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CB Language Learning Pimsleur Approach 4412 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, US
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Pimsleur Approach
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Pimsleur Approach company logo

Pimsleur Approach

4412 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, US
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12:57 pm EDT
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The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Pimsleur Approach - Deceptive, Misleading

I saw a $9.95 edal on a daily sale website for two language CDs from Pimsleur. When I clicked on it, I was re-directed to the company website. I ordered the $9.95 deal and thought I was done with it. I received what I ordered, then sometime later (due to the second shipment being lost and then found by the post office) I received a high-dollar language course that I did not order. Pimsleur uses the $9.95 deal to lure unsuspecting consumers into a "free trial" program for their expensive language course. By purchasing the $9.95 deal, one os automatially enrolled in the free trial (30-days). The enrollment in the high-dolalr course is poorly indicated on their website and can be eassily overlooked. Pimsleur had already debited the first insallment for the larger course from my card. I called the company and cancelled the program, mailing their course back to them. Now waiting to see if they indeed return my money. Beware of this company and anything they try to sell. They are misleading and deceptive.

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lmetter
Chatt, US
Apr 26, 2012 8:35 am EDT

i ordered a $9.95 course which they sent. two weeks later they shipped me a Deluxe Gold Edition more advanced course formwhich they expected $200+, and said i would receive one automatically each month and be billed for it! i enclosed a letter explaining why i did NOT want any Deluxe Gold Editions, and sent the box back certified mail, return receipt requested. i never received the signed receipt. nor was i billed that i can track down. BUT today i got another one! then i found several websites like this one detailing their fraudulent shipments etc. how do i make them acknowledge the returns and stop sending them to me? if anyone can provide any help or a contact who would help me, i would be very grateful.

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Legit Consumer
Wentzville, US
Dec 16, 2009 12:53 pm EST

I sent off for the tial offer to learn Spanish and then with out authorization they sent me a Gold Course CD package and said that I had 30 days to return or they were going to charge my credit card 4 payments of $59.00. I contacted them to return the package and cancel telling them that I did not sign up for the program.

They said that this was automatic and is normal business practise, I don't think so. They game me a return number and said to ship anyway I want since I had to pay for the return shipping, WHAT A SCAM!

It cost me for something I never ordered, beware of this company.

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Mark Sutton
Chicago, US
Jun 01, 2011 10:26 pm EDT

Ordered a 9.95 language course, received the course. Then months later started receiving large CD compilations without ordering them. Then I received un authorized charges for 64.00 each. I called this company, they said I should have notified earlier, but i complained that I never received an invoice, I never received the terms to this deal, I NEVER Authorized nor ORDERED this product and demand a refund. I spent of 17 minutes of the phone to be told the there was no one that could help me. I then told this person to transfer me to his boss, I was then put on hold for long period of time. THIS IS A COMPLETE SCAM.

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Leyla and her two daughters
Tustin, US
Mar 09, 2011 1:00 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Misleading: I paid $9.95 for the basic Italian CDs. I did not see the little asterik that said I would then be enrolled in the Gold program. Shortly after receiving my basic CD - which I did not even have time to start - I got a package with the first Gold level Italian lesson. They write "Congradulation!" on the package. Congradulations for what? Being duped into receiving more than I wanted? It cost me $10.75 to return the package. So my basic Italian lessons cost me double what was advertised on their site. They should be upfront about the enrollment in the Gold learning program rather than sneak in a little symbol that is easy to miss.

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PimsleurApproach
Ruskin, US
Nov 03, 2011 7:28 pm EDT

Order a program to learn Spanish. Received it, tried it and didn't like kit. Then a week or 2 later received there GOLD addition form a trial. This was UNORDERED ! Have tried several time to return it to the. No success. Have tried calling them No answer or on hold. SCAM SCAM

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RM Sahagun
Oxnard, US
Feb 21, 2012 5:46 pm EST

