ComplaintsforCare.com Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have used the Care.com website for a couple years with varying levels of success. In that time I have seen the website get updated systematically in ways that are designed to trick the user into spending money with them. The most recent account occurred on 9/26/2024 when I posted an ad on the site as a Premium user. I was messaging users to setup interviews when it automatically booked an employee for multiple hundreds of dollars. I cancelled it within an hour after realizing what happened and was forced to pay a cancellation fee. Users should be aware that the customer service is awful and literally non-existent if you aren't a premium user. Furthermore, the site actively blocks you from communicating with users unless its a method that they can extract additional fees from.

  Business response

  09/30/2024

  Please see the attached response. Thank you.

  Customer response

  10/01/2024

  Complaint: 22346596
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  At no point did I accept the job applicant. I had literally sent them one message when it automatically accepted and keep in mind this all occurred within the span of an hour. It is not like the acceptance was a week old. Furthermore, at no point did I opt in to using my credit card to pay care givers, I did not intend to pay them with that credit card, there is no way to opt out, and there is not even so much as a confirmation screen before charging hundreds of dollars to my card.

  I have already reached out to care.com help directly and had to wait over an hour to get this same canned response. The site is setup intentionally to scam users into buying things through their site so they can charge more fees.

  Regards,
  
  ******* ********

  Business response

  10/02/2024

  Please see the response attached. Thank you.

  Customer response

  10/05/2024

  Complaint: 22346596
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  See previous messages - nothing more to say.

  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid for 1 month off a ad to help me find a teacher for my childcare business,. I chose the one month price, and made sure it was not on recurring as they have done this to me before. After one month I had no success so I cancelled the ad. They sent me a email saying my ad was expired. There is no current ad of any kind. My accountant asked me how long am I keeping this recurring payment to them. I logged on and ever month since May 2024 my checking account has been deducted I have emailed and called several times. I cannot get thru to anyone in charge, no one will help me. They are refusing to credit my account the money they fraudulently have been taking. Im very angry they are allowed to get away with this. I emailed pictures of their email saying my ad was expired in April, I sent pictures of the account saying there is no ad currently. The operators say I cant speak to a higher up and tell me the case is closed. I DID NOT agree to a recurring charge for no service. I am happy to pay for what I used. This is criminal. They email the case is closed and the will not reimburse me the $750 they stole from my account. I will be filing a dispute with my bank as well for this fraud. I want to report them and please recover my money they took.

  Business response

  09/27/2024

  Please see attached PDF with response. Thank you. 

  Customer response

  10/01/2024

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed up for care.com to get a dog ****** last week and paid $70 for a monthly subscription service. 1) They did a background check on me without my written consent 2) They cancelled my account the same day I signed up for it, for which they did not give me a reason 3) They refuse to refund my subscription even though they cancelled my account

  Business response

  09/27/2024

  Please see the attached PDF for a response. Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/27/2024

  Complaint: 22339895
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am not ***** ******
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Business response

  09/30/2024

  Please see the response attached. We apologize for the confusion. Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/30/2024

  Complaint: 22339895
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 1) I signed up for dog sitting services and instead paid to have a background check done on my self. 2) I want assurances that ALL information from that background check have been removed their servers and have not been shared out to other applications 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Business response

  10/02/2024

  Please see the response attached. Thank you.

