Thrive Market Reviews
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They make it almost impossible to cancel a membership. I did not wish to renew for a second year. There is no way to remove your credit card info via their website. The telephone is not answered during posted hours of operation. Multiple emails stating I did not wish to renew were acknowledged with emails trying to convince me to change my mind, then they went ahead and charged my CC anyway without notifying me of the charge. Fortunately, I checked my CC statement closely and refuted the charge through the bank. Their unethical business practices are in direct opposition to their stated mission. Shameful.
I've been a member for over a year and I order from Thrive every 2-3 months. I understood from the beginning (it's right on their web page) that there would be a yearly fee if I continued after the free trial period, but I love their products so much, it's definitely worth it! I buy in bulk, so the shipping is always free for me and always very well packaged - no breakage. I've never had any problems with the company, so I've not had to deal with customer service. I do like the fact that you can donate a percentage of your total to help sponsor a free membership for a low-income family. All in all, one of my favorite places to shop online.
You mention that you have not had to deal with customer service. Good luck if you do! PS They don't post negative reviews of products, only positive ones. Try it.
You also mention they donate a % of your total. Check a little closer. There is little evidence that they have sustained any donations. Just enough to get a photo or a tag. Some of the sponsorship appears very shady. Like thrive giving a membership to an Indian Nation family and then someone else has to donate $50.00 for a family t get a box. No accountability posted to show how many memberships donated or how many families served. There are numerous warning signs this company is not what it markets itself to be.
The membership fee is a total rip off! They do not offer free or discounted shipping with it. I have asked to cancel my membership, and they said they have cancelled it; however they have not refunded me the membership fee of $59.95, nor can I remove my credit card info from their site. What a waste!
I'm really loving my membership to Thrive Market, and I haven't had any problems. It's a great way to get hard to find healthy products delivered right to my door, and the discounts are awesome. I don't have a car right now (just a bicycle), so being able to shop online is a great convenience and the website is easy to understand. I really like the shopping list feature too. Not sure why there are folks who say this is a scam, because it's not a secret that after 30 days they will charge a one time (yearly) subscription fee. I think some folks should be mad at themselves for not reading what is clearly stated. I really love Thrive Market, and I will continue to be a happy customer.
There are any number of reasons a family would want to cancel their membership for the coming year. The website does not allow you to cancel. You must call a phone number that is not answered and leave a message. After no one calls you back, call another number and try to cancel. The run around you get is classic scam. I hope you have continued enjoyment. Just be aware should you need to cancel or decide to cancel you membership for whatever reason, you will need to fortify yourself to get it done.
Try to cancel your membership just to see how it really works, some have canceled, get refund from their CC and TM charged again the next year, so they use you CC informations as they want... And by the way, I can find the same products at a better price easily.
I am still waiting for a refund. What a rip-off! Membership does not offer free or discounted shipping. This place is useless!
I wish I would have seen this before I went to the site for coconut oil. What a scam. The first screen with the "Only a $1.95" as all of you know is false advertising. It should state 30 day free membership and $1.95 so there isn't a false expectation. Oh well Burn me once shame on you burn me twice shame on me....there won't be a second time with Thrive Market.
I was never informed of an annual fee that was immediately charged after purchasing only ONE item. I was only informed of this when they tried to charge my account and because of the funds, it was unsuccessful. Also, to try and find the information on how to cancel the membership is near impossible. Thrive Market, you're a piece of shit.
I was ripped off the same way jerk fucking company. I'm filling with BBB of Culver City.. and attorney of the city.
Did any of you ever get your money back? They did the same thing to me!
I have never had such a rip off in my life!! The most unsatisfying experience with website and customer service.
I accidentally placed an order and tried to cancel it within the first 5m but there was no such option. By the time I emailed customer service and asked them to cancel my order their reply was that they are unable to cancel it and charged me for $59.99 of membership that they refused to cancel.
Stay away from this website!
