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:03/12/2025

  Type:Product 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 filing a complaint against Merch Informer regarding their failure to meet the expectations of their product and the lack of meaningful updates over the past several years. As a long-term paying customer, I have not received updates or new features that align with the advertised functionality of the software, specifically in areas such as tumbler integration.On October 19, 2024, I submitted a ticket inquiring about the availability of updated software to include tumblers. I was told, "We are currently working on adding the tumblers." However, five months later, the software has still not been updated, and as of the time of writing this complaint, the tumblers are still not included. This is completely unreasonable given the timeline and the lack of progress.I have reached out to the company multiple times, expressing concerns about the outdated nature of the software, which has not kept up with market trends. While I was offered a full refund for my most recent payment, this does not address the ongoing issue of paying for a service that has not been maintained or updated for years.I am seeking a partial refund for the period during which the software failed to meet the promised features and functionality. Additionally, I wish to continue using the product, as I have been paying for it for years.I have attached previous communications with the company, outlining my attempts to resolve this issue directly, but no satisfactory resolution has been provided.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/12/2025

  To Whom It May Concern, 
  
  Merch Informer has been in contact with this customer through the ********************** help desk. It was explained to the customer that ********************** is a fully functioning software that has made continuous updates over the years. What Merch Informer offers is on the ************************** homepage and Merch Informer has not made any promises that new functionality would be offered. 

  Below is the last message that was sent to the customer through the ********************** helpdesk: 

  Hi *****,
  
  As previously explained, we are in the process of adding tumblers, but they were not included in the offering at the time you signed up. That said, we will ensure they are integrated once the necessary data is ready - which should be this month.
  
  We understand your perspective; however, it's important to clarify that as a paying customer, you have access to a fully functional web application with all the existing modules that were part of the platform at the time of your subscription.
  
  To provide some context, the operational costs of maintaining and improving these modules have increased significantly - approximately four times over the past few years - due to inflation and rising infrastructure expenses. Despite these challenges, we have continued to provide uninterrupted access to all available modules without any retroactive cost adjustments.
  
  With that in mind, if we were to apply the same logic regarding entitlements, we would need to consider retroactive cost adjustments for continued access to existing modules, as well as additional charges for new features introduced after your subscription began.
  
  We appreciate your understanding and are happy to continue the conversation if you have any further questions. Please let us know how you'd like to proceed.
  
  As the customer has now submitted a ******************** dispute, Merch Informer has canceled the customer's account and issued a full refund of $78.92 that was charged for their discounted yearly subscription on February 6th, 2025. 

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2025

   
  Complaint: 23042031
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Retaliatory Account Cancellation: Instead of addressing my concerns, the company chose to cancel my account and issue a refund after I contacted the BBB. This was not my request and is an unprofessional response to a legitimate inquiry.

  Contradictory Statements: Merch Informer had previously confirmed that tumblers would be added but has failed to implement them after five months. They are now suggesting that I should not have expected this update, despite their prior documented commitment to doing so.

  Misguided Cost Argument: Merch Informers claim that they should not be expected to update their platform to reflect changes in the marketplaces their customers use is legally unsound. Businesses routinely incur costs to stay competitivethat burden does not shift to paying customers who rely on their service to remain functional and relevant. More importantly, they confirmed five months ago that tumblers would be added but have failed to implement the update within a reasonable timeframe. Delaying a promised update while continuing to charge for an evolving research tool undermines the very purpose of the software.

  Their argument that rising costs justify this delay is misleading. Merch Informer has previously expanded its platform without retroactive cost adjustments, yet now selectively applies this reasoning to justify inaction. This raises concerns about whether they are acting in good faith or engaging in unfair business practices by delaying promised updates while maintaining full subscription fees.

  Requested Resolution:

  1. Reinstate my account, as I did not request cancellation.
  2. Honor the commitment to adding tumblers in a timely manner.
  3. Improve communication with customers to provide transparency about feature updates.

  Sincerely, 

  ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,

  Merch Informer is a fully functional software platform, and at no point did we guarantee the introduction of additional features. We informed the customer of a feature under development but did not provide a release date or any warranty regarding its completion. While we had hoped to include this feature soon, software development timelines can be unpredictable, which was explained to the customer in a private help ticket.

  Regrettably, the customer chose to file a complaint with the BBB, thereby negatively impacting Merch Informer. Consequently, in accordance with Section 3 of our Terms of Service (****************************************************), we have decided to end our relationship with this customer. The account has been canceled, and a full refund of the $78.92 subscription fee paid on February 6th has been issued.

  Since our relationship with the customer has concluded, we encourage them to utilize alternative research software that already offers the functionality they seek. We now consider this matter closed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/25/2025

   
  Complaint: 23042031
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. Unfair Business Practices: Advertising an undeveloped feature as coming soon without a clear timeline misled me as a customer, which I believe constitutes unfair business practices.
  2. Retaliation Concerns: Terminating my account after I filed a complaint with the BBB feels like retaliation for voicing legitimate concerns. Customers should not be punished for using their right to complain.
  3. Consumer Protection: Retaliation for filing a complaint may violate consumer protection laws, which prohibit businesses from taking such actions against customers.

  As a paying customer for 8 years, I expect better treatment. I demand a prompt reconsideration of your decision and a fair resolution to this matter.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/19/2022

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I was on a free trial and this person of this online company took my money from my bank account after a day or so of me being on the trial. I emailed him and told him to give me back my money and he refuses to do so. So I had to send a letter to my bank to try and retrieve my funds. This business needs to be shut down. *********** is the bank withdrawal number under this company. This is the number in my bank transaction. The amount is **** cent. I had to close my bank account and lock it and I have kids I'm taking care of. I am unemployed and trying to get on my feet. So I tried opening an online store but I ran across his resources and though ti try it out for free but he call himself trying to steal my money out my account . I want my money back . I'm not able to screenshot from my bank. So that's why I input that information in this letter. His name is **** and he's at ****************** 53703-1323 ******* **.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2022

  To Whom It May ********
  
  On 06/19/2022 *********************** contacted the Merch Informer support desk about charges to her credit card explaining that she thought Merch Informer was a free tool even though she signed up for a 3 day trial and requested her money back.
  
  The support team responded within 24 hours explaining that all trials last 3 days and that the charge occurred when the trial ended, which was on June 18th (a day prior to her ticket being submitted).
  
  The support desk canceled out her subscription and refunded the payment the same day that the ticket was submitted and told *********************** to please allow **** days for the money to appear back on her account.

  
  Merch Informer LLC