Complaints

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

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  SurveyMonkey

  910 Park Pl Suite 300 San Mateo, CA 94403

  
• 

  SurveyMonkey

  1 Curiosity Way San Mateo, CA 94403-2396

  

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:03/13/2025

  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.

  It is not easy to cancel subscrition. I thought I cancelled last year but I was charged again today. This is a smal nonprofit and we can't afford to pay another annual fee when we will not use the service. Thank you for any help you can give us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2025

  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've been a Survey Monkey customers for many years. For a long time, I probably would have given them a good grade, but recently they have driven me completely crazy with their push for money and lack of concern for the customer (me). My business is slower now so I don't use SM as often. I got a lower price last year, which made it possible for me to continue using SM. They use auto-renew, and because I don't always remember all my auto renewals and the dates for them, I expect to be reminded before I'm charged. Not only was there no reminder, they charged me about $200 more than before, but again, didn't bother to tell me that was going to happen. My bank account was overdrawn as a result. I wrote them to ask about the pricing, but instead of getting back to me, they issued a refund, which made downloading the information I still needed to get from my account impossible. I wrote several times about this but they kept pushing other plans, which I didn't want. Finally, someone wrote that they would give me 24 hours to get what I needed as. "favor" to me. No favor--they were the ones who caused the problem of my not being able to get my information in the first place, so I deserved AT LEAST that much consideration. I logged in to my account when I got the notice and downloaded what I needed. This morning, I awoke to ANOTHER charge, this one for $99, which overdrew my bank account AGAIN. This is supposed to be a company that understands tech, but they have no idea what they're doing. I've worked for newsletter subscription companies for many years and I know exactly why companies that use auto-renew don't send reminders. It's to avoid having the customer think about it and decide against renewing. It's a trick, pure and simple, to get more money out of people. If you care about your customer, you let them know you're going to be charging them and let THEM make the decision. Clearly, SM cares nothing for its customers.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2025

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, again the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/01/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Ive been working with Survey Monkey on and off for years. I dont honestly remember when my renewal date was up. I also didnt realize I was still on auto-renew. I asked about different pricing about a year ago, and they gave me a lower rate. This year, they not only adding a couple hundred dollars to that rate, they went ahead and charged me without ever telling me about the rate increase or warn me that it was about to be renewed.

  Sorry, but to auto-renew without warning and without an indication of a new price is simply a scam designed to renew people who are unaware hoping they wont notice or have a chance to decide against the renewal because the price has now become too high to afford. Because, as they said, once its auto renewed, they dont offer refunds if you cancel. Its too late, and thats exactly what theyre banking on!

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  Again, we are sorry to hear about this customer experience. 
  
  The purchase process outlines terms for an ongoing membership, and includes the following statement below the [Confirm] button: You will be billed $XX when you click CONFIRM. Your subscription will automatically renew, and you'll be billed $XX each year until you cancel it. By clicking CONFIRM, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: **************************************************************.
  
  As mentioned, customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/03/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: SurveyMonkey keeps saying the same thing over and over again but it doesn't address the issue, which is that there was no warning before I was charged. And some of what they said is NOT correct. 

  Attached are the confirmation I got and the receipt. I don't see anything that says "confirm" so I didn't confirm this. Second, you raised the price on me without letting me know. You'll see on the email that it says you'll bill me $327.60 until I tell you to stop. But you didn't, did you? You charged me $468 without any warning that it wasn't going to be $327.60. 

  A simple reminder a couple of days before you're going to charge someone is appropriate, especially if you're going to raise the price. I know exactly why you don't remind people, which you won't address, but I've worked for enough subscription publications with auto-renew to know how this works and why you do it. Even worse, once you auto-renew someone without warning (and really, who remembers all their auto-renews from a year ago? But you're banking on that) the customer is stuck because you don't issue refunds. No warning, no refund, too bad. And you can always say, hey, we told you a year ago this was going to happen. Sorry, that's not an excuse in my book. And the worst customer service you can provide.  

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/09/2025

  Type:Order 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.

