ComplaintsforFriendfinder Networks Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company erroneously charged my credit card 7 times ($29.30) between July 2023 and January 2024 for a total of USD $205.10. Their customer service agrees that these charges were made in error. They are refusing to reimburse the funds due to their own 180 day policy.The information they require to look this up is the first 6 digits of the credit card and last 4, which are:First six digits: ****** Last four digits: 0308

  Business response

  09/05/2024

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns with us. Our records show that you initiated a 1-month premium membership subscription on 7/21/2023, with a renewal date of 8/21/2023. To ensure uninterrupted service, all subscriptions are set to automatically renew 24 hours before their expiration, as detailed in our renewal policy during the purchase process. If you wish to disable the auto-renewal feature, you can easily do so by visiting your 'Billing History' page or by contacting our ****************** using any of the numbers listed on our website. Our policy allows refunds for unused products within 170 days from the date of the original order. While we understand your disappointment, we regret that we are unable to issue a refund outside of this policy. Had we been contacted prior to the dispute, we would have been happy to discuss the issue further and explore refund options within the policy's time frame. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we would have appreciated the opportunity to address your concerns had you reached out to us earlier.

  Customer response

  09/05/2024

   
  Complaint: 22236261
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I absolutely did not sign up for an automatically renewed membership.  Further to that, my discussion with your customer service confirmed that the payments were unauthorized.  I insist on a full refund.  My next actions will be a chargeback on **** for these amounts.  I will not stop pursuing this refund until it is received.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  09/06/2024

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns. We understand your frustration regarding the renewal charges. Please note that the renewal terms of your subscription were actually listed on the billing page at the time of purchase. Auto-renewal is enabled by default to ensure uninterrupted service. Our records show that these charges were processed in accordance with those terms. Unfortunately, as per our policy, we cannot offer refunds for transactions older than 170 days. While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, we must adhere to this policy. We recommend reaching out to your credit card company to discuss further options. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.

• Initial Complaint

  08/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My account was deleted without any warning or explanation even though I was a paid member. I called and talked to an abuse manager who said "I can't tell you why and no refund." There is no evidence or reason to justify stealing my money and terminating the friendships I developed.

  Business response

  08/26/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us, and please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience youve experienced. We understand how frustrating it must have been to have your account deleted without warning. Our records show that you contacted our abuse department on 8/17 via email, and that your account was reinstated following that interaction. Recently, we implemented new guidelines aimed at addressing fake and scam accounts to protect our community. Unfortunately, it seems that your account may have been affected by these changes. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. While our abuse team cannot disclose specific details due to privacy and security policies, I want to assure you that we take these matters seriously and are committed to maintaining a safe environment for all users. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please dont hesitate to let us know. Were here to help and ensure your experience with us improves moving forward. Thank you for your understanding.

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was on Grindr and some how twice I ran into several scammers by *********************** and ************** from this company I need to sound the alarm BBB y'all need to proceed and contact the **** FCC and other governing agencies against this fraudulent company who is stiffing people all over via Grindr and other dating apps I want a full refund I am affiliated with our members in Congress and I can not be involved with such people emails used for full refunds *********************** and **********************

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  We understand your frustration regarding this situation. Please note that we do not have control over accounts created on other dating platforms and are not responsible for any deceptive actions that led to your registration on one of our websites. Your decision to register an account with us was entirely voluntary, based on your interactions on a dating platform we are not associated with. Our records show one transaction associated with the emails provided in this complaint. Due to your unfortunate circumstances, we have processed a refund of $33.96 to the card ending in *2350 for the 3-month membership purchased on 5/30/24. Refunds usually take 5-7 business days to reflect on your credit card, subject to the policies of your credit card company, and will be visible on your upcoming billing statement. Please let us know if we can assist you with any further concerns.

  Customer response

  06/03/2024

   
  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

  05/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 11, 2024 I created an account and made a credit card payment. However, upon getting through that paywall, only THEN the site continuously crashes, deleting all previous messages and rendering it absolutely useless on different browsers and computers. When trying to block potentially dangerous people (people who aren't who they say they are, often times men), the block feature doesn't always work and the people can continue to message you. This is not what was advertised and was not what I was paying for. I haven't heard anything back from the company when I reached out with these concerns and I don't feel comfortable spending more time on the platform or dealing with these people except for right here. Not only is the website essentially crashing, but it's very dangerous that you cannot block people when it is necessary to do so. This is criminal to take money, not offer a working platform as advertised, and then not respond. This is placing people at risk of harm to not have better WORKING security features. It's all an illusion to make sales. A block button is useless if it doesn't work. This matters because EVERY SINGLE PROFILE I've encountered is a scammer, a prostitute, or a criminal trying to get me off the platform for something nefarious. What is done? Absolutely nothing for the safety of the consumer. It's a scam and I fell for it without a doubt. I absolutely want a refund for any money I paid today, as well as absolute assurance in writing here that I will not be billed in the future after closing/cancelling my account (which seems to be many people's complaint that I'm worried about). Hopefully other otherwise gullible people will read this and think twice.

