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Business Profile

Bowling

Bowlero Corp.

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Bowling.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Bowlero Corp.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Bowlero Corp. has 21 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 47 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 9 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/20/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 gift card, there was a typo in the email, I immediately reached out to the company and asked for the transaction to either be cancelled or for the gift card to be cancelled and sent to the correct email address. The company has only sent a automated response and has not provided any clarification on the status for nearly a month.

      Business Response

      Date: 04/11/2024

      We have been in touch with ********************** regarding her gift card order.  We apologized for the inconvenience and will be sending her a replacement gift card from our Corporate Office.  ********************** appreciated the update and the resolution.

      Please reach out to Bowlero ****************** if you have any questions or need any additional information.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/04/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 tried to book the New Year's Eve ***** at Bowlero *********, ******* for Nine people, on their website on the morning of December 31st, 2023. It failed so I called the ********* Alley and had *** that told me that he couldn't do anything except that I need to book through the Bowlero website. I tried again and it worked but I was charged for the amount of $ *******, without any details or explanations. So when I went the same day to the party I asked the bowlero manager and I found out that I was charged for 18 people instead of 9. In fact, I was charged double! The manager told me that she will take care of the reimbursement, but as today I get nothing back on my card.Plus the event was a huge fail : we get the food at 11:45 pm despite the bowling alley was almost empty! No ball drop, no entertainment for this event. It was really sad to end the year in this way!Charged double the price and without any amusement.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/05/2024

      After reviewing our system, we were able to find the manager at Bowlero ********* did submit the refund request to our Booking Team and a refund for $570.84 was issued on January 4, 2024.  Processing time can vary from bank to bank, but most guests will usually see the credit back to their account within 5 7 business days.
      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr. ************* Manager

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/10/2024

      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

      I never have any answer from Bowlero Bowling, just an amount of $570.84 back on my credit card without any details.


      It is unacceptable because 1/ they should reimburse at least half the price I paid

      2/ I did not receive the services that were offered with this event

      3/ the service during this night was awfull, for example on the sreens there were 2 differents countdown! We get the meals 2 hours after being in the place!...

       

       

       

       

       

      In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.


      Sincerely,

      *** ******




       

      Business Response

      Date: 02/15/2024

      The Area Manager (AM) spoke with **************** regarding his event. The AM confirmed the refund had been issued and also appreciated his feedback regarding how this years event compared to a past event the guest attended.  We believe everything has been resolved to the best of our abilities.

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ****************** if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Guest Service Manager

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/02/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      To Whom it May ********** other half and I paid online for the New Years package (***** west), after speaking to the reservation rep over the phone on 12/26/23.My other half and I, wanted to take our two under-aged kids with us, to celebrate New Years Eve outdoors, (have a family friendly (safe) event). We spoke to the reservation rep and asked her if Bowlero would only be letting people in at 9pm est, if they paid for the New Years event and she said yes. I explained to the agent, that we only wanted to go if it was exclusive to the paid parties only. We didn't feel comfortable bringing our kids to a late-night event, where anyone can come just walk in and play a game, or just hang out playing pool, sitting at the bar..etc Again, she reiterated that it would only be opened to the parties who paid for the New Years event, from 9pm-1am. (not opened to the general public). After she confirmed this, we went ahead and booked online for a party of four; we even paid the extra $50.00 booking fee.We decided to check both Bowlero locations in ***** ******* on Saturday 12/31/23, since we just moved here. When we arrived at both locations, we were told that both locations will be opened to the general public all night. The east location only had one party that booked the New Years event and the manager said you can drop by anytime throughout the night. We told him we will cancel our reservation, since the online booking agent provided us with false information. He tried to call and cancel for us; however, he couldnt get a hold of anyone on Saturday at 20:00est. He advised for me to call in the morning.I called and spoke to ***************************, who advised that it is non-refundable and she can only provide us a credit to use, within 30 days. I explained this is unacceptable, since we were provided false information over the phone. I told her can she move us to a slot from 5:30-6:30 pm and refund the rest? She still kept say no. I explained the above information and kept saying, the only reason why we booked, was because of the previous booking agent, ensuring that it would be safe and exclusive to the parties who are only paying for the New Years event. She still refused and that is not acceptable.We are both truck drivers and will be over the road for 4 months. On top of that, my kids do not live with us full-time (they live in southern *******), so a credit doesnt work for us.We are requesting a full refund on the grounds of verbal false advertisement, provided by the booking agent. The amount of the refund would be $311.97

      Business Response

      Date: 01/04/2024

      We do understand ************************ concerns and we are sorry for any confusion regarding our New Years Eve reservations. As requested, we have issued a refund for the reservation.  Processing time can vary from bank to bank, but most guests will usually see the credit back to their account within 5 7 business days.
      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr. ************* Manager

