Complaints

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:04/02/2025

  Type:Billing 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 received a direct deposit on March 17th for 406 for my fidelity pension and some kind of way there was a charge on my card for 294 that didn't make so I immediately cancel my card and request a new card and I call customer support and I talk to them and told them there wasn't enough to where I purchased on my account and then like a few minutes later maybe hours later the rest of the money that I had left on my account which was 118 that was going to and my account said 175 and I kept asking to where all my money went to and they couldn't tell me so when I got my new card in I tried to activate it but they wouldn't activated for me they was telling me that I need to show them my account number my bank account statement assume my route number and my account number with my photo ID to activate my card and I see missing transactions on my bank statement that's not the deposits and all kind of stuff and I don't know what to do about any of it I even called The merchant that the whatever it was that was purchased they said they could even find my card number or the purchase the order number of that whatever was about for 294 and they kept hanging up I really believe that Cleo let my information get out some kind of way and whoever the merchant was I believe all them was working together nobody was telling me anything or trying to help me do nothing. And if you need some more information just email me at ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2025

  Dear *******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated April 2, 2025. Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that after you received a $406 Direct Deposit, an unauthorized charge was made using your Credit Builder Card, which you subsequently reissued. You further stated that you had difficulty activating your reissued Credit Builder Card and accessing the remaining $118 in your security deposit account. Additionally, you stated that after reaching out to **************** for assistance with this, you were prompted to provide identity verification information as well as banking information. You believe that your Cleo account information may have been compromised and that the $406 Direct Deposit is missing from your bank statements.
  

  Our records indicate that on December 26, 2024, you subscribed to Cleo Builder and on December *******, you applied and were approved for a Credit Builder Card. On March 18, 2025, $406.64 was deposited into your security deposit account and a $294 transaction was initiated on your Credit Builder Card with the merchant Vitality Forge RX, reducing your available credit balance by this amount. Later that same day, you canceled your Builder subscription, marked your card as stolen in the Cleo app to reissue a new card, and then contacted **************** for assistance with disputing the $294 transaction as fraudulent.
  

  On March 19, 2025, an account specialist provided you with a form to gather information needed to raise a transaction dispute, which you completed on March 24, 2025, and allowed us to begin the transaction dispute investigation. On March 21, 2025, you closed your reissued Credit Builder Card in the Cleo app.
  

  Our records further indicate that on March 27, 2025, you followed up with **************** for assistance with activating your reissued Credit Builder Card and having the funds remaining in your security deposit account returned to you. That same day, a **************** representative informed you that your Credit Builder Card could not be activated, as your account was closed on March 21, 2025, and your builder subscription canceled on March 18, 2025. Additionally, because there are no payment methods connected on your account to receive the $118.37 remaining in your security deposit account, **************** requested identity verification and banking information in order to return the funds to you.
  

  As of the date of this response, we still have not received the requested identity verification documents.Please follow up in your email thread with *********************************** so we can return the funds in your security deposit account to you.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/28/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  This is a scam, can't cancel your subscription if you're payment hasn't went through yet for it so they make you pay the subscription to cancel it. The app is made to take advantage of situations there's no excuse, even after it took my payment without permission I can't even cancel because it's saying my number can't be used even though it's the same number on my account. I don't fall for emotional manipulation, this is predatory behavior and I wanted to use it but my cash advanced was lowered even though I paid them early. That's why this company has to pay a settlement now. must **** knowing you work for robbers and thieves.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2025

  Dear ********
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 29, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that you had difficulty canceling your subscription and that you were
  informed that payment was required to do so. You further stated that unauthorized charges were
  incurred to you and that the cash advance amount you qualified for decreased despite having repaid
  previous cash advances on time.
  

  Our records indicate that on January 3, 2025, you subscribed to Cleo Builder and requested and received
  a $50 cash advance with express disbursement later that day. On January 23, 2025, you initiated
  repayment of the $50 cash advance and $6.99 express fee, however these transactions were disputed
  the next day, triggering a freeze on your account.
  

  On March 21, 2025, you contacted **************** for assistance with canceling your Builder
  subscription, and, the next day, a representative escalated the ticket to an account specialist for
  investigation, as your account was frozen. **************** also informed you that your ticket would be
  sent to an inbox where you would receive updates when available, but would no longer be serviced by
  live chat.
  

