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:05/13/2024

  Type:Delivery 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 ordered a 2 year subscription to the *** magazine and have already paid for it. (hard copy) The Folks at **** have decided that they do not want to send the product that I already paid for and stopped shipping it on Jan of 2024. The product is still in print and has not been discontinued. The Bait and switch happened when I reached out and asked them to send the product I already paid for. They promised a product and only delivered half of it. IF the publication was no longer in print I get it. The site their "bylaws" which were changed after our agreement and my payment. I did not agree to the new terms. I will only settle for all the issues that I have paid for including the issues from Jan 2024 through December 2024 that they promised and I paid for.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2024

  ****  The National Association for Amateur Radio® is a
  membership advocacy organization that serves the interests of licensees of the
  Amateur Radio Service. **** sells memberships, publications, and
  products. 

  
  Membership dues paid to **** are for membership in the
  association, not a magazine subscription. Membership entitles the member to the
  suite of benefits, programs, and services included. **** also provides advocacy
  before legislative and regulatory bodies that benefits not only members, but
  all license holders.  

  
  For many years, a printed and mailed copy of our flagship
  membership journal *** was included in the suite of membership
  benefits. The rapidly increasing cost of printing and mailing magazines has
  made it unsustainable to continue to include a printed magazine in the term
  membership benefit suite after 1/1/2024. All members continue to receive access
  to all four magazines **** produces (***, ** *** ***, ***, and ***) in
  digital format. For members who desire to continue to receive a printed
  version, **** makes it available as an optional subscription, in addition to
  membership dues.  

  
  **** has added benefits to the suite over the years, and in
  this case, had to eliminate one to end a multimillion-dollar operational
  deficit the magazine printing market has caused the last several years. 

  
  **** membership is governed by the ****
  Bylaws. Bylaw 44, which provides for the monthly membership journal,
  prescribes it to be fulfilled digitally:  
  

  Official Publication  
  

  44. There shall be an official
  publication maintained by the League, in the form of a monthly journal, the
  name of which shall be ***. A copy of this journal shall be supplied digitally
  online each month to every member of the League in good standing. The general
  management of this journal shall be in the hands of the Chief Executive
  Officer. The policy of the journal shall be determined by the Board of
  Directors. 
  

  As an **** member, Mr. Gilman has access to four
  magazines digitally, including ***, as defined in the ****
  Bylaws. His access to those magazines is valid for the term of his
  membership, which is currently set to expire 12/31/24.
  

  **** is offering members a pro-rated refund of the
  remaining term of their memberships at any point by
  calling **** Member Services at ###-###-####. 

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2024

  I want to see where I agreed to those terms and conditions. You can’t show that to me because when I signed up, those weren’t the terms and conditions. You either send me my full refund. Will you send me the magazines that you owe me.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2024

  **** is and has been willing to cancel and refund memberships for any term member who is unhappy with the host of benefits that membership entitles them to.

  
  This is the first such request we have received from Mr. Gilman. Per his request received through the BBB, as of May 21, 2024, his membership in **** has been canceled and a refund check for the remainder of his dues will be processed and mailed to him.

  
  Regarding Mr. ******** request to see the **** Bylaws that were in effect when he purchased his most recent membership, the 2021 revision is still published at ********************************************************************* and were when he purchased his term membership.

  
  In that version, Article 44 related to Official Publication prescribed that the magazine be delivered in print OR digital format at that time. **** has remained in full compliance of our publicly posted bylaws.

  
  Regards,
  Sierra H*****
  **** Public Relations and Outreach Manager

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/01/2024

  Type:Delivery 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 renewed my membership a year ago for 3 years. The terms of my renewal stated I would receive a print copy of *** magazine. I have been a member for around 20 years. A year into my 3 year membership renewal the business has breached the terms of my renewal and has stopped mailing my magazine. Now they want a substantial amount of money for the printed issue which is a breach of contract by the terms offered on my renewal.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2024

  ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® is a
  membership advocacy organization that serves the interests of licensees of the
  Amateur Radio Service. ARRL sells memberships, publications, and
  products.

