ComplaintsforConstant Contact, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased 1 month trial at $80 on June 17,2024. On June 18,2024 I was contacted by *********************************** one of the constant contact employees and he offered to cancel my $80 subscription and offered $28/month subscription. He did charge me the $28 and said that I will get a refund of my $80 for the cancelled account within 7-10 business days. It has passed more than 1 month and I didnt get my refund, I also dont have access to my account which I paid the $80 for - I have contacted several times the constant contact company and they refused to refund the money and refused to acknowledge that their employee did cancel the account on their end. They also told me that my account was 1 year old which it is untrue information - it was not even 1 days since the time I created it. Also there is proof that ********************* did transfer my contacts from the cancelled account to the new one for $28. I am very disappointed that I have been scammed by them and they stole my money

  Customer response

  07/24/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Hello *******,

  We did receive the chargeback from Mastercard for the $80 and accepted liability. That account has been canceled and the credit card has been removed.  If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact our billing department directly at ************.

  Best,

  *********

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On June 27th I spoke with a representative from Constant Contact. I told her ****** that I was interested in hiring a service that could help me with ****** placement and ****** ads. She assured me that this company could do that and I told her I was not interested in email or direct messaging marketing. She said if I prepay for 6 months I would get a discount on the premium package. A couple weeks go by and nothing is being done other than a couple emails that I responded to with no response back. I called today to find out what was being done and the representative said that what I wanted was not what they really do unless you pay more . After being on hold for a long time I finally got to a billing service representative that said she would cancel it and there was no refund at all . So basically I was lied to and then told no refund for what I paid for 6 months for and got nothing in return.

  

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Hello *****,

  I apologize for your experience with us, it is not what we want for any of our customers.  After speaking with the billing team and digging into the interactions that took place, billing did provide a $432.00 refund to your card on July 24, 2024.  You should be seeing on that your bank statement within the next day or two.  Again, I do apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

  Best,

  *********

  Customer response

  07/30/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June, I received a call from a representatives. During our conversation, I clearly articulated my requirements for a marketing plan. The representative informed me about a promotion plan at $54 per month, which allowed sending ****** MSM twice a month. This plan seemed ideal for my needs, and based on this information, I provided my credit card details to proceed with the purchase.However, upon accessing my dashboard, I was surprised to see a completely different plan than the one I was promised. When I reached out to *****, the marketing coach assigned to me, he informed me that this was the plan I had to start with and there was nothing he could do. He showed a blatant disregard for my needs and insisted I use the plan given, which was not the plan I had agreed to or paid for. The experience with that company has been marred by deceit and poor customer service. Despite explaining my situation to ***** and requesting the plan I had initially purchased; I was met with indifference and a refusal to rectify the issue. Furthermore, when I contacted your customer service, I was told that there are no refunds, exacerbating my frustration.To clarify, I did not pay for the plan currently assigned to me. The promotional plan at $54 per month was crucial for my business operations, and because of the company's actions, I lost a valuable business opportunity. I strongly believe that this situation is a result of discrimination against me as a woman and a Hispanic, which is utterly unacceptable.For over a week, I have been requesting a resolution and my money back. I demand a full refund for the plan that was wrongfully assigned to me. I have documented proof of the plan I purchased and what was actually provided, which are undeniably different.

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  Hello ******,

  A refund of $54 was applied  on July 16, 2024.  Please contact our billing team directly at ************  if you have any further questions or concerns. 

  Best,

  *********

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a loyal customer of ******************** going on 6 years now. Over that time my monthly subscription for the under ***** contact plan has steadily increased to over $52/month. There have been features that I have accessed during this time such as the email marketing engagement reporting tools that let me see who was highly engaged, somewhat engaged, etc. This has been an important part of my marketing for years. A few days ago when I tried to access that feature, it was suddenly behind a paywall asking me to upgrade to a higher plan. When I spoke with customer service they said there was nothing they could do, I would have to pay more to get that feature back. I think it is a terrible business practice to suddenly take a product away that someone has been paying for, for years, and then only give it back if they pay even more money. This is a perfect example of corporate greed.

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  Hello *****,

  After looking into this issue, I see you have upgraded your account and received a promotion of 20% off for the first three months. I spoke with the Team Lead in our billing department and she was able to change up that discount for the inconvenience you have experienced.  You received a 20% discount for the first month of the upgraded plan and the following twelve months will receive an 18% discount. I hope this is satisfactory and finds you doing well.