  On March 28, 2025, you paid your next $14.99 subscription fee, as your subscription remained active.
  Following investigation from an account specialist, on March 30, 2025, we canceled your subscription to
  prevent any further charges. Additionally, on April 10, 2025, we refunded your February subscription
  payment as a gesture of goodwill.
  

  Please note that that payment is not required to cancel your subscription. Please also note that cash
  advance eligibility takes into account many factors, and that cash advances are subject to eligibility
  requirements and are not guaranteed per Cleos Terms and Conditions.
  

  Should you need assistance with anything else, please contact us at *****************************************************************.

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/20/2025

  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.

  I had pulled out $41 in hopes of paying it back to build my credit, which I had done previous to this $41, which in turn my card was declined to pay it back. I had try several times with different cards, all failing. From January 28, 2025 to February 28, 2025 my fail payment turned to delinquent **** against my credit causing my credit to go down over 100 points. I tried contacting meet Cleo February 24, 2025 and received no response so I called 3 times all going to voicemail so I left one. I sent another email, which they responded, and now theyre telling me I have to wait one business day to hear back. All the meanwhile my credit is going down.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2025

  Dear *******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 20, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that you had difficulty paying off your credit statement balance of $41,
  which negatively impacted your credit reporting. You further stated that you attempted to contact
  **************** to resolve the issue and that you are dissatisfied with the quality of customer service
  provided.
  

  Our records indicate that on November 19, 2024, you subscribed to Cleo Builder and applied and were
  approved for a Credit Builder Card. On November 19, 2024, you added $10 to your cards security
  deposit account and on November 22, 2024, you received a $30 cash advance on your Credit Builder
  Card.
  

  In the following weeks, you spent these funds at various merchants, and a $10.80 transaction on
  December 1, 2025 brought your account into a negative balance of $1. On January 26, 2025, you
  attempted several times to add funds to your security deposit account and offset the negative balance,
  however these transactions failed. You then proceeded to delete your Cleo account information later
  that day.
  

  On March 20, 2025, you contacted **************** for assistance with paying off this balance, and a
  **************** representative responded that same day requesting additional information about the
  nature of your inquiry, as no account details could be located with the information provided. On March
  26, 2025, you provided the email address associated with the deleted account, and ****************
  explained the next day that your account was in a negative balance by $1.
  

  Please note that deleting your Cleo account information can prevent you from viewing certain
  information about your Credit Builder Card in the Cleo app. So that we may work with you to resolve
  the $1 credit balance, please contact us at *****************************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/07/2025

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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 have the credit builder account and have been using the card without any problems until today. They have flagged the account and blocked it. This is after they took $470 from me and refused to refund it. Each one of my recent transactions I have made but they are saying it is blocked due to suspicious activity. I have tried to contact them multiple times and to get the block removed but they are continuing to say they need to investigate it for what I dont know. Right now I just want my money back because this is unacceptable and disrespectful. There should be no reason to block an account when each purchase was no only approved by me but made local. Please help me get my money back asap so I can close this account

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2025

  Dear ******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 16, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that after adding $470 to your Credit Builder Cards security deposit, your
  account was frozen, leading to declined transactions with your card. You further stated that you reached
  out to **************** for assistance with removing this freeze, and are requesting the return of the
  funds in your security deposit.
  

  Our records indicate that on September 27, 2024, you subscribed to Cleo Builder and applied and were
  approved for a Credit Builder Card. On January 29, 2025, you requested a $470 cash advance to be sent
  to your Credit Builder Card, and half of these funds were disbursed later that day and the remaining half
  on February 2, 2025.
  

  On March 5, 2025, you initiated payment of the $19.98 express fee for faster disbursement of the cash
  advance. This payment was disputed on March 16, 2025, triggering a freeze on your account in
  accordance with Cleos fraud procedures. You reached out to **************** later that day for
  assistance with resolving the freeze on your account, and the next day an account specialist explained
  the nature of the freeze and unfroze your account. Your account has remained open and you successfully
  resumed making purchases with your card the next day.
  