  Membership dues paid to ARRL are for membership in the
  association, not a magazine subscription. Membership entitles the member to the
  suite of benefits, programs, and services included. ARRL also provides advocacy
  before legislative and regulatory bodies that benefits not only members, but
  all license holders.  

  For many years, a printed and mailed copy of our flagship
  membership journal *** was included in the suite of membership
  benefits. The rapidly increasing cost of printing and mailing magazines has
  made it unsustainable to continue to include a printed magazine in the term
  membership benefit suite after 1/1/2024. All members continue to receive access
  to all four magazines ARRL produces (**** ** *** **** **** *** ***) in
  digital format. For members who desire to continue to receive a printed
  version, ARRL makes it available as an optional subscription, in addition to
  membership dues.  

  ARRL has added benefits to the suite over the years, and in
  this case, had to eliminate one to end a multimillion-dollar operational
  deficit the magazine printing market has caused the last several years. 

  ARRL membership is governed by the ARRL
  Bylaws. Bylaw 44, which provides for the monthly membership journal,
  prescribes it to be fulfilled digitally:  
  

  Official Publication  
  44. There shall be an official
  publication maintained by the League, in the form of a monthly journal, the
  name of which shall be ***. A copy of this journal shall be supplied digitally
  online each month to every member of the League in good standing. The general
  management of this journal shall be in the hands of the Chief Executive
  Officer. The policy of the journal shall be determined by the Board of
  Directors. 

  As an ARRL member, Mr. ***** has access to four
  magazines digitally, including ***, as defined in the ARRL
  Bylaws. His access to those magazines is valid for the term of his
  membership, which is currently set to expire 12/31/25.

  ARRL is offering members a pro-rated refund of the
  remaining term of their memberships at any point by
  calling ARRL Member Services at ###-###-####. 

  ARRL’s membership management system does not contain records
  of an attempt by Mr. ***** to directly contact ARRL regarding this matter.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2023

  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.

  I became a member of the ARRL in January 2022. I opted for a 3 year membership. One of the main benefits enjoyed by the membership is a monthly magazine, ***. Today, 11/6/2023, I received an email stating: "Subscribe before November 30 to ensure uninterrupted delivery of *** and ** *** *** magazines". The email further stated: "Members will receive their last printed editions of *** and ** *** *** magazine as part of membership by December 31, 2023.". The ARRL has offered the *** publication as an "add-on" for $25.
  
  Since my membership is paid in full through 1/31/2025, I have already paid for 12 months of *** for the year of 2024. However, the ARRL is trying to charge an additional $25 in order for me to receive the membership benefits I purchase in 2022.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/19/2023

  In regard to complaint ID: ********

   

  ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® is a membership advocacy organization that serves the interests of licensees of the Amateur Radio Service. ARRL sells memberships, publications, and products. 

   

  Membership dues paid to ARRL are for membership in the association, not a magazine subscription. Membership entitles the member to the suite of benefits, programs, and services included. ARRL also provides advocacy before legislative and regulatory bodies that benefits not only members, but all license holders.  

  For many years, a printed and mailed copy of our flagship membership journal QST was included in the suite of membership benefits. The rapidly increasing cost of printing and mailing magazines has made it unsustainable to continue to include a printed magazine in the term membership benefit suite after 1/1/2024. All members continue to receive access to all four magazines ARRL produces (QST, On The Air, QEX, and NCJ) in digital format. For members who desire to continue to receive a printed version, ARRL makes it available as an optional subscription, in addition to membership dues.  

  ARRL has added benefits to the suite over the years, and in this case, had to eliminate one to end a multimillion-dollar operational deficit the magazine printing market has caused the last several years. 

  Furthermore, ARRL membership is not a contract - the relationship is instead governed by the ARRL Bylaws. Bylaw 44, which provides for the monthly membership journal, prescribes it to be fulfilled digitally:  

  Official Publication  

  44. There shall be an official publication maintained by the League, in the form of a monthly journal, the name of which shall be QST. A copy of this journal shall be supplied digitally online each month to every member of the League in good standing. The general management of this journal shall be in the hands of the Chief Executive Officer. The policy of the journal shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

  As an ARRL member, Mr. ******* has access to four magazines digitally, including QST, as defined in the ARRL Bylaws. 

