  with the chat operator  requesting the change or asking for someone  to call me or email me and no help. I file a complaint  and now a real person can take the time out to respond.
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ******

  

  Business response

  17/04/2024

  Hello ********,
  
  We are unable to provide a refund for the NSF charge, as it is a fee imposed by your bank. Upon reviewing your email tickets, we found that in ticket #********, you collaborated with the Shopify Billing team to switch from an annual plan to a monthly plan on March 6, 2024. This change triggered the monthly charge for March. It is important to emphasize that Shopify does not reimburse NSF fees. Our charges reflect the selections and actions made by users on their accounts. If any NSF fees arise due to failed billing attempts, it is a matter between the user and their bank. In your case, you requested a downgrade, which we processed by adjusting your invoice to monthly pricing and modifying your plan. This adjustment covered the services for March, during which you accessed and utilized the account. After you canceled the account in April, we proceeded to refund the charge for April.
  
  To receive a refund for your NSF fee, you must reach out to your bank and submit the necessary documentation. Contact your bank, describe the situation, and request a refund for the NSF fee.
  We appreciate your communication during this period. For any additional questions, please direct them to your email ticket #********.
  
  Thank you and all the best,
  **** | Operations Lead - Shopify
  

  Customer response

  17/04/2024

  
  Complaint: 21577288
  
  I am rejecting this response because instead of doing what's right it appears that they are taking this personal when this is business.

  As I stated before the April fee caused the NSF and that was a fault of Spotify this account was not being used  hence why there were no funds available. If you would like to continue  this delusional  narrative  that what your saying is  correct  then we can go back and forth but you know as well as I that if a company takes money out of your account unbeknownst to you ,  and you incure a nsf charge , your telling me it's my bank's fault and they need to reverse the charge because you refunded me the money back?????... That is ludicrous.... be fair and stop the mess, respectfully. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ******

• Initial Complaint

  14/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been locked out of my account with shopify. which is an online retail business, for several months, as a direct result of them not having any phone contact options. This has caused damages to mt online business reputation as well as chargebacks and additional charges to me, and has upset my customers and the people who make the handmade jewelry I sell. I believe what has happened is the result of cybercrime activity, as well as there being no phone support to verify identity or discuss the issue. It is not possible to open an online chat with them to discuss the problem without being able to log in, and someone else has stolen and taken over the email address I use to contact shopify. Additionally, Shopify has no method to be contacted by email. When I email them, I get a auto reply that says they cannot be reached by email. For paying customers, they need to have a real phone number, especially for customers who have been with them for several years. My phone number was victim to a SIM switching ****, which has not been resolved, and my computer was accessed without my authorization by an unknown person or persons. I have no way to access my account with shopify via the internet, given the email I use has been taken by a person who has stolen my digital keychain, as well as illegally accessed and used my personal documents. My website with shopify is **************** or ************************ I am the sole owner and user of the store and have never allowed anyone else access to the account for any reason. This account is not a subsection of a larger store and is in no way shared with another user. The store is not a "headless" store, and I have never shared developer access to the account with anyone for any reason. Shopify need to supply a phone contact number, as well as contact me at BOTH of these phone numbers. ** ******** ***** ****** ** *** *** **** * *** ** *********** ******* ** *** *** ****

  

  Business response

  15/04/2024

  Hi *******,
  
  My name is ******, I'm a Support Lead here with Shopify. I regret to hear of you experience, and I'd like to support you on the matter to the best of my abilities.
  
  In order to do that, I will need you to respond here with a valid email address, different to the one you deemed to be compromised ****************************, used to file this *** is not valid). Once I have a valid email address, I will be able to reach out to you separately and in a confidential manner, since the *** is a public platform, and not suitable for further steps.

   

  Kind regards,

  ****** | Support Lead

*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. ↩