ComplaintsforHero Health, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased my dispenser about 5 years ago and am considered by Hero a "Legacy" customer because I was an initial buyer of the unit. I just recently started having a problem with the unit dispersing pills, with the unit posting an error just before the pill (random out of the 9 slots of medications) was dispensed. I contacted Technical Support and their response was that the unit was out of warranty and they wanted me to dispose of the unit and pay $45/month to "lease" another unit from them. They initially told me that they were no longer repairing "old" units however after I pointed out that their current advertisements were advertising the same model, they said that they decided they were no longer going to repair the unit. I have had an engineer look at my unit and his review of the solely mechanical unit (the unit is controlled by Hero Health through my wifi, basically dispensing the specific medication and the time to dispense mechanically through the direction of software controlled by Hero Health), and that the function of the unit itself is basically mechanical. I feel that the company was very dishonest in their attempt in telling me that I would need to dispose of my unit only to pay a monthly fee $ to lease another fee, only to eliminate their "Legacy" customers. They could have asked me to pay their $8.99 monthly subscription fee and address any mechanical issues by having me pay a repair cost, however instead they basically told me to throw my existing unit away, which I paid for more than $400 up front. I believe this action is both very dishonest and unfair to an owner of their product.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Hello, 

  Unfortunately, according to our Terms of Use and Replacement and Warranty Policy, we are unable to replace a device that is nearly five years old, as the technical warranty is only two years. Additionally, we do not offer a repair service for devices; we only provide replacements in case of technical issues to minimize problems.
  
  Regarding the monthly subscription, a search of old calls and requests revealed that in October 2020, the customer requested to be exempt from monthly subscriptions as a "Legacy" member, which was granted to him at that time. Since the user refused the monthly subscription for extended warranty, 1-year technical warranty expired.
  
  As a token of our appreciation for their long-term support, we offered a special discount of three free months if they order a new device and switch to the current subscription model that is active in our company.

  Please find the Limited Warranty, Returns and Cancellation Policy that are affecting this customer: ...WARRANTY FOR USERS WHO PURCHASED MEMBERSHIPS BEFORE OCTOBER 1st, 2019
  
  The Dispenser and parts are warrantied for one-year from date of delivery against material defect and workmanship. The warranty period begins upon delivery of your Dispenser. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We attempted to cancel the subscription due to death and the company agreed to cancel and send us a box to return the equipment. All we received was an empty box at our doorstep with no mailing instructions on how to return anything. We subsequently tried twice via email and multiple ****** searches to find a way to address this issue with no answer!! Then the company charged the bank on file $1200 unauthorized. No phone call or email was ever received from Hero to provide shipping instructions etc. we have an empty box still sitting here, waiting.

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  Hello, 

  The user was unable to locate the pre-paid return label we provided them with (to their email) and ordered a shipping material for them to return the Hero dispenser back to us. 

  Since they failed to return the device per our Return policy, we charged them a Unreturned device fee. 

  Once the device is returned, we issued a refund. 

  Please find the Return policy: 
  "If your subscription applicable to the Dispenser assigned to you is canceled  or otherwise ends at any time, you must remove your medications from the Dispenser, perform a factory reset to remove your Personal Information from the Dispenser,  and return the Dispenser and any Hotspot associated with the applicable Dispenser to  Hero within thirty (30) days after your subscription ends. Hero shall not be responsible for loss or disclosure of your Personal Information due to unauthorized physical access to the Dispenser while the Dispenser is not in the possession of Hero, including but not limited to when the Dispenser is in transit to Hero by common carrier or otherwise.  A return label will be provided free of charge, and the Dispenser and Hotspot must be packaged per instructions provided by  Hero. If the original packaging materials for the Dispenser and/or Hotspot are no longer available, a replacement set of packaging materials can be obtained from Hero at an additional charge, and you  will be charged for the shipping and handling fees associated with the replacement packaging materials. If you do not return your assigned Dispenser and/or Hotspot within this thirty (30)-day period, we will charge you the Non-Returned Dispenser Fee and/or the Non-Returned Hotspot Fee, as applicable.  Your payment of any Non-Returned Hardware Fees  applicable to your failure to return a Dispenser or Hotspot shall not constitute your purchase of the Dispenser or Hotspot or entitle you to any rights in or to the Dispenser or Hotspot, and you remain responsible to return the Dispenser and/or Hotspot, as applicable, to Hero.  Hero reserves the right to take additional steps to prevent any further use of the Dispenser and/or Hotspot and recover the Dispenser and/or Hotspot from you, following the end of your entitlement to the applicable Services, including but not limited to reporting the applicable Non-Returned Hardware Fees as outstanding and overdue debts owed by you, to Hero, to various credit reporting agencies. "

• Initial Complaint

  04/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Have tried to return after having an issue getting it set up. The engineer department who is what we needed isn't open on weekends. I told them when I found out I couldn't get proper help on weekends I wanted to return They refused multiple times I have screenshots of that. I called yesterday they said it was fixed which it was but I was still asking for a return claimed I would receive an email with return label. The only email I received was from the engineer department telling issue was resolved. I have asked a total of 5 times now. I did get it setup to see if it was worth the customer service nightmare and it can't take 4 of my meds because they are capsules which a lot of meds are. It tells you no liquid casuals like fish oil I understand but this is a standard prescription powder or whatever filled.