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! I REPEAT DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! They will rip you off look at their home page and it tells you that for 9.95 you will get the following:
"• FREE SHIPPING (ships Next Business Day)
• Full 30-day money-back guarantee (just in case)
• 8 fluency-oriented language lessons on 4 CDs
• Entry in the Pimsleur Rapid Fluency Purchase Program
• Learn from a Native on CD audio, iPod or MP3
This is the worst company I have ever worked with. The customer service rep (an older lady sounding individual, woes horribly rude, even yelling at me over the phone at times. When you go to order on the next page it has the same information as the first page, which one believes to be an honest representation of the first page---that is the same information and deal. Therefore, one orders believing one will get the special rate deal. But this IS NOT THE CASE THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF AND FURTHER IN A MOMENT OF HEATED ANGER THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP JUST SAID I AM SENDING YOU TO COLLECTIONS. HAVE A GOOD DAY. IS THIS THE TYPE OF COMPANY YOU WANT TO DO SERVICE WITH? NEVER! A GOOD SOLID HONEST BUSINESS ALWAYS TREATS THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH RESPECT AND SEEKS TO GAIN THIER LOYALTY. Pimsleur Approach NEVER DID ANY OF THIS.

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squalid
New Port Richey, US
Mar 15, 2012 6:44 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I ordered an introductory CD for $9.95 then they sent me a huge box of lesson CDs that I did not order and charged me $65.00 for them. I called them to resolve the matter and they refused to refund me. The rep on the phone kept trying to sell me more discs. I had to get a new banking card so they would stop charging me.

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Jeane1
, US
Apr 22, 2013 8:34 pm EDT

I felt being totally cheated today. I placed the first order of the basic Pimsleur in December last year and went out of the country until today. What I got for today was 2 boxes containing Gold Level 1 and 2 having sent to me WITHOUT my acknowledgement and of course, my card was charged $256.
I was angry because they obviously tried to hide the fact that every 30 days, there would be a new trial being sent to you and if you're not there to open and carefully read thoroughly, you'll be in trouble!
And ridiculously how they made it so easily to put the products in your hand when it is really hard for the return option. Call to that number is the only way. Waited for 10 mins to talk to a representative. Then you'd hear the instruction for the address, and the thing call RMA No. which is a series of letter and number and dashes. This whole thing can easily be informed and done online. Plus the phone connection is bad!
And you'll have to send the product back within 10days after the RMA No. is issued!
I'd definitely block them from future automatic charge!
I haven't tried a minute in the CDs and dont know how good this method is, , but this scam from the product comapny already pissed me off!
And I hope these reviews should be spread so the customers can stay away from this company, or they will have to change their customer care policy! Simply ridiculous!

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Louis Tyan
, US
Feb 17, 2013 12:47 am EST

Pimsleur Approach is a sleazy company that sends out DOZENS of spam email per day. Despite having 'opted out' numerous times their spam pours in by the dozens every day. If this company chooses to advertise their company in this way I can only imagine how they run their operations. I have no doubt that this company is a scam and a fraud and from the volume of complaints I see about it across the internet it should be avoided at all costs. Hopefully the FTC will step in soon and shut this scam and fraud of a company down for good!

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trace of trash
Philadelphia, US
Dec 31, 2012 1:33 pm EST

If you're under the impression that you've received something without ordering.. typically you open the package and see what's inside.. You don't carelessly throw it in the garage and hope that it was free. NOTHING is free.. and if you pay $9.95 for the quick and simple.. why on earth would you receive 5 times the material for free?..

ComplaintsBoard
K
7:29 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Pimsleur Approach - sending & billing you unsollicitated orders

They sent me a supposedly Free Trial, which I could have refused within 30 days. However their invoice date was 1 Feb 2011, whereas I received their parcel only on 4 March 2011.
I tried to phone them immediately after receiving the parcel, since they did not give any instructions as to how to return the parcel; but was put on hold all the time.
Finally got in touch with them on Monday 7 March, and received their "approval number" (in my case:R-[protected]).
I now have to send the parcel back with FedEx, but am not sure whether I have to pay for the return postage or not.
To me it appears that their sales policy borders on fraudulence, making it so difficult or impossible to return their unsollicited parcels.
[protected]@yahoo.com

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