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“Hidden Auto-Renewal ”

★☆☆☆☆

written by ihatebabbel on 28/11/2023

Bought as a one as purchase. Hardly used as its not great so deleted the app. I got an invoice through today as they sign you up to a auto-renewal and don't send out reminders. Customer service is just a bot. Disgusting customer service. Avoid!

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“I subscribed to a 12-month contract with Babbel in...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by JohnMullan on 02/01/2019

I subscribed to a 12-month contract with Babbel in 2015. I only used their online language tools for a week or two. I found it very basic and boring frankly. Recently I discovered Babbel had been charging my credit card annually since 2015. Their default 'small print' is a devious. The only correspondence I've had from Babbel since 2015 was a notification that my credit card - stored on their system - had expired. I didn't knowing allow my credit card details to be stored in Babbel's system. I wonder how much they're profiteering out of this devious strategy

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Bronnieallen's Response to JohnMullan's Review

Written on: 12/07/2020

I've had the exact same experience. I know I cancelled and they have just kept taking my money. Disgraceful - please do not use this company. Tells you something when there is no way to contact them directly!

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Was this review helpful? 9 0

“TECHNICAL DIFFICUTLTIES”

★☆☆☆☆

written by remliw on 19/05/2018

I signed up on my tablet. I paid my money. Now I cannot sign in to the program at all. No response from Babbel. Cannot use program. Login protocols apparently deficient for some devices. DO NOT PAY OR USE. There is a chance you will pay and will not be able to USE at all.

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Was this review helpful? 4 1

“Babbel - Dishonest auto-payments policy”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Zimmerman164 on 15/11/2015

I took a free trial, not realising their small print must have enroled me to pay ongoing monthly fees. It took me 3 months to realise they were taking a monhtly charge from my Paypal (stupid of me I know but this is the first time I've been aware of companies being able to effectively set up a monthly direct debit via Paypal without your explicit permission). I asked Paypal to block (they were useless) so deleted card. Having added another card recently I see that Babbel has again taken a payment from my account today. I'm surprised this is legal but then I guess they're based abroad so can get around any legalities. They're like a virus I can't get rid of - monthly payments will continue indefinitely unless I can get this blocked. I'm about to delete my Paypal account. Overall the content is nothing to write home about in any case - I've found free content elsewhere which is just as good. I caution anyone leaving details for 'free trial' that it links to your Paypal and they will automatically take money from your account and there doesn't seem to be a way of opting out.

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Was this review helpful? 21 1

“BUYER BE AWARE: WARNING: Do Not Purchase this Product!”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Church279 on 15/05/2014

Babbel has a very tricky auto renewal policy to ensure that they keep charging you long after you have asked them not to -- particularly if you make the purchase using iTunes. Even though I contacted them and told them I would like to cancel using the built in support of their product they did not cancel my subscription. They waited until it auto-renewed and then told me I would have to cancel through iTunes. Even though I wrote to them a total of 5 times they would not assist me or back up my claim with iTunes. So I had to pay for charges I never authorized. In addition, when I wrote to them, they just kept sending the same response back to me which made me think they don't actually have real people working in customer service. This was, by far, the worst experience I have ever had. BUYER BE AWARE!

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Crombit2's Comment

Written on: 15/11/2015

I took a free trial and didn't realise for 3 months they were automatically taking a monthly fee from my Paypal. Contacted Paypal (who were useless) so deleted my card from Paypal. After adding another a few weeks later I see today Babbel has taken another monthly fee! Very dishonest indeed. They're like having a virus - only way to get rid of it might be to delete my Paypal account altogether

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Was this review helpful? 6 1

“disgusting!!!”

★☆☆☆☆

written by AriFoster on 23/04/2014

has a sneaky rolling contract which charges you every 3 months until you cancel it!!! i had not used there service for over 6 months but have been charged twice!! i cancelled my contract but they still charged me anyway! and have still not received notice of cancellation from them??? only way i could find to stop it was by stopping it through paypal but was too late they charged me for another 3 months!! i would not recommend this service to anyone!!!

