Complaints

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

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  Avalara Inc

  255 S King St Ste 1200 Seattle, WA 98104-3317

  
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  Avalara Inc

  512 S Mangum St Ste 100 Durham, NC 27701-3973

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  Avalara Inc

  6465 Greenwood Plaza Blvd Ste 200 Centennial, CO 80111-4910

  

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:08/19/2024

  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.

  Avalara is a tax software that provides research and taxation. Upon signing with Avalara, I confirmed with the sales service agent that we could cancel the research portion at any time. They said yes. We signed a one-year contract based upon locking in that rate for one year, but could cancel at any time. Upon cancellation, they stated that we could not cancel and owed them for the entire year. I have been working on this issue since February 28, 2024 and just received yet another denial. We paid the 1st quarter outright, paid the software portion of the 2nd quarter, the software portion of the 3rd quarter, the software portion of the 4th quarter. After arguing with them and providing them countless documents of proof, they removed the research portion charges for the 4th quarter, but are still claiming we owe for the 2nd and 3rd quarter. Additionally, they have not posted one of the payments made to them. We are asking that they post the missing payment and remove the research portion for the 2nd and 3rd quarter as they said we were able to cancel at any time. If we weren't able to cancel at any time, why did they remove the research portion for the 4th quarter and not the other 2 quarters. Additionally, they said they cancelled the portion on 05/15, but were unaware that their system sends customers an email upon cancellation and it was actually done on 07/31/24. We have paid the software portion and all owed charges and are continuing to be a customer on the software portion only.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2024

  *********, our team has worked hard to provide you the best support possible through this concern. We have continued to communicate the agreed upon terms and conditions, as well as waived fees in good faith. 

  While we offer various billing intervals (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual), it's important to note that all Avalara contracts span a duration of *************************** Avalara's terms and conditions (***********************************************), which are also outlined on page 4 of the sales order you signed. As also written in these terms, contracts can be canceled within 60 days of signing, allowing our customers time to ensure our products are meeting their needs. The Tax Research sales order for your account was executed on 11/08/23, and the Cancellation Case ******** was initiated on 03/04/24. This falls outside the 60-day cancellation window required to qualify for a refund. 

  Your complaint states you provided documentation that proves the sales team promised you could cancel at any time, but unfortunately emails written by you stating what the sales representative told you are not considered documented proof. We have also reviewed all email communication with sales and all recorded calls on your account; we have not been able to find any claims where our team assured you could cancel outside of the agreed term. However, in an effort of good faith, our team decided to remove ATR from your contract midterm on 5/15/2024 which releases your responsibility for the final quarter research fee as indicated in your complaint. This is above and beyond what is customary or expected per our terms and conditions, as we were hoping to provide a productive path forward. The invoices issued before the contract amendment are still fully valid (Invoice INV-****** issued on 5/8/2024 and invoice INV-****** issued on 2/25/2024). 

  We have confirmed receipt of only partial payment for these invoices which is why you are seeing missing payments. The $246.40 payments you have made towards the $1,858.90 invoices have already been posted in the attached invoices under Payment Applied. Please pay the remainder of the invoices to remove the missing payments alert. 

  We remain committed to providing you the best service possible and have requested to meet with you to discuss ways to continue a productive working relationship moving forward. We understand you have opted to decline this opportunity to meet, but we remain open to connecting and exploring more opportunities with your team.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22164829
  
  Avalara Billing (PLEASE OPEN ATTACHMENT AS THERE IS A NECESSARY PRINT SCREEN)
  
  Attached are print screens from the Avalara website detailing our invoices.  Additionally,attached are print screens from our banking website.
  
  INV 153147        $2,211.70                          For periods 11/08/2023 02/07/2024
                                                                       Fully Paid 12/08/2023 posted on 12/10/2023
  
  INV ******        $1,858.90                          For period 02/08/2024 05/07/2024
                                                                       $246.40 paid on 03/03/2024 posted on 03/03/2024
                                                                        Leaving remaining balance of $1612.50
  
  INV ******        $1,858.90                          For period 05/08/2024 08/07/2024
                                                                       $246.40 paid on 05/10/2024 NOT POSTED
                                                                       $370.09 in credits - leaving $1242.41
  
  INV ******        $246.40                             For periods 08/08/24 11/07/2024
                                                                       $246.40 paid on 07/02/2024 NOT POSTED TO THIS INVOICE
  
  According to your own calculations, you are stating that we owe $1,612.50 for 02/08/24 05/07/24 and $1242.41 (after pmts are posted)for 05/08/24 08/07/24.  Totaling $2,854.91.  Your website says $3,347.71 as pmts are not posted.
  
