Business Profile

Internet Services

Scribd

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This business has 1 alert

Pattern of Complaints

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Scribd's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

263 total complaints in the last 3 years.
75 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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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.

Initial Complaint
Date:09/10/2025
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.
9/9/2025 I saw an ad on ******** for *******, an audio book subscription service. The ad stated Read 3 books FREE with the Everand Plus trial. After signing up for the trial, I only had access to one free book. Upon reaching out to their support, they said While the Plus plan offers more than one unlock to subscribers, the trial period is limited to a single unlock. At the end of your trial, your paid subscription will open access to 3 unlocks per month; at this time we are unable to offer an early start to your paid subscription. This is clearly false advertising.
Business Response
Date: 09/10/2025
Hi there, thanks for reaching out! We have shared this users feedback to our team. Customer feedback is by far the best source of information for us, and we sincerely appreciate the insight. Please let us know if theres anything else we can do to help, or if the user has any further feedback they would like to share. Thanks again for contacting us! -GT
Customer Answer
Date: 09/10/2025

Complaint: 23866094

I am rejecting this response because:
Their ads are blatantly untrue. They need to modify their ads to reflect the service they are actually willing to offer.

Sincerely,

***** ********
Business Response
Date: 09/11/2025
Hello *****, thank you for following up on this! We're truly sorry for the experience that you've had.
Further review shows that a member of our team has addressed your concern here through support ticket #*******, and we credited 2 additional unlocks to your account on September 10, 2025.
We hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks again! -MW
Customer Answer
Date: 09/11/2025

Complaint: 23866094

I am rejecting this response because:
I really appreciate that this has been made right for me. However, it isnt right that you are still running deceptive ads

Sincerely,

***** ********
Initial Complaint
Date:09/02/2025
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.
I noticed unathorized billing to Scribd on my bank account. Upon further investigation, I realized that my identity had been stolen to create a ficticious account. The account username was not a name, but actually one of the passwords that I use online. I reached out to the organization via an email that was listed on the Scribd website. They asked me to send the following:
type of card
the last 4 digit of the card number
the date and amt of the last transaction.

I received a response from an email address with a personal name and (Scribd) written in parenthesis. This person requested following:

The first 6 digits of the card billed (Please do not send the full card number)
Is this debit/credit card charged part of a shared or joint bank account? If so, are there any other card numbers I should check for?

Of course, I did not send this information, and told them I would not. I received another email stating that they cannot find the account and for me to send my bank statement showing the line items. I sent them a snippit of the charges, without sending any other personal information.

I was charged six payments of $11.99 each. The payments were from March to August and was made on the 28th of each month, totalling $71.94.
Business Response
Date: 09/02/2025
Hello there, this user is being assisted via their Help Desk Ticket #*******. We are currently waiting for their reply. We look forward to hearing back! Thanks! -GT
Customer Answer
Date: 09/04/2025
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,

******* ********
Initial Complaint
Date:08/18/2025
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.
Charged my card twice without authorization, when I emailed them they wanted me to verify the first 6 and the last 4 of my card number, and asked to me verify an email I didnt recognize and have never used. Its been over a week since there was any communication with them. Filed a second complaint and still nothing. I had never heard of this company nor used their services. I just want my money back.
Business Response
Date: 08/19/2025
Hi there, it looks like on of our support agents has assisted this user via their Help Desk ticket #*******. Any additional questions or concerns can be sent there! Thanks! -GT
Initial Complaint
Date:08/17/2025
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.
I have an account on **********************/Everand for which I pay $12.95/mo. On 8/17/25, I went to access a title and was told I needed to change plans to "unlock" the title. Except then I discovered there was a plan that was one dollar less than mine ($11.95) that allowed for more access than my $12.95 plan. I wrote to them complaining about this and asking them to credit me for overpaying for less service and they told me they wouldn't do it. They offered to refund my August payment and cancel my account. So they have been ripping me (and, I presume, others) off.
Customer Answer
Date: 08/18/2025
Hello,

After telling the company I was complaining about (Scribd) that I had issued a complaint to the BBB, they resolved the issue to my satisfaction. How do I mark it as resolved in BBB?

Thanks,
***** *********
Customer Answer
Date: 08/18/2025
Hello,

I am writing to let you know that after I informed the company I had reached out to the BBB, they addressed my complaint to my satisfaction. Is it possible to resolve it in your system?