  ARRL has attempted to be responsive to Mr. *******. He posted a complaint regarding this matter on an online message board popular with amateur radio operators, and ARRL’s Public Relations and Outreach Manager called his phone number on record the same day to be proactive about his concerns and reach a mutually amicable solution. The voicemail message left with his machine was not returned. Further messages Mr. ******* posted on the same forum confirm he received the voicemail message.  

  ARRL is offering members a pro-rated refund of the remaining term of their memberships at any point by calling ARRL Member Services at ###-###-####.

  ARRL’s membership management system does not contain records of an attempt by Mr. ******* to directly contact ARRL regarding this matter.  

  Regards, 
  Sierra H***** 

   

  Sierra H*****, ****
  Public Relations and Outreach Manager

  ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio®
  *** **** ******* ********** ** ********** ***
  
   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/19/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  When I renewed my membership, the application had a section asking whether I wanted QST in printed form in addition to the digital version.  I indicated YES, meaning that the money paid to the ARRL for my 3 year membership included a printed version of QST.  I am and have NOT stated that membership is a contract between the member and the league, although a case could be made for that contention.  I AM stating that charging for an item and then not providing that item is an unfair and/or deceptive business practice. This is in violation of The Connecticut General Statutes §§ 42-110a – 42-110q, or Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act ("CUTPA").  Your organizations actions are outside the legal boundaries of the state in which you operate. 

  Furthermore, this complaint was ignored by the league and automatically closed by the BBB due to a lack of response.  The reason that it is now being addressed is because of a comment I posted on a separate amateur radio forum, which was mentioned in your response.  Has I not tagged you (****), you likely never would have responded.

  Members should not have to call a number in order to receive a refund.  When the league decided to discontinue providing the printed version of the magazine as part of regular membership benefits, the prorated refund should have been issued as either a payment or a credit.  Alternatively, the printed copy could have been provided until the end of each members subscription term, and then presented as an add-on at renewal.  

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

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2023

  Dear ****** *****, 
  
  You paid ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® dues for a membership in the association, not a subscription to a printed magazine. If you are dissatisfied with your membership benefits, we have offered you the remedy of a prorated refund. You may optionally add a subscription to printed and mailed QST at any time for the cost of $25/year. You may reach ARRL Member Services at ###-###-#### or via *********** for any of those options.   

  There were issues with the contact information BBB had for ARRL and we were unaware of your complaint until it was noticed on the forum. That process has been corrected, and we apologize for the delay in responsiveness. 

  73,
  Sierra H*****, ****

  ARRL Public Relations and Outreach Manager 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/20/2023

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  

  I'm going to close the complaint.  The league has shown how it regards its members by its handling of this complaint and by their fraudulent business practices. The issues documented in the complaint will serve as a warning to future consumers, While I am not satisfied with the outcome, it is clear that the league will not take ownership of their actions; a refund should not have to be requested.   Surely EVERYONE we request their money back if they know it is available, so why not simply send it?

  My father and I have been members for 30 years.  My grandfather was a long-time member of the ARRL before he passed.  My brother didn't get in to the hobby until later in life, but he has been a member for about 10 years.  Our family has supported the ARRL since just after WWII.  It took a stunt like this, but you've finally lost our support.  Congratulations and best of luck with retention.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  Dear BBB Representative,
  Thank you for your help today. The reason I'm writing is to address an Auto-Renewal, Auto-Pay issue with American Radio Relay League - ARRL, also known as the National Assoc. for Amateur Radio. - Details are as follows, with attachments that are date and time-stamped.
  
  1. On 08-22-2023, ARRL debited my Credit Card in the amount of $49.00, as a charge for Membership. - I did NOT authorize this charge, and I did NOT knowingly agree to any Auto-Renewal or Auto-Pay prior to that date; because I DO NOT do business with ANY groups that require Auto-Pay as a stipulation for membership.
  
  2. I have NO Credit Card info saved to my ARRL acct., which is another proof that I never agreed to any Auto-Renewal; so how did ARRL complete this debit without any stored payment information?
  