  Below are the payments that we have made:
  
  PLEASE OPEN ATTACHMENT AS THERE IS A PRINT SCREEN FROM OUR BANK
  
  At the bottom of the document, is the statement that Avalara provided to the BBB:
  
  I have outlined two statements you made in red to address.  You have stated that you cannot find any calls or emails and even if you could, that you are not going to follow what your personnel tell the customers. Below is the meeting in which ********************* stated to me when asked if we can cancel anytime, yes, but you wont want to.  I encourage you to pull up the recording of that meeting and listen (09/28/2023).  On a side note, it is very disappointing that your company does not honor what your employees offer your customers.  I believe that to be unethical and a business practice, I hope you review.
  
  Additionally, you have stated that in good faith you are cancelling our research portion as of 05/15, however, you have not corrected the third invoice to reflect this statement or posted our missing payment.  Again, repeating the invoicing and payment information:
  
  INV 153147        $2,211.70                          For periods 11/08/2023 02/07/2024
                                                                       Fully Paid 12/08/2023 posted on 12/10/2023
  
  INV ******        $1,858.90                          For period 02/08/2024 05/07/2024
                                                                       $246.40 paid on 03/03/2024 posted on 03/03/2024
                                                                       Leaving remaining balance of $1612.50
  
  INV ******        $1,858.90                          For period 05/08/2024 08/07/2024
                                                                       $246.40 paid on 05/10/2024 - PLEASE POST PAYMENT
                                                                       $370.09 in credits
                                                                       Leaving $1242.41
  
  INV ******        $246.40                             For periods 08/08/24 11/07/2024
                                                                       $246.40 paid on 07/02/2024 PLEASE POST PAYMENT
  
  To end this matter, I am agreeing to pay the $1,612.50 for the 2nd quarter. 
  
  Your accounting still has issues to be corrected. 1 payment is not posted at all (05/10).  INV ****** has not had our payment applied. 
  
  By cancelling the research portion on 05/15, your accounting should be $1,612.50 / 90 days x 8 days (05/08-05/15) = $143.33.  Once these issues are corrected, your website should reflect $1,755.83 as owed.
  
  INV ******        $1,612.50
  INV ******        $143.33                             For period 05/08/2024 05/15/24
                                                                       $1612.50 / 90 days = $17.91 per day x 8 days = $143.33
  
  However, below is the email from your customer service agent, *********************, showing that we are not responsible for charges after 05/07.  Although you have cancelled it as of 05/15 (not sure why this date was chosen as nothing occurred on this date), your agreement below is that 05/07 is the final date.  We will pay the 2nd quarter remaining charges of $1,612.50, however, we have in writing that 05/07 will be our last date.
  
  PLEASE OPEN ATTACHMENT AS THERE IS A NECESSARY PRINT SCREEN
  
  _____________________________

  
  **************
  Resolutions Consultant
  Phone: **************
  
  ********************************************
  
  MESSAGE FROM BUSINESS:
  
  
  
