Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Avalara Inc's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 127 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 70 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:08/15/2022
Type: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.
Date of Transaction 10/19/21 Avalara offers use tax calculation and submits tax to corresponding states. We do about ******* orders/invoices per month with a total o **** invoices per year.I spoke to their salesman *****************************, who gave me quote based on above invoice number calculation and we assumed a tier between ****-****. We picked the lower tier. In the past 2-3 months, I noticed that Avalara started upgrading my tier from **** to ****, and again to **** and they are planning to upgrade it again to ****. When I asked, they told me that they base their calculations on invoices count and other additional factors. These additional factors caused my bill to double and excepted to keep going up.I had many emails and couple of zoom meeting to charge me based on invoice count as I was promised but they won't do that. They offered me $500 discount.See the agreement and email from salesman clouting tier based invoice count
Business Response
Date: 08/22/2022
******, thank you for taking the time to share your concern and raise it to our attention. We aim to offer our customers a reliable and easy-to-use solution, and were sorry for the frustrations youve experienced with billing.
We understand your team was voiding transactions with the assumption that they would not be billable activity towards your account. As expressed in our terms and conditions (https://www.avalara.com/us/en/legal/avatax-terms.html), any alteration of documents is billable activity. We also understand there was uncertainty about billing for API calls. It has been observed that our support team shared a link on 06/09/22 detailing how we calculate usage and the explanation of API calls. We acknowledge that billable usage can be complex, and we hope these shared resources have provided your team better understanding.
As mentioned in your complaint, our team has already offered in good faith to refund 50% of your purchase. We recognize from your conversations with your account manager and our Customer Excellence team, you are not willing to accept the 50% refund. Additionally, our team has offered to opt you out of auto upgrade and has explained that should you approve this, each transaction after you cross the next tier will be $1 moving forward.
We remain committed to supporting you and your business. If youre willing to continue working towards a resolution with us, please follow up with your account manager and the Customer Excellence team directly. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 08/23/2022
Complaint: 17720304
I am rejecting this response because:1- Your 50% discount only applies to the upgrade fee.
2- The agreement that Avalara representative has discussed and signed with us was to bill based on invoice count. We found later that you have a different method of calculations that was 200% ( and rising) of the initial quote.
3- Please charge me based on number of invoices as you can see in the email and agreement attached. I have **** invoices processed thus far. Which makes the 2 upgrades unnecessary.
4- Your calculations of ****+ is more that triple what we had agreed upon signing the agreement.
5-You should have shared these calculations before signing not after signing and your sales representative should have provided an accurate method of calculating charges.
Sincerely,
Bassem AzkulInitial Complaint
Date:07/07/2022
Type: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.
We first signed our agreement with Avalara in May of 2022 and so far have received 0 service. They have a 60 day guarantee/full refund policy.Weve cancelled our service and requested a refund with no response or help what do ever.Business Response
Date: 07/19/2022
*******, thank you for taking the time to share your concern and raise it to our attention. We aim to offer our customers a reliable and easy-to-use solution, and were sorry for the frustrations you've experienced. We understand the implementation process can take some time, and we apologize if timeline expectations were not properly expressed with you.
After receiving your complaint, we escalated your issues internally and a member of our Customer Excellence reached out to share the cancellation form with you. Your request has since been submitted for the credit for the total account cancellation. We wish you and your business the best in the future.Initial Complaint
Date:06/29/2022
Type: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.
Hello! I paid Avalara to help me with my taxes for the rental property I own in *******. I was made to understand that they would help me starting June. But ever since I made the payment, it's been a series of lies, fake promises and radio silence when I ask for updates. The first rep I worked with (***************) did not provide me with ANY info and was super obnoxious to boot. Now they tell me they will only start in August. I paid them in late April/early June. I don't get it. I've applied for an received every certification that was required. I'm feeling SO cheated. I just want them to get me set up ASAP!! Please help - I'm not sure who else to turn to.Business Response
Date: 07/08/2022
Vidya, thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We aim to offer our customers a reliable and easy-to-use solution, and were sorry for the frustrations you've experienced in getting started with our services. We understand you were in contact with two agents one in Onboarding and another in Licensing, which may have caused some confusion in the implementation process, and we apologize if expectations were not clearly expressed.
