Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Brilliant.org's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Brilliant.org

  550 Montgomery Street Suite 800 San Francisco, CA 94111

• 

  Brilliant.org

  200 Pine St San Francisco, CA 94104-2704

• 

  Brilliant.org

  15 Butte Place San Francisco, CA 94103

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:04/22/2025

  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.

  My 8 year old son got ahold of my card and signed up for the free trial. All emails must have went to my junk folder or id have caught this sooner. I ended up being charged over $125 for an annual subscription. Contacted them and tried to get a refund due to someone else using my card without permission and the "product" not even being used after thr free trial. They told me no. Horrible customer service and they should be ashamed.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/25/2025

  Hi there,

  Thanks for sharing this experience with us! Were really sorry for the frustration here and appreciate you sharing what happened. Were glad we could work with you on a resolution and hope it helped make things right. For context, we do send a trial end reminder email a few days before the charge so users have time to cancel if needed. Wishing your family all the best moving forward.

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2025

  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.

  Predatory business tactics.Brilliant has purposefully designed their trial, payment management and initial setup in such way that it tricks users into forgetting that they've registered a payment method and that they need to ********* addition, (this can be observed by looking at their app ratings) Brilliant will refuse to refund anyone who's new 'unwanted' subscription has started, even if it has been just 1 day.Reminder that this is a digital service, where Brilliant has access to login and usage logs for all users. Doing the right thing a refunding customer should be the standard.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2025

  Hi ***********,

  Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. We understand how frustrating unexpected charges can feel and appreciate you allowing us the opportunity to assist you directly via email. If you have any lingering questions, feel free to respond to our latest message we're always happy to help.

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/22/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and can confirm that Brilliant has reached out and offered to help by refunding the full amount.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/02/2025

  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.

  I received a charge from this business on my credit card and cannot locate any way to contact them via their website. I have never heard of this company yet my credit card company, who did not provide any details, claims I have interacted with them. I have not been in college for over 20 years and only subscribe to Duolingo. I have no use for this company and have no idea how they obtained my credit card number to charge me. I find their website to be unacceptable for a business - no way to contact them and their "Help" menu states they do not give refunds and say charges are probably from a subscription but again I have never heard of this company. This company needs to be reported for fraud. In addition, my kids who do not have access to my credit card, do not know this business either and get free tutoring from their college so also no need for anyone in my family to use this business.I request a refund and no further contact or charges from this business.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/08/2025

  Hi *******,

  Were really sorry to hear about the confusion and completely understand how concerning it is to see a charge you dont recognize. Please know that we take these situations very seriously and would never intentionally make it difficult to reach uswe absolutely want to help.

  The best way for us to investigate this charge is by having you email us directly at ********************* with any details you have, like the date or amount of the charge. Its possible that an account was created using your payment information without your knowledge, and wed like to look into that right away.

  We truly appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope to make things right for you as quickly as possible.

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/19/2025

  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.

  Hey Brilliant I received an email from you saying that my refund is not possible when I cancelled my full year subscription in late February and free trial at least 2 days prior to both ending which should have ended it there. Then you charged me $129.5 which I quickly discovered was a reoccurring issue with your company. First I minimally used this account after the second charge and I was unaware I was even charged again until at least one week after I canceled the trial. There is no good reason for brilliant to charge a full year after the trial ends and after you expect the trial to fully conclude why cant I be refunded for at least the other 11 months? If it was a small sum of money I would not be going this far to try to properly make my case. I have been under a great deal of stress with countless other events going on in my life and I was hoping brilliant would choose the responsible route and inform me that my trial was reoccurring. If possible I would like to recoup the majority of the costs that were charged to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2025

  Hi ****,

  Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Were sorry we were unable to approve your request, and understand how frustrating this situation must feel. While we aren't able to share account-specific details here, we encourage you to reply to our latest email if you have any further questions or concerns. Were always happy to provide additional clarification and address anything that may still be unclear.

  Overall, the only cancellation attempt made on the account was 10 days after your subscription renewed. Renewal terms are shared at the time of sign-up, during checkout, and always available on our website for reference. We apologize again for not being able to fulfill your request, and welcome your feedback and questions any time at **********************************.

