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:05/04/2025

  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.

  Company still has not refunded my money from a retreat I cancelled several months ago.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  Date: May 5, 2025
  RE: Complaint ID #******** ******** ********
  Dear BBB Team / Ms. *************** are writing in response to the complaint submitted on May 4, 2025, regarding a refund related to a canceled retreat.
  
  Summary of Events:
  January 2025: Ms. ******** registered for an Ayurvedic retreat.
  February 2025: She canceled her participation and became eligible for a partial refund of 812.50, as per our published refund policy (full amount paid: ********; non-refundable deposit: 250).
  March 7, 2025: A partial refund of $364.58 USD was processed via our payment platform, WeTravel. Due to a processor error, this amount was less than intended.
  March 825, 2025: Ms. ******** contacted our ******************* regarding the discrepancy. We responded and confirmed we were actively working with our payment processor to correct the issue.
  March 27, 2025: Before we were able to complete the refund correction, Ms. ******** initiated a chargeback for 708.32 through her credit card provider.
  March 28, 2025: We notified her that this dispute removed the transaction from our control and paused our internal refund process while the chargeback was under review.
  May 2025: Ms. ******** informed us the chargeback was denied. However, as of this writing, the funds have not been released back to our account.
  
  Policy and Process:
  Yoga Veda Institute processes all refunds on a fixed monthly schedule, the 25th of each month, as outlined in our publicly available Financial Policy. Ms. ******** was informed of this during our email correspondence.
  When a chargeback is initiated, funds are removed from our system, and we are legally barred from issuing any further refund until the dispute is closed and the transaction is returned.
  It is important to clarify that we did not ignore Ms. ********* requests. Multiple timely responses were sent between March 828, 2025, including clear communication about the refund error, the processing timeline, and the implications of the dispute.
  
  Resolution:
  At this time, the funds related to the denied chargeback have not yet been returned to our account.
  While we have acted in good faith throughout, the initiation of the chargeback disrupted the original refund timeline and created administrative and financial complications beyond our control.
  Should we proceed, any refund would be issued in alignment with our next monthly processing cycle.
  
  Supporting Documentation:
  Email Correspondence (March 2528, 2025)
  WeTravel Refund Notification (March 7, 2025)
  Chargeback Notification
  Yoga Veda Institute Financial Policy

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  Dear BBB Team,
  I'm writing in response to Complaint ID #******** filed by ******** ******** on May 4, 2025, against Yoga Veda Institute. We respectfully request that this complaint not be published due to its misleading nature and the complainants omission of material facts that directly contradict her claims.
  Clarification of Events:
  On March 7, 2025, a partial refund of $364.58 was issued to Ms. ******** via our third-party payment processor.
  Between March 8 and March 25, Ms. ******** was in direct contact with our ******************* and was informed that the remaining refund was being processed.
  On March 27, before that process could be completed, Ms. ******** initiated a chargeback through her bankfor ******. This chargeback immediately froze the transaction and removed it from our system, legally preventing us from issuing any further refunds.
  We notified her on March 28 that we could no longer proceed until the bank dispute was resolved.
  Why This Complaint Is Misleading:
  The complaint submitted to the BBB does not disclose that Ms. ******** filed a chargeback, which is the sole reason we were unable to complete the refund. By omitting this information, the complaint paints a false pictureimplying we refused a refund when, in fact, we were following protocol until the complainant unilaterally removed the transaction from our control.
  We have detailed records of all communications, and Ms. ******** was fully informed at every step of our policies and timelines. We acted in good faith, maintained open communication, and followed our published refund procedures.
  This complaint is not a case of unresolved customer serviceit is a case of the complainant taking action that directly prevented resolution, then filing a complaint that fails to acknowledge their own role in the situation.
  Request:
  Given the facts, we respectfully request that this complaint not be published as it is factually incomplete, intentionally misleading, and harmful to our business reputation.
  We are happy to provide full documentation, including all correspondence, refund records, and payment processor confirmations, should your team require further evidence.
  Sincerely,
  ********* *******
  *******************
  Yoga Veda Institute

