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Scribd Reviews Summary
The company's reputation is significantly marred by widespread customer dissatisfaction, particularly concerning its subscription model and customer service. Many users report unauthorized charges, difficulties in canceling subscriptions, and a lack of responsive support, leading to perceptions of deceptive practices. While some customers acknowledge the potential value of the service for avid readers, these positives are overshadowed by frustrations with the platform's functionality and the quality of customer interactions. Overall, the feedback indicates a pressing need for improved communication and more transparent billing practices to restore customer trust.
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I signed up with a one-year gift subscription in March '20, and after about 4 months of normal service, the gift card got deleted from the account for no reason. There is no response to several requests to the support desk (support ticket #*******), and no way to reach a human. It is a very frustrating experience.
I CANCELLED MY SUBSCRIPTION BUT YOU DAMN GUYS ARE STILL CHARGING ME FOR GOD SAKE YOU GUYS STOP SCAMMING MY MONEY PLEASE I NEED THOSE MONEY FOR FOOD!
Hi there, we apologize for any confusion with our cancellation process. To clarify, it is absolutely impossible for us to bill a canceled account as you are no longer rendering services with us. This means that any charges you're seeing are associated with a duplicate subscription or an unsuccessful cancellation. In order for us to locate/stop these charges and get this resolved for you, please submit a ticket through this link: https://scr.bi/assist
Once this is done, a specialist will follow up right away to help -- thanks!
Stay away, I signed up for the free trial and cancelled and they have taken money from my account since July! Avoid, very dodgy company!
Thanks for your comment here, Carole. I am truly so sorry for the issue with this charge! This is not expected and we are only able to charge an account if it is subscribed. This means you likely have a failed cancelation or a duplicate account. However, no worries! We can help you. Please submit a ticket through this link https://scr.bi/assist so your request is escalated straight to my inbox. I'll be sure to assist you as soon as possible.
Wish that there was a zero rating. Cancelled numerous times, still being charged but can't log on to service to use because I do not have an account! DO NOT use the 30 day free trial, you will continue to be charged even if you cancel. Scribd has been stealing my money for a year. Scribd, do not write a bs, double talk. We're so sorry this has never happened before reply to this review. I have been reading the replies to all the dissatisfied customers that you have stolen from. Maybe it's a surprise the first 50 times it is brought to your attention but after that it is just the way you do business. I will follow up with my credit card company to try and cancel the payment. It seems this is the only way to stop you from stealing my money.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for reaching out. Just to clarify -- it is absolutely impossible for us to bill a canceled or non-existent account as you are not rendering any services with us. We apologize for any confusion on your end in regards to this, and we'd be more than happy to help. Please submit a ticket through this link so we can get this resolved for you right away: https://scr.bi/assist
I posted on the BBB on August 18 and received a response (see below) on August 21. I was told that the last charge would be refunded (this has been going on for years). That very day, I was charged again.
Response I received on August 21:
The business indicated:
Hi Colleen, we apologize for any confusion here. Upon review, we were not able to find any support tickets from you in our system, which would be why you didn't receive anything from us. We were able to locate your account and can confirm that you created your subscription with us on February 10th, 2017 under the email address you've provided above. According to our system, your account was not canceled at all, which is why these charges came through as normal. To confirm, when you purchased the trial, you agreed to the terms and conditions under the Subscriber Agreement (https://support.scribd.com/hc/articles/*******) that stated this was not a one-time purchase, but instead a recurring month to month subscription. Scribd does not offer a standalone free trial. In accordance with our Refund Policy (https://support.scribd.com/hc/articles/*******), we've refunded your most recent charge and canceled your subscription. Your payment method should be credited within 3-5 business days. Your free Scribd account will remain active, so you'll still be able to share documents and use Scribd's free features. In some cases, full versions of documents available on Scribd may only be visible to Scribd subscribers. We hope this helps to clear things up for you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at *******@scribd.com in the future if you need additional assistance. Thanks for reaching out and have a wonderful day!
Hi Colleen, thanks for reaching out to us. We apologize for any confusion here. Upon review, the account mentioned in the excerpt from our company's response to your BBB review has not been charged further as it is canceled. To clarify, it is absolutely impossible for us to bill a canceled/deactivated account since you are no longer rendering services with us. We've also checked our payment processor and can confirm there are no recent charges either.