  Should you need assistance with anything else or would still like to initiate the return of the funds in your
  security deposit account, please contact us at *****************************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  So I owed Cleo ****** for my advance but they only asked my bank for a ****** they didnt not request the entire amount from my bank I am attaching a screen shot showing the Cleo charge for ****** and you can clearly see that my balance was ****** and I even called my bank and the banker said that Cleo did not request ****** that only posted a payment of ****** and my banker has proof of that so Cleo messed up my Cleo account committing fraud by saying my banker declined their request for ****** so because of that Cleo showed I was in default therefore lowering my eligible advance amount therefore committing fraud

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2025

  Dear ********,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 15, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that after repayment for the full amount of your cash advance had failed,
  you were charged for repayment of only a portion of the advance. You further stated that the failed
  repayment negatively impacted your cash advance eligibility.
  

  Our records indicate that on July 5, 2024 you subscribed to Cleo Plus and received multiple cash
  advances in the following months. On February 28, 2025, you requested a $500 cash advance, half of
  which disbursed that same day and the remaining half on March 3, 2025.
  

  On March 14, 2025, the due date for the advance, repayment was attempted from your connected
  payment method but failed due to insufficient funds. Later that day, repayment for $170 of this advance
  was initiated and succeeded. The remaining $330 of the cash advance was successfully repaid the next
  day, and you requested and received a $240 cash advance.
  

  Please note that when cash advances are due, repayment for only a portion of the advance may be
  attempted if repayment cannot be completed in full. Please also note that cash advance eligibility takes
  into account many factors, and that cash advances are subject to eligibility requirements and are not
  guaranteed per Cleos Terms and Conditions.
  

  Should you need assistance with anything else, please contact us at *****************************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Several issues. First, I received two refunds from ****** in the amount of $77.20 but only one refund reflected in my available credit. Second, I filed a phone insurance claim with *** for my iPhone for $149.00 in which *** placed an authorization hold for until the claim was completed. They denied the claim and released the funds, the hold no longer shows on my account yet my available credit doesnt reflect this. Third, they froze my account for unusual activity in which Ive responded to emails regarding this confirming it was not (they have not asked for ID verification yet which I will gladly provide, and Ive messaged support since March 7th and no one will reply. I also am expecting several refunds in which they so far have not shown in my available credit.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2025

  Dear *******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 13, 2025.Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that your available credit balance did not reflect a merchant refund you received or the release of a merchant hold. You further stated that you were dissatisfied with the quality of customer service provided after reaching out for assistance with resolving a freeze on your account.
  

  Our records indicate that on January 28, 2025, you subscribed to Cleo Builder and applied and were approved for a Credit Builder Card. On March 5, 2025, two $77.20 refunds from ****** were posted to your account.
  

  On March 7, 2025, your account was frozen after several of your payments to add funds to your security deposit account were disputed, and you reached out to **************** for assistance with resolving the freeze on your account. That same day, your ticket was escalated to an account specialist, who requested identity verification and proof of ownership of the connected payment methods on your account. You provided this requested information on March 14, 2025.
  

  Upon review, we are unable to lift the freeze on your account based on the information you provided to prove ownership of the payment method involved in the dispute. This is in accordance with Cleos fraud procedures. Additionally, we can confirm that your credit balance of $262.58 is accurate, reflecting the two refunds posted from ****** as well as the release of funds from the *** merchant hold.
  

  Should you have other information to provide to resolve the freeze on your account, please contact us at ************************************
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  This is all accurate in terms of the credit.  In terms of the response time and documentation request is false. I have the email thread where I sent my ID immediately assuming it would be requested to speed things up since their average response time seems to be two weeks, then they disappear again for two more weeks.  In regards to the balance, I provided sufficient documentation regarding the payment method used to fund the account, and have not disputed any charges against Cleo.  I can gladly provide the transactions on my account and also show that there are no credits for a dispute.  You are welcome to confirm this with the credit union but as far as Im concerned, Cleo should be should down especially given the amount of similar complaints.  The balance is owed to me and I have more than enough proof to enforce that.  The only reason I am not uploading the screenshots is to protect sensitive information and am happy to send them separately to the BBB and Cleo.

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 04/07/2025

   Dear *******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your response referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 28, 2025.
   Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your response, you stated that your complaint has not been resolved as you were dissatisfied with the
   timeliness of the responses from ***************** and as you have not received the return of funds in
   your security deposit account. You further stated that you had provided the necessary information to
   prove ownership of the payment method involved in a transaction dispute that you also state you did
   not initiate.
  