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  Dear BBB Team,
  I'm writing in response to Complaint ID #******** filed by ******** ******** on May 4, 2025, against Yoga Veda Institute. We respectfully request that this complaint not be published due to its misleading nature and the complainants omission of material facts that directly contradict her claims.
  Clarification of Events:
  On March 7, 2025, a partial refund of $364.58 was issued to Ms. ******** via our third-party payment processor.
  Between March 8 and March 25, Ms. ******** was in direct contact with our ******************* and was informed that the remaining refund was being processed.
  On March 27, before that process could be completed, Ms. ******** initiated a chargeback through her bankfor ******. This chargeback immediately froze the transaction and removed it from our system, legally preventing us from issuing any further refunds.
  We notified her on March 28 that we could no longer proceed until the bank dispute was resolved.
  Why This Complaint Is Misleading:
  The complaint submitted to the BBB does not disclose that Ms. ******** filed a chargeback, which is the sole reason we were unable to complete the refund. By omitting this information, the complaint paints a false pictureimplying we refused a refund when, in fact, we were following protocol until the complainant unilaterally removed the transaction from our control.
  We have detailed records of all communications, and Ms. ******** was fully informed at every step of our policies and timelines. We acted in good faith, maintained open communication, and followed our published refund procedures.
  This complaint is not a case of unresolved customer serviceit is a case of the complainant taking action that directly prevented resolution, then filing a complaint that fails to acknowledge their own role in the situation.
  Request:
  Given the facts, we respectfully request that this complaint not be published as it is factually incomplete, intentionally misleading, and harmful to our business reputation.
  We are happy to provide full documentation, including all correspondence, refund records, and payment processor confirmations, should your team require further evidence.
  Sincerely,
  ********* *******
  *******************
  Yoga Veda Institute

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2025

   
  Complaint: 23285738
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There are MANY inaccuracies in the response from Yoga Veda:

  Summary of Events:
  (January 2025: Ms. ******** registered for an Ayurvedic retreat.) THIS IS NOT ACCURATE. I SIGNED UP ON DECEMBER 25, 2024.
  (February 2025: She canceled her participation and became eligible for a partial refund of ******, as per our published refund policy (full amount paid: ********; non-refundable deposit: 250).). THIS IS ALSO NOT ACCURATE. I WAS DUE A REFUND OF ******* EUROS (CLEARLY STATED IN THE ***** I RECEIVED FROM YOU), NOT ****** EUROS. I PAID YOU 3 TIMES. $784.49 ON 12/25, $277.09 (NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF 250 EUROS) ON 12/25, AND $384.09 (LATER REFUNDED) ON 1/19/25. YOU STILL OWE ME THE ENTIRE $784.49. YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE A TROUBLE WITH ACCURATE ACCOUNTING.
  (March 7, 2025: A partial refund of $364.58 USD was processed via our payment platform, WeTravel. Due to a processor error, this amount was less than intended.) THIS IS ACCURATE
  (March 825, 2025: Ms. ******** contacted our ******************* regarding the discrepancy. We responded and confirmed we were actively working with our payment processor to correct the issue.) THIS IS NOT ACCURATE. I *****ED ON 3/8/25 STATING THAT MY REFUND WAS INCORRECT. I RECEIVED NO REPLY. I *****ED AGAIN ON 3/14/25. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE UNTIL 3/25/25, WHICH WAS ******************************************************** SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. 17 DAYS IS A VERY UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
  (March 27, 2025: Before we were able to complete the refund correction, Ms. ******** initiated a chargeback for 708.32 through her credit card provider.) I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO INITIATE A CHARGEBACK AFTER BEING IGNORED FOR 17 DAYS. MY REFUND WAS DUE TO ME WEEKS PRIOR.
  (March 28, 2025: We notified her that this dispute removed the transaction from our control and paused our internal refund process while the chargeback was under review.) I TALKED WITH MY CREDIT CARD COMPANY AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING KEEPING YOU FROM CREDITING ME THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE NOW OWED ME FOR MONTHS.
  (May 2025: Ms. ******** informed us the chargeback was denied. However, as of this writing, the funds have not been released back to our account.) THE CHARGE BACK WAS INITIALLY DENIED BECAUSE YOU COMPANY WAS DISHONEST AND SUBMITTED TO THEM THAT YOU DO NOT OWE ME ANY MORE MONEY, WHICH IS A CLEAR MISREPRESENTATION. I RE-OPENED THE DISPUTE BECAUSE OF THIS DISHONESTY. AGAIN, NOTHING IS KEEPING YOU FROM CREDITING ME THE AMOUNT YOU OWE ME. THE PART BELOW ABOUT BEING "LEGALLY BARRED" IS NOT ACCURATE.
  
