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:02/19/2025

  Type:Product 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 remember subscribing to SXXXXXXXXXXXX (around 2014) to delete my personal information from being published online. Around 2018, I stopped receiving alerts from them providing the specific information of mine they removed online. From 2019 through 2024, Safe Shepherd continues to charge my credit card annually. Before being charged last year, I attempted to sign into my SXXXXXXXXXXXX account online, but received a message that the email address I used to originally subscribe could not be found. I even attempted to create a new account with the same email address and received a message that there was a problem with the email address. Subsequently, I sent the company two emails via the support email provided on their website asking to cancel my subscription. I didn't receive a response to either email and the company charged my credit card on 12/30/24. On 2/19/25, I called the phone number provided by the the company and received a recording that the subscriber you are trying to reach is unavailable. I didn't leave a message because I was weary to do so. I attached copies of all the email correspondence I could find from SXXXXXXXXXXXX over the years.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Hi there, 

  Thanks for the note. You can always message us at ****************************** should you need assistance. We do not have a phone number.

  I canceled the account, and issued a refund for $80.75. You should have that back in your account soon. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2025

   
  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:02/07/2025

  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.

  I started an account with ********************** for internet security years ago and they seem to have gone out of business but are still charging me an annual fee. There's no way to contact them and stop payments--no one answers the phone or email, and there's no website. They had stopped providing updates on their service 5 years ago. On January 31, 2025, I was charged another $95 for a service that I'm not receiving from a non-existent business. In total, this "business" has stolen $475 in fees from me. I would like a refund for services not rendered and to put a stop to my account. I can't even provide receipts as I've received none-- it only shows as a charge on my bank account.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Hi there,

  Safe Shepherd is not out of business. Our members sign up for a membership, and can contact us by emailing ****************************** should there be any questions. You can also cancel at any time by going to membership settings and canceling the account. 

  I have canceled the account and issued a refund for the last charge of $95. They should have those funds back in the account in 3-5 days. As for the other charges, this customer signed up for a ********************** account and agreed the membership renews each year until canceled. This is how subscription services work. 

  You will not be charged again and your account is canceled.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2025

   
  Complaint: 22913268
  
  I am rejecting this response because in 2024, I used the support email Safe Shepherd notes in their response and said I wanted to cancel, yet I was still charged again in 2025. To say it's easy to cancel by emailing support is a lie (see attachment). I appreciate the refund for 2025 but I've been trying to call this business for years to cancel and there's no answer, and when I did finally email support to cancel I received no reply and was still charged. Less about the money at this point and more about their shady practices, though I do think I'm due another year's refund as I'm unclear on what service they've provided me in recent years. As others have said, SS used to send emails with updates of sorts but not anymore, all I see is a bill. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2025

  We are happy to honor the ********************************************* our support email. We have issued another refund, and you should have that in your account in 3-5 business days. 

   

  As mentioned, our email is ****************************** should you need further assistance.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/08/2025

   
  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:12/18/2024

  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.

  Safe ******* has been billing me $99 annually (every May) since 2018 to protect my online identity but have not been doing so since 2019 (the time of my last alert). I've just realized this and have been trying to cancel my account online, but can't access it because when I enter my credentials, I get a prompt that says "Unauthorized." I've tried sending them multiple emails, but they go unanswered.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/14/2025

  We have issued a refund for Mr. ******* and should have funds back in his account in 3-5 business days. He will not be charged again. We apologize for the inconvience.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/14/2025

   
  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:10/28/2024

  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.

  I have asked this company to unsubscribe me from their services. They have a fake email and they are continuing to take money from my account every month. In the amount of *****. They make it impossible for you to ask them to remove you from those services

  Business Response

  Date: 01/14/2025

  This customer has not written to us since 2014 (see screenshot). 

  1. You can cancel your account under membership settings

  2. Our email for support is in the membership settings as well

  3. We have no email requesting a refund/cancelation

  Had we received an email or anything, we could have assisted with their account (either looked into why they weren't getting scans or issued a refund). 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/27/2025

   
  Complaint: 22481395
  
  I am rejecting this response because: this company is fake and they are a liar.I have sent several emails asking for them to cancel.They have not responded to any of them.I have also asked them for a refund.They did not do that. They make it impossible for you to contact ******* that you have issues about canceling their services and receiving a refund. The bottom lineI do not want their services and do not wish to be charged again
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Ms. ******* has not been charged since October and the account has been cancelled. Our customer support email is ******************************* and as I provided in the last message, we do not have an email from her since 2014 (See screenshot again).

  I'm not sure what else I can do to prove that we did not receive any requests to cancel. Could it have come in from a different email address?