  3. ARRL Policy states that members can OPT-OUT of Auto-Renewal ANY TIME before the 25th of the month prior to the month of expiration. Yet, when I tried to OPT-OUT online (well before the cut-off date); the box was GRAYED OUT, SO THERE WAS NO WAY TO TRULY OPT-OUT. Also, my current membership doesn’t exprire until September 30th, 2023; so, regardless of the opt-out issue, no debit should have occurred until September 10th; because, according to ARRL policy, that is when payments are processed.
  
  4. There is an Accounting Error in ARRL’s online Payment History, showing the Auto Renewal as being paid on Aug. 1 st, when, in fact, the debit occurred on Aug. 22nd. As stated, my membership does NOT expire until Sept. 30th, 2023; so this debit should not have taken place in August, regardless.
  
  All this to say, I would be grateful now, if ARRL could--
  Please CANCEL my membership immediately;
  Please REFUND the $49.00 back to the Credit Card from which it was taken. And,
  Pllease notify me via email that these terms have been met. - Thank You.
  
  Sincerely,
  *** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 09/11/2023

  Dear ARRL
  Member,
  
  We
  received a message from you through the BBB's Online Complaint Management
  System, on August 31, 2023. ARRL is happy to help you. I responded the same
  day, issuing you a prompt $49 refund and leaving you a voice mail message at
  3:43 PM Eastern time. I reached out a second time the next day, on September 1
  at 3:53 PM -- but couldn’t reach you.
  
  Our records
  indicate that you rejoined ARRL via our website on September 5, 2022, and
  selected the box to sign up for auto-renewal at that time. Based on the information
  you have shared with us, we have cancelled your auto-renewal. Your $49 refund
  was credited back to the same credit card you used when you rejoined ARRL in
  2022.
  
  Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist you with a future
  membership need or renewal. I will be happy to help you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Kimberly
  M******* ****** – Assistant Member Services Manager
  ARRL 
  The National Association for Amateur Radio®
  *** **** ******* ********** ** ********** ***
  ********** ***** ******** **** ***** ********
  *****************         
  ************      

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/14/2023

  Dear Better Business Bureau,

  I have reviewed the response made by ARRL in reference to complaint ID
  ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. -- Before closing, however,
  I would like to thank all of you for resolving this matter so quickly.  And I would like to encourage ARRLin the
  following ways:
  

  First, I am mostly grateful for the Customer Service I have received from
  ARRL over the years, as well as their professionalism, answering questions, and
  offering sound operational advice. (For that, you have my Highest Praise).

  As this issue was related to Auto-Renewal, I would humbly ask ARRL to please
  consider changing the function of the website-- so that the Box for
  Auto-Renewal is NOT check-marked by default; because that is NOT true consent
  if the system is doing that FOR the member. Nor is it a customer-friendly
  practice-- nor is it good for business if you lose members as a result.

  Further, it would be helpful if a 2nd Renewal Box was not hidden in a
  drop-down menu labeled Future Membership (which is an obscure heading, indicated
  by a faint arrow to the far right of the screen, where it is not easily
  seen--or might not appear at all, depending on website function).  When an Auto-Renewal Box is hidden in a
  drop-down menu, then members won’t even know it's there, unless they decide to
  click the arrow.  This sort of Non-transparent
  function (a hidden pre-checked box) is designed to TRAP customers into Auto-Renewal,
  rather than giving members a Clear and Conscious Choice.  So, please make
  the website Transparent, so that members can consciously and deliberately
  Opt-In if they CHOOSE to. --  i.e. Leave
  the box BLANK, so that members can Opt-In, rather than having to Opt-out.

  If ARRL truly cares about its members, which I believe they DO--- And, if
  ARRL wants to keep current members or gain new ones, then let Wisdom dictate the
  changes I have mentioned.  In doing so, it
  is far more likely that you will regain my membership in the future.

  Untiil that happy day arrives, I hope you have found this information
  helpful.  Thank you again for taking time
  to view and respond to this complaint.  I
  now consider the matter Officially Closed.  ---- Sincerely, *** *****