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:05/16/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 ordered books from the Puppy Dogs Ice Cream publishers and am still getting a monthly charge. I have tried canceling this but none of the numbers I tried are working numbers.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/26/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  Purchase of three books were placed on 09-24-2022, for a total amount of $102.99, including Shipping and taxes. At the check out page there was an indication of a PDIC Digital Library-30 day free trial. No where did it indicate that this "free trial" was automatic and gave no option to opt out of. A year later our credit card was charged $97.00 for a "renewal" subscription that we never requested nor agree to. We disputed the charge which at first we prevailed because the merchant did not respond, but late January the merchant Puppy Dogs & Ice Cream provide their stance on their claim that merely submitting a purchase obligated us to the "free trial", though there was no indication advising us of this. The merchant submitted that there was a notification sent by email notifying us of this subscription. I would like to point out that the email address of the merchant is not the name it trades under but puppysmiles.org, which I think it's purposely that one (especially Senior Citizens, as when I called the customer service number it was requested to indicate if I was over the age of 50 and then offered a " free trial for a Medical Emergency device) would dismiss this notification as a scam.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/29/2024

  Hi ******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and another confirmation of when the annual digital subscription was charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team. However, please do not worry your subscription has been canceled and a refund for this product has been issued.

   You *** send us an email at ************************************* or ************************************* (Emails are answered in the order received, from 8 am to 12 am EST, Monday to Friday.) or you can reach us through our Phone Support: *************** (9 am - 8 pm EST, Monday to Friday; 9 am - 5 pm EST on Weekends) for further assistance.

   Hope this clears the situation. Thank you for being a customer.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/30/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** & *****************************

  PS Please advise when refund is made.Thank you for your attention to this matter.
  
   

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/18/2024

  Type:Delivery 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 received a banking transaction taking $97.00 out of my account on December 19, 2023 which states recur **** Books ***********. I ordered something last year 2022 from this PDIC however, I have not ordered anything since and do not wish to in the future. I did try to communicate with them however, not able to access any acct. since I didnt realize I ever had one. I was not aware when I ordered from them that I was enrolling for a recurring payment to **************. I wish to be removed from their system and receive my $97.00 back. If you would communicate this to PDIC . When looking back at my PayPal account I see I was also charged $97.00 in December of 2022. I would also like to be refunded from 2022 for a total of $194.00.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/19/2024

  Hi ******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and another confirmation of when the annual digital subscription was charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team. However, do not worry your subscription has been canceled now and a refund for the latest charge has been issued. Also, please note the refund for the transaction that has passed 180 days will not go through due to system limitations.

   You *** send us an email at ************************************* or ************************************* (Emails are answered in the order received, from 8 am to 12 am EST, Monday to Friday.) or you can reach us through our Phone Support: *************** (9 am - 8 pm EST, Monday to Friday; 9 am - 5 pm EST on Weekends) for further clarifications.

   Thank you for being a customer.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/19/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/14/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  I received a banking transaction taking $102.82 out of my account on Thursday, December 07,2023 which states recur **** Books ***********. I ordered something last year 2022 from this PDIC however, I have not ordered anything since and do not wish to in the future. I did try to communicate with them however, not able to access any acct. since I didnt realize I ever had one. I was not aware when I ordered from them that I was enrolling for a recurring payment to a book company. I wish to be removed from their system and receive my $102.82 back. If you would communicate this to PDIC .

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2023

  Hi *******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and another confirmation of when the annual digital subscription was charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team. However, do not worry your subscription has been canceled now and a refund for this product has been issued.

   If you have any questions or need support please let us know, we are here to help. Thank you for being a customer.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2023

  Type:Billing 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 **** account was billed $136.79 on October 25, 2023 by PDIC books. I did not send for anything from this company this year. I did send for three small children's books on approximately that date in 2022 and was billed approximately the same amount. The bill was paid in 2022. I wish to be reimbursed for the amount billed in 2023 as I did not send for nor receive any items this year.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Hi ******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and another confirmation of when the annual digital subscription was charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team. However, do not worry your subscription has been canceled now and a refund for this product has been issued.

   If you have any questions or need support please let us know, we are here to help. Thank you for being a customer.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  October 13,2022 I ordered childrens books. I was charged ***** for them. I ordered them I paid for them. Unbeknown to me I was signed up for a yearly subscription I was billed ****** in November of 2022. Sadly my husband had surgery last year. Typically we review all credit card statements and question any unknown charges. I received an email yesterday the 9 th of November 2023 indicating on 11/14/23I would be billed for another subscription. I never knew I had subscription. I never utilized subscription. I never authorized subscription. I asked for my money to be refunded. ******* noted this was not possible as it had been over 6 months. Im appalled at the devious method this company used! I want my money refunded. I never received these services. This is appalling. I asked for a copy of anything I signed agreeing to this. On the original statement theres a block about a trial subscription. I never asked for this I never utilized this. ******* when I called *********** to question this renewal subscription stopped the subscription for this year. I will never order from this company again, but want to recoup my ******

  Business Response

  Date: 11/13/2023

  Hi ******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and another confirmation of when the annual digital subscription was charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team.

   The transaction is for 2022, and typically, refunds aren't processed for charges over 6 months old due to system limitations. However, do not worry your subscription is already canceled, and we've received special approval to process a refund for this product.