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Was this review helpful? 6 1

“Awful service, terrible cancellation process.”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 13/10/2013

The Babbel site is average at best for the cost. However, my biggest problem with Babbel is with the cancellation process. Do not expect the process to be straight forward. They don't really give a darn about making your customer experience smooth. Many other online subscription services make it simple for you to cancel and stop being charged for the service right on the website but Babbel do not. There is no button to cancel the subscription - only to delete your account on the site! Cancelling your account does NOT equal also stopping your subscription. Here is a tip: if your subscription is through PayPal, cancel directly through PayPal. Unfortunately, Babbel only reveals how to cancel your subscription when you try to delete your account. When you try to delete your account, they tell you in the confirmation email that you must email their sales them first AND wait for a response beforehand otherwise they'll happily keep charging you. As my subscription was done through PayPal, I had already cancelled through there but I emailed anyway to make sure they were fully aware that no longer wanted to use the service since they had attempted to charge me even after cancelling payments via Paypal. With most internet services, I expect an email back within 24-48 hours but I heard nothing back whatsoever - not even an auto-email telling me it had been received and the average wait time. This is a very basic part of customer service that they totally failed in. My advice to anyone looking to learn a language online is to really do your research as there certainly exist free, better designed and taught sites.

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Was this review helpful? 4 1

“No refund policy.”

★☆☆☆☆

written by krebshack on 08/09/2013

I noticed that Babbel billed my account, they automatically renewed my subscription, two days after they withdrew their payment. I didn't want this to happen and I got in touch with Babbel. I explained that I was happy to pay for the two days but I didn't want to pay for the remaining three months. I think their response could be summarized as "tough luck." I had actually gone through the same situation with ZipCar a few days earlier and the difference was night and night. ZipCar refunded my money, all of it, no problems. I'd recommend ZipCar to anyone after something like that because they do show some empathy for their customers. Not Babbel. It's surprising they aren't Americans given that their attitude is "I got mine - screw you."

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Angelica.placquet's Response to krebshack's Review

Written on: 02/06/2014

I find it offense and inaccurate to say that "it's surprising they aren't Americans given that their attitude is "I got mine- screw you"". Most American business have the idea that the customer is always right. So American business tend NOT to have that attitude at all. In my experience that attitude is reserved for most not all but most French business.

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Phil00777's Response to krebshack's Review

Written on: 17/03/2015

I have more problems with Canadian sites, they basically tell you to sue them if not satisfied, American companies seem to know the consequences and customer service is head and shoulders above this stupid Canadian mentality

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Was this review helpful? 3 1

“Dubious billing practice”

★☆☆☆☆

written by languagelearner on 07/08/2013

Useful language learning tools but, as many others have said, Babbel auto-renew your subscription without any email notification before or after the fact. It's true that this is explained in the terms and conditions, but the lack of notification seems deliberately engineered to take advantage of forgetful users. I was auto-billed quarterly several times after I stopped using the website. I only noticed this when I DID get an email notification from Babbel telling me that, on their latest attempt to renew my subscription, my payment card was declined due to its recent expiry. The fact that they would email me if payment fails, but not when payment succeeds. I see from Google that they've been receiving complaints about their billing practice for several years, but not seen fit to change it. I do not recommend using the service of a company that operates in such a manner.

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Was this review helpful? 3 0

“Don't sign up!!!”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Londonpop on 01/08/2013

Wish I would have read all the bad reviews before ai signed up! Babble make their money on unauthorized subscription payments. Difficult to cancel and impossible to get any help with incorrect billing. If you don't mind paying endlessley weather you are using thie product or not, then maybe its for you? Not sure who the positive reviews are coming from? Perhaps employees of Babble? Who would be happy with this billing setup?

