Complaints

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

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  Duolingo

  5900 Penn Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206-3817

• 

  Duolingo

  5545 Walnut Street Pittsburg, PA 15232

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:08/28/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 foolishly purchased an annual online family Spanish language training course subscription from Duolingo in May, 2022. I did so believing Duolingo to be a reputable company that would honor it's commitments. Now, after about 4 months of the course, I've hit a technological wall in the Duolingo course and learned that Duolingo has no mechanism for a student to get technical assistance in order to continue the course of study. I have repeatedly tried to move ahead in the course, and every time I have been stymied by the same technological glitch. Duolingo accepts no phone calls and instead forces students like me to report problems by email. However in an automatic response to my email, Duolingo basically told me not to expect a response to my request for assistance. This leaves me with no where to go for help and no recourse other than to try to warn unsuspecting prospective students not to do business with this unscrupulous organization. I have cancelled my subscription, but Google Play offers no refunds for any reason. I will contact my credit card provider to dispute this refusal to refund me the unused portion of my subscription, and perhaps that route will succeed. But the BBB should be prepared to receive other complaints such as mine.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/21/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  My Affection for Duolingo, Yet...
  
  My admiration for Duolingo knows no bounds, yet there's a concern I'd like to raise. When it comes to customer service for paying users, Duolingo appears to be lacking. I recently repeated a level, given that direct communication with customers seems to be a rarity.
  
  I hold great fondness for this app, but it's undeniable that the customer service it provides is among the least satisfactory I've encountered from any application. It's worth mentioning that I've been a loyal subscriber for years, maintaining a streak of 2,131 days while actively engaging with nearly every available language. It's unfortunate that Duolingo seems to struggle with addressing customer concerns effectively.
  
  As someone who's sustained a remarkable streak of almost 6 years, one might assume that I should have a clear understanding of how to reach out to customer service. However, my experience has been consistently marred by the need to diligently search, only to be met with generic responses. Regrettably, I'm often left with no choice but to resolve issues independently or, as in this instance, to start anew.
  
  I express my disillusionment. Sincerely, **** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Thank you for your feedback regarding our support team. Have a great day!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  Saying thanks is a terrible way to respond to a complaint, but it fits your style. It is offensive even after being a paying customer for six years. I would like to be contacted or informed of how to contact support and not just a dummy address that goes nowhere. I still have issues and it is still impossible to get support. Duolingo is not alone and many copycats will come and one day one will be better especially when you do not make any effort to engage with your customers.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/13/2023

  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.

  Duolingo Spanish is 'stuck' at Unit 169, step 3. I can't advance past this point even though my subscription is paid through April 2024. I first reported a Web-based Bug Report on July 10, 2023, then twice more, each complete with screen shots. Twice I got robo-replies. I would have reported once more but the report tool was malfunctioning.
  I see that another user reported the same problem on July 8, 2023. Following the thread, the problem was reported fixed a few days later. Perhaps it has been fixed for that individual, but as the initial complaint stated, this problem does certainly affect more people.
  I would like Duolingo to fix Unit 169, step 3 so that I proceed to new material.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/14/2023

  Hello,

  I'm sorry you are unable to continue with that story. We have only received one report from you regarding this issue. While we cannot respond to every bug report, we do review all feedback and look for trends. I've accessed your account and experienced no issues when completing the story in Unit 169. You may continue with the next lesson!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/14/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  Now I'm stuck on the very next unit because clicking on the correct response results in the adjacent word - I click on 'la' and the 'y' next to it moves into the answer.   This problem is becoming more and more frequent over the last week or two.  This is my third attempt at this sentence.  If the prompts never allow me to fill in the correct words, I can't pass this unit.

  Please help.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for this feedback. It has been shared with the appropriate team. In the future, please submit bug reports through your Duolingo account rather than the Better Business Bureau. Have a great day!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2023

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I really appreciate BBB offering this service.  All is working fine when I access Duolingo now.  It should not have been necessary to contact you but I submitted the Bug REport three times over the course of a month, and another time the Bug Report malfunctioned so there was undeniably futile.  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and I am satisfied in marking this complaint as resolved. 
  
  
  
  Thank you again,
  
  
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2023

  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.

  Hello,
  I did my lessons this week with alot of delays. I would do lessons and the xp would not update to the correct number. I won the daily rewards but did not get my gems. Just now, I placed 2nd in the diamond league the top 3. I recieved a first message listing the person in 3rd place first (****), then me in 2nd place and then the guy in 1st place (******). It said congratulations on finishing top 3. Then another message posted saying try to get the top 3 again. Now I'm still in diamond league and should be in the next league. I had 14k+ xp, ****** has 18k+ and **** had 8k+. There is no way I shouldn't have progressed to the next level.
  Something is wrong and I'd like to be placed where I worked so hard and spent many hrs this week. I have a brand new S23 ultra, like 2 weeks old and fiber optics internet. There should be no problem at all.
  