  *********, our team has worked hard to provide you the best support possible through this concern. We have continued to communicate the agreed upon terms and conditions, as well as waived fees in good faith. 
  While we offer various billing intervals (monthly,quarterly, semi-annual, and annual), it's important to note that all Avalara contracts span a duration of *************************** Avalara's terms and conditions (***********************************************), which are also outlined on page 4 of the sales order you signed. As also written in these terms, contracts can be canceled within 60 days of signing, allowing our customers time to ensure our products are meeting their needs. The Tax Research sales order for your account was executed on 11/08/23, and the Cancellation Case ******** was initiated on 03/04/24. This falls outside the 60-day cancellation window required to qualify for a refund. 
  Your complaint states you provided documentation that proves the sales team promised you could cancel at any time, but unfortunately emails written by you stating what the sales representative told you are not considered documented proof. We have also reviewed all email communication with sales and all recorded calls on your account; we have not been able to find any claims where our team assured you could cancel outside of the agreed term. However, in an effort of good faith, our team decided to remove ATR from your contract midterm on 5/15/2024 which releases your responsibility for the final quarter research fee as indicated in your complaint. This is above and beyond what is customary or expected per our terms and conditions, as we were hoping to provide a productive path forward. The invoices issued before the contract amendment are still fully valid (Invoice INV-****** issued on 5/8/2024 and invoice INV-****** issued on 2/25/2024). 
  We have confirmed receipt of only partial payment for these invoices which is why you are seeing missing payments. The $246.40 payments you have made towards the $1,858.90 invoices have already been posted in the attached invoices under Payment Applied. Please pay the remainder of the invoices to remove the missing payments alert. 
  We remain committed to providing you the best service possible and have requested to meet with you to discuss ways to continue a productive working relationship moving forward. We understand you have opted to decline this opportunity to meet, but we remain open to connecting and exploring more opportunities with your team.
  Attached ****************************************** INV-****** 2024-07-31 18_14_54Z (5).pdf
   Invoice ********* INV-****** 2024-07-31 18_17_35Z (4).pdf
  The consumer provided the following when submitting the Complaint to BBB
   Email to Avalara *** regarding Cancellation.pdf
   Email Stream to Customer Service.pdf
   Complaint regarding Avalara.docx
   Avalara Cancellation 03-04-24.pdf
   Avalara 4th Qrt (Correct).pdf
   Avalara 3rd Qrt Invoice.pdf
   Avalara 2nd Qrt Invoice.pdf
   Avalara 1st Qrt Invoice.pdf
   07-31-24 Cancellation.pdf
  View Communication History for this Complaint
  What is the next step? 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/27/2024

  ********,

  Attached is the payment that we made this morning, which will likely reach you tomorrow. Our INV number and ID number are included in the memo for posting.

  I see that you have corrected some issues and I appreciate your hard work to get this cleared up. With this payment posted, there is a remaining balance of $370.09. The 05/10 payment still needs to be posted, which reduces the difference to $123.69. Please clear that out as that is from 05/08-05/15 and ***** said we are not responsible for charges after 05/07.

  Going forward, I will ACH the payment for the regular quarterly software invoice, $246.40, upon invoice arrival.

  Have a great day!

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

  Accounting Manager

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2024

  ********************** indicated in our last response, we have reviewed the recorded calls on your account as well as all email communication with sales and we were unable to find any support for your claims that our team indicated you could cancel a service at any time.

  The statement in the email you provided regarding the cancellation request needing to be submitted prior to renewal is accurate to ensure the solution does not renew, but it does not indicate you would not be responsible for the billing. As we explained in our last response and through numerous emails with your team, our standard terms and conditions state the customer is responsible for the entirety of their annualized subscription cost. That being said, we recognize how this would have been confusing and therefore in another attempt of good faith and in the interest of ending this matter, we have issued a credit of  $1,488.81 for INV-****** to cover the Tax Research fees for May 15 - Aug 08. This is in addition to the mid-term modification our team made to your contract which released the final quarter billing from your account. It is important to note that both concessions were granted outside of our terms and are beyond our customary process.

  As evidenced with attached invoices in our last response, we have already posted payments for the invoices that you are claiming have not been posted. We have reattached them here for your convenience, as well as provided a breakdown of the invoice details below:

  INV-826393 has the $246.40 payment applied leaving the remaining balance of $0 
  INV-204326 (Service Period: 08-Feb-2024 to 07-May-2024) has the $246.40 payment applied leaving a remaining balance of $1,612.50 
  INV-****** (Service Period: 08-May-2024 to 07-Aug-2024) has the $246.40 payment applied with the above mentioned credit of $1,488.81 leaving a remaining balance of $123.69 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/03/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have spoken to Avalara and we consider this matter closed.

  Thank you for your assistance.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2024

  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.