  As stated in our previous response to your complaint, on March 7, 2025, several payments were disputed
   by the cardholder concerning transactions you initiated to add funds to your Credit Builder Cards
   security deposit account. On March 14, 2025, you provided documents to verify your identity and your
   ownership of the payment method involved in the dispute. The next day, the disputed transactions were
   resolved in favor of the cardholder.
  

  Following investigation and review of the information you provided to ***************** an account
   specialist reached out to you on March 20, 2025 to confirm that based on the outcome of the dispute
   and the information provided, we were unable to lift the freeze on your account. This is in accordance
   with Cleos fraud procedures. Additionally, as stated in our previous response, no funds are due to be
   returned to you given that the amount of funds reversed to the cardholder from the dispute was greater
   than the amount remaining in your security deposit account.
  

  Should you need assistance with anything else, please contact us at *****************************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  Cleo is taking money out of my account that for a product I never had or ever signed up for. I reached out to them to stop them from going in my account taking money but they say they cant because my account dnt exist. Thats true because I never signed up for it

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2025

  Dear *****,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 11, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that you reached out to Cleo **************** after you believed that
  unauthorized charges were incurred to you, but you were informed that we were unable to identify a
  Cleo account based on the information you provided.
  

  Our records indicate that on January 8, 2025, you contacted **************** after you received a
  $46.99 charge from Cleo. That same day, a **************** representative indicated that we were
  unable to identify any Cleo accounts with the information you provided. The ticket was closed after we
  did not hear back from you for several days.
  

  On February 11, 2025, you reached back out to **************** for assistance after you received
  multiple $5.99 charges from Cleo. That same day, we requested information about the payment method
  to which you were charged, but the ticket was closed after you did not provide this information for
  several days.
  

  On March 11, 2025, you again followed up with ****************, noting that you share a payment
  method with your son, who may have had a Cleo account. On March 15, 2025, you provided the
  requested information regarding the payment method to which these charges were incurred.
  

  With this information, we have been able to identify a Cleo account associated with the referenced
  charges to your payment method. Per Cleos security protocols, because you did not identify the correct
  email address associated with that account, we suggest that your son contact us at *****************************************************************
  for assistance with updating the payment methods on his account. In the meantime, that account has
  been frozen to prevent any further charges to you.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/10/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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 don't know if I have ever even subscribed for Cleo. If I did it was long enough ago that I can not remember or find any documentation for. Today, 03/10/25, I received a fraud charge notification from my bank for a $199 charge from Cleo AI along with another $14.99 charge that had gone through. I reported fraud through my bank and have no clue how or why my bank is being charged in 2025. This is absolutely mind blowing and I have zero doubt I'm the only victim.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2025

  Dear ******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 10, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that unauthorized charges were incurred by Cleo.
  

  We are happy to investigate this matter; however, at this time we are unable to confirm a user with the
  information that you provided. So that we may properly review your complaint, please contact us at
  *********************************************************************** with identifying information on your Cleo account such as your full name,
  phone number, and email address.
  

  Should you need assistance with anything else, please contact us at *****************************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  Against: Cleo Credit Builder *********** Services Date: 3/8/25 Summary of Complaint:I am filing a complaint against Cleo due to deceptive loan practices, lack of transparency, and an inability to reach customer service.Key Issues:1. Non-Delivery of Physical Credit Builder Card I applied for Cleos Credit Builder Card in October 2023 but never received a physical card. Despite repeated attempts, I have been unable to contact customer service. ********************** only offers a chatbot with limited options, making it impossible to resolve issues.2. Unauthorized Loan Placement Cleo automatically placed $120 on my virtual Credit Builder Card without my request or approval. I never signed for this amount, nor did I ask for it.3. Misleading Loan Structuring When I applied for a $120 loan advance, Cleo bundled the unauthorized $120 loan with my new request, forcing me to sign for a $250 loan. This was not transparent.4. Unfair Repayment Practices Despite the $120 sitting unused on Cleos virtual card, they do not deduct payments from this balance. Instead, Cleo withdraws the full $250 from my personal bank accountleaving me stuck with an unusable virtual card balance.5. Restrictions on Fund Access The Cleo virtual card has severe restrictions:No cash withdrawals ******* transfers Cannot be used with CashApp, Square, ****** Only works for limited purchases at select vendors 6. Short Repayment Window Cleo requires the loan to be repaid in full within 7 days, which is an unreasonable timeframe for customers already in financial hardship.7. No **************** Support There is no way to speak to a real person. Cleo does not provide phone support or an email for assistance. The chatbot offers only three preset response options, preventing users from resolving real issues.Supporting Evidence:The unauthorized $120 loan placement The forced bundling of loans The misleading loan breakdown The restricted virtual card usage The lack of customer service options