I had NO idea of an annual membership fee. I was never sent notice of this and it was charged to my account. I asked to be removed and the membership fee or partial to be refunded. I was told they understood, but could do nothing. Buyers please note they do not work with customers. I wish I read the reviews before doing business with them. This company does not have customer service on their side!!!
They have had many complaints w/ BBB as well as numerous online sites. They responded to BBB with many promises. Unfortunately the scams still continue.
I literally did not have any cc info and processed my "free" order through Paypal. After a number of days not seeing any confirmation of the order nor mailing - I suddenly see a "membership charge" processed through Paypal on a Sunday. I emailed immediately and canceled this as well as the order.Please note that they did not have any info that said ( we cannot process this order w/o a membership). Additionally, they did not have any cc info from me. Upon reviewing the Paypal transaction, I noticed that on the second page that they ( Thrive) has in small print that you are authorizing that they can charge you through Paypal. Of course, you have never seen this agreement, authorized a membership or authorized any charge. Additionally, I received an answer today from "La Toya" who said that they could not cancel the membership because an ORDER had been placed after a membership was purchased. THIS WAS A LIE !. The order was placed w/ no knowledge of membership and STILL has not been processed. I have disputed through Paypal who are usually good about this type of thing. My reco is to go online on every site you find and lodge a complaint as well as disputing through cc companies , emailing & calling. Thrive WILL NOT take care of this. Please avoid this company - CAVEAT EMPTOR _ Buyer Beware !
BBB gave them an A-....
I purchase a bottle of apple cider vinegar 4 weeks ago and just went true my credit card statements and just found out they charge me an annual fee $ 59 without telling me.. What a shitty deceptive company!
Cancellation is impossible. Robb has a serious attitude problem and is incredibly rude, vile, and unjust to his customers.
Really hard to work with, really hard to communicate with. Bad all around. And I wanted to like them. :o(
I have been a member for 6 months & have no complaints. I was able to get a 50% reduced subscription fee just for asking. I had one issue regarding an advertised discount I did not receive. After emailing them, the amount was promptly credited to my account. I live in a very rural area & it's nice getting hard to find, sustainably produced products shipped right to my door.
I purchase a bottle of apple cider vinegar 2 weeks ago with $ 2 the product was on sale ....and just went true my credit card statements and just found out they charge me an annual fee $ 59 without telling me..
I am so disappointed about this crazy company and I am trying now for a refund I hope they will do that...
Please people stay out and read others reviews before you buy something from this company.
The $59 annual fee is clearly stated all over the site as well as in this article. Your first purchase initiates the 30-day free trial, and then you're automatically charged after the 30 days ends. It's really important to read all relevant information before entering your credit card information online.
Folks, don't trust Anonymous. I suspect that they are a Thrive representative, as they're going WELL out of their way to stand up for their scumbag company.
With Amazon, it's easy to cancel, seconds it takes on line and the customer service is amaaaaazzzzzing. Why am I adding this? Because a friend is trying to get me into it. Now I know that referrals get then 15% off an order (which is fine). I had to really look into things first because I already pay the yearly Amazon Smiile fee so it would have to be well worth it to join Thrive.
Also know this: Amazon Smile gives back a percentage of each order to the charity or non profit of YOUR choosing. I mean it.
Thanks for all the feedback though. It's helped me make up my mind.
DO NOT give these people your credit card or bank information. I had random amounts of money withdrawn from my bank account. I hadn't bought anything!!!
Good luck getting it back. They are either illiterate or out source to a non-English speaking area, because it's obvious they didn't read the letters I sent.
Stay away! You won't save any money if it's getting slipped out of your checking account!
Oh my .. I purchased a bottle of vinegar from dem with $2 and then they charged the me $ 59 anul fee without telling me ... I am very disappointed about this company..I hope they will refund me back.
