Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Kids First Media, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Kids First Media, Inc.

  308 S. Main St. Suite A Peoria, IL 61604

• 

  Kids First Media, Inc.

  2817 W. Nebraska Peoria, IL 61604

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:06/03/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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 signed a contract with Kids First Community back in 2019. At the time I wasn’t aware it was a 5 year contract that I was committing to. We got our folders and all seemed fine that first year until I had local businesses contact me to tell me how much they were giving to this organization. The amount that was being given to this company was ridiculous. I called and emailed back and forth several times and it was extremely difficult to get out of the contract, but I have it documented that I was to be released from my contract in 2021. HOWEVER, businesses were still receiving phone calls and being asked to give money to advertise in these folders even after the agreement was to be terminated.
  
  I thought the issue had been resolved after I threatened to make this situation more public, but then back in 2023 I received the folders at the school again….after being released from the contract. Again, I have documentation to support being let out of the contract. So I had to go back and forth again with this company as they were continuing to call local businesses on behalf of the school and using MY NAME to acquire money for the folders that I DID NOT WANT - and I have evidence of this through emails I’ve saved.
  
  I finally got them to send me the updated contract showing that there were ZERO years left on the school agreement provided. That was May 1, 2023.
  
  GUESS WHAT? I got the folders again this year (Fall of 2024)!!!!!!!!!!! That means that without a valid contract they are continuing to call local businesses in my area and using my school and my name to SCAM THEM OUT OF MONEY. Public schools have enough trouble with the public trusting our fiscal responsibility and this company continues to hurt our reputation in the community.
  
  Please do yourselves a favor and don’t trust this company as they do not have your best interests at heart. They do deliver the folders, but are making money hand over fist at the cost of your school and community.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2025

  Like every business, we have operational costs, not the
  least of which are payroll. We pay our employees a comfortable income, so they don’t
  live check to check. Our clients renew every single year and are happy with our
  prices and service.  
  Mr. ***** personally renewed for a 5-year term on 5/16/2023
  and he was very much aware of the renewal term. We delivered the folders he
  ordered in 2023 and, in accordance with our agreement, we delivered in 2024. After
  we finished the 2024 renewal, Mr. ***** asked to cancel the agreement. That was
  8/2024. Wanting to avoid escalation as well as focus our energy on appreciative
  customers, we cancelled subsequent years. We haven’t heard from Mr. ***** since
  8/2024 and he hasn’t heard from us.
  
  The local business community looked forward to supporting the
  school through our folders and I apologize to those clients with whom we have dissolved
  our relationship. However, we are the largest provider of school folders in the
  USA, so we work with other schools in your area which creates plenty of
  opportunity to support local education.
  We wish Mr. ***** and his students the best and brightest
  future. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2025

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  I write to place on record—again—the facts of this matter and to demand that you correct the demonstrably false statements in your 4 June 2025 response.
  

  1. No renewal occurred on 5 / 16 / 23.
  Your claim that I “personally renewed for a five-year term on 5/16/2023” is untrue. Attached to this message are the 10/26/2021 email thread and the revised contract we both executed that week, which eliminated all automatic renewals beyond the 2021-22 school year. There is no correspondence—because none exists—showing any renewal in May 2023. In fact, my 5/16/2023 email (and your subsequent responses) expressly instructed your representative not to produce or ship additional folders.
  

  2. Your team ignored multiple, time-stamped cancellation requests.
  *October 2021: contract amendment cancelling future years—acknowledged by ****** ****** and ***** *******.
  *May 2023: phone call and follow-up email reiterating “no folders for 2023-24 or beyond.”
  *August 2024: another written demand after you delivered folders I had explicitly declined.
  *At each step I was assured the account was closed, only to see yet another unauthorized shipment arrive. All verified by ******* ******
  *The 2024 delivery was never ordered or authorized, or accepted. Shipping unwanted product does not create a contractual obligation.
  
  3. This pattern is neither isolated nor new.
  Since posting my Google review, another local school has shared nearly identical documentation of unwanted “renewals.” It is precisely this recurring behavior that prompted my Better Business Bureau complaint.
  

  What I require within five (5) business days:
  1. Written confirmation that the account is closed with a $0 balance and no further renewals. I have attached the contract from 2023 for your reference if you wish to duplicate that; only please follow it this time.
  2. A corrected statement sent to the BBB acknowledging the above facts.
  If those conditions are not met, I will forward the full record—including your latest misrepresentation—to the Michigan Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and to counsel for further action.
  