Thank you,
***** *********
Initial Complaint
Date:08/01/2025
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.
On 6/29/2025 I received an unauthorized transaction from company Scribd in the amount of $18.38. I immediately tried to contact Scribd via their phone number they provided on the transaction: ************. This telephone number turn out to be invalid. I emailed their support and never received a response. Today, 8-1-2025 I received a second unauthorized transaction from *****. Again I've tried contacting this company to no avail. This is fraudulent behavior and I am seeking accountability.
Business Response
Date: 08/02/2025
Hello *********, thank you for reaching out about this! While we do not offer phone support at this time, we're truly sorry for any delay in response to your previous support request. We've escalated your case and a specialist is following up with you via email to request some additional information, so we can work to track down the account responsible and issue any available refund(s) as soon as possible. Once you receive that email, and reply with the requested details, we'll work to get this taken care of as soon as possible. Thank you again! -MW
Initial Complaint
Date:07/27/2025
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.
I discovered two unauthorized charges from Scribd, Inc. on my personal debit card totaling $25.50. I have never signed up for Scribd, Everand, or SlideShare. The charges occurred on:**** 2, 2025: $12.75 July 2, 2025: $12.75 I contacted Scribd support, provided my name, the first 6 and last 4 digits of the card (****** / 2726), and a bank statement showing the **** charge. They eventually refunded the July charge and confirmed that the account using my card was deleted, acknowledging it was not mine. However, they have refused to refund the **** charge despite both charges being tied to the same unauthorized subscription.I confirmed that the card is personal, not shared, and that I never created an account or subscribed to any of their services. Their refusal to refund both charges is inconsistent and unacceptable.I am a homeless mother with an infant and cannot afford to have money taken from my account without permission. Im requesting that the remaining unauthorized charge be refunded immediately.
Business Response
Date: 07/27/2025
Hello there, per the users Help desk ticket #*******, we have refunded the additional months charge. Any further questions or concerns can be sent to the ticket. Thanks!
Customer Answer
Date: 07/28/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and find that the resolution itself is satisfactory to me, as I did receive a full refund and confirmation that my account was canceled.
However, I want to be clear that the overall experience was extremely unsatisfactory. I had to contact Scribd over ten times, and they continuously refused to take responsibility or issue a refund until after I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Only then did they finally reverse course and refund the additional charge. That timing is no coincidence.

The fact that it took escalating to a formal complaint just to be taken seriously is unacceptable. While the matter is now resolved, I would not recommend this service to anyone, and I will continue to share my experience so others can avoid similar issues.

Sincerely,
****** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:07/26/2025
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 was not even aware of this Scribd company until I started to take a closer look to my bank account last month. They have been charging me monthly fees of $11.99 for a long time. I contacted them trying to find a resolution. Apparently I did a free trial for something hidden, and cancelled it right away, but they kept charging me. Their response is that my account is in fact not active and they dont know why Ive been charged, but they refused to issue a refund. This is fraudulent and I tried reasoning with them but to no avail. They are asking me to send photos of my credit card and such, so I reported them to my bank because they have no intention to assist in solving my issue.
Business Response
Date: 07/26/2025
Hello *****, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We sincerely apologize for this experience, and your ticket #******* has been escalated for further review. They will be following up with you via email in response to that ticket to confirm the actions taken, which includes refunding charges from within the last 180 days. If you have any other questions, please let them know. Thank you again! -MW
Initial Complaint
Date:07/21/2025
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.
During the latter part of 2024, I subscribed to an online document service at www.scribd.com, which billed me at a rate of $12.96 per month. I cancelled that service in November 2024. However, in February 2025 I discovered that Scribd was continuing to bill my **** credit card. I then called their customer service department and explained the problem. They agreed to cancel my subscription and refund my money. I forgot about the matter until July 2025 when I noticed in my credit card statements that Scribd had never refunded any of my money and they had actually billed me for January through May for the cancelled service. I emailed their customer support again. In order to process my request for refund, they asked me for information (username, email address, and Order ID) that they already had. When I replied, they agreed to refund the payments, but only for the last 3 months, not the full amount they charged.
Business Response
Date: 07/22/2025
Hi there, this user was assisted in their Help Desk ticket #*******. As stated by our Support Agent in their ticket, transactions made prior to a certain date are inaccessible for refund, as they are finalized. We refunded the last 3 months of charges, but were unable to provide additional refunds. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks! -GT
Customer Answer
Date: 07/24/2025

Complaint: 23632379
I do not accept the Scribd response to resolve this complaint. As evidenced by attached email chain between Scribd and myself, their reply is a verbatim quote of their nonsensical excuse for not returning my money that precipitated the filing of my complaint in the first place.