  It is impossible to reach this company when you are trying to cancel service. We have been paying them for years, but are unable to login to our account to cancel. Since the email address on file is on old employee, we cannot get logged in. There is no phone number to reach a real person and the phone number on their merchant account on our credit card statement is out of order! Had to dispute the charges on our credit card to attempt to stop charges for the service we haven't used in years.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2025

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, again the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  Since a dispute has been filed with the card issuer or bank, SurveyMonkey can't take any action on the account. When a customer files a dispute with their bank, they handle the entire process and would determine if the customer would qualify for their dispute criteria and reimbursement. Any reimbursement would come from your bank, not in the form of a refund from SurveyMonkey. We recommend that this customer reach out to their bank/credit card company for more information about this. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/19/2024

  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 *********** am writing to file a formal complaint against SurveyMonkey regarding an unauthorized charge that appeared on my credit card statement for their Team Premier Annual Package. I initially signed up for this service in 2023, which included an additional seat and premier contributor. At the time of purchase, I did not opt-in for auto-renewal or any similar services.However, in my October 2024 credit card statement, I noticed that SurveyMonkey had charged me for the same amount without any prior notification, warning, or request for my confirmation to renew. I had only used the service for a single project, which had already been completed, and I did not wish to renew the subscription.After reviewing their terms and conditions, it appears that the auto-renewal option is set as the default, rather than being explicitly offered as an optional feature for renewal. The company did not send any email notification or seek my permission before processing this renewal charge.I believe that SurveyMonkey's actions are in violation of consumer protection laws, including the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA), which requires clear, conspicuous, and affirmative consent for auto-renewals, as well as regulations set forth by the California Automatic Renewal Law (ARL), which mandates that businesses clearly disclose the terms of auto-renewals before they charge consumers. (Survey Monkey is Based in **********). I respectfully request that SurveyMonkey issue a full refund for this unauthorized charge. If they are unwilling to do so, I would like to escalate this issue and request BBBs assistance in resolving this matter.I appreciate your prompt attention to this complaint. Please let me know if you need any further information to process my complaint.Thank you for your time and assistance.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  The purchase process outlines terms for both the purchase and an ongoing membership, and includes the following statement below the [Confirm] button: You will be billed $XX when you click CONFIRM. Your subscription will automatically renew, and you'll be billed $XX each year until you cancel it. By clicking CONFIRM, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: **************************************************************.
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, again the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  This customers case has been reviewed by the team. Though we understand that refunds have been requested, we are entirely prohibited from refunding these charges, so no exceptions will be made to our no-refund policy. We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22579979
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Survey Monkey terms are against California laws protecting the consumer. This laws are clear and specifically state the following: 

  Under California Business and Professions Code Section 17600-17606. 
  

  1. Clear and Conspicuous Disclosure (Before Enrollment)
       Disclosure Requirement: Businesses must provide a clear and conspicuous disclosure of the auto-renewal terms before the consumer agrees to the transaction. This includes The f       act that the product or service will automatically renew.
       The cancellation procedure and any applicable fees for cancellation.
        The consumer must be able to review these terms before completing the transaction.
  2. Express Consent
      Consumers must affirmatively consent to the auto-renewal. This means a business cannot automatically enroll someone in an auto-renewal plan or subscription without the                 consumer's explicit consent. An opt-out method or hidden "agree" boxes are not permissible under California law.
  3. Acknowledgment of the Agreement (Post-Transaction)
  After a transaction, businesses are required to send the consumer an acknowledgment of the auto-renewal agreement. This must include:
    A summary of the auto-renewal terms.
   Information on how to cancel the renewal.
   Contact information for the business.
  4. Renewal Reminder (Prior to Renewal)
     At least 30 days before the renewal date, the company must notify the consumer about the upcoming renewal and any charges that will be applied.
       The reminder must clearly indicate how to cancel the auto-renewal.
  5. Cancellation Process
       Easy Cancellation: The business must provide a clear and simple method for the consumer to cancel the auto-renewal. The cancellation process must be at least as easy as the       method the consumer used to sign up.
   For subscriptions with auto-renewals, businesses cannot impose unreasonable hurdles, such as requiring a phone call or asking the consumer to mail a letter. Most commonly,  companies offer an online cancellation process.
  6. Refunds for Unauthorized Charges
  If a consumer is charged for an auto-renewal without proper consent or without proper notification, they are entitled to a refund for those unauthorized charges.
  The company may also be required to issue a pro-rated refund if the consumer cancels after a charge but within a reasonable time.
  7. Enforcement and Penalties
  Violations of the auto-renewal law may result in penalties or legal action. Consumers or the California Attorney General can take action against companies that violate the auto-renewal provisions.
  Penalties for violations can include fines up to $1,000 per violation for businesses that fail to comply with the law.
  Consumers may also pursue legal action for damages, including recovery of the amount paid for the subscription or service.
  8. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Related Protections
  Although not directly related to auto-renewal practices, the **** provides additional protections for consumers, including rights to transparency about how their personal data is being used. If a business uses consumer data to enroll them in auto-renewal subscriptions, it must adhere to CCPA privacy requirements.