   Please feel welcome to reach out to us with any questions and we will be more than happy to help.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  I ordered 3 books from PDIC in Oct 2022. Supposedly I was sent an email regarding the additional $97 charge for access to a digital library and I had 30 days to cancel that or it was charged automatically and automatically renewed annually. I was charged the first $97 automatically in Nov 2022. Yesterday I received notice from my **** of America that it declined suspicious activity for this charge. Investigating further I did not find any email from PDIC this year. And I attempted to see if I had an account in either my email or my wife's email , we DID NOT. So Bof A gave me the number to call. The agent did cancel any further renewals HOWEVER when I asked about the charge from Nov 2022 she said it was too late. I have NO recollection of receiving an email notification a year ago and I did NOT receive one this year. This practice is Deceptive and should be illegal. I demand a refund for last years charge as well.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Hi ******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and another confirmation of when the annual digital subscription was charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team.

   The transaction is for 2022, and typically, refunds aren't processed for charges over 6 months old due to system limitations. However, do not worry your subscription is now canceled, and we've received special approval to process a refund for this product.

   Please feel welcome to reach out to us with any questions and we will be more than happy to help.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2023

  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.

  I purchased books from *his vendor *wice using my PayPal accoun*. I was au*oma*ed enrolled in a digi*al online book program. I did no* give permission for *his enrollmen*. I was charged $104.76 *wice for *his. I* was supposed *o be an annual enrollmen*. The 2nd *ime I purchase books was 2 mon*hs la*er and again I was charged *he $104.76 for *he annual digi*al library. This charge did no* hi* un*il ***** days la*er. I don * use my PayPal of*en so I did no* ca*ch *hese charges. Again I never approved enrollmen* in *he digi*al library. I called *he company and *hey *old me because *his happened over 6 mon*hs ago *hey could no* refund me. These are decep*ive *rade prac*ices.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Hi ******,

  We understand and apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused to you.

   We have reviewed your case and see that due to some technical glitch, the system didn't recognize that your account already has a subscription attached and the second subscription shouldn't have been added. Also, we reviewed our Email software and see that you received the order confirmation emails for both subscriptions and separate emails confirming both these charges along with the login instructions email on how to access your digital account.

   However, please note the issue is simply that we cannot refund anything that has passed 180 days as a limitation of our bank. But, we will not leave you disappointed and shall email you directly to see if there is any alternate solution that we can work with you.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  I have been billed on my **** ,September 11th, 2023 for merchandise I did not order . I ordered books from this company one time over a year ago. I did not like the books and haven't ordered since. I suddenly have another bill on my **** for something I did not order. I would like my credit card charges reversed immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/12/2023

  Hi ******,

  We apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding that *** have been caused.

   We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the annual digital subscription and also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the annual digital subscription was purchased.

   You can decide if you want to try it before checkout and you can cancel your subscription at any time through the self-service portal or by contacting our customer support team.

   However, do not worry, your subscription has been canceled now and a refund for this product has been issued.

   Please feel welcome to reach out to us with any questions you *** have, and we will be more than happy to help!

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/21/2023

  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 bought several books online for $71.49 from the Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream company in September of 2022 (order #*******). We were happy with the books and I thought our transaction was finished.However, the order process involved deceptive, unfair business practices, which resulted in me being unknowingly subscribed to their online library at a cost of $97. plus tax. per year, without my knowledge or consent. When I placed the order, I did not get a confirmation email. I emailed them to ask if the order went through. They said that it did and gave me an order number that I could click on for more details. I assumed all was OK and did not click on the link to read the details, which included fine print that I was being enrolled in their 30 day free trial of their online library, after which I would be automatically renewed at $97. plus tax per year! My mother was dying and between seeing her and settling her estate after she died, I did not notice the extra charge on my credit card bill ($106.12 for their subscription service, which was taken on 9/19/2022). I saw Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream listed on the bill, but assumed it was for the books I bought.I first realized that I had been subscribed to their online service on 9/20/2023 when I got an email saying my annual subscription was about to be renewed! (There was no warning before the first payment) I cancelled the online subscription and requested a refund for the initial $106.12 since I had never used their service and did not even know I was enrolled in it. They denied my request. They have set up their purchasing system to automatically enroll people in their online service, which is free for 30 days and then starts billing $97.00 plus tax annually ($106.12 in my case) That is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Can you help me get a refund of my $106.12, which was taken without my knowledge or permission on 9/19/2022 and to encourage Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream towards a better business model in the future? Thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 09/22/2023

  Hi *****,

  We understand and apologize for your frustration.

  We reviewed our Email software and you received the order confirmation of the trial and another confirmation of when the trial charged. Also, we see that you received the login instructions email when the trial was purchased.

   However, please note the issue is simply that we cannot refund anything that has passed 180 days as a limitation of our bank. But, we will not leave you disappointed and we will email you directly to see if there is any alternate solution that we can work with you.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/22/2023

  The communication sent to BBB by the business would not be acceptable. The private email they sent to me offering a one-time refund due to my circumstances WILL be acceptable when I receive the funds, but I would like to keep this complaint open until the refund funds clear. I did not receive the email they say they sent, prior to the first charge (the one I'm trying to get refunded). I still have all of the emails I did receive from Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream. I will be personally satisfied when I receive my refund, but I would hesitate to do business with them again or recommend them to others (even though we did like the books we purchased) because I think it's deceptive and unfair to set up their purchase page to automatically enroll people in a "free 30 day trial" and then start annual billing for an online subscription service. People should have the opportunity to choose to purchase the online subscription, not be forced to read the fine print and "opt out" if they don't want it. It sounds like they have no plans to change that business model, so I will be shopping elsewhere in the future. Thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2023

  *****,

  We understand that our team has already addressed your concern and the refund has been settled successfully.

   Thank you for being our customer.

   PDIC Customer Support Team!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/29/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards, 
  
  ***********************