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Business Profile

Language Training Aids

Duolingo

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Language Training Aids.

Complaints

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

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Duolingo has 2 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

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    • Duolingo

      5900 Penn Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206-3817

    • Duolingo

      5545 Walnut Street Pittsburg, PA 15232

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 207 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 105 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:02/07/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 purchased an annual subscription to Super Duolingo approximately 6 months ago. Starting this week the program stopped working- when I start a ****** on the app, it freezes mid-way through the ****** every time. This prevents me from completing a ****** or using the subscription I paid for. I tried the usual fixes- deleting and reinstalling app, signing out and then back in. But the problem persists. I have contacted Duolingo 6 times by all means listed on their webpage, with no response other then automated emails with instructions on how to delete my account. Their website does not list a phone number for support, but I found a number online- I called and the automated message stated to email ********************************** with issues. I have emailed that address several times, but again, with no response from the company. There doesnt appear to be any other way to contact them with issues. So at this point Im stuck with a subscription that I cant use, and the company does not respond to help resolve the issue.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/06/2025

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 have made numerous attempts to get information and help with technical and ethical issues that i have with duolingo, but i am never responded to when i have ethical problems/questions and only occasionally when i have technical problems. i feel like i may be black listed after questioning why dating, alcohol and homosexuality are allowed when you un-click the 'mature filter' button. i don't want my kids to learn how to say 'im going to get a beer from the kitchen'. that is not appropriate for them anymore than teaching them how to swear in other languages would be. now i don't get any responses to even technical issues. it feels very disrespectful to be completely ignored. it would seem that they are not willing to have open dialog about parental/teacher concerns.they claim that not enabling mature content will filter things like beer and dating but it doesn't.i know that im not going to change their world view but it would be nice to at least get replies for help with technical issues.thank you,******** *********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/27/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 is an online language course. On 1/18 after reading their statement that Id be notified 2 days prior to trial end to avoid being charged the $89.03 yearly fee, I accepted a free 7-day trial of their Super Duolingo course to end on 1/25. No notification was ever sent and my CC was charged $89.03 yesterday (1/24). Ive disputed the charge with ***** who handled this transaction but havent received any info from ***** yet on any progress. Ive since learned that many others have fallen victim to this scam.. I wanted to launch this complaint in hopes that some change will take place so that this type of deceptive business practice is addressed accordingly. Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide in regards to this matter. Please feel free to contact me. ***** ********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/19/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Okay, on Duolingo, they have these memberships. Basic, Super, Max, Super ****** plan and the Max ****** plan. I upgraded all the way to the Max plan because they constantly bothered me to buy it. Once I had it, my friend wanted it also, so I got the Super ****** Plan to add 5 people. Only one of my friends could ever join, not 5 people.. I thought, well, maybe if I got the Max ****** Plan IT WILL ADD ALL 5 PEOPLE. Nope, still could only add one person. I had emailed and emailed Duo when I had the Super ****** plan but the problem was never resolved so I didn't write to Duo when the problem occurred with Max. I GOT NOTHING MORE WITH MAX FAMILY PLAN THAN I DID WITH SUPER. I called *************** to get help, but they were unwilling to help me, so I called Apple pay. The refund of $256.79 for MAX is now pending at ***************. But, Duo downgraded me to Max the account reflects but I only have SUPER which means I lost MAX AND I LOST THE SUPER FAMILY PLAN too which I paid for. So, all I'm asking is they give me back is MAX AND THE SUPER FAMILY PLAN or reund me for those two AND ALLOW ALL FIVE PEOPLE as my friend lost her plan and she should not have! Max was $29.29 x 12 which I paid = $359.88 a year. And Super Plan I lost was $83.99 for a year. $443.87. Now that my one friend lost Super on Super ****** plan, I'm worried she won't get it for free again, including the other 4 I was never able to add. I still want that Max refund of $256.79 for MAX also!