  If you look at the number of complaints against Survey Monkey on both the Better Business Bureau as well as Trust Pilots website there are dozens if not hundreds of people having the same problem therefore it's clear that this clause that they are mentioning in their "Terms" is not Clear and Conspicuous Disclosure and also under Item 4 they are obliged to send an email notification Point 3 both before and Point 4. 30 days before charging. 

  In reviewing all the complaints on the BBB's Website clearly there is a pattern of deception at most or at least a poor business practice at least. In addition to the BBB there are regulatory agencies with enforcement authority to look into the consumer protection laws not followed by the business.
  

  Department of Consumer Affairs   
  *****************************;  
  

  Survey Monkey is legally obligated to refund the money immediately noting the penalty to Survey Monkey will be can include fines up to $1,000 per violation for businesses that fail to comply with the law in addition to the $2,000 non authorized charge on our account  judging by all the complaints we are far from the only person who has been taken advantage.

  I encourage Survey Money to return our money.  Further I recommend they stop this practice which generated so many filed complaints against them. I am at a bit of a lose to understand why they would want the reputational damage looking at the BBB's website full of complaint files not to mention the poor ratings on Trust Pilot.

  Surely the number of people not repeat users of their service that is to say that loss compared to what they could possibly received in taking people's money without authorization it seems hardly a good business decision. Other than this auto renew issue we thought and do believe they have a good product and they should not engage in in such poor and illegal practice and wish they focus on their product which as stated is good maybe great on its own. 

  Looking forward to your positive reply

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

   

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2024

  Again, were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  The customer's claims and ******************** case are currently being reviewed by both our management and legal team. We are thoroughly assessing all aspects of the customer case and their account to ensure it is addressed appropriately.
  
  We appreciate the customers patience during this process and will provide them with an update as soon as the review is completed. Should the customer have any concerns in the meantime, we encourage them to continue communications via the support ticket that they opened.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/03/2024

   
  Complaint: 22579979
  
  I am rejecting this response because: While i understand it is under review by Survey Monkey's Management and regardless of the wording in the Terms, they must comply with Californias auto-renewal laws, which include two key provisions: auto-renewal must be clearly disclosed, and customers must be notified at least 30 days prior to renewal.
  If you review complaints on the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot websites, youll find many users citing lack of clear disclosure and pre-renewal notifications.
  Given that your company offers an excellent service and has a strong reputation, I would hope you would take steps to align your terms with Californias consumer protection laws. It seems counterproductive to maintain a policy that could damage your brands reputation, especially when the laws are so clear.
  I look forward to your prompt response and the return of the funds to my credit card.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/19/2024

  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 initially purchased a plan with Survey Monkey in Aug 2023. I only used their services in 2023. In July of *************************************************** 2024 and cancelled the auto renew. I did not receive a confirmation but did not realize it until I saw a charge on my credit card for a renewal! When I contacted Survey Monkey via Chat (the only option) asking for a refund as it was an error and I had not used their services at all in 2024 they REFUSED. I did not receive a notice of an upcoming renewal. I live in ** and Survey Monkey is in violation of VA LAW: 59.1-207.46. Making automatic renewal or continuous service offer to consumer; affirmative consent required; disclosures; prohibited conduct. I am requesting a full refund.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  The purchase process outlines terms for both the purchase and an ongoing membership, and includes the following statement below the [Confirm] button: You will be billed $XX when you click CONFIRM. Your subscription will automatically renew, and you'll be billed $XX each year until you cancel it. By clicking CONFIRM, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: **************************************************************.
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, again the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  This customers case has been reviewed by the team. Though we understand that refunds have been requested, we are entirely prohibited from refunding these charges, so no exceptions will be made to our no-refund policy. We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/03/2024