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/11/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 wanted to take my family bowling, so my teenage daughter used her smartphone to reserve a lane on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving on the Bowlero website and she mistakenly entered the number of bowlers as 5 instead of 4 and we didn't realize the mistake until after she had already entered my card information and paid on-line. We didn't think it would be a big issue thinking we would be able to take care of the mistake once we arrived at the location and spoke with management. When we got there and addressed the issue with management at the ************* location, they informed me that since it was booked on-line, they couldn't do anything from their site and to contact their corporate office to receive a refund. They were also running a promotion at the site that would have charged almost half the price than what we paid on-line. Since it was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, their corporate office would be closed until the following Monday. I have proof that we only had 4 bowlers that evening and each of us had shoe rental and each bowled a total of 3 games, but we were actually billed for an extra bowler, an extra 3 games and for an extra shoe rental that we never used. I sent several emails to their corporate office explaining the situation and was told from their customer service manager, "Due to the terms and conditions we cannot refund the guarantee spent." I was charged for an "event fee" when we were only reserving a lane, plus overcharged for 1 extra bowler that never played and 1 shoe rental that was never used is nothing more than thievery! They should have issued me the credit for those overcharged items at the very least! And since I was charged twice as much because we booked it on-line, they should issue a future credit or some kind of incentive to get me to come back, which is very unlikely at this point. I shouldn't have to resort to filing a complaint with the BBB to get them to do the right thing.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/18/2023

      Our Booking Team has issued a refund for ******************** for the amount he was questioning.  ***************** Team also called and spoke with ******************** to let him know and apologize for inconvenience.  In addition, we also offered ******************** the chance return to the center as our guest, which he happily accepted so we believe the issue has been resolved. 

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr.Guest Service Manager

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/20/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 contacted Bowlero in October 2023 about scheduling my daughter's birthday party at an AMF bowling alley in *********, **. A "party planner" from Bowlero reached out to me to let me know the costs, and packages offered and she explained that on the day of the party, I would have someone at the bowling alley who would assist me with the party and setup. I said great, chose a package, added additional food to the bill for the parents, and confirmed the guest count so there would not be any surprise charges the day of.On the day of the party, I arrived at the bowling alley 30 minutes before the party to set up and add some decorations. The gentleman at the front desk apologized that they did not have anyone to help me. He said 3 employees called out that morning and they were short-staffed. The party started a little chaotic. We had zero assistance and no food. We were told the kitchen only had one cook and she would try to bring food out as soon as she could. She was very nice and my husband and I were understanding of the situation. A mother of one of the guests showed up to the party with her two sons who were not included in the guest count. She said to me that she would pay for her lane so they could bowl and we would not be stuck with the bill. My husband was trying to be a nice guy by going to the front desk to arrange the lane for the mother. He asked for a lane for her and her two sons and signed the receipt without realizing what he was being charged for. When the mother went to reserve the lane and explained this was for her sons and not part of the party the gentleman dismissed her and told her it was taken care of. He didn't take the time to try to clear up any confusion, he was quick to charge my card.When the party was over the bowling alley charged me an additional $164.74 AND $166.56. When I contacted them to ask why, they said I requested another "party" lane and charged me for the 11 guests that I had already paid almost 300 dollars for. My 6-year-old birthday party with ***************** $620!!! I have contacted the corporate "party planner" and the bowling alley and neither will return my calls or emails. I was willing to pay for the mother's bowling lane for 2 kids, not for 11 children that were already paid for. Even if I asked for an additional party lane why am I being charged an extra $300??!! That's more than the entire party should have cost me!This place is a scam, they will steal your money and not return your phone calls!!! Beware!

      Business Response

      Date: 12/11/2023

      The District Manager (DM) for AMF Star Lanes called and spoke with *****************  The DM apologized for the experience and asked **************** to visit the center on December 9th so we could issue a refund for the misunderstanding with the pricing,so everything has been taken care of. 

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr. ************* Manager

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/25/2023

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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.
      My wife and I are league bowlers(Weekend Wonders) at ************ center. Our league started 3 weeks ago we went to bowl and wanted to use the 2 free games that are due to league bowlers, only to be told that we were not in the system. I had to pay for 4 games, then then next week it was the same thing I had to pay for another 4 games. The 3 week I paid for 2.That is a total of 10 games. I have not received any relieve from the staff there. Could you please help. I not asking for anything that we were not ***********. I do have receipts for all transactions. Thank you *********************** ************

      Business Response

      Date: 09/27/2023

      The General Manager (**) for ************ Lanes has spoken with *****************  The ** apologized for the inconvenience and verified **************** and his wife are now showing in the system as league bowlers, so their practice games and benefits are now available.  The ** also provided Free Game cards for the practice games that were missed before the system was updated.  **************** appreciated the call and the assistance, so everything has been taken care of.

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr.Guest Service Manager

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/28/2023

      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 and the matter has been resolved.