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2025

   
  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:08/08/2024

  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.

  I first enrolled in Safe Shepherd in 2016 and, at that time, it was run by at least two individuals who provided great customer service. You could even correspond directly with the business owners through email. They seemed to provide everything they promised - internet privacy services so that you dont have to worry or think about it, because they perform the monitoring. Then in 2019, I logged back into the system to update personal information, and saw that the Safe Shepherd website looked highly suspicious; it was just a bare-bones website that aimed to appear as if they were legitimate. I cancelled my account and deleted my payment information. I even started a different monitoring service with another company. Imagine my surprise when recently, on 7/14/2024, I noticed that Safe Shepherd charged my card $76! We can be sure how many other times theyve done this, and I have just been missing their charges! I then tried logging back into Safe Shepherd. They even allowed me to change my password. An account page appears to be loading, but then, NOTHING loads! NO account page is available, NO address, NO phone number is listed, and NO way to contact them is made available, because this company wants to continue stealing peoples money! The only address information found online is that Safe Shepherd is now apparently located in ***********?? Safe Shepherd needs to reimburse me, and stop billing me and all the countless other people they have been ripping off!

  Business Response

  Date: 10/09/2024

  Hi BBB & *****, 

  Thank you for writing in. As you will see by the screenshot I provided, this customer hasn't written to our support team in years. Had she written in and asked us any questions about her account or requested assistance with navigating the new and improved website (that we overhauled to a better, more user-friendly in 2020). Her account was showing an error, which is why she was getting a "white screen". It was not a "scam". Had our support team known she was dealing with this, we could have fixed it in two seconds and she would have access to her account again. Instead, she disputed her charge, and filed a complaint with BBB. 

  You can always contact us at ****************************** or sayhello@safeshepherd.

  Her membership has been cancelled, and she has received a refund.

  Thank you,

  SS Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 22110444
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  To Safe Shepherd,
  
  Thank you for the response; however, the dishonesty is unacceptable. The facts of the situation, as I have documented in detail in my message to BBB, remain unchanged.
  
  Is it any wonder to anyone, especially yourselves, that my experience and the experience of numerous other previous customers, is the same? One only needs to scroll through your BBB listing, or do quick research to see the many other complaints documented against you by others you have defrauded. As you do, I could also make up many lies in response to everything you say, if I wanted to.
  
  The bottom line is, please dont pretend to be an honest and responsible business. Honest businesses dont make it difficult for people to contact them, and then blame people for not knowing when mysterious changes to service are made behind their backs, and when fraudulent charges continue, despite no true service being provided. Also, your business phone numbers and email addresses are still not listed anywhere on your website, which is very deceitful to people whose money you are wanting, especially if you dont give people a trustworthy way to manage their own information online.
  
  Thanks only to BBB and my credit card company, I received a refund of the last charge that I noticed and will not be charged anymore. Because of their efforts, this matter may be closed. I hope that other people will be made aware and avoid being cheated. And to Safe Shepherd, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 
  -Mark 8:36-37

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/28/2024

  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 have been trying to cancel my account for YEARS! Their website is completely useless and it is not possible to stop the automatic withdrawals from the website. They said to email support, which I did, but I never got a reply. I want a refund for this year and last year ($95 in 2023 and 2024). Ripping people off appears to be this company's entire business model.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2024

  Hi ********* and BBB, 

  We are sorry to hear you are unsatisfied with your membership and have had trouble getting in contact with us. As shown in the screenshot attached to this thread, we have not received ANY emails from this customer. Had we received any requests or inquiries, we could have assisted them with a bug on their account and/or issued them an immediate refund. We cannot help when we don't know there is a problem. Unfortunately, now that a dispute has been filed with their credit card, we are unable to issue any immediate refunds (normally, we are ALWAYS happy to assist our customers). 

  If you would like to discuss further, feel free to contact us at ******************************.

  Thank you,

  Safe Shepherd CS

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/18/2024

  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.

  This company (Safe Shepherd) has been charging my bank account a recurring fee, but I have not been able to access their website to cancel this subscription.The last charge was on August 23rd 2023 for $95.00 I want the subscription cancelled and the account closed.I tried contacting this business customer support, but they are not responding.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2024

  We have gone ahead and issued you a refund. You should see the funds back in your account.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/29/2024

   
  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.

  But Please delete my account from your system, and do not charge my account anymore,  since there is no way for me to access your website
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2024

  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've been charged for this service monthly but haven't gotten any information or protection of my identity from this company and have been unable to log into the website.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2024

  Hi **** - We went ahead and cancelled your account and issued you a refund. It does look like your account was active, and does NOT look like you wrote in to our support team requesting assistance. We would have been happy to help fix an account, or cancel if you are not satisfied. Regardless, your account is cancelled and you won't be charged again.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2024

  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.