  I do not accept this "boiler plate" response from Survey Monkey.   I did not receive a notice of an upcoming renewal. I live in ** and Survey Monkey is in violation of VA LAW: 59.1-207.46. Making automatic renewal or continuous service offer to consumer; affirmative consent required; disclosures; prohibited conduct. I am requesting a full refund. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/06/2024

  Again, we are sorry to hear about this customer's experience. 
  
  Our checkout process highlights that the paid annual plan will auto-renew unless the customer cancels. We ensure that we specify the amount that they will be charged, we highlight that their plan will auto-renewal unless they cancel, and we also provide links to direct them to our cancellation policies. The customer is required to select a checkbox confirming all of this before they are able to check out and pay for their subscription. All the details can be found here: ***********************************************************************************************************;
  
  Again, this customers case has been reviewed by the team. Though we understand that refunds have been requested, we are entirely prohibited from refunding these charges, so no exceptions will be made to our no-refund policy. We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/18/2024

  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.

  SurveyMonkey sent notice of account information being deleted unless we logged in to save our data. We logged in to export our data from 2022. We have not used the account since 2022. ********************** then charged us $509 for a full year subscription because of this export, without any notice of charge to be able to cancel the subscription. They then refuse to refund any portion of this charge.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  The purchase process outlines terms for both the purchase and an ongoing membership, and includes the following statement below the [Confirm] button: You will be billed $XX when you click CONFIRM. Your subscription will automatically renew, and you'll be billed $XX each year until you cancel it. By clicking CONFIRM, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: **************************************************************.
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, again the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  This customers case has been reviewed by the team. Though we understand that refunds have been requested, we are entirely prohibited from refunding these charges as paid features were used on the account, so no exceptions will be made to our no-refund policy. We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/13/2024

  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.

  Survey Monkey intentionally displays the price for a plan in bold large letters then conceals conditions regarding the cancellation of the plan in a separate document. This practice is intentionally misleading and demonstrative of horrible business practices. I have requested a refund to my government credit card for the amount beyond the initially display fee and they have refused.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/19/2024

  We’re sorry to hear about this customer’s experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: **************************************************** 
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customer’s behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ************************************ 
  
  We have connected with the support team and are happy to see that an exception has been made for this customer. Should they have any additional questions about this, we recommend they reach back out to the support team. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/20/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  Survey Monkey's page outlining their plans is deliberately misleading and manipulated in a fashion that makes it difficult to determine the actual price.  I contacted them directly and advised that what they are doing is in violation of ********* ***** Statute 609.52 - Theft by Swindle: "Occurs when a person obtains property or services from another person through artifice, trick, device, or any other means, while the other person is under a false premise about the value or true nature of the goods".

  After this contact, they refunded the full $300 amount and offered me a "Flex" plan that was $45 a month and it could be purchased month by month.  This Flex account can not be found on their normal website outlining plans.  

  I have been refunded the amount I was originally charged and have been charged an acceptable amount.  I have no further complaint regarding the finances tied to my situation.  I still do not agree with Survey Monkey's explanation and business practices.  This is a dying business that is just trying to make as much money as possible before closing.  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  John B***

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/12/2024

  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 am a college student who was just buying a 20 $ survey through survey monkey. However, the survey monkey charged me ******* for a subscription I did not want or sign up for. I cancelled it immediately and disputed it with my bank. They had no customer service so I was not able to let anyone at survey monkey know about my experience. I completed the survey that let them know the survey was an accident. The survey monkey told them my subscription was purposeful and so my bank ended up charging me again! I have started a new dispute but am so frustrated. As a college student I am not able to afford this, have not used any of the subscriptions services and I did not even click submit on the payment. When I was reading over the fees the page refreshed and charged me. I am so disappointed in this organization and have read that many customers have had the same experience. I really need this charge to come off my account as soon as possible. I am willing to pay the 20$ but I need the rest of the money refunded.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/19/2024

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  Because a dispute has been filed with the card issuer or bank, SurveyMonkey can't take any action on the account. When a customer files a dispute with their bank, they handle the entire process and would determine if the customer would qualify for their dispute criteria and reimbursement. Any reimbursement would come from your bank, not in the form of a refund from SurveyMonkey. We recommend that this customer reach out to their bank/credit card company for more information about this. 
  