  Best,

  *********

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  -Some time between January 14 and February 14, we added enough contacts to be moved from the ***** contact tier to the 501-1500 tier, which incurred a 126% increase in our pricing ($19.55 to $44.20). Though we, the very same day, moved our contacts below 500 again, we were moved permanently into the higher tier, and have been paying for the 501-1500 tier ever since, even though we've been below 500 contacts for every month thereafter.-Previously, Constant Contact would charge for whatever tier your highest contact amount registered at for that month. So, we should have moved back to the lower tier after one month of higher tier pricing.-However, they changed their policy without communicating it to their users, leaving us unknowingly paying for the higher tier for every month after we went over 500 contacts, regardless of our contact level thereafter.-One reason we didn't know it was happening for six months thereafter is because Constant Contact incentivizes 15% discounts by prepaying a balance. Charges each month come out of the balance, meaning I do not receive a monthly invoice. I believe they set it up this way so that you are less likely to notice for months on end that you are paying in a more expensive tier. This is a sloppy business practice at best, fraudulent price gouging at worst.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hello *****,

  I have spoken with our billing team and they agreed to place a credit on your account for the difference in cost between the two pricing tiers as a one time courtesy.  They placed a credit on your account for $123.25 today.  If you were to go above the 500 contact threshold again, they will keep your account at that tier level and will not be able to provide a refund.  I hope you find this resolution satisfactory and apologize for the inconvenience.  We are dedicated to the success of small businesses and non-profits that depend on our tools.  

   

  Best,

  *********

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I am unsatisfied with this response because it does not solve the root cause of this fraudulent business practice. 1) Customers should have pricing transparency - both when they are about incur a 126% pricing increase by moving tiers, AND when the company changes its policy about how it is going to charges for tiers that is a change from its previous business practice. 2) *********** should revert to its previous business practice to charge for what the user is ACTUALLY using (ie. charge for the tier they are in, not the tier they have been in at any point previously). Your tier system is useless and fraudulent if you're not actually using it as advertised.

  I do appreciate Constant Contact refunding the amount of overage from the last several months, but I would like to see the unscrupulous business practice that was at the heart of this be fixed so that my organization and others like mine are not fleeced for more money than the services we are using.

  Regards,

  *****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up with this company with what I thought was a free trial. It wasn't and I was charged $35 for a month's use. When I called I was told that I could cancel the account within 30 days and get a refund for the $35.I called, cancelled and requested a refund. I was then told that I had to try it once in order to get a refund This is a newsletter. It meant that I would have to take the time to make up a newsletter and then send it to my customer list. The reason I wanted to cancel was that I found it difficult to work with to make up a newsletter.I didn't like the fact that 1. My free trial wasn't free and 2. they changed the criteria for a refund

  Customer response

  07/05/2024

  My original contact with the company told me that they would not refund my payment.  That is why I contacted the BBB. 

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  Hello *****,

  After speaking with our billing team, they did agree to provide you with a $35.00 refund.  The refund was processed on July 26 and you should have received an email with the information.  It will take 5 - 7 days before you will see the refund on your statement.  I apologize for the inconvenience and hope this finds you doing well.

  Best,

  *********

  Customer response

  07/29/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Set up an account prices went too high. Called to cancel. Spoke to ***********************. He set us up with another account that would be around $35. Sent a couple emails and the costs keep being billed. I was told it was only for under 500 emails when ***** saw what we had prior and said it would still be that $35 price. I have been billed $111, $55 and $85 so far and I have sent 3 emails and 5 phone calls to *****. Also told to send the info by a lady to billing @constantcontact and that went no where. I can provide all emails. I want an immediate refund plus to have the price I was promised.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hello ***,

  I am sorry for the confusion with your accounts.  Right now we have 2 accounts for you.  The price you were quoted was indeed for 500 emails in your account.  That is the number of email addresses you can have and mail to monthly for around $35.  On one account, your email level went to 1191 and then to 1232 which caused the monthly price to increase. You have sent out 10 campaigns since opening that account so I will not be able to provide a refund.  The other account also has over 500 emails in it, with 1191 which makes the cost above $35.  Both accounts are still open.  If you want to have an account or both canceled, please contact our billing team at ************.

   

  Best,

  *********

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to file a formal complaint against Constant Contact regarding their aggressive billing practices and billing irregularities. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue directly with the company, I have been unable to reach a satisfactory resolution and now seek the assistance of the Better Business Bureau.In 2022, I requested to pause my Constant Contact service. A customer service agent informed me that canceling my account would result in the loss of my ***** stored emails. As an alternative, the agent suggested I pay $20.27 per month to maintain the account in a paused state, which I agreed to.On April 27, 2023, without any prior notice or explanation, my monthly billing rate soared from $20.27 to $85.86. Despite my account being inactive, with no emails sent during this period, the billing increase persisted.I contacted Constant Contact multiple times to address this billing anomaly. Each time, I was assured that the billing would revert to the agreed-upon rate of $20.27. However, my credit card continued to be charged $85.86 per month.On April 27, 2024, Constant Contact deleted my account and all stored emails, offering to refund one month's charge of $85.86.Constant Contact engaged in aggressive and irregular billing practices by increasing my monthly charge without notice and continuing to overcharge me despite my inactive account. The offered refund of $85.86 is grossly insufficient, given the year-long period of non-use and overcharges.I am requesting a refund for the one year of overcharges during which I did not use the service. This amounts to $85.86 per month for 12 months, totaling $1,030.32.I believe this request is fair and justified, given the circumstances and the financial impact of Constant Contact's billing practices on me.Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a prompt and equitable resolution.

  Customer response

  06/10/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  Hello ****,

  On April 17, ******************************************************** the amount of $74.20.  During the conversation, our billing agent noticed that you had not used the account and gave you a one-time credit of $286.16 for non-use.  In addition, she provided the next 6 months of service free to you.  All of that was explained in the email that she sent, which is attached.  We did have a price increase so the cost when the 6 months of free service was over the monthly charge went from $74.20 to $85.86 which started in November of 2023.  All calls coming into our offices are recorded and we have not heard from you until this April 2024.  The non-use credit is a one time courtesy but we did still provide you with another credit of $85.86 for ******* payment and canceled the account per your request.  That leaves us with 5 months of $85.86 in payments that we will not be able to provide another refund.  I apologize, I know this is not the answer you are hoping for but we can not do any further refunds to your account.,

   

  Best,

  *********

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Over the years working with Constant Contact I have created hundreds of emails, newsletters, events, landing pages, and other marketing tools. One of those tools was a 144 consecutive week, automated marketing tip for our clients. As you can imagine, that took an enormous amount of time to create, and the ensuing maintenance over the years. It is our email-capture tool to attract new clients and keep them engaged.One day last week it simply wasn't there anymore. It disappeared. So I called Constant Contact to ask what I could be doing wrong. They explained that their software was old and had to be updated, so that meant my 144-week marketing tool simply vanished. No warning, no apology, no want to help me fix it. Just "It was old software, so it doesn't exist anymore. You'll have to recreate it. And, oh, by the way, you can't have 144 anymore. If you recreate it, you can only have 66." I asked if there was someone that could help me recreated it, to which the rep said, "Well, that's not going to happen." *********** was stunningly awful, the rep was immature and rude, to say nothing of unhelpful. When I asked his name he said he couldn't give it to me. What I'm asking for is help recreating what they destroyed. It would cost me hours and hours of time to do it myself, or hours and hours of money to have someone else recreate what they randomly destroyed.

  

  Business response

  05/22/2024

  Hello *****,

  This is actually *********, the person that reached out to you regarding this situation.  As I stated, I have the second level of our technical team digging into these issues to see what can be done to help with this situation.  I checked with them again this morning and your case is a priority and they are still working it.  As soon as they have some information for us, either myself or the engineer will reach out to you with what we can be done.  I am terribly sorry this occurred and can completely understand your frustration.  We are working diligently on the problem and will be in touch with you soon.

  Thanks, *********

• Initial Complaint

  05/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been trying to cancel my subscription for more than 2 years. They will not accept anything other than a phone call, and I cannot reach anyone on the number provided. I have tried deleting my credit card, changing the number, but they still keep billing. Mostly, I want this cancelled. Any money returned is a bonus. Terrible, terrible company.

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  Hello *****,

  We have no record of any phone calls or emails coming into Constant Contact to cancel this account.  I submitted a cancelation today and it will be completely shut down on June 9, 2024.  If you need to export your contacts or make any copies of previous emails that you have sent, you will have the ability to do that up until June 9.  Thank you for being a Constant Contact customer.

  Sincerely,

  *********

*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. ↩