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  Hello, 

  The user called with an unusual error during the initial setup of their Hero dispenser. The time they waited for the response is due to the investigation in order to help the user in the best possible way. 

  Once the user refused a replacement device, the subscription has been canceled and the total amount of $361.84 has been refunded.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  So I got this device a little over 2 years ago when my mother was having problems taking her medication and remembering great device. After a while it started failing and my mother no longer needed it. So we went ahead and after the contract was over I canceled the subscription. Come to find out about 2 months after returning the device I get charged a non-returned fee on the device. *******, my husband and I thought we did not need the tracking number so we threw the paper away. Since it had been 2 months since we returned the device and the post office only holds records for up to 30 days, there's no way of me proving that I had sent the device and without proof they will not return my money. Save yourself some heartache and do not get the service. They will scam you.

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  Hello, 
  The user was unable to locate the pre-paid return label we provided them with (to their email) and ordered a shipping material for them to return the Hero dispenser back to us. 
  Since they failed to return the device per our Return policy, we charged them a Unreturned device fee. 
  Once the device is returned, we issued a refund. 
  Please find the Return policy: 
  "If your subscription applicable to the Dispenser assigned to you is canceled  or otherwise ends at any time, you must remove your medications from the Dispenser, perform a factory reset to remove your Personal Information from the Dispenser,  and return the Dispenser and any Hotspot associated with the applicable Dispenser to  Hero within thirty (30) days after your subscription ends. Hero shall not be responsible for loss or disclosure of your Personal Information due to unauthorized physical access to the Dispenser while the Dispenser is not in the possession of Hero, including but not limited to when the Dispenser is in transit to Hero by common carrier or otherwise.  A return label will be provided free of charge, and the Dispenser and Hotspot must be packaged per instructions provided by  Hero. If the original packaging materials for the Dispenser and/or Hotspot are no longer available, a replacement set of packaging materials can be obtained from Hero at an additional charge, and you  will be charged for the shipping and handling fees associated with the replacement packaging materials. If you do not return your assigned Dispenser and/or Hotspot within this thirty (30)-day period, we will charge you the Non-Returned Dispenser Fee and/or the Non-Returned Hotspot Fee, as applicable.  Your payment of any Non-Returned Hardware Fees  applicable to your failure to return a Dispenser or Hotspot shall not constitute your purchase of the Dispenser or Hotspot or entitle you to any rights in or to the Dispenser or Hotspot, and you remain responsible to return the Dispenser and/or Hotspot, as applicable, to Hero.  Hero reserves the right to take additional steps to prevent any further use of the Dispenser and/or Hotspot and recover the Dispenser and/or Hotspot from you, following the end of your entitlement to the applicable Services, including but not limited to reporting the applicable Non-Returned Hardware Fees as outstanding and overdue debts owed by you, to Hero, to various credit reporting agencies. "

  Customer response

  05/28/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  THE WORKER DID NOT REPOSPOND IN MY CHAT SUPPORT EVER MORE THAN INTRODUCTION, CANNOT RESET MY HERO MACHINE, AND ITS BLOCKING ME FROM GETTING THROUGH TO ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE. UPLOADED PHOTOS OF OUR INTERACTION (1), ON 6/2/23. PLEASE CALL ME TO FIX MY DEVICE, THANKS. TAKE ACTIONS ON HER BEHALF FOR LACK OF RESPONSE TO A CUSTOMER.

  

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  We apologize for the rough experience, and appreciate the feedback from the member. The issue has since been resolved, and we have taken action to prevent similar situations from happening again. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was interested in this service but changed my mind before the hero dispenser even arrived. Now, fast forward to almost a year later they charged me 1500$ draining my bank account, and their 24/7 support has been completely non-responsive in resolving this issue. I get that many companies are having financial problems now but this is not the way to solve them! Had their support been more responsive I may have even decided to use the product. This seems a very easy situation to resolve but the company would rather take a huge amount of money from unsuspecting consumers than face the real issue which is that people do not feel supported enough to use their product effectively. I need Hero to first and foremost return my money, then return my message as I am sure a little human interaction will leave all sides feeling whole. Clearly better customer support and communication is the solution, NOT stealing money from people right at the time rent is due. It is very unfortunate that I have to resort to this method in hopes of getting a response from them. Would not suggest working with this company as they avoid resolving issues with customers and instead claw back funds they were never owed without even checking with the customer first for misunderstanding.