  As is the case with many complaints that I am seeing at BBB, my issues with Avalara began with an erroneous "Notice of Suspension" email in March 2024. I ultimately received an email telling me to ignore this as there had been a "glitch in our automated email system". This was preceded by another incorrect email in February telling me that we had exceeded our transactions plan. I worked with my *** who agreed that this was a mistake, and he advised me that he would work on the credit / refund since my card on file was automatically charged. In his words, "You are correct. Let me speak with my manager as to what the best way to handle the credit/tier situation is and I will let you know. The increase was $7,558.56." Later in May, a portion of this amount was refunded, however there was then yet another error that has yet to be remedied. Because of the error on Avalara's part of mistakenly putting my account into a higher tier, I was DOUBLE invoiced for the exact same services for the exact same period of time. One invoice (the correct one) was charged to my card, and another invoice (a duplicate invoice at the higher tier price) was automatically charged for $5,355.07!! Here's possibly the worst part ... I opened a case within Avalara and was following the progress as it was investigated. When it appeared that I was FINALLY going to get my refund based on the language in the case, the case was REMOVED / HIDDEN from my access. I have asked my ***s time and again for updates. These emails and voicemails are ignored. It came time to renew, and I was told that it was in the hands of a VP but it looked like it was finally going to be approved .... then ... nothing. Further, as I held off on signing a renewal at a lower tier, I was told that if I didn't sign the agreement in my mailbox that I would, again, AUTOMATICALLY be renewed at the higher tier. The is beyond absurd. It is CRIMINAL. I am due a REFUND of $5,355.07 for a duplicate invoice from MAY as well as apology.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  ****, thank you for taking the time to bring these concerns to our attention. We understand how unexpected costs would be upsetting and we apologize for the frustration you've experienced. Since receiving your complaint, our team has indicated all erroneous charges were initially credited back to you, and our Customer Excellence is working to confirm this as well as get any incorrect remaining balances removed from your account. We understand you also have a meeting with the Customer Excellence team scheduled to review the account billing in full. We look forward to resolving this matter with you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/01/2024

   
  Complaint: 22154734
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Even the "Customer Excellence" team (who were pleasant on the Zoom call) seemed to grasp the magnitude of their errors while I was on the call with them. Interestingly, at one point they were telling me that the credits due were "captured" in the billing they were sharing with me, and that they could not refund me for monies never received on their part. Boy, were they surprised when I asked to share my screen and showed them my credit card statement that showed the $5,355.07 CHARGE on my card that they said had never occurred. They then asked for a screenshot of that so that they could share with their team. They asked to record the meeting, and I agreed. I asked for a copy of that recording, and they have yet to send it to me. I hope to receive soon. It's been days, though, that it was promised to me, and I have yet to receive it. I am responding today because I have 7 days to respond to BBB, and that deadline is upon me without having resolution on Avalara's end. They do not work quickly, to say the least. The customer excellence team at least now seems to grasp the idea that I am due nearly $6K of funds that Avalara has charged to my credit card. Yet, the last communication is that A/R on their end still has yet to see it. Also, it was a surprise to the customer excellence team that one of their Avalara VPs had already recently approved a refund of $3,238.43 (which would be some if not all of what is owed to me), though I have yet to see that refund either. This company is so disingenuous, unorganized, and practically criminal. If you enjoy being spoken down to and robbed of thousands of dollars, then feel free to work with them. In the interim, I have disputed the $5,355.07 with my credit card company, am not accepting the Avalara BBB response, and will continue to await resolution. Lots of evidence sent in this email to back up my side of the story ... the CORRECT side of the story. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/13/2024

  Good morning,

   

  Wanted to supply an additional pdf for your reference. The amounts to focus on and that are relevant are on the pdf in black, red and green. This is my **************** statement for the period in question and the charges in red are those that were applied to my card on file without my approval. I initially stated that Avalara owes me $5355.07. In light of a small refund applied to that charge of $406.62, I am now due $4.948.45 instead.

   

  Regards,

   

  **** *******

  President

  Cowboy Jungle, Inc.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2024

  ****, thank you for your cooperation as our team has worked to handle this concern. On September 12, our team connected with you to address the breakdown of invoicing on your account which details the refunds and credits applied towards your account. We understand from this conversation that you are unsatisfied with our explanation and feel you are still owed additional refunding. Therefore, we have escalated internally to our Accounting leadership so they may review the account billing in full and confirm all the appropriate credits have been applied. We will continue to provide updates throughout this process as we have them.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/13/2024

  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.

