ComplaintsforRakuten

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Customer Complaint:

BBB’s profile for Rakuten was created in May 2000. A review of complaints was completed in March 2024. Complaints on file state concerns of delays in receiving Cash Back and denied Cash Back requests.

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Initial Complaint
07/16/2024
Complaint Type:
Delivery Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
I signed up to Rakuten using a referral link of a youtuber (Pokemon Doctor). This youtuber and Rakuten promised that if I sign up using this link I will receive $30 cash back on my first order as long as it is $30 or more. I then checked out on ******* through Rakuten with the following order details:******* Order# *******-26045363 1 Item: Pokemon Trading Card Games SA12.5 Crown Zenith Premium Shiny Figure Box - Zacian $*****/ea Qty:1 Shipping: Free Tax: $2.81 Total: $47.77 Payment Method: PayPal: *********************** Order Date: Thursday, July 11th, 2024 I have contacted customer support through ********************** but I believe I have only received automated responses from them (very unprofessional). I believe I met all the requirements for the bonus, and would like my $30 cash back. I also want a response from an actual employee who works for Rakuten to speak on be half of them on why this is, because this shouldn't be happening to me or anybody else for that matter.Additional Rakuten order details:First Name: ***** Last Name: ******** Store: ******* Network: Impact Radius Order Number: *************** Order Date: 2024-07-11 Amount: ***** Store Type: online Shopping Trip: ********** Rakuten account email: ************************** I will also add screenshots of the emails I have from Rakuten themselves telling me that I have received said bonus.Thank you for understanding, and hopefully with your help we can resolve this peacefully.
Business response
07/17/2024
Hi There,
Thank you for contacting Rakuten. Your account has just been sent over to our Account Specialists for further review. We will be in touch with you as soon as we have more information to pass along to you in regard to your Welcome Bonus.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Customer response
07/17/2024
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,

***** ********
Initial Complaint
07/16/2024
Complaint Type:
Delivery Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
I placed a order with **** and was supposed to receive cashback of 12% from the order. When I contacted support I kept being told to wait for the cashback to come for months. I'm now being told that **** never sent out payment to Rakuten that the order happened and to contact ****. **** says to contact Rakuten. The order is no longer visible on Rakuten's shopping trip page. I still have the receipt of my order and should have received about $84 for the order which never happened.
Business response
07/17/2024
Hi Valued Member,
Our records show that we reached out to **** and did not hear back within 45 days about this Cash Back. I see that we previously added a $50 to your Rakuten account for this issue. We've now added the rest of this Cash Back to your Rakuten account as an account adjustment. This adjustment will show towards the very bottom of your Cash Back Balance page within the next 24 hours.
Sincerely,
Customer response
07/18/2024
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,

*******************
Initial Complaint
07/16/2024
Complaint Type:
Product Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
I am writing to file a formal complaint against Rakuten, a cash back and shopping rewards site, regarding their failure to fulfill a promised cash back offer.On July 13, I made a purchase through Rakuten for NordVPN, which was advertised with a 90% cash back offer. I carefully followed all the steps and conditions outlined by Rakuten to ensure my purchase would qualify for this cash back offer. However, after completing my order, I did not receive any cash back as promised.I reached out to Rakutens customer support team via email on July 15 to inquire about the missing cash back. To my dismay, I received a response stating that my order was not eligible for cash back, without providing any clear explanation or valid reason for this decision.This experience has left me feeling frustrated and misled. I believe Rakutens practices are deceptive and do not align with the claims they make to attract customers. Such conduct undermines consumer trust and can be considered a scam. I have attached all relevant documentation, including screenshots of the offer, my purchase confirmation, and correspondence with Rakutens customer support team.I am seeking the ********************* assistance in addressing this issue. Specifically, I request the following actions:1.An investigation into Rakutens practices regarding their cash back offers.2.A resolution that includes honoring the 90% cash back offer as advertised for my NordVPN purchase.3.Steps to ensure that Rakuten improves their transparency and communication regarding eligibility for cash back offers to prevent similar issues for other consumers.Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response and assistance in resolving this issue.Sincerely,*****************
Business response
07/17/2024
Hi ******,

Thank you for your email. As a courtesy to a Valued Member, we have added this order to your account. Cash Back is not available on NordPass. This information can be found on our NordVPN page under Cash Back Terms: **********************************************

For future purchases, visit the Rakuten store page each time you shop to view any exclusions, special terms, or tiered offers.