  

  Business response

  03/31/2023

  We have made over 40 attempts to get in touch with the customer prior to canceling their account due to unpaid membership invoices. After not hearing back from the member, and several unpaid membership invoices, their membership has been automatically canceled. This action was also followed up via email letting the member know that if they fail to return their device within 30 days they would be charged further $1500 for the unreturned device fee. 
  
  The member only responded to our outreach attempts after we charged them the fee. However, since they were able to return the device, the fee was refunded. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had placed an order that I was led to believe was a one-time fee for a pill dispenser for my elderly parents. I received the large dispenser that would not even fit on a counter top. I threw the item away thinking I have a loss of a one time purchase. I then started to receive monthly fees after and reached out to cancel immediately. The company indicated I had to pay $1,500 for the container, which I did foolishly just to stop the monthly payments. This was November 2021. I just discovered that I am now receiving a $50 monthly fee starting November 2022 without authorization. I just tried to cancel a fee that I did not sign up for and they are now indicating I have to pay $365 for an early cancellation fee. Please help! I don't have this kind of money.

  

  Business response

  04/12/2023

  Regarding their cancelation fee - all members must agree to our terms of use and cancelation policy in order to place an order on our website. The member was canceled in August 2021 due to unpaid membership, and at the time the cancelation fee could be charged due to insufficient funds on the member's card. 
  
  We were then able to get in touch with the member regarding their outstanding fees (cancelation and unreturned device) in November 2021, and they agreed to update their payment method and pay the fee of $1500 for the unreturned device in three installments. To this day, the member hasn't paid anything except the initiation fee of $49.99 when they ordered their Hero device. 
  
  If the member fails to update their payment method, they will be transferred to a collection agency. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This device was purchased for me as a gift. I moved and device was lost. I called to cancel subscription and notified that a two year old piece of equipment would cost **** to replace since what I was given was a subscription but did not actually own the device. I believe this to be a predatory business model. While the company can point toward user agreements signed years in advance I believe their true business model to be to trick customers into purchasing over priced medical equipment. While nothing they are doing is technically illegal I do believe it to be unethical. I have advised the company they will need to send me to collections if they intend to try and collect on this debt they say I owe them.

  

  Business response

  03/31/2023

  All members are made aware prior to ordering a Hero that they are purchasing a subscription, and that devices are only provided through a lease. Unfortunately, the member threw away the device. When they contacted **** regarding this, the member has been offered a new device as a replacement, in which case Hero would not pursue any fees, however, they declined in a less than savory manner. Management declined to waive the fee and has since transferred their debt to a collection agency. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had responded to an add by this company for a free prescription dispenser. In their process of approving they went into more than what my prescriptions were. When I didn't continue with meeting with their doctor they sent me the agreement which states: "You are viewing this form because your healthcare provider has recommended that you receive one or more of the services described below and has requested Assure Healths assistance in providing these services to you." Upon reviewing this with my healthcare provider, NEA ************** of *********, **., they sent no such request. this appears like an attempt to manipulate sales with total miss representations.I have also referred this to ****** of ******** Services to review.

  

  Business response

  03/31/2023

  Members of Hero's trusted provider network specialize in medication management and adherence monitoring. We work with providers that combine dedicated care oversight by a qualified healthcare professional and technology-enabled medication management.
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 01/10/2023 I was charged another month's subscription of $46.79 However, I had already cancelled the subscription in December of 2022, yet I was still charged the monthly fee.When I began using the subscription service, it was costing me $29 per month. All of a sudden and without notice I started getting charged a different amount monthly ($46.79) this is outside of my budget, and I can no longer afford the monthly fee for this service. I would like a refund of the money charged ($46.79) to my bank account; I want to know where to send the device. I am retiring soon and find this service is no longer needed. And, finally, I want no more contact by Hero health to try and convince me to stay by offering a discounted rate. I simply can no longer afford this service. Mahalo!

  

  Business response

  03/31/2023

  We are unable to identify this member based on the email from the BBB complaint. However, we did have a case with a member using a similar email and under the same name, and that case was closed after the member agreed to continue the service under their original terms. 
  
  All members have been notified prior to the price increase via email and with in-app messaging. All members were offer several different plans, including one where they could keep the original pricing, but under new contract terms. 

*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. ↩