  Avalara overcharged my account by $3021.30 in March of 2024. We have contacted them at least 15 times and via email, multiple tickets in their help-desk system, and have also attempted to contact them by phone but have been told email is the only way to connect. We have been passed from one person to the next and have been told that they agree they have overcharged us by upgrading our account in error AND they have put in writing that they will refund our money and yet we still have not received a refund. The overcharge invoices that need to be refunded to us:$2,505.89 from INV-****** on 3/5/2024 $515.41 from INV-****** on 3/6/2024

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/23/2024

  *****, thank you for bringing this to our attention so we could escalate internally. We recognize that you were erroneously charged due to a recent system change and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. We understand how unexpected costs would be upsetting and so our team has worked to expedite this solution since receiving your complaint. We understand your team has been in communication with the account manager regarding our plan forward to refund the $3021.23. Please continue to follow up with this team directly so we can proceed with this concession. We appreciate your patience as weve worked to process and we look forward to continuing to serve your team.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/29/2024

   
  Complaint: 22136144
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The business did respond to us after we filed this compliant and again acknowledged in writing that they owe us a refund of $3,021.30 for two invoices ($2,505.89 from INV-****** on 3/5/2024 and $515.41 from INV-****** on 3/6/2024).  However, they have simply said they are still working on it which is the same message we have been receiving for months since the March charges.  This complaint should not be considered closed until we receive the refund in full for $3,021.30 that they overcharged us and admit that they overcharged us. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2024

  *****, we appreciate your patience as we understand the extended time this resolution has required. Avalara recently changed internal billing systems which led to the refund delay and we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. We understand now that your account manager is working directly with you and, as communicated with you, is processing your refund. This concession will be received in two parts ($2,465.23 and $556.07 totaling $3,021.30). Please reach out to your account management directly for any questions or updates regarding this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2024

  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.

  We are shutting down our e-commerce side of our website. I reached out to Avalara because I got an email stating my auto-renewal was coming up soon (10/6/2024). They advised the following "Please be informed that as per the Avalara's Terms and Conditions you are not eligible to cancel the Auto Renewal as your annual contract value s below 10K.". I asked for clarification and for this to be elevated to management, I did not receive a response. I submitted yet another ticket. I received the same response. There is no call-back number, their chat feature on their website does not work, and nobody is responding to my inquiries via email. Seeing that we no longer have a need for their services, I find it unbelievable that I am still required to pay over $900 for Avalara. Especially since we are well before the auto-renewal date.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/19/2024

  *******, thank you for reaching out so we could look into the issue and assist. We understand there was some confusion regarding canceling Auto Renew vs. canceling your entire account. Following your complaint, our team reached out to explain why you were initially told you could not cancel the auto-renewal, and also provided the link to the cancellation form for your services. We understand that you have now completed the cancellation request and our team is working to process this. Your account remains active until October 6 2024. Please reach out to the Customer Excellence manager directly with any follow up questions.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/09/2024

  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.

  RentVision signed a Sales Order with Avalara on 11/30/2023 that illustrated the fees to be paid.RentVision paid the initial invoice INV-****** for the services and fees illustrated on the Service Order.Avalara sent a 2nd invoice to RentVision on 5/31/2024 for exceeding the usage on the Sales Order. The fees that were charged included an increased tier of allotted usage as well as a previously undisclosed "one-time upgrade fee". I have tried to dispute this "one-time upgrade fee" directly with Avalara, multiple times. They refuse to acknowledge that they are charging an unfair, undisclosed fee and will not adjust the invoice or refund us. Avalara is practicing unfair and unethical business practices.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  ***, thank you for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. We understand how unexpected costs would be upsetting, and we apologize if billing expectations were not clearly expressed. While our Terms and Conditions cover the One Time Fee, we acknowledge that this was not communicated effectively to you. In good faith, we have initiated and approved a credit of $1,008.46 for the one time upgrade fee. This credit may take a few weeks to process onto the invoice, though our Customer Excellence team is working diligently to expedite this process for your convenience. We understand you are working with this team to create a payment plan for the remainder of the invoice. Our team remains committed to overseeing this case to completion and providing any additional support you may need. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/30/2024

  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.