  I don't have a picture of the first congratulations top 3 because I was unaware I'd be getting a second messgae saying I didn't. The app should have a record of xp and who placed what when.
  
  Now it is saying I've been in diamond league 3 weeks. On Sunday it said 2 weeks. I should have been in diamond league 1 week and progressed to the next league. Here is video showing on August 6th it said I was in week 2 on August 6th after the league should have progressed. Now on August 8th it's saying I'm in week 3. Clearly there is something wrong. I added the video that shows the pictures and the details of what day and time the pics were taken. It's not updating correctly.
  I'm missing xp from lessons and gems.
  
  I've sent emails Sunday and Monday to *******@********.com, I've sent social media messages to Instagram and Facebook. I've sent message to Google play store.
  Reference #s for support
  ******* ******* 
  Support seems to be nonexistent. I've sent multiple photos and videos. They won't all fit in this claim but I'm sure can be found using the reference numbers above.
  Thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Thank you for submitting those bug reports. Please note while we monitor feedback and share it with the appropriate team to be fixed, we cannot respond to every message we receive.

  Have a great day!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below

   

  Your response did not try to assist or fix any issue in anyway. This is not a bug. There is an issue with your app. I've now been in diamond league 5 weeks. To satisfy this I need the issue resolved or a complete refund. I am spending up to 10hrs or more a week I learning, earning xp, making in app purchases. I am working using my time, effort, brain, and money. I've won top 3 the previous several weeks and I never advance. The app is setup to encourage and motivate. If I'm not moving then how is the app helping? You can't respond to every message but it is clear you aren't responding to anyone because customer service seems to be a common issue. I would like for someone to call me and troubleshoot. This issue has gone on Android and Apple. I've contacted Google and they are now investigating duolingo to see if you all have not followed their customer service commitment agreements. They asked for all the emails and multiple contacts. They have all the data. This needs to be fixed. Since my initial contact it has now happened twice. I've made #2 several times and I have not advanced. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 08/31/2023

  Hello,

  What you are describing is a bug. A bug is a technical problem that prevents the app from working as expected. This is not something I can walk you through over the phone. We are aware of this issue and cannot resolve your case individually. We are also working on making improvements to communicate bug fixes to our users! Please note, just because you haven't received a personal response to your emails does not mean that we are not responding to other users' emails. You did not subscribe through Google, so they will likely not be of much assistance to you. Apple does not allow us to issue refunds on their behalf. If you would like to request a refund from Apple, you are welcome do so.

  Please be sure to keep your app up to date. Once the bug has been fixed, you'll want to use the latest version!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/19/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  Hello BBB, so Duolingo invited me to participate in a French study, it spanned almost half a year and has ended, Duolingos French Study team members I was told to contact for information on the study and to claim the compensation of $100 gift card to Amazon are unresponsive, I have records of the Duolingo team responding in an email stating to expect my gift card by mid July, as mid July is past us I emailed them asking if there was an update on this, usually they respond within a day, typically in the morning. However, now the Duolingo team is not responding to me. I was told my results would be in the study and have an email from them saying, " thank you for your response, expect the gift card by mid July " I am just seeking my rightful and promised payment for my months of work in this study that was promised in the beginning of the study and confirmed after I completed the study participation. Thank you Duolingo and BBB.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/03/2023

  Hi ****,

  I'm sorry you haven't heard back regarding your reward. Can you please confirm the email that you received the offer from? We have several research teams here. I want to make sure I get your info to the correct one to resolve this.

  Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/13/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  Customer support is non-existent. First, it is nearly impossible to find contact information. When I tried via “Feedback” or “Bug Report”, I get a robo-replies. I finally found a phone number via Google search but i have no confidence that i will receive a response judging from the numerous complaints i have seen on online forums.
  
  My course progression stopped, so why should I continue to pay?

  Business Response

  Date: 07/19/2023

  Hello,

  We have received no feedback or messages from *************.com, and there is no Duolingo account that uses that email address. We're happy to help once you provide the correct account email address!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/19/2023

  Account is under *****************.com

  ***** *****

  I have sent numerous requests gir assistance and have left voice mail

  Business Response

  Date: 07/19/2023

  We've accessed your account and everything is working properly when beginning the next lesson. Can you please describe the issue in more detail? Attaching screenshots that demonstrate the issue may be helpful!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/19/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
    The German lesson does not advance beyond Section 6.  Please provide me with a Customer Service contact number
  
   
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2023

  Hi *****,
  My apologies! Your account was toggled to the Spanish course when I checked, which is why I was able to open the next lesson. You have completed the German course. All courses are finite, so there is no issue with your account. You've simply reached the end of that course. You can continue to use your subscription features to practice German or to learn as many other languages that we offer (like you have been with Spanish). For an added challenge, try the English for German speakers course. This will teach English using German, which is a great way to continue now that you've completed the German for English speakers course!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/21/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  While I appreciate you telling me that courses are finite (nowhere could I find that information), it should be displayed.  I am disappointed that the course ended so quickly without the opportunity to continue with a next level. 