Let me make the following points:

1.The facts of the case are that on two separate occasions, Scribd made unauthorized charges on my credit card, which is a crime (fraud/***** theft)

**** lieu of taking pursuing a criminal complaint, I was willing to accept return of the stolen funds as remedy and restitution. They are refusing.

3.Their claim that they cannot return my money because the transaction is finalizedhas no legal basis whatsoever. Some arbitrary, internally generated procedural rule does not legally relieve them of the responsibility for returning the money they stole.

4.Repetition of the claim in their response to the complaint demonstrates that they are not taking this BBB process seriously.

5.Their refusal to provide restitution, along with the fact that it occurred twice,clearly indicates that the improper charges to my credit account were not accidental. It is obvious that they deliberately help themselves to other peoples money knowing that many will not notice the relatively small charge with its vague transaction code. If victims do discover the fraudulent charge and complain, their specious finalized transaction excuse then ensures that they will be able to retain some of the money they stole. Its a win-win situation for them as a business strategy.

Since fraud of this nature is a common criminal ruse on the internet and exactly the kind of dishonest business practice that the BBB was formed to prevent, I request that the BBB open a full investigation of Scribd to determine how wide-spread this illegal practice is in this company. If there are other victims, then the appropriate law enforcement agencies should be contacted to take action as necessary.

Sincerely,

***** ******
Customer Answer
Date: 07/24/2025
Proceed with the complaint to return funds. I will pursue a criminal prosecution via a different mechanism (FTC/CPB). Thank you.
Business Response
Date: 07/24/2025
Hello *****, thank you for following up on this!
Reviewing both your support ticket #*******, along with your account registered under **************************, we can confirm that your Scribd, Inc. subscription was not canceled until June 2, 2025, and this is why you were billed. We do not monitor accounts for activity and, as seen in our Subscriber Agreement, **********************, our subscriptions will continue to renew until they have been canceled.
We can also confirm that we've now issued the maximum number of refunds available within our system, going back to February 22, 2025. While we'd be happy to issue additional refunds, we have no way to refund transactions outside of this, but we assure you that the subscription has fully expired and we have removed your payment details from our system.
Again, we apologize for any inconvenience here. If you did receive email confirmation that the subscription was canceled earlier than June 2025, please follow up with us through support ticket #******* with a screenshot of that confirmation email, and we'll gladly investigate this for you. Thank you again for your time and understanding! -MW
Customer Answer
Date: 07/25/2025

Complaint: 23632379
I am rejecting this response. Per my previous explanation, Scribd has no legal basis for not returning IN FULL all money that was taken from a credit account without authorization. Your excuse is a red *******: internal company procedures do not create some sort of statute of limitations that magically exempts you from returning all of the money you stole from me.

For the record, I did not collect a screen shot or other documentation when I canceled the service online in late 2024 because I assumed (incorrectly it seems) that Scribd would operate in good faith and actually perform the task. Similarly, I did not obtain documentation in Jan/Feb 2025 when I called your customer support, and they told me on the phone that they would cancel my account and return my money. I again took the verbal assurance in good faith; I did not realize that I might have to go to court over this. Only when it happened twice did I suspect that this process may be part of a deliberate scheme to enhance your revenue stream.

-- ***** ******
Business Response
Date: 07/25/2025
Hello *****, thank you for the response here. We're truly sorry for the trouble, but we do not offer phone support as we provide assistance with support requests via email, as seen on our official "Contact Us" page: *********************************************;If you spoke to someone over the phone, please provide the phone number that you called so that we can look into this.
Otherwise, we're truly sorry to say that we have no way to refund transactions outside of the last 180 days as this is what is allowed by our payment processor. We'd be happy to offer some free subscription time as an alternative resolution, so don't hesitate to reply to your support ticket if you'd want to proceed with this action and we'll gladly work from there.
Thank you again! -MW
Customer Answer
Date: 07/28/2025

Complaint: 23632379

I am rejecting this response because, as I explained in previous correspondence, the business' refusal to pay the money owed to me has no legal basis. I decline the offer of additional services in kind that I do not want.