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  Thank you for contacting us. Our records show that you contacted us via email on 5/11/2024, requesting a refund. In response, we promptly processed a refund of $44.52. We have processed two additional refunds, totaling $7.79, to your card ending in *6085. This refund covers transactions of $5.56 and $2.23 for the 2-Day Trial Gold Membership and Standard Contact. Furthermore, we have blocked the card ending in *6085 from our entire network to prevent any further transactions. Refunds usually take 5-7 business days to reflect on your credit card, subject to the policies of your credit card company, and will be visible on your upcoming billing statement. We noticed that you first accessed the site using the mobile version. Please be aware that the mobile version is designed for supplemental access, and certain features, such as the block function, are limited. To block members completely, please log in to the desktop site. We understand and share our members' frustrations regarding the persistent issue of fake profiles. Contrary to some theories, fake profiles do not benefit the company in any way. In fact, they only cause frustration within our community and increase our support costs. While we acknowledge that our best efforts may not catch every fake profile, we are diligent in removing them once identified. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to tackle this issue.
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I reported user *********** on ************************** my profile was targeted with false abuse allegation by her and her associates friend finder staff did not bother to check I.ps etc I did not abuse any members etc I want my profile reactivated and 1 day credit issued there

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us about this matter. Your account was temporarily deactivated on 3/4/24 due to instances of harassment, which is a clear violation of our site's Terms of Use. Our investigation revealed inappropriate behavior towards another member(s) through our ************** feature. Upon receiving acknowledgment from you in response to our warning email on 3/5/24, our **************** team promptly reactivated your account. Additionally, our records document instances of your offensive and abusive comments directed at our staff via phone. It's important to emphasize that any further violations will result in the permanent deactivation of your account without prior notice or refunds. We enforce these measures diligently to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all members and staff. Your understanding and cooperation in adhering to our guidelines are greatly appreciated.

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This business is an adult, ****** dating site that currently has my name, address, credit card info, etc. They have charged me over the past few months for a subscription to their service, that I never wanted or knew I was getting. I do not have kids or anything, so evidently someone has snagged my credit card and is using it for this site. I have since frozen my card and am already speaking with my credit card company, so that is covered. However, this business has refused to remove my information, and claims they are unable to remove my credit card from their databases. I also formally requested that any databrokers they sold my information to to be provided to me so I may request my information be removed from their sites/databases as well. This was also declined. I know it is illegal to deny a request like this to a citizen of the US, which I am. I do not know the degree to how far I can take it. I have told them I may speak to a lawyer, but have not done so. I simply don't know my full rights here and am a little scared to make any claims on action if I have no right to do so. I would like to request the help of the Better Business Bureau to have my information fully removed from adult friend finder, and all its affiliates.

  Business response

  01/31/2024

  Thank you for contacting us. We are more than happy to address your concern. Our records indicate you contacted us via email requesting to cancel any account or subscription with your name, email, or credit card. At that time of your contact 12/19/23 our records indicated a transaction for a $39.95 one-month Gold membership. We informed you that the transaction had initially been declined by your financial institution. However, it was subsequently approved on 12/20/23. After that point, as we did not receive a response, no further action was taken on the account. On 1/20/24 you contacted us once more, reporting unacceptable charges. It appears that this charge was related to an auto-renewal for the one-month Gold membership previously approved. We promptly processed a refund of $39.95 in response. We've taken the initiative to process two additional refunds, totaling $79.90, to your card ending in *****. This refund covers transactions of $39.95 each, incurred on 11/19/23 and 12/19/23 for the one-month Gold membership upgrade/renewal. Furthermore, as a precautionary measure, we have blocked the card ending in ***** from our entire network to prevent any further transactions. In the email correspondence attached to this complaint, we did provide guidance, stating that for all other requests related to accessing, updating, modifying, or deleting your Personal Information, to please email us at: *********************************** We will purge all user-provided data from our databases, with the exception of transaction data, which includes credit card numbers, cardholder names, and addresses. It is mandated by law that we retain this information for a period of six years, and during this time, these data are securely stored in an encrypted format. Following the expiration of the six-year period, we will also expunge these transaction details from our database. However, it's important to note that in rare instances, we may be obligated to retain information due to legal preservation requests, search warrants, and/or subpoenas received before processing your purge request. Refunds usually take 5-7 business days to reflect on your credit card, subject to the policies of your credit card company, and will be visible on your upcoming billing statement. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have encountered.

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Never signed up for this service, *** called multiple times to get it cancelled and they keep charging me. After 2 years they refunded 1 payment. **************** mocked me, would not allow me to speak with a supervisor and hung up on me.