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2025

   
  Complaint: 23088237
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I minimally used the service in the second trial period of a full refund is not possible then I will pay for one month but I dont understand why you cannot offer any kind of refund at all if I was just a few months maybe I would be fine with it but charging me for an entire year is absurd.  Please reconsider your decision otherwise I will not accept your response.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  Hi ****,

  Were sorry to hear youre feeling this way. While were unable to discuss account details here, youre welcome to respond to the email we sent regarding your refund request. Wed be happy to explore any other options available, though we cant guarantee a refund as your account doesnt qualify at this time. If you'd like further review, your response will be escalated to our supervisor. We're always here to help in any way we can.

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/21/2025

  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:03/13/2025

  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.

  This company charged my credit card for an annual subscription to renew this account, which I did not authorize. I never used the service after purchasing it in 3/2024 and checked the box to turn off auto renewal. They charged my credit card anyway and there is no way to contact them because all of their contact information is fraudulent. There are no phone numbers, and the email links bounce your messages back as "undeliverable." The link says Brilliant.org but when it bounces back, it says ************. This appears to be intentionally misleading. I am requesting a full refund of the amount charged to my credit card.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2025

  Hi ****,

  We understand how frustrating this must be and truly appreciate you bringing it to our attention. It looks like our inbox mistakenly marked your email as spam due to the additional Brilliant URLs and undeliverable screenshots included, and we sincerely apologize for the error. Were glad we were able to locate your message swiftly upon receiving your complaint and want to assure you that ********************* is our official contact email, where our team actively responds within 24 to 48 hours. Were currently reviewing your account and will follow up with you directly. If theres anything else we can clarify in the meantime, please dont hesitate to reach outwere here to help!

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/06/2025

  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.

  Avoid this horrible, thieving company at all costs. I tried a free 7 day trial of this app, cancelled my trial on the last day before it was over, and then was charged for a FULL YEAR (280$ CAD!!!) anyway after I cancelled. Make it make sense. I wasn't even aware that they would charge yearly, it was not made clear anywhere (though I'm sure they'll say they stuck in fine print somewhere...but let it be known that the information was not made clear to the customer at the time of signing up for free trial). I reached out to the company for a refund and was told they could not refund me because "it goes against their policy" which does not make sense. I believe this is illegal? I have filed a dispute with my credit card company (****) who is going after them on my behalf, but I just want to warn people against these scammers, their horrible customer service, and terrible unethical business practices. The owner of this company should be ashamed. And to make matters worse, its not even a good app. Very basic STEM concepts....definitely not worth the outrageous price tag. If I had been billed for just a month I wouldn't have made a fuss, but charging for a full year even though I CANCELLED THE TRIAL is completely unacceptable not to mention illegal. If their policy defends this then their policy is against the law and completely unethical. Terrible, terrible company. Attaching proof that the trial was cancelled, the dates on it reflect their charge for the year (not what I signed up for).

  Business Response

  Date: 03/09/2025

  Hi ****,

  We understand how frustrating this situation must be and truly appreciate you sharing your experience. Our records show that a trial reminder email was sent three days before the charge, and the subscription was canceled a few hours after the payment was processed. Since the plan had already begun, the charge was valid, and we provided the fairest resolution possible. We also shared these details via email, and it looks like you received themif anything remains unclear, we're happy to continue the conversation at **********************************!

  Feel free to respond to our email if further clarification is neededwe're always eager to help!

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/11/2025

  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.

  I'd like to highlight that despite what the business said in their response, the charge was not valid (as confirmed by my credit card company). It is not the customer's fault if their software charges before EOD. It's possible there was a glitch somewhere in processing times on either end because at the time I cancelled the trial, I had not yet been charged. In good faith, they should have considered this possibility when I initially reached out. 

  Furthermore, if a business sees that a customer cancelled their free trial a few hours after the charge and the customer then reaches out explaining the situation politely asking for a refund....a good business run in an ethical way, that's not just trying to rob money from their customers, would offer a solution without difficulty as opposed to "oops you missed the deadline by 5 minutes so we're going to keep the nearly 300$ you were charged despite the fact that you don't want or plan to use our app". 

