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:07/12/2023

  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.

  On May 17th when the Podium sales rep entered our business we were mislead. We were told several times the service Podium had to offer would fully integrate with our current customer management software. We were apprehensive hearing that statement as it was our understanding there were very limited services that would integrate but we were assured by the sales rep that Podium had just recently completed their full integration and we would not lose any of the features we currently had. Plus, we would gain the features of getting ****** reviews and our customers could text us using our same business phone number. With his assurance that we would not be locked in to anything if it did not work we felt good with trying and signed up that day. From the very first day of service we quickly learned it does not integrate most of the things we use on a day to day basis. We had three video calls with the integration team to try to come up with solutions but they were either unable to provide what we needed or a "workaround" could be created that required a considerable amount of time on our part to complete only a portion of the same service. A service that was done automatically by our previous software. As a small business we do not have the man hours available to do these things manually, nor should we need to. Now we are being told that we are locked in a 12 month contract and cannot cancel, yet in the very same email thread an Account Executive stated "....that is rough you were over promised and Podium under delivered." Yes, Podium greatly underdelivered. The need to own up to that fact and admit they are not yet able to integrate with our current management software. At least not at a level that would make sense for a business like ours to make the switch.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2023

  We are sorry to hear that your Podium experience was less than stellar. Podium is not able to integrate with the softwares you need it to and we have gone ahead and processed a mid-term cancellation to your account. Please reach out if you have further questions. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/20/2023

  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.

  They repeatedly charging fees after cancellation of the service. *************************** and I had a few email conversation of the cancellation. She acknowledged and apologized for sending me a bill for the account that's closed. than a week later, she billed me again...

  Business Response

  Date: 06/20/2023

  We are sorry to hear that your Podium experience was less than stellar. Your signed contract was an annual agreement starting 7/14/22. Our retention team processed your end of term cancellation request in May with your last billing date on 6/14/23. Your account will be archived on 7/13/23. Please reach out if you have more questions regarding your contract. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/04/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  My experience with ****************** is that they are highway robbers.It is a total and complete scam.I signed a contract on 03/30/2022. I never implemented the system because I was getting so many clients I couldn't juggle everything. Now they are telling my that the contract automatically renews for another 12 months! This is disclosed nowhere on the website, and nowhere except the contract. I was NEVER verbally told this was true, and for those reasons, I feel it simply cannot be legally binding. Getting the contract canceled is time-consuming and stressful.Starting from the high-pressure sales **** ****************** has been a trainwreck for my very small business.I keep being shuffled from person to person, with no answers and no assistance.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2023

  We are sorry to hear that your Podium experience was less than stellar. We have processed a mid-term cancellation for your account. Please do not hostage to reach out if you have further questions or concerns. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  Was pressured into signing up with this company even though I asked to wait 24 hour before making a decision and they called me back after about 20 to say if we can get 2 of your websites signed up for the price of one can you do it right now.. I called the next day to say I decided its not a good fit for my small business and they said well that's too bad you already singed the contract, even thought I hadn't met with anyone to go over the details.I asked to talk with his manager and he said he let them know but they would not refund my $2400.00 and there was nothing else he could do for me. This was last week and not a call from anyone. I reach back out to ***** and he said its out of my hands. This business is the worst I have ever dealt with.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2023

  We are sorry to hear about your frustrations. After further review, we are processing a cancellation for your account. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have further questions or concerns. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/11/2023

   
  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,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  Podium is not a business, it's more like a criminal organization. They stole our money and they will steal yours. We are speaking with our attorney this week and a lawsuit will soon be filed against them. We are speaking with a journalist next week to get the word out so other people are no longer scammed by Podium. Podium is out to scam people and they need to be stopped.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2023

  We apologize for your frustrations. Your account has been cancelled early and charges are being refunded to your account. If there are other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2023

  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.

  We met with two salesman from Podium via a zoom call on 3/21/23. We were told several things Podium could offer us including using our existing phone number. We signed up that day but indicated we did not want to be in a contract. Jacob indicated that we would not be in a contract and that it would be month to month billing. We were never offered the 14 day free trail indicated on their website so after meeting with an onboarding specialist a few days later we requested the 14 day trail. We then received an email that the 14 day trail was approved for us and we would not be charged since they had not started the processes of transferring our existing phone number over. After receiving approval for a free trial Podium charged our credit card twice for a total $1277, which we did not sign for, agree to, or authorize. Since they were not following through on services offered and overcharged our card without refunding us we decided not to move forward with them. After contacting them multiple times via email, phone, and text we have not been refunded and were told that cancellation and refund would need to go to Podium's 'Council' for a determination. Additionally, our zoom call which included five of our team members was recorded without our consent. This recording includes credit card numbers that they had us enter during the meeting.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2023

  We apologize for your frustrations. Your account has been cancelled early and charges are being refunded to your account. If there are other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/05/2023

  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.