  Customer response

  10/02/2024

  Complaint: 22339895
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 1) I have no assurances  that my data has been removed from their servers 2) Most apps(Rover, ****** both of which I have) will do a background check on their consumers however, care.com is unique in the fact that they charge for their fees upfront, and have a no refund policy. These terms need to be explicit, and from my reading of your terms of service they are not. Nowhere in your TOS does it A) explicitly mention a no refund policy for failed background checks as a consumer B) have clear terms around the differences between the consumer background checks and caregiver background checks C) require care.com to provide reason for termination of account for TOS D) Provide the consumer with any reasonable metric to dispute said background check E) Provide the consumer with a copy of said background after it has been completed. Until parenthetical 2 has been reasonably addressed in the context of me just paying for my own background check and parenthetical 1) Has been completely resolved with proof that ALL of my data has been removed your servers, this will continue to be rejected. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  09/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  To Whom It May Concern,I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the recent handling of my Care.com account. On August 3, 2024, I purchased a 12-month membership for $335.00. However, Care.com arbitrarily closed my account on 9/2224, only to reopen it hours later. Despite reopening the account, the membership I paid for in Aug 2024 was canceled, and I was informed that I must repurchase the upgrade and they will give a refund credit at a later date. This sequence of events raises significant concerns about potential fraud and deceptive business practices.The arbitrary closure and subsequent reopening of my account, coupled with the cancellation of a fully paid membership, appear to be a deliberate misrepresentation of services. This conduct may constitute fraud, as it involves a misrepresentation of material facts with the intent to deceive and cause financial harm. The requirement to repurchase the membership, with a promise of future credit, further exacerbates this issue and seems to be an attempt to unjustly enrich the company at my expense.I demand a prorated refund for the unused portion of my membership. The disruption caused by these actions has severely compromised the care of my elderly parents, and I find these business practices to be both unethical and unacceptable. If this matter is not resolved promptly, I will be compelled to seek services from another provider and may consider further action to address this grievance.Sincerely,*** ****** ************* *****************

  Business response

  09/25/2024

  Please see the complaint response attached. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Care.com does not allow you to remove your billing information from their site and bill consumers without consent.

  Business response

  09/23/2024

  Please see the response attached. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  09/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had to turn to care.com for respite help since covid hit the industry of caretakers. I was presented with an offer that was supposed to make my experience better to have unlimited access and decreased the amount paid for background checks. However, less then 20min after purchase I wanted to make sure I understood how to get things done and to my disappointment the plan, lump sum, for the year didnt include background check at all. Which means I would be paying full price of $65.00 per person interviewed for prospective care providers. This was too much money and the yearly plan did nothing to offset the expense as it was supposed too. I canceled that plan immediately and requested a refund. The costumer representative said the company had a no refund policy for any plan. (Nothing stated that before purchase) and its only been 20min & that plan isnt going to work for my family. I wanted to choose a cheaper plan to be able to allow background checks at my expense. This wouldve greatly reduced the amount paid upfront and work better. This **** refused the refund, pretended that only a supervisor could do that but also stated they had no access to a supervisor and my request would be escalated. This was a very upsetting phone call to me and following it I called the bank to immediately dispute the charges. Citing the wrong plan and the company refusing to refund. The bank had me wait a few days since it was still processing and the company couldve just stopped it from there. They didnt Over a week later I called the company again only to have the **** *** to make adjustments to the amount for the plan I wanted originally and refund the difference. I opted out of that and wanted the full refund instead. To start all over again She then claimed she couldnt do that (which wasnt true since she was trying to refund with a deal) anyway that call also ended frustrating with this person also claiming to escalate the call and had no idea when I would hear back.

  Business response

  09/20/2024

  Please see the attached PDF for a response. Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/21/2024

  Complaint: 22300029
  
  I am rejecting this response because: it does not address the account issues nor the company's unwillingness to refund me. I called the company using all avenues mentioned in their letter and the reps were clearly trained to give me the run around. They were willing to make deals with me and refund me much less and when I didnt accept they say this company have a no refund policy thats what need to be addressed. Once it was discovered that I have the wrong plan for my family a refund should be made.
  I saw nothing telling me that the purchase was not refundable. This plan isnt affordable and I cant use it. Its my right to pick whats best for my family not this company. I feel like your taking advantage of parents who need assistance by essentially stealing money. refund please. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

  Business response

  09/25/2024

  Please see complaint response attached. Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/28/2024