  We weren't able to locate a support case from this customer based on the information provided. We encourage the customer to get in touch with the support team via our chatbot here: **********************************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2024

  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.

  Please help me resolve closing my SurveyMonkey account and getting a refund for the balance of the overpayment charged to me. I need to completely close my SurveyMonkey account and receive a refund for an overcharge of $275 of what I thought I would be paying ($25). I was charged $300. I used the survey service for less than a week. It was a small 57 response class project survey that I assumed would fit their free plan but didn't. I am seeking fair remediation. I am a teacher who opened a free SurveyMonkey account for a class election poll project. After creating and sharing our class survey and beginning to collect responses, I was prompted to upgrade when my responses exceeded 25. There was nothing in the initial set-up to warn me of this limitation but I decided to quickly subscribe to a plan to continue the survey. I chose the least expensive monthly plan of $25 but was charged the "annual billing" price of $300. There was no warning of actually signing up for an annual subscription or not being able to cancel the subscription. I missed the initial fine print" billed annually" , however that doesn't mean non-refundable. In this era of subscription services, it is common to expect a subscription to cancel on the date you cancel. I have since realized there is no apparent way to completely cancel the account, only to disable billing after a YEAR! My survey was small - 57 responses and I "canceled" on November 2. When my expected refund message never came, I investigated and have not been able to reach a human to rectify this problem. I only receive bot replies. They offered that I pay them an additional $99 for a monthly plan and then they would refund the $300 I paid. My card was hacked after this transaction and I would never give them more of money or another card. It isn't reasonable or sensible. It seems this company is not an honest and fair business. Please help me get a fair refund. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2024

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  With a Basic plan, customers can collect unlimited responses for free, with view-only access to a limited amount of responses per survey. Customers can view their response limit by going to the plans and pricing page when they are logged into their account. 
  
  We break down the cost of the Annuals plan on the plan's and pricing page to better help customers understand how much that means month-to-month, but the annual plans are only available on an annual billing cycle, meaning that they are paying for a full year upfront and are committed to that entire billing period. 
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, again the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  We were able to locate this customer's case and see that an exception has been offered by our team. We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this exception provided.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/09/2024

   
  Complaint: 22527217
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The offer SurveyMonkey made requires me to first pay them an additional $99 for a monthly subscription and THEN they will refund the $300 they somehow cannot refund otherwise. I am not willing to pay additional money to a company that "cannot refund".  Additionally, the card I used initially was hacked shortly after my initial transaction and I do not trust it is safe to give them additional payment means. This is part of my complaint to BBB.  It is not a fair offer of remediation.  

  The company's comments regarding their assumptions that a customer will read their terms of use and understand their no refund policy is unreasonable since their Terms of Use are not present or easily found at the time of transaction.  Additionally, as a customer I assume a subscription company is conducting themselves fairly in a way most comparable services do and close accounts and refund the balance of time when customers are dissatisfied or no longer need Their service.  Anything else is attempting to steal consumer money while not making clear and then hiding behind a difficult to find "Terms of Use" statement.

  Their Basic Plan statement demonstrates the unclear and misleading nature of their business practice since they say the Basic Plan includes RECEIVING unlimited responses and "VIEWING" a limited number.  The only party who has access to any responses beyond the initial 25 is SurveyMonkey at which time they quickly prompt with a pop up that a subscriber must upgrade their plan to view and access any additional responses.  This is an unclear business practice that caused me to quickly seek the ability to continue with my classroom project shared with a school community as my students were using it. These pieces of information should be abundantly clear upfront rather than using bold monthly fees and small print for the information they prefer not to be seen.  I chose the lowest monthly fee I could find.  From other complaints filed here on BBB as well as those filed on Trust Pilot, and other consumer complaint platforms. 