  Also, I have been asking and asking for a customer service contact, such as a phone number or email for questions such as this - so that I don't have to resort to the BBB.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 07/23/2023

  The entire course is available to be viewed at all times. We do not hide the fact that the course ends at some point. In the future, you can submit feedback to send a request to our support team. The office phone number is not a customer support number. Due to the nature of our users speaking almost every language in existence, we cannot offer live phone support.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/24/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  I suppose you can go ahead and close this complaint.  I don't accept the fact that they claim to have support requests.  I submitted multiple requests via e-mail with nothing but "robo-responses".  I probably will not be renewing my subscription.  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/08/2023

  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.

  The web version of the Duolingo Spanish Unit 169 stopped working and prevents users from going any farther. I submitted a bug report. Weeks down the road I was still not able to contiue the Spanish lessons for the same, unsolved issue. Because this issue must be affecting users worldwide, I submitted the same bug report a couple more times trying to make its importance visible to someone and be able to continue my Spanish lesson. Instead of fixing the program, Duolingo blocked me from sending bug reports. Now when I try to send a bug report, their program displays a message erroneously stating that there is something incorrect in my submitted fields. In the process of trying to help a company that does not want to help itself, I waste time by trying daily to see if they fixed the problem so I can continue the Spanish lesson and checking the Bug Report fields for inexistent errors. The Spanish unit 169 is still blocking progress as of now.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for submitting those bug reports! While we don't respond to every bug report we receive, we are working on making improvements to communicate bug fixes with our users. This bug has been fixed recently. We've tested your account and everything seems to be working as expected!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/12/2023

  
  
  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. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2023

  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.

  Attempted suspension of account was notified of trial giving a alert two days prior to subscription starting. Considering the constant harassment through notifications and email the charge went through without a notification single pop-up and after my request to terminate. Seeing the other complaints on here it seems to be an issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Hello,

  As stated upon subscribing to a free trial, Apple requires users to cancel trials to be cancelled at least 24 hours prior to renewal. Your trial was cancelled 3 hours before it's renewal, which is why Apple charged your payment method. Apple has already issued a refund for this transaction on July 5.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2023

  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'm another victim of Duolingo's predatory 2-week trial. I started the trial under the assumption that I would be contacted in time to cancel the trial 2 days before it ended, and that if I didn't I would be billed in monthly increments. This was not the case. Not only did I receive no notice before the trial ran out, but I was billed $88.52 for the full year. This is predatory and I'm very disappointed in the company. I've used Duolingo for free and though finally I would try the subscription. I likely would have purchased a monthly subscription after this, but now I feel like my loyalty was taken advantage of. This money is too much taken without proper notice, and I am in a bad position because of it. It took me a few days after the trial ended to realize what had happened. I tried to get a refund through Google Play, but they rejected my refund request stating it was too late. I'm so disappointed that an educational app I held in high regard is preying on people's good will and quest for knowledge. Shame on you.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Hello,

  We're sorry for any confusion regarding your subscription. You selected an annual subscription, not a monthly subscription. This is why you were billed for an annual subscription upon the expiration of your trial.
  We have confirmed that a 2 day reminder notification was sent on June 19 as promised. If you had notifications disabled, you wouldn't have received that reminder. Regardless, there is also a Google Play checkout screen when confirming your free trial, which clearly displays the trial expiration date, as well as the total you will be charged for the subscription's renewal.
  
  We have issued a refund and have cancelled your subscription. You should receive the funds in 5-10 business days.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Duolingo has issued me a refund and returned my account to normal status, which I believe is sufficient. Judging from the other responses on this page, I am not the only one who believes they need to be more clear when signing up for the trial. It would be best if they did not auto charge and instead simply asked if you enjoyed the trial and would like to upgrade after experiencing the full version. I'm thankful that the company addressed my complaint and has refunded me for the yearly subscription.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  Hello, so I was reached out to through email a couple months ago from duolingo's official email address asking me to participate in a partnered university study, I would join their duolingo classroom and answer a start and finish test and have to log in daily for months working on duolingo, I was promised a $100 gift card on Amazon for my time. I have recently finished the final test and in the email providing the final test they stated I would be contacted to receive my $100 gift card after I finish the test. I have finished the test, now none of the study coordinators are responding to my emails and are completely ghosting me and not paying the amount promised.