      Customer Answer

      Date: 02/04/2025

      Email #1:

      1. DO see Max today but did NOT see it before I wrote to you. 

      2. I am still waiting for the Max ****** Plan to be refunded; those are two different levels

      3. They took away the Super ****** Plan when I asked for a refund of the Max ****** Plan but the Super ****** Plan was paid for BEFORE I got the Max ****** Plan! 

      4. I was only ever able to add one friend to the Super ****** Plan like the Max ****** Plan. 

      5. But now that I no longer have the Super ****** Plan either, my only friend that was able to get on, she lost it also! 

      6. So they should fix it so I can add 5 people on Super ****** plan is what I really want and the person that was on before! Or give my money back on Super also!

      Sorry for all this mess. Thank you for helping.

      --------------------------------------------------------------

      Email #2:

      Any answer from DUOLINGO? I got the refund from from DUOLINGO for the MAX ****** Membership but the SUPER ****** Membership with 5 members has not been added back that was paid for prior to getting Max ****** Membership. My friend thinks I cancelled it on purpose but I explained to her Duo did and they may not even let me add her back since I added her to the plan before even though I wasn't able to add the other 4 people. I don't know. But DUO needs to give me 5 fresh options to add my own friends, NOT the people who already joined.

      -------------------------------------------------------------

      Email #3:

      Re: You still owe me Super ****** w/5 friends
      Inbox
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      image.png
      Super Duolingo 
      1:24 PM (8 hours ago)

      to me

      ##- Please type your reply above this line -##
      Thank you for your reply, we've updated the reference number ******** with your message. There is no need to reply to this automated message unless you have new information to include.


      Oscar:

      Hello,

      Thank you for contacting Duolingo Support regarding your subscription concerns. We take your feedback seriously and want to address the issues you've raised.

      Based on our records, your current subscription is an Annual Max ********** plan, which started on August 18, 2024, and is set to expire on September 12, 2025. This plan is different from a ****** Plan.

      Regarding your concerns about the ****** Plan and refund, we'd like to clarify a few points:

      1. ********** subscribers cannot be part of a ****** Plan simultaneously.
      2. To join a ****** Plan, you would need to:
      Cancel your current subscription renewal
      Wait for your individual subscription to expire
      Then join a ****** Plan

      We understand you're frustrated with the situation. To better assist you, we're escalating your case to a support specialist who will review the details of your subscription history, including any past refunds or ****** Plan purchases.

      The specialist will contact you directly to:
      Investigate the refund you mentioned
      Address the discrepancy between your Max subscription and the Super ****** Plan you expected
      Discuss the BBB case you've filed

      We're committed to resolving this issue and ensuring you receive the service you're entitled to.

      Duolingo Support Team


      ***************************:

      You still owe me Super ****** w/5 friends
      You refuded me Max ****** w/5 friends and I still should have Super ****** w/5 friends but I lost the 5 friends and even though I also paid for that, I only ever got 1 friend added. That's a SCAM. I have Max with no family plan at all. I have a pending case with the BBB.

      Reference number: ********

      This email is a service from Super Duolingo. Delivered by Duolingo.
      [GJPL27-0GWLZ]

      ******** A ****
      9:23 PM (21 minutes ago)

      to Super

      Wrong! I had the Annual Max ********** Plan, then upgraded to the Super ****** Plan, THEN to the Max ****** Plan. You downgraded me two plans when you should have only downgraded me to the Super ****** Plan as I had it before the Max ****** Plan.I had the Max ********** Play before the Super ****** Plan. 

      ********

      -----------------------------------------------------

      Email #4:

      Since they took the Super ****** away when they took the Max ****** away, I bought a Duolingo Super gift for the friend on 1/31/2025 that lost her free membership because of Duolingo. Then Duolingo refunded my money because obviously they don't trust me but it should only be me not trusting them. How crazy! 

      -----------------------------------------------------

      Email #5:

      Your gift is on its way!
      Inbox
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      image.png
      Duolingo <*************************************************************>
      Fri, Jan 31, 10:03 PM (2 hours ago)

      to me



      Hi ******** A ****,


      Thanks for gifting ****** *** ******* a 1 year subscription to Super Duolingo! Your gift will be delivered to their email, ************************* today.