  Business response

  01/31/2024

  Thank you for contacting us. We are more than happy to address your concern. Our records indicate we did not receive any communication regarding transaction disputes on the associated accounts until 1/18/24. Upon receiving your contact, we expeditiously processed a refund in the amount of $95.70, addressing the most recent charge incurred on 10/24/2023 comprising of a 3 month Gold membership and Standard contact feature. Two years is quite substantial time to not promptly address and report any unauthorized charges on your credit card statement and it's important to note that our refund policy only extends for a period of 170 days from the date the order was approved. Further investigation of our records has determined that the majority of the transactions have already surpassed the 170 day timeframe. Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we are unable to process refund requests for those transactions. Once again, two years is a significant amount of time passed, had you contacted us earlier to dispute any of the charges, we would have gladly considered your request for a full or pro-rated refund at that time. Refunds usually take 5-7 business days to reflect on your credit card, subject to the policies of your credit card company, and will be visible on your upcoming billing statement. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have encountered.

  Business response

  01/31/2024

  Thank you for contacting us. We are more than happy to address your concern. Our records indicate we did not receive any communication regarding transaction disputes on the associated accounts until 1/18/24. Upon receiving your contact, we expeditiously processed a refund in the amount of $95.70, addressing the most recent charge incurred on 10/24/2023 comprising of a 3 month Gold membership and Standard contact feature. Two years is quite substantial time to not promptly address and report any unauthorized charges on your credit card statement and it's important to note that our refund policy only extends for a period of 170 days from the date the order was approved. Further investigation of our records has determined that the majority of the transactions have already surpassed the 170 day timeframe. Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we are unable to process refund requests for those transactions. Once again, two years is a significant amount of time passed, had you contacted us earlier to dispute any of the charges, we would have gladly considered your request for a full or pro-rated refund at that time. Refunds usually take 5-7 business days to reflect on your credit card, subject to the policies of your credit card company, and will be visible on your upcoming billing statement. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have encountered.

• Initial Complaint

  01/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Around 11 am or so on January 2nd I paid $39.95 on my **** for a 1 month subscription to Swapfinder.com. In the next several hours I was unable to load a profile and wads not getting and response from other subscribers. I reached out twice to customer serviceI shave submitted both emails and the responses. I got no resolution to my problem so on the morning of the 3rd I deleted my account and called customer service to cancel. Despite much insistence I was unable get a refund. I just want my money back.

  Business response

  01/10/2024

  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced, and we are dedicated to resolving this issue promptly. Upon investigation, we discovered that our review team had denied your profile username West4441000 as the name closely resembled contact information / phone number which is a violation of the sites Terms of Use. Our records indicate that we notified you of the username issue via email on 1/3/2024. In the communication, we requested that you provide three alternative usernames to facilitate the necessary changes to your account's username. However, we have not received a response from you. Usernames should not contain any special characters, such as punctuation marks or symbols. Make sure there are no spaces in your username. Keep your username within the 16-character limit, if you include numerals, make sure they do not exceed 5 digits. Consider using a combination of letters and numerals for uniqueness. Ensure that your username is appropriate and doesn't violate any platform guidelines or community standards. A refund of $39.95 has been submitted to your credit card ending in *****. This refund comprises the one-month Gold membership. The refund will take 5-7 business days to post to your credit card depending on the credit card company policies and will be displayed on your next billing statement. If you have any further billing related questions, feel free to contact the ****************** directly at: Telephone: ************ or ************** Email: ***********************************

  Customer response

  01/11/2024

   
  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

  07/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Asking for gas isn't asking for $. They are clearly discriminating and picking on me and I've had enough. Either refresh my account or I take this to a lawyer

  Business response

  07/20/2023

  Our sincerest apologies for any and all inconvenience you have experienced. Rest assured it is our intention to resolve this matter promptly. FriendFinder Networks Inc. has a stringent policy in regards to solicitation. Solicitation is defined as the act of asking for or trying to obtain something from someone. We strongly advise you to refrain from asking for any type of compensation from other members on the site. The account profile in question has been reinstated and as a goodwill gesture we've applied 2 weeks Gold membership for the inconvenience. Please be advised any further violations will result in permanent deactivation of your account, without warning or refunds. We hope you find this resolution satisfactory.

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They suspended my account because an unnamed individual said I harassed them. Never harassed anyone, and they changed the reason of my suspension 3 times because they couldn't provide a reason why.

  Business response

  06/10/2023

  Thank you for submitting your inquiry to the BBB. We have thoroughly reviewed your case and have confirmed that you acknowledged the warning issued and agreed to abide by our site's terms of use. We have reactivated your account accordingly. However, it's important to note that we have received multiple complaints regarding your interactions with other members, and we have evidence of instances that are considered rude and/or racist. We want to emphasize that if we receive additional valid complaints in the future, we will proceed with permanent deactivation of your account. In such a case, a pro-rated refund for any remaining subscriptions will be issued. As a gesture of goodwill for the time lost during your account deactivation, we have extended the expiration dates on your subscriptions by 7 days.

  Please review our terms of use to ensure compliance and to avoid any future warnings. It is particularly important to pay attention to Section 12, which states:

  Your Conduct.    You further agree not to use the Services to:
  (a)   upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that is unlawful (e.g., prostitution), harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;

  If you have any additional questions or concerns please let us know.

   

*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. ↩