  Complaint: 22300029
  
  I am rejecting this response because: you still must submit the refund. The bank temporarily gave me the money back while they investigate the dispute. There has been no resolution at this point which means the company still has the money. Im really baffled by this situation regarding a refund from this company. This is absolutely unacceptable and ridiculous. Your policy must reflect your unwillingness to refund costumers and the nightmare they will have to go through just to receive their money back even if the purchase was a mistake. This company played a ton of unprofessional games, refused to route my call to any type of management and a 3rd party had to get involved in order for you guys to actually respond.
  other parents must be warned about you guys. This is very fraudulent and Im assuming most of your clients are probably struggling parents like myself. What a stain on this country. You still need to refund the money to pay the bank back. Thanks 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for a 1 month subscription. I tried to skip past the extras because I didnt want them but somehow I accidentally clicked on Combined Check Plan or something for an extra $37.80. I realized the mistake almost immediately but was unable to go back. There was no way to even review the order before the payment was processed. I contacted Care.com and asked them to please refund the fee for the Combined Check Plan because I didn't want it. They told me that they wouldn't. They did say that at the end of my one month subscription that they would refund it if I didn't use it and that it would be applied back to my card on Sept. 15th . I informed them that that was not good enough and that I didn't appreciate them holding my money. I got no response. I never used the Combined Check Plan and I still have not gotten the refund. I emailed them yesterday and I got no response. They have no phone number to call for such matters either.

  Business response

  09/18/2024

  Please see the response attached. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On September 11, I started a subscription on Care.com thinking they would have a tutor for my son needs.Unfortunately there was no provider in my area or even extending the area search to a reasonable area that was within or less than an hour. Not at the time I said I needed help (informed at the search and before paying)Over the extended area search, it was no provider with qualifications to tutor at all. So even though the company informed me over the email that they will not refund, I feel scammed that they said they would have a provider, and don't have it. pure and simple. So I request a refund.

  Business response

  09/12/2024

  Please see the attached PDF for response.

  Customer response

  09/13/2024

  Complaint: 22275372
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Service Description: When I subscribed to Care.com, I expected to find a tutor available in my area or within a reasonable driving distance.
  Issue Encountered: Despite my efforts, I was unable to find any tutors listed in your database who meet my criteria. Additionally, I believe that if I knew this service was just to meet and great, I  could have been accessed through other, less costly platforms like ********* where similar connections could have been made at no charge.

  The Provider has a misleading marketing advertisement for their services and can't not provide the services that has promised.
  

  Given that the service provided did not meet my needs and there were no suitable tutors available, even my job search add was denied. I would like to request a full refund for the subscription/service fee.
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  09/16/2024

  Please see the response in the attached PDF. Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/16/2024

  Complaint: 22275372
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I'm still kindly requesting the refund for the fee paid, and my information was OK when I had a previous membership. It was not a problem, because the Care.com had a lot of babysitter in the area. I did provide my info, my request before paying, after I paid, the care.com com said... oh I am sorry, we don't have any provider in your area.

  Please refund the money promplty.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for this membership thinking I would actually be able to receive a service for the high membership fee. I wanted to find someone to take of my child and I thought this website had reputable caretakers. I messaged over 30 people and most never responded. Even the people who applied to the job did not respond. The two that confirmed never showed up. I spent countless hours on this site to only end up finding no one. The customer service was horrible and dont care about their customers. They just say it is our policy to not refund and they dont care if you had a negative experience. They are charging for a service they have no intention giving. I was charged ***** on 8/4/24 although I never received a service.

  Business response

  09/09/2024

  Please see attached PDF with response. Thank you. 

  Customer response

  09/09/2024

  Complaint: 22248453
  
  I am rejecting this response because this policy is unfair and deceptive towards customers and takes advantage of customers simply looking for help. Just because its a policy doesnt mean its not unfair or deceptive. The companys regurgitation of this shows their inability to understand this.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  09/11/2024

  Please see attached PDF with response. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I canceled my subscription as of 3/1/23. I was told there was nothing more I needed to do. I was billed again in 2024 for $156. The agents that answer the phone do not let you talk to a supervisor or anyone else. They simply respond there is nothing they can do and just steal your money. Its a scam. You can not email or talk to anyone regarding a resolution. They made the mistake on their end. I did not use the service because I thought I had cancelled it but they wont even hear my case. I would like Care.com to refund my $156.

  Business response

  09/06/2024

  Please see the attached PDF for the response.

  Customer response

  09/06/2024

  Complaint: 22247835
  
  I am rejecting this response because you simply copy/pasted information on your website that I am already aware of. You have not acknowledged the mistake made on your end in finalizing my cancellation of the service nor taking any responsibility. I am still requesting a refund in the amount of $156. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ************;

  Business response

  09/10/2024

  Please see the response attached. Thank you.

*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. ↩