      Invoice number: in_1QnWvxCLCQAemjDAbCZULxRZ (click here for receipt and additional payment information)


      Questions? Please reach out to our customer support team at super-********************************** or visit our FAQs page.

      ------------------------------------------------

      Email #6:

      Your refund from Duolingo, *** #****-3432
      Inbox
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      image.png
      Duolingo, *** <**********************************************************************************>
      Attachments
      Fri, Jan 31, 11:03 PM (1 hour ago)

      to me

           
       
        Duolingo, ***
       
       
       
      Refund from Duolingo, ***
      $79.99
      Refunded on February 1, 2025
       
       
       
      invoice illustration
       Download invoice Download receipt
       
      Receipt number ****-3432
       
      Invoice number 2FBA7D9D-0001
       
      Refunded to Visa - 9256
       
       
       
       
        Receipt #****-3432
       
       
      Super Duolingo 12-Months
       
      Qty 1
       
      $79.99
       
       
       
         
       
       
      Total
       
      $79.99
       
       
       
         
       
       
      Amount paid
       
      $79.99
       
       
       
       
      Total refunded without credit note
       
      $79.99
       
       
       
         
       
        Questions? Contact us at super-**********************************.


      ----------------------------------------------------- 

      Email #7:


      Super Duolingo 
      12:03 PM (2 hours ago)

      to me

      ##- Please type your reply above this line -##
      Thank you for your reply, we've updated the reference number ******** with your message. There is no need to reply to this automated message unless you have new information to include.


      **** M:

      Hello!

      Thank you so much for contacting us here at Duolingo. My name is **** and I'm happy to help you with this today.

      I apologize for any trouble. I can confirm that ***** issued a refund for the Max ****** subscription and downgraded you to a Max ********** plan- not a Super ****** Plan. Unfortunately, that "downgrade" combination of going from Max individual to a Max ****** Plan to a SUPER ****** Plan just isn't possible at this time from a technical standpoint. I've looked at all subscriptions and trials on your account and you have never had a Super ****** Plan.

      Regarding only being able to add one friend, we can always assist with getting members added to your plan. Sometimes, they may need to paste the link into a web browser to accept the invitation.

      I also see that you recently wrote in regarding purchasing Super for your friend.

      Apologies for any confusion. Your gift subscription purchase was automatically refunded because the gift email could not be delivered to the recipient. If you have not received the refund yet, it may take a few business days for the refund to be processed.

      At your earliest convenience, you may retry the gift subscription purchase at this page: *******************************************

      When retrying the purchase, we recommend making sure that the gift recipient's email address is entered correctly.

      If you experience any other issues with purchasing a gift subscription, please let us know.

      **** | Super Duolingo Support

      [GJPL27-0GWLZ]

      ******** A ****
      1:13 PM (1 hour ago)
      That's bull c*** I have had a super plan! And I should be able to gift my friend a super plan even though I have max! Why did you refund the gift of super I bo
      image.png
      Super Duolingo 
      1:14 PM (1 hour ago)

      to me

      ##- Please type your reply above this line -##
      Thank you for your reply, we've updated the reference number ******** with your message. There is no need to reply to this automated message unless you have new information to include.


      ***************************:

      That's bull c*** I have had a super plan! And I should be able to gift my friend a super plan even though I have max! Why did you refund the gift of super I bought her???? You took away everything from her. She was on the super family plan before I bought the max plan. When I got a refund of max, you took her off completely. And now won't let me send her a gift for super????


      **** M:

      [GJPL27-0GWLZ]
      image.png
      Super Duolingo 
      1:32 PM (47 minutes ago)

      to me

      ##- Please type your reply above this line -##
      Thank you for your reply, we've updated the reference number ******** with your message. There is no need to reply to this automated message unless you have new information to include.