  Our experience with Podium has been very time consuming, and stressful. Starting from the high pressure sales rep at a Convention who promised Podium would work with our service software so we could request reviews after a job is completed. Once we got into integrating, we could not. Our service software had to be upgraded. A cancellation was requested as their website says there is a 14 day free trial. They said if we cancel the service, we still owe the year of payments. For the next 5 months we have tried getting Podium to work with our service software, only to FINALLY have one of their integration specialists agree that it does not work with our software. Again, they say if we cancel, we have to pay out the rest of the contract. We jumped through every hoop they gave us to make sure that it worked. Their final comment is that integration is not what we pay for. Integration is how their software is used according to the sales rep. During our 5 months of dealing with them, every time a problem occurred with one of their solutions, it would be weeks before hearing back from them. Several times we talked to people that said they would be canceling our contract, only to be told weeks later that we can’t cancel without trying something different first or paying out the full contract. When we would try the new solution, and it would not work, we would be shuffled to a new person that would again state we can’t cancel without trying a different solution. For the last time we want our contract canceled as of February with no further payments. In closing, Podium is asking for a payout to get out of the contract for services that they cannot adequately provide. As of March 30, 2023 a letter was sent to Podium via Seth the Senior Product Support Specialist outlining all problems. This letter requested another cancellation only to be replied with an admission that they cannot provide adequate services, but still required a payout to cancel the contract.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2023

  We are sorry to hear about your frustrations. We had our support team look into your case and they will be issuing a cancellation request. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2023

  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.

  We signed up in August of 2022, we set up a zoom call to be onboarded, no one answered. Left a message, was contacted in September from a sales associate trying to sell us their services. They were told that we had signed up but have not been contacted to be onboard. Contacted in October to set up zoom, waited 17 minutes for someone to come to zoom call. We asked that our contract be canceled due to us never being onboarded and their lack of customer services. Did not hear anything till December when we got an invoice from Podium. Called, spoke with several associates, we were told that there is not a customer service team that can assist us with this. That we have a year contract and there is nothing that can be done. We still have not be on boarded, and have been billed and credit card charged since December for something we have not been onboarded for.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2023

  We apologize for your frustration with getting properly onboarded. Our records show that you attended an onboarding call on August 22, 2022 with our team. It is noted that there wasnt a functioning website at the time so initial onboarding setup was limited to a few items. 
  Between the months of August and September we tried to reach you multiple times. We had a followup onboarding call scheduled with one of your employees, *************************, who no-showed the call and did not return our calls. We have been trying to reach you to discuss your concerns. For the fastest response, please contact your support rep at ***************************************************. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2022

  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 am the Vice President of ***************** and ************** and recently decided to do business with Podium. Podium looked like it would be a great system to help grow our business in the review department but I was wrong. I signed the contract and after going live the system only worked for about 2 weeks. I contacted Podium support dozens of times, talked to a bunch of different support people and here I am months later and it still does not work. Podium being a terrible of a company as it is and treating its clients like dirt did nothing to help the situation. I continued to pay my bill and was very patient even though it was not working and still to this day it does not work. I told them I will no longer be paying my bill and that I do not want to do business with a company that treats it customers like they do. I would never expect a customer to pay me for a service I could not provide and I will not be paying for a service that does not work and has not worked since September 15th. This has been a terrible customer experience and a even worse investment. I do not want to hear any more excuses from Podium I just want them to end my contract and we can go our separate ways. They have done nothing but take money from me and not provided the promised service in return.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2022

  Hi ****
  We apologize for your frustrations. We had support dig into your case and found that we have attempted to contact you multiple times with no response from you/your business. Additionally, it appears that you did not finish the onboarding process with us, despite us requesting more time with you to help you optimize your experience. We tried reaching out to you 10/11, 10/13, and 10/14 with no response until 10/20. We quickly responded on 10/21 and then followed up again 10/24. It appears you did respond on 10/26 with the info we needed, then we proceeded to contact you an additional 5 times to try to help, with no response until 11/11. Again we apologize youve been frustrated with us but we are also a little confused, as weve been attempting to contact you, work with you, and help you see success with us! If there is a better email address, phone number, or perhaps a best day/time to reach you, could you please let us know so that we can be sure we can get in touch with you? We would love to continue to work with you, so please just let us know.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/19/2022

  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.

  When I first contacted Podium to discuss what their business will do for me, they stated that you will get leads form them. They also said that the more reviews you get the more leads the can push in your direction. I am not very was not very savy at the internet marketing and so forth, so I finally after about a month of hard manipulative sales techniques, I signed up. After a little while, I noticed that I was not getting any leads form Podium. I called them, and after speaking more to them, I am finding out that they do not get you any leads. Basically, what they do is use YOUR website to create the illusion that it is they who are generating business for you. They manipulate and deceive. I hope that either I get the energy, or someone else, to go after this Company in a class action lawsuit.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2022

  Hi *****,
  We apologize for your frustrations; we are surprised to hear that you were told that youd be given a repository of prospects/leads once you became a subscriber, because that is not something we do, nor is it something that a trained account executive would say. We will certainly be digging into this more on our end to see where the miscommunication was. It looks like we have a call scheduled with you on Tuesday, so we have updated Support on your complaint and they will be sure to address this. If you have any documentation supporting your complaint, could you please send it to us so that we can review? Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We apologize again for your experience and we hope we can work together to reach a resolution soon.