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Publishers Directory

123 HelpMe

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 11 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 2 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

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.

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Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:01/08/2025

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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.
    In 2015 I dealt with ************************** fraudulently charging my checking account a monthly charge after I had proof of canceling. They don't let you contact them, I had to cancel my card and have the bank block them. Well, here we are again! ***** coming out of my checking account every month from these scammers. Confusing to me, since the bank claimed to "block" them but either way, had to cancel my card again just now and wait for another. Oddly enough the same day they took out their sneaky *****, another app I haven't downloaded in years (Lingopie, who also has zero contact info I can find) files a large $80 charge as well. Don't know if that is a coincidence or not, but it is suspicious. The banker says they have been taking ***** out of my account every month going back at least 6 months. I am ******.

    Business Response

    Date: 01/10/2025

    Hello *****,

    Thank you for reaching out to us on The Better Business Bureau. Our records indicate we have been in direct contact with you regarding your account status, if further assistance is required please reach out to our support team at ************************************************************.

    Regards,

    Customer Service

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:07/15/2024

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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.
    Order Date: Sat, Jul 13, 2024 5:27 PM (GMT)Subscription ID: ******* Yearly Membership $119.40 USD You will be billed $119.40 USD yearly until you cancel. Cancel anytime by emailing us at *************************************** was the mail that I received, and I was horrified. I only wanted to pay monthly because it said so that the money will be paid monthly which is $9.95 and that's why I chose it. And then I get the message that LKR36,000 has been taken off my sister's bank. I am student and that money is very important from where I come from. So, within a minute I e-mailed them to refund me back those money because that was basically a scam. I did not know it was upfront because it was not described as such. When I asked for a refund, they told me they couldn't get me that because it was upfront. They basically refuse to pay me back my money. I just want my money back for fooling me into this.

    Business Response

    Date: 07/17/2024

    Hi,

    The customer reached out to us directly and we resolved the issue by downgrading the customer's plan from annual to monthly and issued a partial refund of $89.45 on the 14th July, 2024. The refund will reflect on the user's account within five to seven business days. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:01/30/2024

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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 demand the business to fully refund me. I recently reviewed my bank billing and found out that 123HelpMe has been charging me since November 27, 2022, for $39.95 per month without notifying me through email (a total of $559.3). It was initially a $7 deal for 7 days, and I cancelled the subscription within 7 days, however, the business still charges me for this long time without letting me know. They did not send an email about the renewal, neither confirmation nor receipt. The absence of such alerts or notifications can be construed as a lack of transparency, potentially leading customers to overlook ongoing charges. What if I did not notice this charge for the rest of my life? I will keep losing my money until the last point of my life. I am not regretting my payments as I do not even recognize the existence of them until now. I do not see any responsibility for me being charged by the renewal as I did cancel it and am unaware of its existence.

    Business Response

    Date: 01/31/2024

    Hi Ms. ************ have escalated your request to the relevant team and you'll hear from them directly within ***** business hours. 

    Thank you for your patience!

    Customer Answer

    Date: 02/06/2024

     
    Complaint: 21190788

    I am rejecting this response because: it has been 4 business days after they responded me, and I still dont have an answer. They promised me to get back to me at most 72 hours.

    Sincerely,

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

    Business Response

    Date: 02/09/2024

    Hi,

    We have resolved the issue directly with the customer. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:08/01/2023

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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.
    123Helpme.com clearly stated that the subscription costs "$9.95 per month" at the top of the page in LARGE font. However, the company charged me for an entire year up-front without my consent. If the company has NO intention to bill monthly, then this statement is deliberately included to mislead consumers, especially young students. Second, it is clearly stated that the customer will be "Billed $119.40 every 12 months. Unless you cancel. Cancel anytime." at the bottom of the page in small font. Nowhere does it state that the customer will be billed for the ENTIRE YEAR IN ADVANCE whether or not they cancel. This information is essential for consumers to make an informed decision, yet it is absent. Further, the word "UNLESS" indicates that consumers who cancel within the first year will not be billed for the entire year but rather only billed for the months they used. However, I was told that refunds are not permitted during the first year. I requested a refund for 11 months ($119.40 - $9.95 = $109.45) which was denied. It was only after requesting the name/address of a legal representative that 123Helpme.com agreed to "make an exception" and provided only a partial refund of $89.45. They owe me $20. It's a small amount, but they stole it from me and I want it back. All communications were made via email.

    Business Response

    Date: 08/02/2023

    Hi,

    The terms of the subscription and the prices were stated clearly at the time of purchase and before the payment details were entered on our platform. The user did reach out to us directly and though, we have a 'no refund' policy, we made an exception and issued a partial refund of $89.45 by downgrading the user to our regular monthly plan and refunded the balance. Unfortunately, we are unable to issue any further refund beyond what has already been issued. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:03/01/2023

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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 charged a different amount than picked on their website. I needed to look at an example of ONE paper, and 123helpme has admitted that I only viewed ONE paper. I noticed the error on their side immediately and contacted them. 123helpme did nothing. I feel like I have been scammed since I did NOT choose the annual billing however I was charged as though I had. I only needed one paper to see page numbers; not an entire years worth of access. I would like to be refunded.

    Business Response

    Date: 07/12/2023

    Hi,

    To clarify, the user was billed $119.40 because she signed up for an annual plan, and the price was clearly stated at the time of purchase. The subscription was purchased in February of this year, and the user has disputed the charge with PayPal. We are working with PayPal directly on this matter.

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:01/20/2023

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Unresolved
    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 never gave this company my information I never authorized them to debit my bank account I never signed a terms and conditions And I have been getting charged for FOUR MONTHS! They REFUSE to cancel my account or reimburse me. This company is a scam and fraudulent!!