With all of this being said, any charge you're seeing is tied to a separate account under a different email address. We'll need to perform a deeper search in order to locate the source of the charge. We've been able to locate a recent support ticket you submitted with us (#2881661) and a specialist just responded with more information. Please continue to correspond with us there moving forward so we can best assist you. We look forward to getting this resolved -- thanks!
I have been a scribd subscriber for several months and at first everything was fine. I was impressed by the selection of books and articles. However, during the last couple of weeks the whole website turned into text only and it couldn't display any books, articles, or graphics. At first I thought that this was only a temporary issue but then it persisted. I tried contacting scribd and I could only find the address listed below. They have NO phone number and NO email. I even tried filling out a form located in an obscure part of your website but you didn't respond. I can't follow the instructions to go through my profile to cancel my memberships. That's why I'm filing a complaint against you guys. I will now call my bank to block you from charging my credit card. You guys a god damn scam.
Hi Ed, we're so sorry for any confusion surrounding your membership and would be more than happy to help you with any issues you're experiencing! You can find step-by-step instructions on how to cancel your subscription in our support article here: https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/210134046-How-to-cancel-your-premium-membership
We'd also like to make sure that you get the additional assistance you need with any troubleshooting, so please submit a ticket through this link: https://scr.bi/assist
Once this is done, feel free to update your review with the ticket number you receive and we'll make sure this gets taken care of for your ASAP. Thanks!
Do not subscribe. Not only will you not be sent a subscription ending reminder ( like they happily promised to do) you will not be refunded for unused months. There are better and more honest services available.
Hi Jayde, we're so sorry you did not receive your notice for the end of the trial! We are always happy to help with refunds. If you have already emailed us -- please update your review here with your ticket number. If you have not, please submit a ticket through this link https://scr.bi/assist so your request is escalated and resolved properly right away!
I opened up a ticket(*******) on 8/1 and received a response from them 20 days later. Their response to my ticket had nothing to do with the subject matter. So pathetic.
At this point I'm not looking for a response as I've cancelled my membership. I'll stick with Libby and it's free.
Hi Nancy, we're so sorry for the frustrating experience here. Upon review of your support ticket, it looks like we recently had a bug within the Scribd app that was producing an error for our Android users. The message that you received was sent out automatically from our system to all affected users to inform them of a resolution that came with the recent app update. We apologize if this message caused any confusion, and also for the delay in responding to your case sooner. We've recently experienced an increased number of requests coming through and have been working as quickly as possible to resolve them.
With that being said, we've escalated your ticket to a specialist for further review and clarification of the original issue you had written in about. You should be receiving a response from them by the end of the business day. Please continue to correspond with us via email in the meantime so we may best assist you. Thanks so much for your patience and understanding here!
They may say ‘unlimited' but alas, the books they give you are not what you truly want. You're roped in with the convenience of all the latest hot reads. As you near the end of the month, coincidently about the same time they're getting ready to bill you again, almost ALL of your saved books are no longer available. I had 205 saved titles only to find 200 were NOT going to be available to me until AFTER my next month's charge. They give you a song and a dance about there being plenty of other books to choose from. What are they? One of them is The Bobbsey Twins. Yes. The Bobbsey Twins. And they'll tell you there are others besides that... all classic books by others that are long gone. These books are readily available at your public library. No fee attached.
I can't help but feel that the books they take away each month from you is their way of ensuring they'll get your money next month.
And their customer service... horrible. You can't talk to anyone on the phone. I sent them a message days ago and no one has reached out.
I have cancelled my subscription several times. They continue charging me! Very annoyed with this company.
Thank you for your comment here - I apologize for the trouble with these charges! It is actually impossible for us to charge you without an active subscription, so you likely have a failed cancelation or a duplicate account. However, do not worry! We can help you. Please submit a ticket through this link https://scr.bi/assist so your request is escalated straight to my inbox and I'll get back to you as soon as possible
Scribd has double charged me last few months. My support ticket #*******, deeply disappointed in their service.
Thank you for letting us know - I am so sorry for the trouble with these charges! It is impossible for us to double charge a single account, so you likely have a duplicate account. However, please do not worry! One of our agents will reply to you today and assist you. Please watch for their email and let them know if you have more questions.
