ComplaintsforOpenArt

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last week, I had filed a complaint against OpenArt for deceptive business practices. I intended on paying for a monthly subscription but was charged annually because I was prompted with the annual plans, which looked strikingly similar to the monthly plans and were not entirely honest about what I'd actually be paying for. After the previous complaints I filed against this organization, they agreed to issue a refund. However, they only refunded the amount they subtracted from the total amount of the annual fee ($72), which was only $2.39, when the receipt clearly stated that $69.61 was refunded. This was possibly a successful attempt to trick me into closing my original case, #********. I am requesting that the remaining amount ($67.22) be refunded to me.

  Business response

  03/05/2024

  Hi, please wait a few days for the amount to reflect on your account. We have issued the refund as printed on the receipt generated by Stripe. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This organization is an outright scam. I purchased what appeared to be a monthly subscription for a "Starter Plan," which clearly stated that I would be charged $6 per month. Upon purchasing, I was charged a full $75. Apparently, underneath the large numbers reads "billed annually." I foolishly paid for an annual subscription. For some unknown reason, unsuspecting buyers are automatically taken to the Annual Plans.Customer support is an absolute joke. I contacted their support team in an attempt to receive a refund, only to receive a response from a bot about useless FAQs that don't help resolve my issue at all. Unused credits are of course ineligible for a refund, so I guess I'm out of luck. What a waste of money.

  Business response

  02/29/2024

  Hi ******,

  Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate the feedback. As guided by our Terms of Service, all transactions on the platform are non-refundable. This is to protect the business as our product provides digital services. We suffer great financial loss from people abusing refunds.

  We believe in supporting our customers and always provide exceptions for extreme cases. Since your complaint was filed with BBB within less than one day from when you reached out to our support (Feb 28, 2024), we sincerely apologize that our team had not yet started the investigation of your case. At the time of this response, we have prioritized and completed reviewing your case.

  Your email "I am requesting a refund because I accidentally purchased an annual subscription for the Starter Plan, which claimed that I would be charged $6 monthly. Upon purchasing, I was charged the full yearly amount ($75) when I only wanted to pay monthly." suggested a mistake on your end. You were billed $72 for the $6/mo pricing that comes with an annual subscription. For a monthly subscription, the pricing is $12/mo. Unfortunately, we are not able to make an exception for your case.

  We strive to provide transparency for our customers to the greatest extent. We make the amount billed conspicuous both on the subscription pricing page and during the checkout flow (please kindly refer to the attached screenshots of the interfaces). We understand that customers may still miss things and will study the feedback from you with extreme attention to keep on bettering the experience.

  Thank you again.

  Customer response

  02/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 21361013
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Your response to my complaint about the issue resolved nothing at all. It's an unethical and deceptive scheme to charge someone an annually fee when each plan listed clearly states a buyer will only be charged per month. Your plans are unclear because telling a buyer that a specific amount (i.e. $6) will be per month and then billed annually is confusing and difficult to understand, since there is no straightforward answer to what someone is actually paying. I never meant to pay $75, I was trying to purchase a MONTHLY subscription, not an annual subscription.

  You need to be honest with your customers and actually make everything on your website clear and easy to understand. It's extremely unfair how you make something seem like it's one thing when, in reality, it is the other way around. You also should stop attracting unsuspecting customers by automatically directing them to your Annually subscriptions page that claims 50% Off. It angers me that you refuse to issue refunds, even when someone does not use their credits or any of the services promised.

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

  Business response

  03/01/2024

  Hi ******,

  We understand your confusion and have filed for an exception. You should have received a refund receipt. We have no intent to create any ambiguity on the interface, especially with pricing. We will continue to better the experience. Thank you for the exploring OpenArt and the kind feedback.

  Customer response

  03/01/2024

  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. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

*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. ↩