After we received your complaint, a member from our MyLodgeTax team, *******, reached out to talk with you about the status of your account. As explained, we request a Osceola County Local Business Tax Receipt based on your property location. We understand you claim to have obtained the license, but in speaking with our licensing team, we have not been able to locate it within your account. We remain committed to solving this issue with you, as well as completing this process. Please continue to follow up directly with ******* so she can ensure we receive your license and it is filed correctly. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 07/10/2022
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.BUT quick clarification. I never claimed to have received *********** licenses. I suggest Avalara read my emails VERY carefully. I told them that id APPLIED for the licenses and when I spoke to the county they said I could file my taxes and put down the word applied wherever it asked for my license info. This is what I had communicated to their onboarding support. But these guys never read the emails fully Im guessing? Right now, Im having to pay a fine for my backlog taxes. And I hold Avalara accountable. My hands are tied, so Im having to accept their proposal to begin filing in August. BUT its not something Im happy about. Im doing this out of lack of choice. Once my year is up I will NOT be renewing their service. Its been the most scary and unpleasant experience.
Sincerely,
Vidya RavidassInitial Complaint
Date:06/29/2022
Type: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.
I paid $200 for my business license on 06/4/22 they said it would be done on 06/15/22 and on the 06/22/22 they sent me a seller permit which I didn't pay for.then said I was confused then tryed to make me pay them again for the business license I already paid for. I have a cleaning company so why would I need a seller permit.now they just giving me the run around and refusing to refund my money. terrible customer service they being super unprofessional hanging ** in my face keep transferring me from department to department nobody will call me back to resolve the issue.Business Response
Date: 07/06/2022
****, thank you for bringing your experience to our attention again and giving us another opportunity to address it.
When speaking with you previously, we sought to resolve your concerns, and were disappointed that challenging communication has made that unsuccessful. As we tried to explain to you directly, the purchase you made was not for the correct service your business needed, and we understand why that is frustrating. Since you self-service purchased the incorrect product, we would have been happy to refund the incorrect purchase and assist you in securing the correct services.
Unfortunately, when you contacted our support team, you chose to use profanity and name-calling with three different representatives, all of whom ended their calls with you after repeatedly asking you to not use foul language with them. We value our teams emotional well-being, and therefore we instruct that our representatives do not tolerate aggressive behavior. The amount of profanity you have used in phone conversations and email made it impossible for our team to properly address your concerns.
In a good-faith effort to bring this matter to a resolution, we have issued you a refund for your purchase, which is above and beyond what is customary or required. You should have received an update regarding this.Initial Complaint
Date:06/08/2022
Type: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 paid $399 for Avalara to file multiple licenses for my new LLC. Not only did they not provide anything to me, they attempted to tell me that they're charging me $399 for them to send me a PDF that is free to complete with the *********************.They did not file anything on my behalf. Additionally, it took them nearly a month to send me what they're claiming I'm paying for. I want a full refund. Order #***-154446Business Response
Date: 06/13/2022
Hi *******, thank you for bringing your concern with your Business License purchase to our attention. We apologize for any confusion regarding the services we provide. With your completed form preparation order, we completed the necessary registrations for your business. We always attempt to complete an application online, but it is not always an option. The state advised us to complete the one paper form for your business, which our filer did fill out on your behalf. We then provided you with instructions on how to submit this form for processing. This was all a part of the $399 service we provide. We understand you were frustrated by this as you were already registered with the ********** of ******* for a Sales Tax account. Unfortunately, you did not notify our filing team of this prior to your purchase which is why the service was completed as so.
In a gesture of goodwill, we have issued you a refund for the service we provided, which is above and beyond what is customary or required. Our filing team has already contacted you regarding this update and you were notified on 6/10/22 that the refund had been processed. We wish you and your business the best in the future.Customer Answer
Date: 06/15/2022
Better Business Bureau:
Thank you for refunding as I requested.
Sincerely,
*****************************
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