Consumer complaint received 2023-10-02
Company: Affirm Holdings, Inc
State: MD
Product: Payday loan, title loan, personal loan, or advance loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Getting the loan

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2023, I signed up for 1 to 1 mentorship/coaching with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for XXXX weeks to learn Tax Overages. 

The process in which I signed up for this coaching service was via the phone with XXXX XXXX sales person, XXXX. XXXX shared with me about the coaching and what it would entail. He even mentioned a 30 day money back guarantee, which is what helped me to feel confident in signing up for the coaching service. I asked XXXX if I would receive everything spoken of regarding the service in writing. He responded that he would send me everything discussed via XXXX. 

XXXX then shared that the service cost would be {$5000.00} and that I could finance the payment with Affirm. After the call, XXXX sent me a manual invoice link via mobile ( text ) that was manually generated from XXXX XXXX XXXX also known as XXXX XXXX XXXX merchant account XXXX. On this invoice link was the option to input my information and an option to choose Affirm to finance payment. 

After inputting my personal details and choosing Affirm to finance the payment, XXXX asked me to send him a screenshot of the completed payment via mobile and thats what I did. 

Its important to note - because I was sent a direct invoice link to finance payment to sign up with XXXX XXXX XXXX aka XXXX XXXX XXXX ( not a website ), I was not given the opportunity to view XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX aka XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX terms of service, no refund policy, etc. 

Because I did not sign up through a website, I didn't even receive a receipt of payment from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX nor did I ever receive their terms of service via XXXX as promised by the salesperson, XXXX. 

Within a few days of signing up for the $ XXXX coaching service ( nearly one week later ), before receiving the services, I changed my mind to work 1 to 1 with XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX customer support and asked for a refund. I did not think it would be a problem because I had not received services just yet, plus I was told about a money back guarantee over the phone prior to signing up. Though I was never sent the documents as promised by the salesperson. 

Well, I was told that I could not receive a refund because XXXX XXXX XXXX had a no refund, all sales are final policy. However, I did not know this because as stated above, I signed up for this service via a direct XXXX invoice link which did not have companys policies/terms. 

Again, I did not sign up for this service through a website, sales page, landing page, or anything thus never having the opportunity to view company 's policies. So after going back and forth with XXXX XXXX customer support and being denied a refund, I then turned to Affirm as a recourse to try and get a refund. 

I filed my dispute with Affirm on XX/XX/2023. I included all documents that would try and prove that I signed up for a service that I wasnt given the opportunity to know about a refund policy. I just knew I would win my dispute because there would be NO WAY possible that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX could prove that I in fact signed up for their services other than this direct XXXX payment invoice link ( no website ) that I sent Affirm as evidence. 

But, after a few weeks of Affirm doing their investigation, I was sadly mistaken. Affirm closed the dispute in favor of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was completely shocked and devastated. 

After begging and pleading with Affirm customer support and through private messaging via their portal, a representative explained that the reason I lost my dispute was because I did not read XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX no refund policy which was at the bottom of their website. The website address included in this explanation was ( XXXX ). 

This is the moment I realized that XXXX XXXX of XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX is a complete FRAUD & SCAMMER!!! The name on his XXXX  account is registered under XXXX XXXX XXXX which is the same company name on the screenshot that I sent to salesperson XXXX as evidence to show when my payment was completed via mobile. Again, my payment was not completed through a website. I was a direct invoice link via XXXX that had the option to choose Affirm to finance. 

XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX deceptively sent Affirm a website to show this frivolous no refund, all sales are final to try and discredit my argument that I was never given the opportunity to view the company 's policy. This website name matches his XXXX account name ( the name that was on my direct invoice completed payment ) And because of this, I was told by an Affirm team member that I signed up for a service via this website and did not read the fine print by scrolling to the bottom of the website. This is NOT true! 

XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX sent Affirm a website link that I did NOT sign up for this {$5000.00} service through. I had never seen this website before Affirm shared it with me. In fact, the website has NOTHING to do with the service I was sold. The coaching service is not even listed on this website at all! This website is for another business that XXXX XXXX owns via XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX that is all about selling software to real estate professionals. After viewing this website, I recorded a video of the entire website to prove that this website has NOTHING to do with services that I was sold. Again, I signed up for personal 1 to 1 coaching services, not software. 