  We received a notice from ******** that we had stopped paying sales taxes as of the first quarter 2023. In looking into this notice, we learned that Avalara had been filing $0 returns in all of our states since the first quarter 2023. They stated it was because we didn't install an extractor, but I had absolutely no record in my email of being told that this step was necessary. Over the course of several months, I reached out to Avalara multiple times to resolve this issue. I kept getting a reply that somebody from the "Customer Success Team" within 24 hours. But I heard nothing. On December 11, I filled out an online form requesting to cancel our account. On December 12th, Avalara emailed me that they needed more information, but the link they asked me to use just sent me back to the form I had already filled out. I called and verbally requested to cancel my account, and I also sent a PDF of the cancellation request on December 15th. Mind you, since I wasn't getting help from anybody at Avalara, I was working with another company at this point to get us caught up with our sales tax remittance (which cost us thousands of dollars once we included penalties and interest). Because I couldn't get confirmation from Avalara that our account had closed, I called our credit card company to cancel any future payments to Avalara. I also had to go onto each state and delete Avalara as a contact, as I noticed they had filed ANOTHER $0 return after I had requested the cancellation. I thought this was the end of the story, but I just got an invoice from Avalara for services rendered in December 2023 and May of 2024. I have no idea what these charges are for, and their collections person cannot send me a detailed invoice. I do know for sure that they haven't been remitting our sales tax for us.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  *********, thank you for giving us the opportunity to look into your concerns. After researching your account history, we have discovered that you reached out to your ****************** team in early November 2023 requesting a phone call to explain an issue you were experiencing with your extractor. Following the call, the Account Manager created a case internally to source resolutions. On November 14, our team shared a notice that went out to all Shopify Extractor customers in April 2023 which included the steps to resolve the concern. As explained in this notice, your transaction syncing was paused during this time, but transactions were not lost. We have reattached that email here. 
  We understand you opted to cancel your services with us on December 11 2023. Our ****************** team emailed you on December 20 confirming that your cancellation was processed with the service end date as 9/9/2024. Because the cancellation request was received outside of the 60 day cancellation window, all pending invoices on your account remain valid per our terms and conditions: **************************************************. We remain committed to supporting you throughout the remainder of your subscription term.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2024

  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.

  We have had an ongoing issue since may 10 2024 and Avalara is refusing to respond or provide a resolution. We were emailed and call, now I was reminded that we are bound to another year of contract since i filling out that form on time. On may 10, 2024 I have reminded Avalara of their own Terms of Service, fowarded Avalara evidence of my cancelation in writing on time before the subscription renewed, yet we keep receiving invoices. I escalated the issue with Avalara and have not received any resolution. It is very sad that Avalara seems very stubborn, believing that it's ok to have customers enter another year of service of $985+ for a tool that I dont used.Without my permission I requested on time the termination of my service and close my full account online, but they continued ignore my email and call, this is totally ilegal, I wants Avalara to close any connection with my business. reference the ******** and case #********I

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  ****, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for the inconvenience in being billed after cancellation and we understand how unexpected bills would be alarming. Our team confirmed your cancellation was processed, but the system incorrectly registered it as 2025 which is why you were billed. Our team reached out on Aug 7 to confirm the invoice has been credited and provided you with a receipt of this for your records. At your request, our team also suspended your account so that you will not be contacted in any sales outreaches. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to resolve this. We wish you and your business all the best.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/25/2024

  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.

  On 3/12/24 Avalara debited our bank account for $10,724.45 and $2,341.97. When we inquired as to why we were suddenly debited for these amounts, we were told that they were for "overages" We requested for them to validate this and supply more information. After lots of run around and email, they wrote (Attached to this along with other documents) there was a mistake and our account had been "accidentally upgraded" due to a mis-attributing transactions. No problem, please just refund our money. So this dragons on for months, sporadic updates, no replies, no promises of any sort of date other than "its being worked on." I understand that things take time for large businesses to run through the proper channels, etc. I believe we've been very patient waiting for this refund to process. On 6/10/24 our Sales Rep presented us with a new contract. (Also attached) that extended our service agreement with the Company, raised the annual price by several hundred dollars, but promised a net refund of $10,459.68 dollars. Hoping that this would get the majority of our funds refunded, we agreed and signed the document. Weeks continue to roll by with no dates, no refunds, no responses, or anything else from their customer service channels. As we began to grow more frustrated with this situation, searching the internet yields dozen of other reviews across sites detailing exactly the same problems that were facing, leading me to unfortunately believe that this was not a one time mistake, but instead incredibly terrible business practices by this Company. I'm attaching the receipt for the two payments listed, a copy of the contract showing the promised refund of $10,459.68 and a screen shot of email exchange with their employees showing them accepting fault for this issue.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/30/2024