  Policy and Process:
  Yoga Veda Institute processes all refunds on a fixed monthly schedule, the 25th of each month, as outlined in our publicly available Financial Policy. Ms. ******** was informed of this during our email correspondence.
  When a chargeback is initiated, funds are removed from our system, and we are legally barred from issuing any further refund until the dispute is closed and the transaction is returned.
  It is important to clarify that we did not ignore Ms. ********* requests. Multiple timely responses were sent between March 828, 2025 (NOT ACCURATE. NO COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM YOU FROM MARCH 8 UNTIL MARCH 25 - YOU DID NOT BOTHER TO REPLY UNTIL YOU HAD A CHARGEBACK TO DEAL WITH), including clear communication about the refund error, the processing timeline, and the implications of the dispute.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2025

  Dear BBB Team,
  We are writing to respond to Complaint ID #******** filed by Ms. ******** ********. We have already provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that this matter is resolved on our end, and we respectfully request that this complaint be closed.
  1. ****************** a Chargeback:
  On March 27, 2025, Ms. ******** initiated a chargeback with her credit card company while we were actively processing her refund in accordance with our published refund policy. This chargeback immediately froze the transaction, removed the funds from our account, and legally blocked us from issuing any further refund.
  2. We Did Not Dispute the Chargeback:
  Contrary to Ms. ********* claims, we did not dispute the chargeback she filed. Contrary to Ms. ********* claims, we did not dispute the chargeback she filed. We did not respond to the chargeback through the payment processor because we were not disputing her right to a refundour process was simply interrupted by her decision to file a chargeback. Any suggestion that we opposed her refund is false and cannot be supported by any record because it did not occur.
  3. The Funds Remain Outside Our Control:
  As of this response, the chargeback remains unresolved on our end, and the funds have not been returned to our account. We are legally and financially unable to take any further action until the bank returns the funds.
  4. This Complaint is Misleading:
  Ms. ********* complaint omits the critical fact that she filed a chargeback, which is the sole reason we were unable to complete her refund. This creates a false narrative, implying that we refused to refund her, when in fact the refund process was disrupted solely by her actions.
  5. Our Refund Process Was Clear:
  We were processing a refund of the total paid minus the non-refundable deposit, in accordance with our published policy. Ms. ******** did not accept our standard timeline and instead filed a chargeback, directly preventing us from completing the refund. Ms. ******** has claimed that our lack of response to multiple emails is an indication of being ignored. This is incorrect. Our financial policy is clearly statedrefunds and financial requests are processed on a monthly schedule, typically on the 25th of each month, and our ******************* does not respond to each individual email in real-time. This structure ensures fairness and efficient handling of all student financial concerns. The absence of an immediate reply is not evidence of neglect; it is a reflection of our structured, policy-based approach to financial management.
  6. We Are Unsure of What She Expects Now:
  Given that Ms. ******** filed a chargebackremoving our access to the fundswe are unable to take any further action until those funds are returned. At this point, we genuinely do not understand what she expects us to do. We cannot process a refund for funds that have been removed from our account and are under dispute.
  7. Request for Closure:
  This case is resolved on our end because the chargeback removed our ability to act. We respectfully request that this complaint not be published, as it is misleading, omits critical facts, and falsely suggests wrongdoing on our part.
  We are happy to provide full documentation, including payment records, email correspondence, and chargeback details, upon request.
  Sincerely,
  ********* *******
  *******************
  Yoga Veda Institute
  *************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2025

   
  Complaint: 23285738
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Business ignored my previous response where I corrected the amount that is still owed back to me. There continues to be a lack of competency or integrity with regard to accounting. Please see again below.

  February 2025: She canceled her participation and became eligible for a partial refund of ******, as per our published refund policy (full amount paid: ********; non-refundable deposit: 250).).
  THIS IS ALSO NOT ACCURATE. I WAS DUE A REFUND OF ******* EUROS (CLEARLY STATED IN THE ***** I RECEIVED FROM YOU), NOT ****** EUROS. I PAID YOU 3 TIMES. The 3 charges are listed here.