I have email messages dating back to July, 2019 asking them to refund my money and stop the deductions. All I keep getting is there is no record and they can't locate my membership. I hate to change bank account numbers for $8.99, it would disrupt my entire autopay life! I just checked again, having time now with the Covid-19 shutdown, and find I'm still being charged $8.99 per month. Count me in for the class action suit!
I'm so sorry that has been ongoing! We are always happy to help with refunds, but we need to find your account in order to do so. Please feel free to update here with your ticket number from support and we'll be sure to continue assisting you. For now, thanks again for contacting us here and have a great day!
Scribd charged my card without authorization. They abused my trust. Scribd said my card would not be charged without my permission and then this awful company actually charged my card. This is totally unacceptable. Who regulates these crooks? I demand an immediate refund.
Hi Chubi, we're sorry for any confusion here. Just to clarify, Scribd does not "sign up" or "start subscriptions" for our users without their consent. In order for someone to have an active subscription with us, the only way to do so would be for them to sign up when creating an account or restart/renew their membership from their Account Settings page.
With that being said, we've located your account and accompanying subscription that was created on July 29th, 2020. To confirm, when you purchased the trial, you agreed to the terms and conditions under the Subscriber Agreement (https://support.scribd.com/hc/en-us/articles/210129486) that stated this was not a one-time purchase, but instead a recurring month to month subscription. Scribd does not offer a standalone free trial.
Per your recent support ticket (#2860593), one of our specialists was able to assist you and cancel the subscription so you will not be billed further. We've also issued a refund for the recent charge, so please allow 3-5 business days for this to process. We hope this helps to clear things up for you. Please let us know if you need anything else moving forward -- thanks!
I signed up for the free trial and wanted to cancel. They have no customer service number, communication is all by email, taking days between each correspondence. After providing 6 different verification items over 2+ months (where they continued to bill my card), I still had not received a refund. I called my credit card company and they reversed the charge in less than 5 minutes.
Thank you for writing out to us here, Jake. I am truly so sorry for the delay with support! Though we are currently experiencing a backlog in our tickets, we are doing our best to get back to our customers as quickly as possible. Additionally, though it sounds like your payments are now returned, we can still absolutely help you to find your account how we can. If you still require assistance, feel free to either update here with your ticket number or email us again using this link: https://scr.bi/assist so your ticket will be escalated to the front of my queue and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Otherwise, thank you again for your comment here, and I am glad your bank was able to assist you. Have a great day!
Stay away from Scribd. I set up a free trial to see what it was all about and then cancelled 2 weeks before the end of the free trial. They stilled charged my PayPal $9.99. They only provide a banner on your account saying that you have successfully cancelled, but no email confirming the cancellation.
I disputed the charge with PayPal, but PayPal wants a "billing statement" and a "confirmation of cancellation" which Scribd doesn't provide. PayPal then denied my dispute, so Scribd now has my money and I can't get it back. I'm disabled and just lost my job, so losing this money is painful to me after all that has happened in 2020.
Hi Michael, this definitely doesn't sound right! It sounds like the charge you're seeing is due to either a duplicate account with an active subscription or an unsuccessful cancellation. To clarify, it is absolutely impossible for us to bill a canceled account as you are no longer rendering services with us.
With all of that being said, we'd be more than happy to assist with any cancellation/refund issues. If you have already opened a support ticket with us, please update your review with the ticket number that you received. Otherwise, please use the link here to submit a ticket: https://scr.bi/assist
Once this is done, a specialist will follow up right away to make sure this gets taken care of for you. Thanks so much!
I cancelled the membership few months ago, however they still charging membership fee every month!
I couldn't delete my credit card details. Submitted many refund email, no reply yet.
My ticket number #*******.
Don't use this site, no contact number and no response! But take money at the day!
Thanks for your comment here - I apologize for our delay in response! We are experiencing a backlog of tickets, which is causing us to be unable to reply as quickly as we'd like. However, please do not worry! We can absolutely escalate your ticket for you. I have located your ticket using your ticket number and have replied to you there. Let me know if you have more questions by replying there and I'll get back to you as soon as possible
For some reason that I am not aware yet, scribd chaged me for a subscription I neve agreed in the first place.