After realizing XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX fraudulently and deceptively won his dispute with Affirm using this frivolous website, I tried pleading and begging with Affirm to escalate my dispute, because I knew he lied and that I was being scammed by XXXX XXXX!! But, I kept being told by Affirm there was nothing they could do and that they would not be able to reopen the dispute. 

After being told numerous times by Affirm there was nothing they could do, I tried contacting XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX again to see if he would have a heart and be willing to refund me. After all, the services had not been rendered. Plus, he knows that he did not sign up through a website. And I definitely did not want the services as it was plain to me that XXXX XXXX lacks integrity and is a complete SCAMMER! 

I contacted XXXX through his assistant and scheduled a XXXX call. The first call, he was a complete no show. I reached out to his assistant again, and rescheduled. The second time, he showed up to the meeting. It was very awkward for me as this was the first time I had ever spoken to XXXX and knowing that he lied to Affirm about me signing up on this website. But instead of calling him out on it, I decided to just nicely ask for a refund. He couldnt even look me in my eyes during the call. His body language spoke of his true character and nature. Long story short, XXXX said that he would have to think about refunding me because he claimed my dispute affected his XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  account. 

What does this have to do with me as a customer that feels like Im being blatantly robbed? As a business owner, disputes happen. And besides, I wouldnt have had to place a dispute with Affirm if this fraudulent company XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX would have just done the right thing and refunded me. 

Well, after a couple days of having the XXXX call, XXXX XXXX messaged me and said he can not refund me because his XXXX  account is affected for life due to the dispute I made with Affirm. Basically an excuse. Its as if hes punishing me for having made a dispute because his ego could not accept the fact that I changed my mind to work with him. And because Affirm made this okay by siding with his company, he feels that he can get away with stealing {$5000.00} from me. 

Heres where Affirm dropped the ball : - Affirm did not have XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX prove that I in fact signed up for this $ XXXX coaching service through XXXX. Especially after stating in my evidence that I signed up directly via a mobile through a direct invoice link which does not match the URL XXXX And, I did not think to say this in my dispute because I did not sign up through a website in the first place. It never occurred to me that a website that I did not know about could be used against me in this case. 

-the screenshot I sent in as evidence of the link I used to sign up does not have XXXX in the link at all. It was manual invoice link proving that I did not sign up through XXXX  -In my evidence, I stated that I did not receive a receipt of payment from XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX which is a red flag. 

-When you closed the dispute in favor of XXXX XXXX XXXX a fraud, it gave no other recourse for me to get a refund because this company was given permission to get away with this. 

- Affirm did not properly investigate my evidence against XXXX XXXX. You did not cross reference the link that was sent to me via text to sign up for this service versus the website link that XXXX XXXX sent to you. They are not the same. 

-Given my argument in the dispute, Affirm did not diligently look over the website that XXXX XXXX XXXX provided to ensure that the service I signed up for was on their website. Fact -there isnt a {$5000.00} coaching service listed on this website. 

-Due to this being a service ( and not a product ), you did not properly investigate to cross reference this website that company sent to my evidence. You just took their word. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was able to get away with stealing from me because of this frivolous policy, that he was able to deceive Affirm with, he will do this again with another customer. This is a predatory practice! 


In closing, I have been completely scammed by XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX XXXX out of {$5000.00} ( {$7000.00} with finance charges ) for a service that I never received nor do I want. And Affirm did not have a way to protect me from this predatory, scamming, fraudulent company by allowing me to rebuttal this frivolous policy. Especially because this is a service- not a product. There should have been a more in depth diligent investigation such as having the company to provide evidence that client signed up through website. 

Affirm needs to understand that personal coaching services can be sold over the phone without a website, unlike a product. That a company can directly send customer to a direct payment invoice link such as in my case. Thereby bypassing company polices. So a thorough investigation needed to be conducted in this case to ensure the customer is protected from such predatory practices. 

Because this did not happen, I am now a victim of deceptive marketing and unethical business practices by XXXX XXXX of XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation