ComplaintsforHallmark Cards, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased Hallmark Card Studio on March 29, 2024 at *****pm. I downloaded it but didn't use it for several days. When I finally started using it, It checked for updates but it wouldn't install them when first opening the software. I just got error messages instead. Then I experienced deletion of my previous pages when I went to a new page, nothing being saved after saving and the program shutting down regularly, with no warning. When I would go back in, my document would be gone. I started contacting Hallmark on April 8 the first day of the issues. I received one response total. When I tried what they requested and it didn't work, I wrote right back. I've emailed them every day since then but have been completely ignored. I've asked for a refund the past few days but no responses. I sent my emails to both ******************************** and **************************** to no avail.

  Business response

  04/17/2024

  Thank you for allowing us to assist you with this concern. We apologize for your experience with our software. Your order has been refunded. Please allow up to 3 days to appear on your **** statement.

  We appreciate your business and hope you will shop with us again soon.

  ****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been a customer of Hallmark for as long as I can remember. I have accounts with Hallmark Crown Rewards and Hallmark Movies for years. I had not received an email from Hallmark Crown Rewards for a little bit and upon checking the last email I received was on January 2, 2024. I logged into my Hallmark Crown Rewards account on April 3, 2024 to find an updated website stating, "Welcome to our new look!". Upon further inspection of my Crown Rewards account everything had been wiped out when they updated the website. All of my Crown Rewards points were gone and my entire order history was gone as well. The website states, "You haven't ordered anything with this account yet." The only thing that was remaining was my Crown Rewards Member number of ************ and my address. I telephoned Hallmark Customer Service and as well Hallmark Corporate Office first speaking with ******* and then with *******. ******* left me on hold for almost 25 minutes, the call lasing almost half an hour only to ask me when my last order was. Both confirmed that my account was totally wiped out and that there was no longer an order history present nor my points accumulated. I was so upset that I stated I was going to be contacting the Better Business Bureau or higher up the Corporate Office. I ordered for years via online Hallmark and whomever updated the website entirely wiped out all of my account activity. I repeatedly stated to the Customer Service Representatives that I can't be the only one that happened to. I'm requesting Crown Rewards points be credited back to my account in an amount that Hallmark believes would be fair for years worth of orders or a Hallmark Gift Card that I can use. I thank everyone for their cooperation.

  Business response

  04/05/2024

  Thank you for giving Hallmark another opportunity to address your concern. I am in cluding the information that the team was able to find and what we are doing to address your Crown Rewards account. We show that you signed up for Crown Rewards on 4/25/2020 – account number ************. If you had a previous Crown Rewards account, we were unable to locate it across all of our other platforms outside of .com.
  
  The email address we have on file for you is **************************. Please reply back to this email if we have the wrong email address or if you could possibly have another account with Hallmark. Of the last 50 emails that Hallmark sent to this address, only 8 of these were opened which is likely why you have stopped receiving marketing from Hallmark. We can work with our targeting team to get you back on certain marketing communications, but given the lack of interaction with those emails, you were likely removed.
  
  Regarding your online order history, we can see back 180 days. You should be able to see your order history now after our .com team made a few adjustments behind the scenes once the new look/feel launched. We show that you have not placed an order with Hallmark since 2022 using a Crown Rewards account. We also show that the last eStatement you received from Hallmark was in June of 2023.
  
  We value your business and want you to continue shopping with us. Keep in mind that when you order online (we show a few crayon orders in the 2022), you need to make sure you are logged into your Crown Rewards account. For those web orders in 2022, there wasn’t a Crown Rewards account number given, so no points were awarded. I am going to have the team add 1,500 points to your account. If we do not have the right email address as stated above, or if you have another CR account, please reply to this email and we will continue to investigate your concern.
  
  Thank you,
  ****
  Sr. Director of Care
  

  Customer response

  04/05/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and I will kindly accept the resolution.  I would like to thank everyone involved on my behalf.  
  
  Sincerely,

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In 2023, I randomly stopped receiving Gold Crown emails (monthly statements, Just Because ("JB") coupons, certificates, etc.). The "JB" coupons were not appearing in my online account either. The email Customer Care Team (*****************) worked with the backend IT team to fix the issue, as they were showing I was opted-in for emails and postal mail but the system wasn't generating the "JB" coupon and it wasn't emailing me for some reason. This was fixed after nearly 4-5 months of back and forth. In December I stopped receiving these specific emails again (I did not receive my "JB" coupon or my monthly summary), so I reached out to ***************** and expressed my concerns. I was told my account had been opted out of emails, so they opted me back in. Note: I never opted-out so your system did that on error. In January, I once again did not receive my monthly statement or my "JB" coupon and no "JB" coupon was generated in my online account either. I tried emailing with ***************** and was told all they can tell me to do is check my SPAM/JUNK mail because I am opted-in and there is nothing more that they can do and they closed the case! I replied there is clearly an error on the backend and asked why they can't engage their backend IT team to review the issue like before. I am opted-in to receive emails and postal mail but your system is not sending me anything and is not generating the "JB" coupon at all. If items were being emailed and I was just not receiving them, the "JB" coupon would be in my online account, but for two months now, I've received NOTHING. The backend system is not generating it as it should and your care team won't work to find out why. I want my account researched and your backend system fixed so I start receiving emails again (monthly statement, "JB" coupon) and I want at least 600 courtesy points to replace the coupons I didn't receive. I asked for this 3 times and your care representative ignored me each time I asked.

  Business response

  01/17/2024

  Thank you for reaching out once again to Hallmark around the issue with your Crown Rewards account. We escalated this case to our internal partners and have identified the issue. You should start receiving emails from Hallmark once again in the coming weeks. We have already reviewed your CR account and added an additional 4,500 points making your new balance 12,722.
  

  Please accept our apologies for this issue. We are constantly working to improve our consumer's interactions with Hallmark.

  Warmest regards,

  ****

  
  

  Customer response

  01/26/2024

   Complaint: ********
  

  Hello,

  I appreciate the response from the company; but, I would like to keep this matter open until I can confirm I am once again receiving emails.  The next "Just Because" card coupon and summary email should come on February 1 or so.  I would like to make sure this happens before I say whether or not the company resolved the matter.

  Also, I would like to know what exactly was wrong (what the internal partner found) so I can stop this from happening again in the future.  This is the second time this has happened and no one tells me what the problem was - just that they found an issue on the internal side of things.  This time, to get it fixed, I had to open a BBB case because the Customer Service representatives refused to open an internal investigation and instead told me there was nothing more they could do and to just check my SPAM (a blow-off answer).  So I would like to know what the problem was, so if it happens again, I can tell people what to look for and/or I would like a direct email contact to someone that can actually help (perhaps the person fielding BBB complaints) so I don't have to contact BBB again for help in the future if the same issue happens again.  The normal email for Customer Service does nothing but go to representatives who are nothing but unhelpful.

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

  Business response

  02/12/2024

  Good afternoon - I just wanted to follow up and make sure you received your February correspondence from Hallmark that included your monthly free card. I believe you left your concern open to ensure you received the next month's email(s).

  Please let us know if you are still having any issues with our marketing correspondence.

  Thank you,

  ****

  Customer response

  02/21/2024

  Hi,

  I am finally receiving the emails again; however, my two requests have been ignored and unanswered:

  (1) WHAT broke on my account on the backend so that if this happens again, I can specifically tell your customer service team what to look into (since they are not helpful whatsoever)?  This is the second time this has happened to my account so something is breaking frequently and I want to know how to have it resolved ASAP if it happens again in the future; and,

  (2) I asked for a specific contact (not the generic customer service address or chat platform - but the contact information of who is handling this BBB claim) so I can reach out directly in the future if the problem happens again.

  I don't think asking to know specifically what was broken and for direct contact details is asking too much so I don't have to open a BBB case in the future for the same issue is asking too much.

  If I can get these two pieces of information, I am happy to resolve this case satisfactorily.

  Thanks,

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

  Business response

  02/22/2024

  You can reach out to my direct email address of ******************** if you have any issues with your account in the future. At this time, we are not able to share what happened with your account due to proprietary information in how Hallmark handles our data.
  

  Thank you,
  ****
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  THERE IS NO DATE OF TRANSACTION BECAUSE I DID NOT MAKE IT. I DID MAKE A PURCHASE OFF THE MAHOGANY/HALLMARK WEBSITE 12.10.2023 ORDER NUMBER ***** IN THE AMOUNT OF $97.37. I PURCHASED THRU PAYPAL. WELL, ANOTHER $62.32 WAS CHARGED TO ME THRU PAYPAL. IT WAS NOT MADE BY ME AND OVERDREW ON BANK ACCOUNT. I OPENED A CASE THRU PAYPAL BUT MEANWHILE PAYPAL HAS TRIED TO DEBIT THE MONEY AGAIN AND SAYS THE COMPANY HAS UNTIL 12.24.2023 TO RESPOND. PP ADVISES I ATTEMPT TO CONTACT HALLMARK - AS WE SPEAK I AM ON HOLD WITH THE NUMBER THAT HALLMARK CHAT PERSON TOLD ME TO CALL 800 650 4505. I HAVE SENT 3 EMAILS, WAITED ON HOLD (TODAY IS GOING ON 3 HOURS ON HOLD) ATTEMPT TO GO THRU ****** (THEY HAVE SENT A NOTICE) NO RESPONSE!!!!! THERE IS A AUTO-RESPONSE TO THE EMAIL THAT SAYS TYPICAL RESPONSE TIME IS 24 HRS - HA WHAT A JOKE!!! I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING I CAN THINK OF THE TALK TO THESE PEOPLE FOR 12 DAYS. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

  Business response

  01/05/2024

  *** ******** - thank you for reaching out and letting Hallmark address your concern. We did review your account and have provided a full refund for the amount of $62.32 on 12/24/23. Please let us know if you have not received this refund and we will further investigate your case in our system.

  Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you and make this right,

  ****

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  We can provide a Hallmark $50 gift card that will not expire and can be used in Hallmark Gold Crown stores or on Hallmark.com. Our records do show that this transaction was initiated and approved. We are attaching three images where our systems shows the order and the approval through *******

  Please let us know if you would like the $50 gift card and the address where we should mail it to.

  Thank you,
  ****
  

   

   

  Customer response

  01/08/2024

   
  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

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hello, On October 4th, 2023, I initiated a return request with Hallmark's online chat system. I was given a case number and was told I would receive a response shortly. I never received a response from them. I sent an email, via their website, on December 9th, 2023 and received a standard reply, which stated I would hear from a representative within one business day. I have not heard back. I am now out of their return window, and I still want to return my two items. Thank you.

  Business response

  12/18/2023

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for the delay in getting you a refund. We are experiencing higher than normal call volumes which also effects our email and chat response time. We located the order you are referring to and have initiated a refund. Please allow 7-10 days for the refund to process and appear. We also noticed that you have two different email addresses associated with your account and you have requested refunds for your last 7 orders. We hope that you continue to shop with Hallmark and find the right product you are looking for.

  If you need any further assistance, please email [email protected].

  Warmest regards,

  ****

  Customer response

  12/18/2023

  
  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.
  

  In reference to the statement I have returned my last seven orders, that is patently false, and it’s unfortunate you added it to your message. One order was cancelled by a store 24 hours after I double checked I could pick it up the next business day. Another store called and said they didn’t have the ornament I wanted in stock, even though it was listed as available on your website. Finally, I found two ornaments in stores closer to home. Both ornaments were listed as unavailable for pick up at those stores on your website. Friendly feedback… working on providing correct inventory numbers would be helpful in preventing confusion, cancellations, and any necessary returns. 
  

  Thank you for your assistance. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Somebody stole my credit card and used it for a fraudulent purchase on Hallmark.com. Because they even used my email address, I got a notification right away. After calling my credit card company, I immediately reached out to Hallmark.com customer service over their email channel, but I didn't get a response for several days. When I got in touch with them over chat after about 5 days, they promptly told me that they won't work with me on this issue and I can only work with my credit card company. I was expecting a refund and a cancellation of this fraudulent order from Hallmark.com, but it looks like for them this is proper conduct.

  Business response

  12/07/2023

  Thank you for bringing this situation to our attention. We take fraud cases very seriously. I apologize for your experience with our chat team. You will be hearing from *** *****, Care Liaison on my team. He is working to rectify this situation.

  Thank you again for giving us the chance to make this right.

  ****

   

  Customer response

  12/14/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********. They never contacted me (it is what they said they would do in their response), but I saw a refund on my card. 
  
  Sincerely,
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to Steve's Hallmark *** ********* ******** at Roseville in Roseville, CA 95678 on 12/1/23 at 12:05pm. The employee with whom I interacted initially was signed into register 2 at 12:12 PM with code 1222DLM on another customer's receipt who was directly behind me, since the employee refused to share her name. I presented to this Hallmark and asked them if they could look up my rewards account. She initially stated she didn't know how, but her colleague assisted her and she said she could see my account. I then told her I had an email coupon, and asked her if it could be combined with the rewards that she could see on my account. She said she had no idea. My spouse, who is also female, then came up briefly and handed me a second item for me to purchase, and the employee instantly became very cold and said she was going to go talk with her manager. When the employee returned, I asked her if she could ring up the purchase (2 items) and just see if the coupon worked with the rewards, otherwise I would pay for them with just using the coupon. The employee said her manager stated she couldn't ring up the purchase to try it. Her colleague tried to tell her it was easy to try, but the employee said the manager said not to do it. She then asked me "what do you expect me to do?" and she started to help the customer behind me, effectively dismissing me. The manager then came by behind the counter but refused to talk with me, or even look at me, so I left. I believe this behavior was egregious in terms of poor customer service, and is directly related to homophobia, given the change in the interaction as soon as they realized we were a same sex couple. I reached out to Hallmark customer service and they offered me $2 in rewards and then abruptly ended the interaction. I am very appalled by my treatment for a very innocent question, asked nicely.

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  Thank you for sharing your in-store experience with us. We are extremely sorry for what you experienced during your shopping at Steve's Hallmark. You will be hearing from ***** **********, Care Liaison. We want to make this right and ensure you get the product you were trying to purchase. We will also connect with the management at this store and review our policies and procedures. At Hallmark, we strive to create a more caring and connected world for all of our consumers. We hope that you accept our apology, and we will work with you to ensure you are satisfied with our resolution.

  Warmest regards,

  ****

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 9/9/23 I called Customer Service because my Rewards were converted without my permission. 1500 converted into a coupon on 9/5/23 and wont receive until 10/24/23. this is Unacceptable. No where in the explanation of the program states that "Hallmark" can at anytime convert reward points without permission. I want my points back to use at my leisure and I would like this to never happen again. The Rep ****** said it states reward points are converted and I said Yes I convert them. Doesnt not state Hallmark does whenever they want. I spent the money to earn the rewards. Why would Hallmark do this! My case # is ********. She said someone would contact me in 7 days. Its now double that time with no contact yet. Call me after 1pm daily or Email with resolution

  Business response

  09/26/2023

  Good Morning, *** ******** -

  We are glad that we were able to connect with you yesterday, 9/25 and provide answers to your questions about Reward Dollars.
  
  The Hallmark Crown Rewards Program issues Reward Dollars during peak seasonal and event times and can be used at participating stores and on hallmark.com. 

  ·Reward Dollars are issued 5–7 times yearly to coincide with holidays (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.) and events (Ornament Premiere, Holiday Open House, etc.). They are distributed via direct mail & email. 
  ·Reward Dollars are valid for 90 days after they are issued, plus an additional 45-day grace period beyond the printed expiration date. The expiration date is printed on the Reward Dollar.
  

  Ultimately, our goal is to issue a Reward Dollar for you to use when we expect our members to visit their Gold Crown store for a key holiday or event. We have attached two screenshots from Hallmark.com were we share the approach to your Reward Dollars.
  
  As an exception after connecting with you, we will deposit 1,500 points in your account to use the $5 Reward Dollar you earned, and you can redeem it later at a later time. 
  
  Once again, thank you for your loyalty to Hallmark and for being a Crown Rewards member.

  We appreciate you,

  ****, Hallmark Director of Care
  

  Customer response

  09/26/2023

  
  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,
  
  ****** *******s

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Reward* ************* ** ** ******* I wrote the company with comments & a questions about the amount of my Reward coupons being lowered so far in 2023 June 2022 I received a $20 coupon June 2023 I received only a $10 On 7-10-23 I received an email from employee Aimee that said that company decided to break coupon amount up, $10 in June & $8 in August Well that is STILL LESS THAN I RECEIVED LAST YEAR In this same response she said " It is our policy to allow one cancellation per calendar year and one Reward Dollar redeposit per year per consumer, so if the August Reward Dollar is something you will not use, please reply to this email, and we will cancel it for you as a courtesy" WHAT??? Hallmark ornament season started 7-15-23 OF COURSE I'M GOING TO USE IT I have emailed with her several times this week last response she CHANGED HER STORY CLAIMING MY COUPON AMOUNT WAS BASED ON WHAT I SPENT LAST YEAR Of course, HALLMARK ORNAMENT SEASON STARTED ON A DIFFERENT DATE SO THE 2 YEARS AT THE SAME TIME PERIOD THE AMOUNTS ARE DIFFERENT #2 7-15-23 Technical problem with website I wanted to place 2 orders I placed first one COULD NOT for 2cd order 2 ornaments I wanted while checking out THEN SAID OUT OF STOCK WHEN SECONDS EARLIER IT WAS FINE & THEN HAD PROBLEMS SIGNING IN TO PLACE ANY TYPE OF ORDER I will send copy of 6-17-23 letter & $10.00 coupon to BBB

  Business response

  07/18/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to address these concerns and work towards a resolution. We have had several Hallmark employees work with Ms. ***** in the past.  
  