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2025

  Dear ********,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 8, 2025.Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that you never received your physical Credit Builder Card, that you had difficulty accessing the funds in your cards security deposit account, and that you are dissatisfied that these funds are unable to be withdrawn through methods such as cash withdrawals and peer-to-peer applications for transferring money. You further stated that you requested a $120 cash advance to your connected payment method and yet an additional $120 was disbursed to your Credit Builder Card,bringing the amount owed upon repayment to $240, which you stated that you were required to complete within 7 days of your cash advance request. Additionally, you stated that you had difficulty reaching **************** through the ********************** app and that you are dissatisfied that Cleo has neither a phone number nor email address at which to reach ****************.
  

  Our records indicate that on September 25, 2024, you subscribed to Cleo Builder, and you applied and were approved for a Credit Builder Card on September 28, 2024. In the following weeks you successfully began spending with your virtual Credit Builder Card the funds you had added to your security deposit account.
  

  On March 7, 2025, you requested a $120 cash advance to be disbursed to your Credit Builder Card. You contacted **************** later that day for assistance, but your inquiry was not routed to a representative as you did not provide the requested information concerning the nature of your request.On March 8, 2025, you requested another $120 cash advance, with the disbursement destination set as your connected payment method. At the time of each of these requests, you specified the disbursement destination and a repayment date of March 14, 2025.
  

  On March 10, 2025, you initiated cash advance repayment from your connected account, but this transaction failed due to insufficient funds. Please note that cash advances can be repaid only from your connected payment methods and not from the Credit Builder Cards security deposit account.
  

  Our records further indicate that your most recent transactions with your Credit Builder Card were made on March 12, 2025. This is because your virtual card details can still be used to make transactions with your card even if you have not yet been able to activate a physical card. While there are certain limits as to the amount of funds that can be accessed via ATM or via peer-to-peer app transfers, these are valid methods with which funds in your security deposit can be used.
  

  Please note that the amount of the cash advance, the disbursement method, and the repayment timeline are all confirmed by the user at the time of the request. Please also note that while Cleo does not have a direct phone line for ****************, you can share your inquiry by leaving a voicemail at **************. Otherwise, you can always reach **************** in the app or by contacting us at ************************************
  

  Additionally, if you have not yet received your physical Credit Builder Card, we suggest that you follow up with your leasing office to verify whether they have received the card. This is because our records indicate that the shipping address youve entered in the app does not contain certain details such as a unit number.If you are still unable to retrieve your card and would like a new card reissued, please contact us at ************************************
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/02/2025

  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 got paid on wed and later on thats same day cleo took out ****** which i owed but when i wenr back in the app to see if it was process and everything is back in order it instead said that the payment was never received and i have to try again even tho they took the money out without me evn entering my information or more like me doing it myself so im very upset that it still being shown not paid .

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2025

  Dear *******,
  

  Cleo is in receipt of your complaint referred to us by the Better Business Bureau dated March 2, 2025.
  Cleo takes customer complaints seriously and strives to resolve all issues in a fair and equitable manner.
  

  In your complaint, you stated that your cash advance repayment was not reflected in the Cleo app and
  was initiated without your authorization.
  

  Our records indicate that on November 6, 2024, you subscribed to Cleo Plus and requested and received
  a $110 cash advance on December 4, 2024. Repayment of the advance was initiated on its due date on
  December, 28, 2024, however this payment attempt failed.
  

  On February 27, 2025, repayment was initiated from your connected account as an ACH transaction. This
  payment succeeded on March 3, 2025.

  Please note that per Cleos Terms and Conditions, cash advance repayments can be initiated from any of
  your connected accounts if previous payments fail. Please also note that advance repayments initiated
  via ACH may take up to 4 business days to complete.
  

  Should you need assistance with anything else, please contact us at *****************************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  

  Compliance Department