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“BEWARE”

★☆☆☆☆

written by alevinegreen on 31/07/2013

I was sent an e mail from Babbel stating that they were having a summer special. It would be $6.60 per month but when I paid with my credit card they charged me the total $66.00. I am very upset. I think this is false advertisement. I have wrote several e mails that I want my money back immediately but I have not gotten any response. I was hoping that this was a reputable company. I only want my money back if they are not going to honor their invitation of $6.60 per month. I am very disappointed.

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Cristiana's Response to alevinegreen's Review

Written on: 28/10/2013

excuse me, but -- $66 for a year -- to me, that seems LESS and not MORE than $6.60 per month ?!?

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“Questionable billing practice”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Kbechrakis on 10/05/2013

When you sign up there is only one subscription option, which is automatic renewal. I have used subscription based internet services before and babel was the only one that offered no alternatives. Furthermore, they don't send you any kind of reminder before they charge you so if you forget to cancel your subscription they charge you and then of course refuse to refund, even if you request it immediately because you're only entitled to a refund withing 20 days of your first payment (which in my case was 1 eur...). I've seen other people reporting this and, even though babel is not doing anything illegal, it's definitely dodgy and it's certainly done on purpose. They know this happens often and they do nothing about it. One can argue that it's the customer's responsiblity to read the terms carefully (and it is) but I would counter-argue that it's the company's responsibility to offer more payment options and warn the customers before charging them to help them avoid paying for services they don't need and will not use. I'm definitely not coming back and I'm not recomending babel to anyone, not for the content of their services but for their unethical billing process.

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Was this review helpful? 3 0

“Dodgy billing practice, German arrogance”

★☆☆☆☆

written by pollycharlie on 29/03/2013

There was no email or any notice reminding customers that the account is about to be auto renewed. Babbel expects its customers to remember to cancel the account six months after they first paid. There is no option to not auto renew. So six months later, I am no longer using Babbel but found a surprised charge on my credit card. Immediately I contacted Babbel to cancel my membership and to request a partial refund. I am reasonable. I didn't remember, six months later, that my Babbel account would be auto renewed. I will pay for the 20 days that I forgot. But I am not using this service anymore. I don't want to pay for another six months. No. Babbel simply refuse. "Oh you were told, six months ago, in one tiny line, that your account would be auto renewed". "Oh, it is stated in the FAQ if you bothered to go looking for it". Let's summarize: 1) expecting its customers to remember to cancel every six months; 2) not providing so much as an email reminding that auto renew is about to occur; 3) refusing to partially refund for the auto renewed amount. All points to an unethical business that its only way to retain customers is by tricking them. Had Babbel partially refunded my auto-renewed subscription fee, I would consider using Babbel again in the future when I actually have time to use its service again. I am on auto renew with many online services, but none of them is this desperate for $40 that they are willing to make a customer a lifetime enemy.

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“TERRIBLECOMPANY AND PROGRAM”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 26/03/2013

This company knows that they are cheating people. More importantly, if you care about your language skills, dont ruin them here at babbel, because you will have a very difficult time unlearning the mistakes they teach here at babbel. 99% of Swedish words are in error. "I wonder how happy babbel users would be when they realize that they have taught them incorrectly. I wonder what they will think when they realize that it isn't Swedish, because not a single Swedish speaker on the planet talks like that using the wrong definite and indefinite articles for every single word you are teaching them."

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“BEWARE THIS COMPANY”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 26/11/2012

Appalling customer service and illegal billing practices. I have had unauthorised charges taken from my account and their customer service team is nothing but insulting. Have had to open a dispute with my bank to rectify the issue.

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“Beware of their billing practices”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 06/11/2012

Babbel has very unclear and deceptive billing practices. The website indicates a 20 day period for refunds. I cancelled the day I was billed and they refused my refund. I HAVE 6 MONTHS OF A WORTHLESS APP I DON'T WANT and a US$44.70 CHARGE ON MY CREDIT CARD. Check out other review sites. I am not the only one with this problem.

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Was this review helpful? 1 0

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