  Finally, I am a teacher who used this service for a 57 response survey in my school as part of math project over a few ******* use ws nowhere near equal to the cost.   I admit I made a mistake in not checking out this company before doing business.  It once had a good free service teachers used and clearly does not anymore.  I hoped to appeal to reasonableness with an actual human response.  It appears this company is largely bot driven since responses have been repetitive and I have not found a way to reach a human.  It has several offices yet only 1400 employees.  **************** is not a priority.  I am seeking a fair resolution and the one offered is not fair or reasonable. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/16/2024

  
  I am rejecting this response because:
       The offer SurveyMonkey made requires me to first pay them an additional $99 for a monthly subscription and THEN they will refund the $300 they somehow cannot refund otherwise. I am not willing to pay additional money to a company that "cannot refund".  Additionally, the card I used initially was hacked shortly after my initial transaction and I do not trust it is safe to give SurveyMonkey additional payment means. This is part of my complaint to BBB.  It is not a fair or reasonable offer of remediation.  ( I am attaching supporting evidence of the initial offer by SurveyMonkey and bank information.)
       The company's comments regarding their assumptions that a customer will read their terms of use and understand their no refund policy is unreasonable since their Terms of Use are not present or easily found at the time of transaction. ( I am including a screen shot of the location of Terms of Use on the SurveyMonkey web pagevery bottom, not obvious or easily located. The information contained is not part of Plan info provided at the time of subscribing.) Additionally, as a customer, I assume a subscription company is conducting themselves fairly in a way most comparable services do; Present their product clearly and honestly - close accounts and refund the balance of time when customers are dissatisfied or no longer need their service.  Anything else is attempting to steal consumer money while not making terms clear and then hiding behind a difficult to find "Terms of Use" statement. 
  After setting up and sharing my class survey with their free plan, I was prompted with a pop-up that I needed to upgrade in order to view responses above 25. The notification wasnt clear and I acted quickly to ensure respondents could respond. I quickly reviewed plans and chose the lowest monthly plan.  They are presented as monthly plans with no obvious, clear language or warning that one is bound beyond a month and no warning that the fee is non-refundable upon cancelation.  ( I have included a screenshot of the plan page I was taken to on their site.) 

       Their Basic Plan statement demonstrates the unclear and misleading nature of their business practice since they say the Basic Plan includes RECEIVING unlimited responses and "VIEWING" a limited number. This equates to baiting consumers.  The only party who has access to any responses beyond the initial 25 is SurveyMonkey at which time they quickly prompt with a pop-up that a subscriber must upgrade their plan to view and access any additional responses.  This is an unclear business practice that caused me to quickly seek the ability to continue with my classroom project shared with a school community as my students were using it. These pieces of information should be abundantly clear upfront rather than their practice of using bold monthly fees and small print for the information they prefer not to be seen.  I chose the lowest monthly fee I could find that would enable me to complete our one-time survey for our class project, and subscribed to what I thought would cost me $25.  I did not receive any information that led me to believe I wouldnt be responsible for just my monthly choice and absolutely no information stating payments were non-refundable. Billed annually does not mean non-refundable and could suggest a monthly fee broken out over a year term should one choose to continue.  From the many other complaints filed here on BBB as well as those filed on Trust Pilot, Reddit, Sitejabber and other consumer complaint platforms, it is clear my experience is a common one. 
       Finally, I am a teacher who used this service for a 57 response survey in my school as part of a math project over a few days. My use was nowhere near equal to the cost. I had no intention of subscribing for a year or to use the service beyond this one survey. It appears SurveyMonkey is not the platform for this kind of use and they should make that clear in their Basic Plan information. SurveyMonkey once had a good, free service teachers used and service has clearly changed. I hoped to appeal to reasonableness with an actual human response.  It appears this company is largely bot driven since responses have been repetitive and I have not found a way to reach a human and have been frustrated with my many attempts to resolve this.   There are no published email addresses or phone numbers that reach someone. I am seeking a fair resolution and the one offered is not fair or reasonable.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******
  

  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Again, were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  The purchase process outlines terms for both the purchase and an ongoing membership, and includes the following statement below the [Confirm] button: You will be billed $XX when you click CONFIRM. Your subscription will automatically renew, and you'll be billed $XX each year until you cancel it. By clicking CONFIRM, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: **************************************************************.
  