  Unfortunately, that was not the case with brilliant.org. No action to solve the issue was taken until I reached out to the Better Business Bureau. I warned them twice that I would do so before taking action, and was not taken seriously until after the complaint was filed. Their initial response (after a lengthy delay) was that there was nothing they could do, and it was only after I commented on their poor customer service and let them know I'd be reaching out to you that they reacted and suggested a "fair solution". They still chose to charge me for one month despite the fact that I have not used the app since my last day of trial, and my usage data would show this had they looked. I saw no point in going back and forth over a month in the grand scheme of things, and I'm grateful to at least have gotten the rest of year refunded. I will fiddle it with the app for the remaining two weeks since I was charged for it. 

  I'm closing the case because I am glad to gave finally gotten most of my money back after a week of silence, an initial refusal to cooperate, and a BBB complaint. Grateful, but can't say it's good business, it shouldn't take the threat of a BBB complaint and bad reviews to get cooperation and fair resolutions to customer service issues. I see that several people have had similar issues with automatic renewals and non-transparency when it comes to a yearly charge as opposed to monthly. It really shouldn't take a threat of a BBB complaint to offer fair solutions to customers, and hopefully they will take these complaints into consideration when improving their business in the future. 

  Also, they should either have a telephonic customer service line or not take a full week to respond to emails. No direct access and a slow initial response to emails is not consumer friendly. 

  Many thanks for your help and for offering this service, BBB. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2025

  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.

  1/27/25 I purchased the gift for a year for premium since I read so many other people having complaints with subscriptions not being cancelled. We really liked the app, but purchased the premium so we could have access to all 80+ courses. Well after I logged into the premium account I found only 46 courses! Approximately half of what they advertise to people to get them to join premium. I emailed the company asking where the other courses are, and they responded that those courses were retired. Well I want $129 then for false advertising. Why would I pay for a service and not receive it completely as shown? I have attached a picture of said advertisement.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Hi ********,

  We hear your frustration, and want to clarify that your premium account does give you full access to all of our interactive courses. Some courses may have been restructured into larger, more comprehensive ones rather than being listed separately, but the content is still there! We appreciate you reaching out and are happy to helpfeel free to follow up at **********************************.

  Thanks for giving Brilliant a try and continually sharing your thoughts with us - it helps us improve and we value your opinion!

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/04/2025

   
  Complaint: 22877783
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It definitely does not have all the content. Theres a lot of complaints online about the same situation. Ive went through the entire premium and it does not have the courses listed in the advertisement. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Hi ********,

  Thanks for reaching out and sharing your concerns. We understand that changes to our course content can be disappointing, and we appreciate your feedback. While some lessons have been updated or replaced, we've also introduced new content to enhance the overall learning experience. As outlined in our Terms of Use, we may update, add, remove, or modify content at any time, and these changes do not qualify for a refund.

  If there are specific courses youre looking for, wed be happy to help you locate them. Please dont hesitate to reach out to us at ************************* always here to assist!

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2025

  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 subscribed Brilliant.org on Jan 13, 2014. On June 6, 2024, because my son was a national competitor for a math competition, we were awarded a subscription to Jan 1, 2026. One Jan 12, 2025, Brilliant.org charged me $129.50 for renewing the service. I want:1. Refund me because my subscription is to Jan 1, 2026, not expired.2.Remove me from auto-renew. Though I have cancelled auto renew, I am not sure whether that is successful. Therefore, I hope that Brilliant.org can check and confirm that it will not auotmatically renew my subscription.3. Since I paid for one year subscription on Jan 13, 2024 and got awarded for subscription to Jan 1, 2026, shouldn't my subscription be extented to the mid year of 2026 because the paid subscription was expired when I got the award? If so, please extend my subscription.Thanks!

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2025

  Thank you for your detailed review. We understand your concerns and want to address them fully.

  1. Your recent charge of $129.50 has already been refunded and the subscription was canceled. We shared these details in our email response.
  2. Auto-renewal has been canceled for your account. You can confirm this by checking your Subscription Settings, but rest assured, you will not be charged again unless you repurchase.
  3. Regarding your awarded subscription, these do not extend your current subscription. They are merely added to the account you've accepted the award on.