      **** M:

      The gift is a completely separate issue and has nothing to do with your subscription status. There was an issue delivering the gift to the email address. You're welcome to try again.

      Secondly, yes. If you had a Max ****** Plan that was downgraded to an individual Max plan, then obviously, secondary members of the ****** Plan will lose their access because the ****** Plan no longer exists. Again, you downgraded to an INDIVIDUAL plan. If you want me to look at your friend's account, please provide their username.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/18/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 began using Duolingo as a New Year Resolution so I can learn Spanish for my girlfriend and her family. I was told the app was free but was bombarded with constant ads (about 2 every 5 minutes) to upgrade to "Super Duolingo". I finally took a minute to hear/read their pitch. When I saw that they claim they "remind you before your subscription renews" I decided to accept the offer of a few days without the incessant advertising. Lo and behold, a few days later my card is charged for $85 without warming. No e-mail, no push notification, just an $85. They mislead, the advertised falsely, and their business model is predicated on false pretense. They claim to offer a free service but badger you constantly to buy a subscription, and then when you agree to the free trial they ******* you into paying despite claiming they won't. They are frauds and criminals. If I can't put them out of business, I would at least like my $85 back so i can forget about this and never think about Duolingo again.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/08/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 have been using Duolingo for over a year now, and I have reported a problem to customer support 5 times for my account. Not one time have I received the assistance I requested. I am a Family Plan customer, and I deserve the help that I ask for. Actually, it should not matter that I am a Family Plan customer; all customers deserve good service. Every time I submit a request for assistance I only get an automated response. I include screenshots and specific details in my inquiries. I have reached out to Duolingo through email, Instagram, X (*******), and ********, but never received a response. The problems I reported in 2024 are: Wrongfully got kicked out of Diamond League on July 28 (screenshot included) and unnecessarily used 3000 gems;Wrongful lost a daily ****** streak on December 24 (screenshot included);Did not get credit for doing a ****** at least 3 times;XP boost disappeared at least 4 times without *************** freeze more than once;Lost friend streak for no reason (neither one of us missed a day);Did not get credit for gems I earned (I did not report this, but did receive an error)The most important problems I need resolved are the restoration of my Diamond League streak, and the restoration of my daily streak. I work very hard to earn the statuses, streaks, milestones, and quests that are offered, and it is extremely frustrating and discouraging when those things are wrongfully taken away from me. Especially when I am completely ignored. I know I am not the only one who experiences these problems. There are 5 other people in my family plan, and I know several others who have the problem with nonexistent customer service. The customer service department needs a complete revamp.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/07/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 purchased the Duolingo language learning App to learn Spanish. I have been using it for over a year. A couple of weeks ago, the program began to malfunction immediately after I bought a multipack of gems (used for in-app purchases). I am stuck in Section 3, Unit 23. I get through a few exercises of ****** 1, and then the app no longer accepts a tap on the word continue. Exiting the app and returning put me back at exercise 1 of ****** 1. Since I cannot advance, the app uses up a streak freeze.Besides using up my credits, I am actually not able to learn anything more from the APP.There is no tech support number to call. Email feedback does not result in any support. Please help me find a way to have the App reset to move past that one ******.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/02/2025

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 have paid for Super Duolingo which promises to be free of advertisements, however Duolingo continues to serve ads for my to pay for Duolingo Max. I cannot see how it it is legal for them to continue to advertise services to me after I have paid to remove them.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/31/2024

      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.
      Free trial, billed anyway in November 2023. App never functioned properly so request cancelled and billed anyway even though refund was promised. November 2024 I was billed again! I didnt authorize that and removed the app from my phone last year during the trial. Filed with my credit card and Duo Lingo maintains the charges are valid. I call it fraud.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/08/2025

      Hello,

      We have no record of correspondence from ***********************. If you have a reference number of the ticket where these promises were made to you, please do share!
      It looks like your subscription was already canceled and refunded on January 3, 2025!

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/31/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 was not notified 2 day before end of trial period. Money taken without authority did not have my permission.

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