  As requested, we have given a written response and are offering the following based on the consumer concern:
  1 - Addressing the Crown Rewards bonus points and balance shared by Ms. *****. Her account currently has $8 in Reward Dollars available. This is less than her account had last year because she has spent less this year than she did the previous year (Crown Rewards points are earned based on transactions or promotional offers as determined by Hallmark). We will make sure the $8 remains in her Crown Rewards account for use at a later time.
  

  2 - Issue number 2 - requesting a coupon due to website issues during checkout -  the FREE ****** ******* ***** ******** ******* *********** * **** ****: Return of the Jedi™ Drink-Serving Droid Ornament $19.99

  *** ***** *** ***** *** ****** ************ ** ***** * * ************ * * ********** ******* ****** ** ****** ********** *** *** ***** ****** *** ****** *** ************ * * ********** ** ***** *** ** **** ***** ********** ***** *** ******** * * ************ * * ********** ***** ******* *** ***** ******* ****** **** ****** *** ******** ** ****** *********** * **** *** ********** ***** ****** ****** ** *** ***** ** ********** *** ***** **** **** ******* *** ***** ****** ***** ** * *********** ***** **** ******** *** *** ******** ** * ********** ** *** **** ******** ***** ****** ****** ** **** ** *** ******* ***** ******* ******* ** ******* *** *** ****** ********* **** *** ** ** ***** ******* ****** *** *** ***** ****** **** ****** ** *** *****'s account within the next 48 hours.
  

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

  *** ****** ** ** ******** **** ****** ** * ****** *** **** **** ** * ****** *** *** *** ********* *** ********* ** ** ****** ** ******** **** ********* **** ** ****** ** ******* ********** ********** ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Company just restated what that Aimee employee said to me in many emails last week  2 different answers to same question concerning lowered coupon amounts  Company did NOT address what I said in complaint to show what I believe is incorrect

  I saw points on my account 7-18-23 BUT no $20.00 coupon  I will look for that today  IF they did what they said than I agree with what they did 

  As for problems with check out 7-15-23 & I could NOT order the FREE Disney ******* ***** ******** ******* price$19.99 & Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™ Drink-Serving Droid Ornament $19.99 because 1 moment they were in my check out & when I continued to check out they THEN SAID SOLD OUT    I did indeed place 2 orders BUT  BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL ERRORS IN CHECK OUT & SIGN INS SITE SAID "SOLD OUT" TO BOTH ORNAMENTS A MOMENT LATER  This is a technical problem that caused me NOT to order 2 of the ornaments I wanted to order first  Company needs to send me both of those ornaments the FREE ****** ******* ***** ******** Regular price$19.99 & Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™ Drink-Serving Droid Ornament $19.99 due to their technical problems STOPPING ME FROM ORDERING THEM IN MY 2 7-15-23 ORDERS AS I WANTED
  

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

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently went to purchase a birthday card for my adult son- and found a “hallmark” card EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE TO ME!!! (I have included pictures of this offensive card). Which deliberately depicts “white people” AS: “Trailer trash, dumb, uneducated- without manners, honor, pride, or morale values! HALLMARK! Should be ASHAMED! Of themselves! For hiring staff ( approving- AND allowing this in print) that wrote this vile, offensive, immature opinion -to end up defying hallmark’s reputation as “OFFENSIVE” cards! Will! NEVER shop! “HALLMARK” again! Nor will the many followers I influence!

  Business response

  06/22/2023

  Thank you for contacting Hallmark Care to share your concerns about a card from our Humor collection.  We are always happy to answer our consumers. 
  
  All of us at Hallmark are in the business of good feelings.  
  
  Our creative team strives to develop a variety of products that will appeal to our diverse customer base.  This humor collection meets the objective of our consumers seeking off-the-wall humor that may elicit a groan or eye-roll.  This particular card is a number one seller in that line and enjoyed by many consumers. It is never our intention to offend, annoy or hurt and we regret that we have done so in this instance.  Please accept our apology.  
  
  We are especially grateful to know your observations and have shared your feedback with our product partners.  The comments of our customers drive our future initiatives.  We thank you for sharing.    

  Hallmark Care
  

*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. ↩