  *****, we appreciate you bringing this to us so we could look into the matter. We understand how unexpected costs would be upsetting, as well as a delayed timeline to receive a refund for these charges. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. As referenced in your complaint, our refund process requires several stages of review and approval which can often take a few weeks to complete. Understanding you have already experienced a lengthy delay, we escalated your concerns to our Customer Excellence team in hopes they could expedite the process. As communicated with you, our Finance team has now requested your bank wiring information through Case ********. Once our team receives this information, we will be able to issue the refund directly to you. We look forward to resolving this for you and continuing to support in any way we can.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/12/2024

   I wanted to update the status of our case.

   

  We we're finally refunded the money on Friday 08/09/2024.

  Thats about the best outcome we could hope for.

  I would still think that this should be a warning to other businesses, essentially we were ignored and run around until filing a complaint in virtually every public place we could find.

   

  Thanks to the BBB for helping us finally receive a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/15/2024

  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.

  On June 20, 2024, Avalara Inc. charged our company $601.09. We have had one meeting and two conversations with their support team to determine what this charge was for. It is not part of our contract, and no one at Avalara has been willing or able to tell us why they charged us or what this is for. Each time we contact their support team, we are told the issue is with Accounting. When we ask to speak to someone in Billing or Accounting, we are told that those people do not talk to customers. We have not heard anything since we opened the original ticket on June 27. The issue remains in pending status in their support system. Every once in a while, the last update date changes, but there is no resolution or communication with us. We are requesting a full refund of this charge.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/23/2024

  *****, thank you for raising your concerns with us here. We understand how unexpected costs would be upsetting and we apologize if billing expectations were not clearly expressed. Following your complaint, our Customer Excellence team reached out to explain that your AvaTax Usage was automatically upgraded to the ***** Tier when your API Calls went over the previously 500 Tier in the middle of your term. We understand from this conversation that your team is looking into your reports to cross reference. We remain committed to supporting you and ask you to continue working with the Customer Excellence team directly so that we may answer your questions and resolve any additional concerns you have.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 21990458
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. I have requested a mathematical breakdown of the charges on three separate invoices in June. Those I spoke to on the phone could not explain how the charges were arrived at on the $601 invoice. I have also requested a call to discuss this. To date, the person who promised to set up a call has not responded back.

  2. I have referred the transaction calculations to our POS provider (POS 360). According to POS 360, there were ~1800 transactions. However, Avalara says there were ~4900. No one has been able to explain why there is such a great discrepancy.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/06/2024

  *****, our Customer Excellence team provided a spreadsheet showing the *** calls that drove your billable usage on July 19. In this email, we also provided links to our product terms (******************************************************************************) and a link to a video explaining Avalara AvaTax Usage (*******************************************). Both of these resources help explain the breakdown of your usage. We have attached that email here for your convenience. Our records indicate you forwarded the information to 360 POS to review. We understand from their response on July 22, their logs were showing closer to 1800 because they were tracking the *** calls per transaction at lower rate; They indicated they'd pull a report for you. We have attached this communication.  

  Since those emails, our Customer Excellence team reached out twice to check in on this concern (July 29 and Aug 6) with no response from your team. We have attached both of these emails here for your convenience. 360 POS responded on Aug 6 saying that the *** report is accurate according to their records.  

  We remain committed to continuing to support you and answering the questions you have about your usage. Please follow up with our team so that we may assist in any additional concerns.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 21990458
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. The transactions reports provided do not address the simple request our company has made, which is to provide the math that shows how the June invoices for $85.87, $55.45, and $601.09 were calculated. The current monthly rate we are paying is $156.68, which is a delta of $70.81 over the original contract amount of $85.87. There is no math that adds up to the additional charges of $55.45 and $601.09. I have repeatedly asked for the math showing how these numbers were calculated. So far no one at Avalara has explain them. The only answer I've received is that the system "automatically" calculates the amount on the invoices. The translation here is that they can charge whatever they like with no transparency in how the calculations are done.