  The plans and pricing page breaks down the cost of the annuals plan to better help customers understand how much that means month-to-month, but the annual plans are only available on an annual billing cycle, meaning that they are paying for a full year upfront and are committed to that entire billing period. 
  
  This customers case has been reviewed by our leadership and management team and a one-time exception was provided by the team. This is the only exception that management has approved and provided after their case review.  By offering this exception, we hope to lessen the financial impact on the customer. Again, we encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this exception provided.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 22527217
  
  I am rejecting this response because: There has been no new offer of remediation from the company since I initially filed my complaint.  The offer made here is simply a response that reiterates messages I have received previously.  It appears they want to make the appearance of offering remediation when they have not. I have no new communication from SurveyMonkey.  Their offer which I included in my original complaint,  requires me to pay an additional $99 before the company will refund any money.  It is unreasonable that SurveyMonkey cannot refund without my paying more and as I stated in my complaint, I do not trust giving SurveyMonkey additional money in order to receive a refund. ( It is also non-sensical.)  Additionally, their initial statement in this response regarding what is stated at the time of subscribing is false.  They are continuing to misrepresent their service and customer experience.  Their characterization of me as having a continuing subscription is false. I do not wish to have a continuing subscription with SurveyMonkey.  I have asked the company to cancel my subscription.  It is difficult to find a means to cancel and when I did attempt to cancel beyond removing the option to auto-renew,  I was prompted by the  company to agree to forfeit any monies paid in order to cancel. I am not willing to forfeit money paid since I have no need for this service and do not plan to continue my subscription.  I have not been able to find a cancel button a second time. I believe there are consumer laws  being broken by SurveyMonkey. I want a fair and reasonable refund and for them to cancel my account.

  One simply needs to read the many  SurveyMonkey responses to this dispute,  attempting to avoid refunding a ridiculous  overcharge for a 4 day teacher classroom survey, a reasonable and simple request, to know this company is not operating in a forthright and honest manner.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/02/2024

  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.

  I was not notified of the upcoming auto-renewal for my subscription. On the day of auto-renewal I requested cancellation, but they denied a refund per their policy. I am a resident of ********. I notified them that they are in violation of Colorado State Law HB21-1239 Protections In Consumer Sales Transactions act as they did not send me an auto-renewal notice in the identified timeframe (greater than 25 days prior to auto-renewal) but they continued to refer to their no-refunds policy, even though the policy specifically states they make exceptions to comply with legal requirements. They responded without acknowledging that they are in violation of the law and re-stated that they do not give refunds per policy. I emailed again stating that I am legally entitled to a refund. I cannot call them to resolve as they do not offer phone support for my membership level. They further responded that I am not eligible for the notification because that is a higher membership level. The law does not require a higher level of membership. Of note this is also a violation of the California Auto-Renewal Law Assembly bill 390 as it is a 1-year subscription.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2024

  Were sorry to hear about this customers experience.
  
  Subscription options, features, and conditions are included for customers to view and agree to on the sign-up checkout page when processing the payment for an account upgrade, and listed within our Terms of Use. SurveyMonkey is a self-serve tool, and as such we expect our customers to carefully read and consider the terms and conditions they are agreeing to before signing up for an account and/or providing their credit card information. 
  
  Because SurveyMonkey is a self-service platform, we leave account management up to our customers, including subscription management. With our plans, we provide a service for a set price, and this begins upon upgrade or renewal; once this has occurred, the account is committed for the full billing period. This is included in the agreement we make with our customers about what they can expect of us. Fees are non-refundable per our Terms of Use: *******************************************************************;
  
  Customers can cancel auto-renew at any time, but they won't receive a refund for the remaining paid time. Our Terms of Use state that the fees paid by the customer are non-refundable. We can also cancel this setting on a customers behalf when contacted directly through our support channel: ***************************************************;
  
  This customers case has been reviewed by our leadership and management team. Though we understand that refunds have been requested, we are entirely prohibited from refunding these charges, so no exceptions will be made to our no-refund policy. We encourage the customer to continue communicating with the support team should they have any additional questions about this.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/06/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, The group communicated with me outside of this process and offered me a refund. I find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****