Sincerely,
Customer response
07/17/2024
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,

*****************
Initial Complaint
07/12/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
I heard about Rakuten from a friend and decided to give it a try. I chose to spend hundreds of dollars on Rakuten because of the appealing cashback incentives they were showing me. They convinced me to spend with them at various stores. On the website it says it may take 1-3 days for a store to confirm transactions, and I have added all receipts and Rakuten still has not confirmed roughly ***** AMEX membership points on my account. This is not okay and is misleading business tactics. If I had known they would withold points or mislead me about how long it wil take to have them confirmed I would never have spent money with Rakuten.
Business response
07/15/2024
Hello Jourdan,

Your August payment will include all of your Cash Back that is confirmed eligible for payment (currently ***** points). The amount of your August payment may increase as more orders become confirmed eligible for payment.

The time it takes for Cash Back to be confirmed depends on several factors, including the store, store policy, reporting schedule, exclusions and returns.

Your November payment will include orders that have been confirmed after the August payment cut off and prior to the November cut off date.

Once confirmed, your Cash Back will always be included in your next payment (unless of course you return it or it contains excluded items).

Upon review, some of your orders will not be confirmed until after the August payment.

Find more information about payments at **************************************************************************************************************************
Customer response
07/15/2024
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,

*********************************
Initial Complaint
07/09/2024
Complaint Type:
Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
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.
I had referred a person using Rakuten referral link and was promised 30 dollar for the referral . My referred person bought the stuff using the referral link but Rakuten is denying paying me money for referral . Even my referral gor no money for using their platform . All this happened on Jul 06th . The customer care ********* was rude and not at al helpful when we asked for this .
Business response
07/10/2024
Hello Mohit,

Our records indicate that your referral did not make a qualified purchase within 90 days of their sign-up date. This caused the referral bonus to expire. Often a member will visit Rakuten, start an account and then not use it again for many months or even years. As we do not close accounts until a member asks us to, this causes accounts to be open and not used.
Customer response
07/11/2024

Complaint: 21963375

I am rejecting this response because: the person whom I referred to has a new account on ********************** and used email link which I sent on 6 th of July . Hence I do not agree with this resolution and feel that I have not been rewarded by the promotion of Rakuten . Neither I nor the referred person has ever got a bonus from Rakuten . Its unfortunate that Rakuten would make up such excuses and countless negative reviews of the platform on ****** for Rakuten Canada perhaps shows that I am not the only one who has been misled by your promotions .
I see this as a consumer right issue and would request Rakuten to take corrective action to correct this mistake at its end .

Sincerely,

***********************
Business response
07/15/2024
Hello,
We're sorry to see that you're having issues with your referral bonus. As advised, this referral did not place a qualifying order within the first 90 days of account creation. That is the only information on their account that we can release to you, as you're not the holder of that account. We can only discuss specific account details with the account holder. Please have them email us at this email address so that we can better explain the situation to her, which she can then share with you if she chooses to. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and appreciate your patience.
Initial Complaint
07/08/2024
Complaint Type:
Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
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.
I made a purchase during an elevated cash-back offer on Rakuten. I met all inclusion criteria and did not meet an exclusion criteria. Rakuten is not awarding the cash-back offer even though requirements were met. I have also included confirmation of this purchase.
Business response
07/10/2024
Hello *******,

When you shop through Rakuten in accordance with the terms set forth by Rakuten and the store, the store pays a commission to Rakuten. This commission is what we pass along to you in the form of Cash Back. Since this order was not automatically reported, we submitted a request for payment to Sixt.

Sixt Rent A Car has not responded to the payment request. When a merchant does not automatically report an order or does not respond to our inquiry, we are given no commission and thus are unable to share it with you.

We deeply regret any misunderstanding and sincerely hope that all future orders will be credited to you.
Customer response
07/11/2024

Complaint: 21959150

I am rejecting this response because: I have complete documentation of my purchases and met inclusion/exclusion criteria for the purchase. There is no dispute that I met the terms and conditions for the purchase. Therefore, Rakuten should hold the company providing the benefit liable.

Sincerely,

***********************************
Business response
07/15/2024
Hello,

Cash Back is added to your Rakuten account when the stores that participate in the Cash Back program report a purchase to Rakuten as being eligible for Cash Back. Please see Article 11.5 of the Terms of Conditions.