Sincerely,

***** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:07/19/2025
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.
Im being billed monthly $11.99 SCRIBD *********
Business Response
Date: 07/19/2025
Hi ******, thank you for bringing this to our attention! We're truly sorry for any trouble here, and we want to make this right to prevent further charges as soon as possible.
We kindly ask that you please open a ticket with our support team using this link, and be sure to include the same information you've provided here: *********************************.
We'll ensure your case is escalated to an account specialist who will gladly investigate this, and provide a refund if available. Thanks again! -MW
Initial Complaint
Date:07/18/2025
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.
Date of the transaction: April 25, 2023 March 25, 2025 Amount paid: $11.99/month for 23 months (approx. $275 total)What the business committed to provide: Access to Scribds subscription services Nature of the dispute:I was automatically charged by Scribd every month from April 25, 2023, to March 25, 2025. During this period, I never used the service or even logged into my account. I was unaware that the subscription had continued past the trial period or initial payment, and I received no clear communication or reminders regarding the ongoing charges.Attempts to resolve the issue:I contacted Scribd and was told that they only refund payments made within the last 30 days. However, this policy feels unfair considering I never used the service at all for nearly two years.Desired resolution:I respectfully request a full refund of the charges made during the unused subscription period, totaling approximately $275.Thank you for your help facilitating a resolution
Business Response
Date: 07/18/2025
Hello ****, thank you for bringing this to our attention! It looks like you submitted support ticket #******* regarding these charges. A member of our support team will be following up directly via email with more information on this situation, and asking for you to close any ****** dispute that may be open as we do not have the ability to refund transactions involved in open disputes. If you could please reply to this ticket as soon as possible, we'll gladly work from there to further assist you. Thanks again! -MW
Customer Answer
Date: 07/25/2025

Complaint: 23621950

I am rejecting this response because:
To Whom It May Concern at BBB and Scribd,

Thank you for your follow-up. However, I find Scribds continued insistence that I must first close the ****** dispute before any refund can be issued both problematic and deeply concerning.

Let me reiterate a few key points:

1. **I did not knowingly authorize or use this service** since the initial free trial years ago. There is **zero activity on the account**, which ********************** has acknowledged they do not monitor.

2. **I never received any reminder emails or renewal notices** during the time I was being silently charged. My inbox contains no billing-related communication from Scribdonly customer service replies and marketing survey requests. This contradicts Scribds claim that reminders were sent. (Proof attached.)

3. Scribds representative has stated multiple times (screenshots provided) that **refunds are only possible if I first close the ****** case**, which puts me at significant risk of losing all recourse with no guarantee of action once the case is closed. I view this as **coercive and non-transparent** business practice that erodes consumer protection.

4. Scribd admits that **no cancellation was ever submitted**, yet they failed to send any warning or confirmation emails for two whole years. If no activity or confirmation is required to justify ongoing billing, that opens the door to **systemic predatory practices**.

I am not requesting a full-service refund. I am requesting a fair and good-faith refund for a service that I demonstrably did not use, was not reminded about, and for which I received silent billing without any engagement from my side.

I'd like to ask Scribd to take accountability and refund the charges that occurred while the account remained inactive. Otherwise, I will pursue further escalation, including formal complaints to the ******** **state **************************** and relevant consumer advocacy groups.

Respectfully,

Sincerely,

**** **
Business Response
Date: 07/25/2025
Hello ****, thank you for the update here. We're very sorry for the trouble, but we can confirm that we send a reminder email before the free trial ends and the subscription is billed for. We recommend checking your spam/junk folder, as email providers can sometimes sort messages incorrectly. If you have email forwarding set up or if the email address on file for your account needs to be corrected (for example, if it contains a typo), the reminder may have been sent to a different address or not received. It's important to not some providers will automatically empty Spam/Junk folders after a set time, so if the reminder emails were routed to Spam/Junk then they would no longer be available.
Moving forward, we can confirm that you have not yet responded to support ticket #******* where we clarified that we have no way to refund transactions outside of the last 180 days - though we'd be happy to refund the last 3 charges within that timeframe, but they're linked to ****** disputes. As advised in our response, due to the ****** disputes that you filed, we would need you to close those cases before we can refund those. If you could please reply directly to the email that we sent, we'll gladly work to make this right and even offer some free subscription credit for the trouble. Thank you again! -MW

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This business has 1 alert

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Scribd is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.