  $784.49 ON 12/25. You owe me this entire amount.

  $277.09 (NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF 250 EUROS) ON 12/25, 

  $384.09 on 1/19/25. This was the amount refunded.

  It is also inaccurate that you did not respond to the credit card dispute. My credit card company informed me you disagreed with the amount. Why lie about this?

  I want acknowledgment in writing that I am still due $784.49. I also want that amount refunded back to me immediately. After the amount is received, the chargeback can be cancelled. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2025

  Ms. ******** booked a retreat, canceled her participation, and then filed a chargeback before we had the opportunity to issue a refund. That chargeback is currently in process, and we are unable to take further action until it is fully resolved. Despite her claim, we did not dispute the chargeback. If her financial institution is stating otherwise, they should be able to provide her with written documentation of that claim.
  
  
  Requesting that we issue a refund while the chargeback is still pending with the suggestion that she may cancel it later is not acceptable. This is a duplicate refund request and is an abuse of the chargeback system.
  
  
  Weve explained this multiple times, and there is nothing more to clarify. We are going in circles, and our position will not change. Once the chargeback is resolved and if the funds are returned to our account, we are happy to revisit the matter. Until then, no further action will be taken.
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2025

  We are writing in response to the ongoing complaint from Ms. ******** ********. We have now responded to this matter multiple times, and we are extremely concerned that this process is being allowed to continue in circles despite the facts being clear and well-documented.
  
  
  To reiterate: Ms. ******** registered for a retreat, later canceled, and before we were able to issue a refund, she filed a chargeback through her credit card company. That chargeback is still active and unresolved. Because the matter has been escalated to her financial institution, we are legally and contractually prohibited from issuing a manual refund while the chargeback is pending.
  
  
  Despite this, Ms. ******** continues to demand that we issue an additional refund and is now requesting that we send her funds in advance of the chargeback resolution with the vague promise that she might cancel the chargeback afterward. This behavior is inappropriate and constitutes a misuse of the chargeback system. No business can or should be expected to refund a transaction that is already under formal dispute through banking channels.
  
  
  We have gone above and beyond to communicate clearly, in good faith, and in a timely manner. We have answered every BBB communication, responded to Ms. ********* claims, and explained the situation from both a policy and legal standpoint.
  
  
  We respectfully ask the BBB: How many times will this same unfounded claim be allowed to be resubmitted and rephrased? The facts have not changed. The financial process is outside our control at this point, and further back-and-forth is not only unproductive it is now being used as a form of harassment.
  
  
  We kindly request that this complaint be closed. If and when the chargeback is resolved and the funds are returned to us, we are happy to re-evaluate. Until then, there is no further action we are able to take.
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2025

  We are writing to formally request that the continued complaint submitted by ******** ******** not be publicly posted to our BBB profile. We have cooperated fully, acted in good faith, and provided clear and consistent documentation explaining the situation.
  
  Ms. ******** filed a chargeback with her credit card company before we had the opportunity to issue a refund in accordance with our clearly published timeline. That chargeback is still open and unresolved. As a result, we are prohibited from issuing a second or duplicate refund. She has acknowledged that she expects a manual refund from us in addition to the chargeback she filed with the vague suggestion that she might cancel the chargeback afterward.
  
  This is an attempt to manipulate the financial chargeback system, and we believe it constitutes an abuse of the BBB platform. The customer is attempting to publicly pressure our business into issuing a refund for a transaction that is already under formal dispute with her bank.
  
  We understand that BBB seeks to support consumers, but this is not a customer service issue it is a financial dispute currently being handled through official banking channels. It is entirely unreasonable and unfair to publicly post a complaint about a matter that we are actively legally restricted from resolving while it remains under bank review.
  
  We respectfully ask that this complaint not be published or reflected negatively in our BBB profile. We have done everything in accordance with policy, contract, and legal guidelines. Allowing this type of pressure to be posted as a complaint sets a dangerous precedent for every business dealing with bad-faith actors who misuse chargeback systems and then attempt to damage reputations through public platforms.
  
  We remain available to provide documentation upon request.
  
  Sincerely,
  ********* *******
  Yoga Veda Institute