  We appreciate your understanding, and if you have any further questions or need confirmation, feel free to respond to our email from ********************** We're happy to help!

  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/25/2025

  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:01/14/2025

  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.

  Dear Better Business Bureau,I am writing to formally file a complaint against Brilliant.org regarding issues I have encountered with my premium account and the lack of customer support I have received.On December 31, I activated my premium account and received a confirmation email with the order number: Order: STP-sub_1QbmTl28biEiuldOCTt9MxK6. The account was successfully activated and functioned properly for the first eight days. I even received an email with the new terms of service.However, on January 8, when I attempted to access my account, I found that my premium subscription had been deactivated. I promptly submitted a support request to the email address provided on their website. As of today, one week later, I have yet to receive a response.Yesterday, I requested a refund for my payment, which has already been credited back to my bank account. However, I still have not received any communication from their customer service email, which is the only contact method available on their website. There are no other means of contacting their customer support.I am disappointed with the lack of assistance and communication from Brilliant.org regarding this matter. I hope that the BBB can help facilitate a resolution.Thank you for your attention to this issue.Sincerely,***** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 01/23/2025

  Hi Diego,

  Thank you for sharing your experience. Were sorry for any frustration caused and appreciate your patience during this time.

  Weve been transparent in communicating expected wait times for support, and were glad we were able to resolve your issue on January 14th. If you have any further questions or concerns, the best way to reach us is by responding directly to the email confirmation you received.

  Were here to help!
  

  Best regards,
  The Brilliant Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/12/2025

  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.

  I purchased the annual membership during the cyberweek pricing special. It was for my adult son. He tried it out and decided it was not for him. I was charged on December 10 after a one-week trial. On December 13 I asked for a refund via email. There was a provided link in an email that said to press "here" for a refund. It was a broken link that didn't work so I said in my email refund request that I wanted a refund but the link didn't open for me. It said that if you asked for a refund within three days of being charged you could receive one. I have since received from them emails that said I am not eligible for a refund. I even received an email from them today, January 11th, stating that I haven't used the service for 29 days (that is December 13, 2024.). I dispute that I am not eligible for a refund, as I requested one on December 13, within the three days from being charged. And I haven't used it since, according to the email they sent me today.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/20/2025

  Hi there,

  We completely understand how frustrating this situation may feel and truly apologize for any confusion surrounding your refund request.

  Our refund policy takes multiple factors into account, including both usage after the charge date and the timing of the refund request. Both factors are reviewed together, not just one versus the other, when evaluating eligibility for an exception. In your case, we noted that the account was used between December 10th13th, which is why it doesnt meet the criteria for a refund exception, even though the request was made within the timeframe.

  Weve shared these details in our email correspondence, but please dont hesitate to reach out if you have further questions. Simply reply to our email, and well be happy to assist further.
  
  Warm regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/22/2025

   
  Complaint: 22800354
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  As you stated, I was charged on December 10, and I requested a refund on December 13, within your time frame. I did not use the service after I requested a refund, and have not used it since that time.

   

  I should not be charged for a service that I requested cancellation for within your allowed timeframe and didn't use after I requested the cancellation. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** Beth *************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/26/2025

  Hi there,

  Thanks for reaching out again. We responded to your request on January 20th with the fairest solution we can provide but havent heard back from you. If you'd like to accept our offer, please reply to that email so we can move forward.

  Additionally, Id like to clarify that the link provided in our email was to guide you through canceling your subscription and requesting a refund (if applicable). We dont promise refunds when using this link, as purchases are non-refundable and refund exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis.

  Please respond to our email when you can and let us know if you have further questions, or if you'd like to proceed with our previous offer.

  Best regards,

  The Brilliant Support Team
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/28/2025

   
  Complaint: 22800354
  
  I am rejecting this response because: As I stated before, I requested a cancellation on Dec 13, within 3 days of being charged, which was within your time frame of requesting a cancellation. I did not use the service after that time.

  You are proposing that a refund be "prorated" to charge me for TWO MONTHS beyond my original charge date of Dec. 10. That does not seem like a fair resolution to me, as I did not use the service even ONE time after my request for cancellation on Dec. 13th.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** Beth *************