  I value partnerships with vendors who respect written agreements and basic business ethics. Your prompt compliance will determine whether this matter ends here.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2025

  We
  haven’t spoken with you or your community in a year. I won’t continue engaging
  with you as you litigate nonexistent issues and make threats. If you believe we’ve
  done something wrong that the authorities need to know about, tell them.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/06/2025

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  You are correct that no one has contacted us since this past August. My request was simple: I asked for an updated contract or a written statement confirming that we will no longer receive any folders and that your organization will cease contacting our local businesses. This clarification is especially important because, despite previous requests dating back several years—and supported by both email correspondence and a revised contract—your organization has continued to solicit funds from our community. Regarding my second request for a written acknowledgment of the facts surrounding this situation, I understand your reluctance to do so. However, the documented evidence, including contracts and email exchanges, clearly supports the sequence of events as I’ve described them.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/26/2024

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  Since Jan. 2022, we have been trying to cancel our partnership with Kids First Community. We have received negative feedback from our community businesses about high-pressures sales tactics used during solicitation. When they are using our school name with these tactics, it damages our community reputation. Despite requesting to end this partnership for 2 years, the company claims they haven’t received the requests to end participation, and the employees become verbally combative and accusatory. We have requested they no longer use our name or logo to solicit funds for their business to produce folders, but have not received confirmation that they will do so.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2024

  We provide folders to schools free of charge. In this case, the school has received our folders for many years and during that time we've established relationships in the community that are pleased to provide their support year over year. I've spoken with school leadership over the previous years and have never been advised they are concerned about high pressure or damaging their community relationships. Frankly, that is not how we operate. Moreover, we wouldn't still be doing business with our original clients after 13 years if we used high-pressure sales methods. I have personally reviewed the written communications between us and school management, and all our responses are polite albeit we don't always agree. We have renewed the school's product each year because we have clients who appreciate the opportunity to market their businesses while also providing the school with a useful product that reinforces positive behaviors. The school pays nothing for our folders so they are out nothing while gaining a valuable resourse. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/01/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:  All we are asking for is confirmation that Kids First Community will stop using our school name and logo when they solicit advertising or create folders.  We no longer authorize the use of our name or logo.  We would like to professionally part ways and want confirmation that no solicitation will take place stating that you are providing a service to our school, as we no longer want the folders that you have sent to us.  People that have signed up should have their monies returned, as we are rejecting future partnership, and have been requesting that since January 2022.  We request no additional folders be sent to us, and will reject any future mailings.
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/03/2024

  We don't use any school's name or logo. We ship folders at no charge to schools after they have requested them. Those folders do feature the school information on them for personalization. As much as we try to be resonable and fair, we can't always please everyone. In this case, we have received mixed messages from this admin since 2021. In fact, they have renewed since then.

   In this case, the renewal for 2024 has already been completed and that is information this school admin has been aware of for some time. Hopefully, this admin does not return a free resource that is valuable to local families and businesses. I sincerely hope they enjoy them as they have for many years.    

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2024

   I am rejecting this response because: I am the school admin.  There are no mixed messages.  I have been attempting to cancel since January 2021.  There are no signed agreements.  We revoke the authorization to use our school name, information and logo.  Do not send folders.
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  This company called asking our company to sponsor homework folders for a local school. They sent me an invoice 1 hour later and we decided that something was fishy about the call. They pushed me for a credit card by phone which I thankfully declined.
  
  I contacted the school principal today and they no nothing of this company or it’s fundraising efforts.
  
  I proceeded to inform the company that we were going to not proceed when they got pushy about the contract can not be canceled which was not disclosed by phone on the original call, and was not disclosed until the email arrived later.
  
  No terms and conditions were ever agreed to by phone with this company.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2023

  This client is out nothing according to their message so this complaint has no merit. Additionally, our client's information is incorrect. We are working a renewal for the school in question. Meaning, we've already delivered an order to them and are working on their renewal of that order. Clearly, our client has spoken to an uninformed person associated with our school.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:

  The individuals I spoke to are the school principles so whom ever you are speaking to in below them in rank. I have also spoken to the central office to warn them.

  I have sent a letter to your company today with signature required requesting the cancelation of this contract.

  This contract states it is not cancelable,  however Alabama law allows cancelation of any contract within 7 days.

  2022 Code of Alabama Title 35 Chapter 8 A Article 4 Section 35-8A-401

   

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2023

  Our agreement is with ****** **** of *********** ** ****. It dates to 2020 and provides for a 5-year renewal term. We delivered their folders for the 2021/2022 school year. Now, we're working on their renewal. Rather than wasting time creating complaints and sending letters (actions that will not accomplish the result you want), how about letting us know you can't afford to honor your agreement and work something out? 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  Please cancel the agreement per previous request.   I will relay the name of your contact to the *********** Principle

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2023

  Hello:

  We expect you to honor the financial commitment you made, but we're happy to work with you. Please call your representative to work out details.