I opened a request for a refund and haven't received any answer. I tried to check my e-mail and see if I had agreed to it or if there was any confirmation of a subscription, but nothing appeared.
I am deeply frustrated with this platform and theses tricks to make money on us. Seriously,
Hi Ana, we're sorry for any confusion here. It sounds like you have an active subscription with us. We'd be happy to help with a cancellation and refund. Please submit a ticket through this link so we can get this resolved for you: https://scr.bi/assist
I canceled my subscription a month ago, but today I get charged 8.99$. WTF is going on. And this is what I found, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CHEATED THIS WAY! Are you guys trying to rob every customer like this?
Hi there, we're sorry for any confusion here. It sounds like the charge you're seeing is actually tied a duplicate account, as its impossible for us to bill a canceled subscription. We'd be happy to look into this with you and make sure you're not billed further. Please submit a ticket through this link and a specialist will follow up to assist right away: https://scr.bi/assist
We look forward to getting this resolved for you. Thanks!
I've pressed cancelled, gave a feedback. Somehow you guys are that sneaky to put VERY SMALL texts on the bottom of the page to actually cancel my subscription.
How do you feel after taking hundreds of dollars from a 16 year old girl? You feel proud?
It's true what they say, EAT THE RICH.
Go dig your own grave for all we care
I'm so sorry for the frustration with our cancelation process! Please know, the cancelation process is not meant to be difficult and we're happy to help how we can. For assistance, please contact us at https://scr.bi/assist and one of our agents will assist you as soon as possible.
I cancelled my subscription with you in February before my free trial period ended, and you still saw it fit to charge me a month later.
Today (7/26/2020), I woke up this morning to a transaction on my card from Scribd. I cancelled with you months ago! What the hell is going on?
Thank you for letting us know - I am so sorry for the trouble with this charge! Since we cannot bill an account that is inactive, you likely have a failed cancelation or a duplicate account. So we can help you with this, please message us at https://scr.bi/assist and one of our agents will assist you as soon as possible. Thanks!
I signed up for a free trial. I canceled my free trial the SAME DAY because everything worth reading was listed as "Available On Placeholder Date". Additionally, the book preview was UNREADABLE as the text all runs together. What good is a book service that doesn't have content and is illegible? So I canceled my account and never returned after never reading anything.
I got charged anyway! I put in a support ticket. They never replied to my support ticket. Guess what? They deleted my account instead! Never notified me they were deleting my account. Just took my money and ran. Luckily I used an American Express who already gave me my $9 back and will be blocking future charges.
Attached Photos:
1) Illegible Text
2) Trying to sign up, told my account exists. Entering my password via password manager, told no account found. Using login I was told "no account exists" either.
Hi Stephanie, this definitely doesn't sound right at all. We'd love the opportunity to take a second look at this and hopefully turn things around for you. Since you had mentioned having written in already, could you please provide your support ticket number? Once this is done, we'll locate your case and account and get this escalated to a specialist to better assist. Thanks!
From the business
Explore over 170 million documents and counting from a global community of users. Find and upload text on every topic and niche, including research papers, official government documents, user manuals, and more!
Our monthly subscription starts at just $11.99 USD and automatically renews unless the subscription is canceled at least 24 hours prior to the next billing date.
A Scribd monthly subscription also includes access to Everand (ebooks, audiobooks, and more) and SlideShare (presentations and professional content).
Please visit our Help Center for answers to frequently asked questions and the option to connect with our support team for further assistance: https://support.scribd.com/hc/categories/360005188511
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Hi there, thanks for reaching out about this. We apologize for the delay as we've recently received a higher than normal amount of requests and our system is in a backlog. Our support team is working as quickly as possible to take care of these. With that being said, we located several tickets opened by you and our system automatically merged the duplicates into your primary ticket, under #2895005. A specialist has reviewed your account and resolved this issue, and has sent a follow up with more information. Please continue to correspond with us via email moving forward so we may best assist you.
Additionally, as a gentle reminder for the future, there is no need to create multiple support tickets. This backs up our system and creates extra, unnecessary confusion among agents and the user alike. We can ensure that your issue is resolved in a timely manner with only a single ticket, as creating additional ones does not speed up this process. Thanks!