'The determination of whether a purchase made through an Affiliate Store qualifies for Cash Back is at the sole discretion of Company. If an Affiliate Store fails to report a transaction to Company or fails to make payment to Company for any reason, Company reserves the right to cancel the Cash Back associated with that transaction.' ****************************************************************

Thank you for your understanding.
Customer response
07/15/2024

Complaint: 21959150

I am rejecting this response because: *********** (specifically 1800CONTACTS) provided documentation of the eligible purchase. I submitted this documentation to Rakuten confirming my eligible purchase. With this particular case, I do have documentation. Please see attached letter.
Sincerely,

***********************************
Initial Complaint
07/05/2024
Complaint Type:
Delivery Issues
Status:
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.
I placed an order at ****** via Rakuten interface on 6/26/2024, when they had 10% cashback.The order was $1522 subtotal, which would have equated to $151.20 cashback.While tracking my cash back, the Rakuten app said it would be issued by July 3, 2024, which it wasnt.When I contacted them today, I was told that I was not eligible for cash back, even though the Rakuten app acknowledges my purchase.
Business response
07/08/2024
Hello *******,

At this time we have applied this Cash Back as a one time courtesy. When we reached out to ****** for credit on this order, they replied that your order was credited to another site as that was the last click made prior to finalizing your order. Please keep in mind that if you start an order by clicking through Rakuten, and then search other sites for deals, that the last site you click on will earn the commission for your order. This commission is what Rakuten shares with you in the form of Cash Back.

As your orders are private and secured transactions Rakuten is not given the name of the website that received the credit for your purchase.

We regret any inconvenience you have experienced. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
Initial Complaint
07/04/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
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.
Made an online purchase at PetSmart through Rakuten on 5 May 2024 during a promotional period of 20% cash back. Cash missing, reached out to Rakuten. Rakuten requested information; it was provided. Several emails later, Rakuten claims that PetSmart has online order numbers that begin with the #1, but mine starts with #2. After speaking with a PetSmart representative on 27 June 2024, the representative stated the online purchase numbers had changed. Several attempts with both PetSmart and Rakuten have been made to collect the 20% cash back for the online purchase, but nothing reasonable. Rakuten did offer a $20 bonus as a valued customer that will post only after my next purchase.
Business response
07/08/2024
Hi ******,

We checked on your order and Cash Back is not available on Grooming packages. We're sorry for any confusion.

We always recommend checking Cash Back terms before shopping to know what's excluded. You can find the Cash Back terms for PetSmart on their store page: ***********************************************

Sincerely,
Initial Complaint
06/27/2024
Complaint Type:
Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
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.
The Rakuten app/company will allow you to go through a purchase process for a given amount (in this case 15%), reflect that cashback in your account, and then once the website you purchased from (in this case, Aurate), informs them they will not file cashback (because a discount code was applied by the website), they will inform you that your purchase is not eligible for cashback.I went through with a $2,500+ purchase because I understood that I'd be receiving 15% cashback on my order. Not only did I see this cashback reflected in my account, but it also said that it was processing. I am now no longer receiving cashback for this massive purchase because the Rakuten app/account will not "warn" you that if discount codes are applied (by the website), it voids cashback. Additionally, I was told to wait 45 days for "communication" between Rakuten and the company in order to finalize this process. I was informed about this failure on the 43rd day of waiting.This is false advertising and one of the most underhanded business practices I have ever seen.This is a LARGE company, with a more than capable technology/development team, that can EASILY update its browser extension to give notice when discounts have been applied to a purchase, telling you that cashback is now not promised. However, they refuse to do that, giving you a false sense of return, and lying to you as a customer.I would not have made a purchase of $2,500+ dollars if I did not think that I would be receiving $375+ in cash back. I am now outside of a return window (because of the time I waited for "communication"), and cannot pursue action any further.I have been using Rakuten since 2017, but after I am able to get my next (and last) cashback check, I will be terminating this account forever.Do not use Rakuten. They will deceive you.
Business response
07/03/2024
Hi ***,

We truly appreciate your business and love having you as a member, so we are giving you a $100 Valued Member Bonus offer.

We are not able to add Cash Back to your account for this order. When we requested credit from the store, the request was declined for the reasons mentioned. Your bonus offer appears in your account under "Special Bonus Offer Just for You" at www.rakuten.com/my-account.htm.

To qualify for this bonus, place any order through Rakuten in the next 365 days and the bonus will be added to your account.

Feel free to reach out to me if you still have any questions. Thank you.
Initial Complaint
06/23/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
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.
Rakuten's service is to provide cash back for purchases made through the app. or with the browser extension. I made a purchase for a mobile phone with ******* on 6/11/24, for a subtotal of $1386.11. The Rakuten app said cash back should be processed by 6/18. It was not, so I reached out to customer service on 6/19 for resolution. I provided screenshots of my purchase confirmation email, which included date of purchase, subtotal, order number, and method of payment. I did not hear back. I reached out to customer service a second time on 6/22 with the same information provided and also have received no response. I would like to receive the cash back promised by Rakuten.
Business response
06/24/2024
Hello ******,

Rakuten has yet to receive credit for this ******* order, but we went ahead and added the Cash Back for this purchase to your account.

Please note that for future Cash Back inquiries, we may need to submit them to the store for review, which can take a little while to resolve.

To ensure all future Cash Back posts to your account automatically, please check out the following links:

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

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