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:08/07/2024

  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.

  The company pulled a bait & switch right before 4/20, and refuses to provide any information on their new rewards program despite it being August now.In their original rewards program, you could directly redeem your points for store credit, with no ceiling. Now, you're capped at 20% of the total, drastically reducing the program's value, and meaning you'll never really cash out.Imagine being in an arcade, and the person at the ticket counter sees you win a bunch of tickets, so they close the ticket booth before you can redeem your prizes, promising all the while that if you just wait long enough, you'll get your prizes.So you're stuck for months wondering, and waiting, through no fault of your own. This isn't just, and Arete needs to be held accountable.I have almost $100 in credit frozen by them, for months now.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Good afternoon,

  We have given millions of dollars in free product away through our rewards program, we realized the program had major flaws, and it almost put us out of business so we were forced to temporarily cap the program at a 20% discount on products purchased. This change is giving us the time to fully revamp the program so we can relaunch it correctly where it benefits us and the customers.  
  
  Thank you so much for understanding, we appreciate you!
  
  ***************************** - Founder and CEO of Arete

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 22083682
  
  I am not okay with this response because it's been the same vague answer for months now, and it feels like they're dragging their feet. I want to believe that their new program will be good, but they're just not offering any details, only puffery. I would appreciate it if you could get them to commit to a release date for the new system, and some form of compensation for taking this long to iron stuff out.

  
  Thank you,
  
  *******************

  Business Response

  Date: 08/12/2024

  We are a small family owned and operated business, we will launch the new rewards program when it's ready, things like this take time, we have the right to operate our business as we seem fit, not how the consumer thinks we should.
  
  The customer can get 20% off any order using the rewards he has accumulated, this customer also has already got hundreds of dollars in free products from us (please see attached free orders he has made) if we give him additional free products now then everyone will want more free products.
  
  Are you're telling me we can not get a complaint closed unless we pay them to make them happy? even if the customer is being irrational?
  
  We would appreciate your help. Thanks!

  ~Arete

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  as a result of constant email sales marketing, I placed 3 orders from the merchants website on 10/21/23 and 10/24/23. ALL of these orders were immediately returned to the sender with no option for customer pickup. The Merchant never offered to refund or reship the orders and have told me to indefinitely "wait".As of 11/8/23 I have been provided with NO refund and NO replacement. I have requested to speak to the business owner, *****************************, several times and have been ignored.The Orders that have been PAID for yet have NEVER been delivered are...330793 for $101.95 ****** for $123.12 and ****** for $118.99 ************ is in absolutely NO hurry to resolve this issue and refuses to communicate in any productive or effective way.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2023

  After 24 emails and several more broken promises, this company is still refusing to issue a full refund for order ****** and still owes me $96.60 as of 7:25pm ET 11/14/23

   

  In attachment #1 you can see that they have cut me off as a customer and have refused to reship the items.

  In attachment #2 you can see how they have promised to overnight a check via *** on 11/13 for delivery on 11/14/23

  And in the last attachment you can see that they have admitted to lying about the check as well and that it was never sent. Check the date stamp!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

  On 11/15/23, I was finally issued the remainder of the refund for these orders which were never delivered, in the amount of $97.01($100 - $2.99paypal fee) directly from the business owner, ********************************* paypal account and our business has finally been Concluded!!

  Thank You