      Sincerely,

      ***********************



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/21/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 Saturday 8/19/23 me and my family members totaling (6) people went to bowlero in ************ ** to bowl upon entering the cashier told us there was a special offer happening at the time - 50$ for each person and with this deal you will get 3 games and a game card with shoes included I took this offer cause it sounded great I paid for the entire group we bowled two games and got credited for the one game we didnt play the cashier gave us 6 card with the one game we didnt play. Upon returning home I realized she charged us too much 108$ to be precise I returned to bowlero the very next day 8/20/23 to sisal to the manager I didnt have the receipt but I showed him my bank statement and he said since I couldnt produce a receipt he couldnt do anything for me on his end so he gave me the corporate number but no one answers it goes straight to voicemail and no one returns the calls. ( extra info we was assigned lane 35 and 6 ppl played )

      Business Response

      Date: 08/30/2023

      The General Manager (GM) for Bowlero ************ called and spoke with **************** on August 29th regarding their visit.

      After reviewing the transaction details, it was determined the guest was charged incorrectly so we have issued a refund for the overcharge to the guests original form of payment. Processing time can vary from bank to bank, but most guests usually will see the refund within 5 7 business days. **************** was thankful for the call and resolution so everything has been taken care of.

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ****************** if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Guest Service Manager

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/31/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 went to the bowlero bowling alley in *************, my experience there was over all bad I asked to be refunded because my brother did not want to end up bowling cause he was over all the problems we were having.. I went up to the front desk to be refunded for his shoes the lady explained it would be refunded back to my card with Im 5-7 business days. It was never refunded so I reached out again, they told me there was nothing I could do for me to contact my back and go from there. My bank reaches out to me says they cant help me I need to speak to bowlero and get a refund. I contact corporate they told me they would look into it and investigate these refunds, they called me and told me I was going to be refunded for the accidental charge but not the shoes the Man named **** from corporate extension number ****. Told me I needed to speak to the location for the shoes refund. I went to to go get the refund last week and from there when I went they told me that I needed to speak to corporate because they cant authorize a refund unless you guys authorize it so ever since then Ive been calling and I am getting nowhere.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/02/2023

      The Area Manager (AM) for Bowlero ********* called and spoke with ******************. The AM apologized for the experience and advised we would be able to assist with her request during her next visit to the center. ****************** appreciated the call and is happy with the resolution provided, so everything has been taken care of.

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr.Guest Service Manager

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/23/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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.
      We were on a field trip with our kids school and the lady that was working tried to blame children at our school for stealing stuffed animals that were won fair and square and then kicked ** out without reason just because we were part of that school. ** I am here with my kids, and my kids have not left my side, I know they have not done any wrong to any of the machines. This happened on 5/23/23. If you're going to have field trips then maybe you should have enough staff instead of being rude to everyone because you are having a bad day. I still have credits that I paid for and was made to leave. The other school that also had a field trip, river city science academy kids were completely rambunctious, throwing ***** throughout the bowling alley and hitting the machines.. if you're going to blame someone, blame the right school. Our school had adults watching kids everywhere they went. The other school let them run buck wild.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/24/2023

      Our Area Manager (AM) for Bowlero Southside has spoken with *******************  For the inconvenience, they offered ***************** a chance to return to the center as our guest.  ****************** appreciated the call and is happy with the resolution provided, so everything has been taken care of.

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr.Guest Service Manager

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/25/2023

      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 and the matter has been resolved.

      Sincerely,

      *****************************



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/19/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      There are total 5 of ** including a 2 and half year old child playing bowling. The 2 year old didnt get the rental shoes, and no one told us or any sign in the store showing bowling shoes is mandatory. When we check out, *********************** and ********************************* insist we have to pay for the shoe rental for the 2 year old child, even we didnt use it. They are declaring its by the company policy, even for 2 year old child need to get shoe rental, we asked if we can see the policy, they asked ** to check company website, and ****** was trying to look up online though the company website for 5 minutes, and he couldnt find it, by the end he told us to call the corporate office to understand their policy, but he told the office has been closed, and no on-site manager could help ** to solve the situation, the only option is we pay. They are hiding charges to customers. We are being charged for services we are not using nor informed. It should be transparent for what service we are getting or what items we are getting charged.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/25/2023

      The management team at Bowlero Arcadia called and spoke with **************. They offered to refund the shoe rental in question, but ************** stated it was not necessary because she was mainly concerned with the level of customer service they received during the visit.  We assured ************** the issue would be addressed and provided direct contact information should she decide she would like a refund for the shoe rental or to return to the center as our guest.  ************* appreciated the call and is happy with the resolution provided, so everything has been taken care of.

      Please feel free to contact Bowlero ************************* if you have any questions or need any additional information.

      Thank you,
      Sr.Guest Service Manager

    Bowlero Corp. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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