  I have no access to my account on their website. The website is broken. I cant access my payment plan or cancel my plan the site flickers to a blank screen when you go to login. I have been making monthly payments, including one that occurred yesterday for several years.It appears that the website is no longer working. And it looks like its been several months.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2024

  Hi ****** -  Confirming your account is cancelled and you will not be charged again. We issued the refund for your charge that occurred last month. It's important to note, Safe Shepherd did not receive any requests for assistance or emails from you stating there were issues with your account. We would have happily issued you a refund right away and canceled your account. Our email is ******************************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 21342033
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I did email support and was told I did not but if I did they would have responded. This is in incorrect and dismissive. Denial of communication should not be an excuse and I need them to make it clear why the website was broken in the first place which was not addressed either. Also how long has those site been down? Was I getting the service during this time?

  This site manages sensitive and personal information, that is why transparency and integrity are essential. 

  Attached is the email I initially sent their support email. Im no longer looking for reimbursements as I have closed up anyway I could be charged, through my former bank. Im looking for answers and guarantees that my information hasnt been compromised. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 04/08/2024

  Your information is absolutely secure on our platform. The site was not down, there was a bug on your individual account preventing you from seeing your privacy dashboard. Everything was still functioning behind the scenes. We will go ahead and delete your account permanently, which includes any emails, names, phone numbers, etc. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2024

  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 December 9, 2023, I signed up for an account with ********************** for the Safe Shepherd Pro product ($29.95 per month). On December 18, 2023, I emailed ****************************** (the only contact information listed on their website) to cancel my service. I never received a response. I re-sent the email on January 9, 2024 and February 13, 2024. Much to my surprise, Safe Shepherd has not cancelled my account, and they continue to bill my credit card. For Safe Shepherd Pro, I was billed $29.95 n the following dates:12/9/2023 01/09/2024 02/09/2024 My total loss so far is $89.85. I just want to cancel my account and have my monthly fees reimbursed.As there is no person to contact at this company, it feels like a fraudulent company.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/31/2024

  Hi there, Our support team did not see this inquiry/complaint. 

  I just checked in on the account, and ******** has received ALL money back to her account (3 charges for $29.95). 2 charges were refunded in February 2024, and the other was refunded in June 2024. We received her requests to receive payment back and accepted the refunds, and also issued a refund for her charge in December. 

  We apologize for any inconvenience caused by us here, ********. Our company is not a fraudulent company, we are a tiny team working with all of our customers requests daily. Regardless, you have received all payments back. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/31/2024

   
  Complaint: 21288354
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I emailed the company several times with no response. I do not believe that all of my emails were just "not seen." Additionally, the BBB and FTC reached out to Safe Shepherd and either did not receive a timely response or did not receive a response at all. If your company is legitimate, you should provide a customer service phone number, so customers can contact you directly, instead of via email inbox. 

  Additionally, my Safe Shepherd account is still active. Please close my account and delete all of my information from your systems. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 08/07/2024

  Hi ********, 

  Your account has been canceled, all money has been returned to you and your account has been completely deleted from our database.

  We apologize for missing your original email requesting cancellation, but have since fixed the issues and you have your money back in your account.

  It's important to note here, you can cancel your membership in your Membership Settings at ANY TIME. This stops payment immediately and you won't be charged again. Regardless, ALL money was returned and NO additional charges will take place as your account has been removed.

  At this point, what else would you like us to do?  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 21288354
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Though Safe Shepherd has finally cancelled my account and deleted my information, Safe Shepherd's response about easy cancelling is false. Safe Shepherd does not offer an "easy cancel method" as is claimed on the main home page. Once a membership is paid for, the only way to actually cancel is to email Safe Shepherd's support team (as mentioned in my complaint and several similar complaints). I was only able to downgrade my plan through the portal; I was not able to cancel my account and delete my information through the portal.  Additionally, there is no phone number where customers can actually call to resolve issues. My concern is similar issues like this will continue to happen with other Safe Shepherd customers. 

  I will be only satisfied with Safe Shepherd's response once the following conditions are met by Safe Shepherd:

  1. Provide the option for customers to view plans prior to inputting any information or creating login credentials. 

  2. Provide a working customer service phone number (on their website) for their service, so any other customers can speak to an actual person about any issues.

  2. Provide a one-click cancel option through the customer portal that actually cancels the service (not just downgrades the plan) and deletes customer information from **********************'s database. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************