  2. The transaction numbers are triple what we told by the Avalara salesperson when we signed the contract. Further research has shown that our point-of-sale provided (POS 360) misunderstood how transactions were being calculated by Avalara on an individual invoice when they designed the interface between their system and Avalara. During testing with POS 360, Avalara did not catch this mistake. The result was that we were assessed three times the number of transactions we should have been. Technically, this was a problem between POS 360 and Avalara. Our view is that we should not have to pay for poor testing between these providers. However, because of the fantastic support we received from POS 360 in addressing this issue, we accept the contract adjustment to $156.68 for the balance of the contract with an understanding that it will return to something close to the original amount in January.

  In summary, we are very disappointed with the lack of transparency with Avalara. All communication has been through email. They have not been willing to talk to us on the phone. In contrast, POS 360 set up calls and walked us through how we ended up in this situation, clarifying the problem, and reassuring us that the problem was corrected.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  *****,  we understand your Account Manager was able to connect with you on the details of the charges in question. To reiterate what was discussed on that phone call, we have provided the detailed breakdown of these invoices below:  

  Invoice INV-****** for $85.87: This amount covers your AvaTax *************** Charge ($78.03) and the Monthly Connector Fee for AvaTax ($7.84).

  Upgrade from 500 to 1000 Transaction Tier (May 2024):
  Invoice INV-****** for $55.45: This invoice reflects the adjustment from the 500 transaction tier to the 1000 transaction tier. It includes a reduction for the 500 tier and a charge for the new 1000 tier.
  Invoice INV-****** for $601.09: This invoice covers additional upgrade charges for your AvaTax Usage beyond the adjustment in INV-******.

  Post-Upgrade Billing (Starting June 2024):
  After the tier upgrade, invoices are based on the 1000 transaction tier and are billed monthly. The invoices for this period are: INV-513814, INV-******, INV-828528. Each of these invoices is for $156.68.

  We understand our team has requested to schedule time with POS 360 to align our usage calculations and provide you with more accurate usage expectations moving forward. We look forward to working towards a solution that best supports your team. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/21/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2024

  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.

  We have had an ongoing issue since March 7th 2024 and Avalara is refusing to respond or provide a resolution. We were emailed on March 7th with "Notice of Suspension" for non-payment. That was the first time we heard there was an issue with the auto-payment that was set up. We looked at our pending invoices and noticed two invoices we did not understand what they were for. We tried paying the invoices but the system will not allow a payment to go through even though there are no problems with the cards. We replied asking for an explanation of the invoices but did not get one. We also explained that the system would not allow us to pay the invoices and received no assistance. We were told that accounting was looking into it and would get back to us. That never happened. We opened a support case in April trying to find a resolution and explanation of charges. No one has responded to any of our messages since April 26th 2024. We have been sending emails and messages constantly to support and our account manager ***************************** but no one has responded for months. We received another "Notice of Suspension" email July 8th 2024. Our account will be suspended on July 15th. We replied mentioning all of the above. Still no response. We also tried paying invoices again through Avalara's billing section and the same issue occurred. There is now a huge outstanding balance of over $13,000 - 5 different invoices and we only recognize one of the invoices based on what we were charged last year. Any late charges need to be removed as it is not our fault Avalara's system isn't working and their employees don't care enough to resolve a simple issue.We don't know how else to get someone to help us so we have come to the BBB to hopefully get a resolution. We are not being valued as a customer and it seems that a lot of people have the same complaint. Avalara is non-responsive and their account managers are a joke.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/19/2024

  ********, thank you for bringing this to our attention so we could look into the matter and resolve. We understand how receiving a Notice of Suspension would be alarming and we apologize that you did not receive proper follow up communication regarding this. 

  We have confirmed that your account is active and there are not any outstanding invoices that pose a threat towards suspension. We understand our Customer Excellence team reached out to share this update as well as provide explanations to the invoices in question. We remain committed to supporting you and ask you to continue working with the Customer Excellence team directly so that we may answer your questions and resolve any additional concerns you have.