    Business Response

    Date: 07/12/2023

    Hi,

    The reason ****** was billed because a subscription was purchased and the email linked to the purchase is same as the one the user has filed a complaint from. We have fraud protection in place and the purchase was not flagged as 'fraud'. We have refunded $29.95 and are unable to issue any further refunds but the account has already been closed to avoid future billing. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 07/12/2023

     
    Complaint: 19315809

    I am rejecting this response because I NEVER purchased any account with you. I had never even heard from you until I saw charges on my account. Your response is that my email is my email? That proves nothing. You are fraud. I had to completely change bank accounts because you would not stop billing me. You didnt refund me because you are scammers. I never used your service. Period. 

    Sincerely,

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

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:10/16/2022

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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.
    When I purchased the monthly subscription. It said I would be charged $19 and after 3 months it will renew to $59 but it took $59 out of my bank when I subscribed. It literally lied to me.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/08/2022

    Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/28) */ October 28, 2022 *** ********************************* Re: Complaint Case #******* *********** Dear Sir/Madam, ************** Education, Inc. ("****') is in receipt of a complaint submitted by *********** relating to a ************* subscription. ************* is a writing tool subscription service owned by **** and made available for purchase to college students throughout the country. On October 16, 2022, Complainant purchased a quarterly subscription for the service, which is billed $59.85 upfront. At the time of purchase, subscribers are provided the service's terms and conditions, which are also available at ***********.*************/about-us/terms. Membership information is provided prior to subscribing and is also available when providing payment details. Upon investigation, Complainant has not reached out to Customer Service and their subscription is still active and has been used recently. Complainant has the ongoing ability to cancel any time. In light of the above, **** will take no action at this time. I trust this letter fully responds to your request. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Sincerely, ***************** VP, Associate General Counsel

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:08/31/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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 had canceled this account and once again the billed ************************** once again

    Business Response

    Date: 09/19/2022

    Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/09/08) */ September 8, 2022 ************************************* Re: Complaint Case #******* ************ Dear Sir/Madam, *************************************** is in receipt of a complaint submitted by ************ to a 123helpme.com subscription. 123helpme.com is a study tool subscription service ************* and made available for purchase to college students throughout the country. On July 14, 2022, Complainant purchased a seven day trial subscription to 123helpme.com. At time of purchase, the service's terms and conditions were provided and were readily available throughout the subscription term at ***************************************** On July 21, 2022, the subscription converted to a monthly plan. On August 31, 2022, Complainant's ******** cancelled the subscription through the account settings. The same day, Complainant and Complainant's ******** separately reached out to Customer Service, each claiming they had previously cancelled the subscription. Customer Service had no record of the cancellation and requested proof , but neither Complainant nor Complainant's ******** could provide it. Therefore, Customer Service properly denied a refund. In light of the account having been cancelled ****, rejects Complainant's desired settlement, considers this matter closed, and will take no further action. I trust this letter fully responds to your request. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at **************** Sincerely, ***************** Vice President, Associate General Counsel

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:07/11/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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.
    123helpme.com advertises that you can pay monthly. The site preys on kids and switches to pay in full and immediately charge the full amount and refuse to refund the original account. We reached out immediately as soon as we saw the error and they have refused to help. I am filing a fraud claim with my bank as well.It is classic bait and switch with $119.40 being charged to a kid's account.

    Business Response

    Date: 08/05/2022

    Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/18) */ July 18, 2022 BBB of Los Angeles and Silicon Valley Re: Complaint Case #******* *************** Dear Sir/Madam, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. ("BNED') is in receipt of a complaint submitted by *************** relating to a 123helpme.com subscription. 123helpme.com is a writing tool subscription service owned by BNED and made available for purchase to college students throughout the country. On July 6, 2022, Complainant's child purchased an annual subscription for the service, which is billed $119.40 upfront. At the time of purchase, subscribers are provided the service's terms and conditions, which are also available at*****************************************. Membership information is provided prior to subscribing and is also available when providing payment details. Complainant reached out to Customer Service that same day to request a refund, and the subscription was cancelled. On July 11, 2022, Customer Service provided a partial refund in the amount of $89.45, which should be reflected on the account of the subscriber's payment method. In light of the terms and conditions being readily available and Complainant's account being closed, we consider this matter resolved and will take no further action. I trust this letter fully responds to your request. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at***************** Sincerely, ***************** VP, Associate General Counsel

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:06/08/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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 website 123 help me falsely advertised their subscriptions. They said that there would be an estimate ****** per month that would soon add up to an approximate ******** They immediately took ******* out of my account instead of ******* I would like a refund on that amount, I immediately ended my subscription because of this issue. They are extremely sketchy which I was unaware of they have no phone customer service and don't seem to answer to emails as well based on reviews.

    Business Response

    Date: 07/06/2022

    Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/16) */ June 16, 2022 BBB of Los Angeles and Silicon Valley Re: Complaint Case #******* ************ Dear Sir/Madam, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. ("BNED') is in receipt of a complaint submitted by ************ relating to a ************* subscription. ************* is a study tool subscription service owned by BNED and made available for purchase to college students throughout the country. On June 8, 2022, Complainant purchased an annual subscription for the service, which is billed $119.40 upfront. At the time of purchase, Complainant was provided the service's terms and conditions, which are also available at https://www.*************/about-us/terms. Membership information is provided prior to subscribing and is also available when providing payment details. Complainant contacted Customer Service the same day they subscribed and was provided clarification regarding the subscription billing terms. Customer Service cancelled the account that same day but denied a refund in light of Complainant's affirmative acceptance of the subscription terms. In light of the terms and conditions having been readily available, and the account having been closed, we consider this matter resolved and will take no further action. I trust this letter fully responds to your request. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at****************. Sincerely, Kimberly ******** VP, Associate General Counsel

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