If this company is truly randomly pulling money out of your bank account, that is a criminal offense punishable by law...pretty sure companies are well aware of legal ramifications for doing such a thing and would refrain from doing so due to common sense. Your bank account may very well have been compromised elsewhere, but you should really do that research with your banking institution before blaming an entity when you don't know it was them for a fact. Please let the other readers here know what happened if you do file a valid lawsuit against Thrive Market.
I wouldn't say Thrive "randomly" pulls money out of people's bank accounts. However, they are all over Facebook advertising their "free" items such as vinegar, coconut oil, almond butter, etc without once mentioning that they charge a membership fee for such items.
Then, they automatically sign people up for membership the following year, and deduct the membership amount. Thrive states you can cancel your membership at any time. However, if you try to cancel via email, all you get is emails back trying to retain you as a customer. Then they ignore your request to cancel.
The only way I was able to truly cancel my membership was to call the company and ask them to remove my credit card info. I don't know if any of this is technically illegal. However, this is a prime example of an unethical business. All in the name of "giving back to the community." Truly deplorable. I tell anyone who will listen to stay away from this deceptive company.
I ordered 1 product from them at the recommendation of a food blogger and a month later I was charged a $59.95 yearly fee on my credit card. Nothing was mentioned when I placed the order that I was being enrolled in a membership and that they would be charging my credit card in 30 days. It's disgusting how these unethical companies continue to get away with these scams.
The same thing just happened to me as I am schocked to see the charge. What did you do about this? Did you get your money back?
CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPLAIN SITUATION. I WAS GLADLY REFUNDED THE CHARGE.
The $59 annual fee is clearly stated all over the site as well as in this article. Your first purchase initiates the 30-day free trial, and then you're automatically charged after the 30 days ends. That's how online subscriptions have worked since their inception. It's really important to read all relevant information before entering your credit card information online.
Do you represent thrive?
This "anonymous" person makes comments on an awful lot of reviews, always standing up for the company.
If "Anonymous" is a person who represents Thrive, I have a message for you: You scammed us once, you won't do it again. Your business practices are unethical. Period.
They don't sound American either :v
Just the fact theyre commenting as anonymous when its clearly them just turned me away from signing up for them lmao
I ordered from Thrive because I try to eat mostly paleo, and I liked some of their products. However, when their website overcharged me for an item, the first customer service rep I talked with was absolutely hateful! He obviously hated his job and dispised the people who called. The second one was better, but could still not grasp the concept that the discount I received on the over-charged item, still had to be applied to the corrected price... they both argued and argued with me and ended up losing me as a customer over $5.49 that they refused to refund to correct the issue. Turns out, I was lucky, because as I am seeing here, the next thing they would have done is charge my acct for a membership fee...I shut down the card I had used with them, so their mistreatment turned out to be a blessing. AVOID!!
I am sorry to here about your experience it's the same as mine...
The $59 annual fee is clearly stated all over the site as well as in this article. Your first purchase initiates the 30-day free trial, and then you're automatically charged after the 30 days ends. That's how online subscriptions have worked since their inception. It's really important to read all relevant information before entering your credit card information online. Side note...canceling a credit card hurts your credit score...you could've just canceled the subscription instead of canceling the credit card...not the smartest move for your credit.
The customer service rep issue you had can easily be fixed by demanding to speak with a manager. Whenever I can't understand a customer service rep, or they're not fulfilling my needs as a customer, I ask to speak with an English-speaking manager. Works like a charm every single time. It sounds like your issue is much more related to the customer service reps as opposed to the company as a whole. This review is misleading...and I don't think most people would consider $5 a ripoff...especially if you're already accustomed to paying more for a paleo diet.
You are most likely a spoksman for the company, I too have had dealings with the company and we can't all be wrong I will submit my name when you submit yours, charging an annual fee when its not explained properly ,,,,,,and it isn't
is so wrong.
AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE
Refusal to refund a box that had a glass bottle break and damage all of the items inside the box.
After emailing 3 times for help they responded 3 days later- the items needed to be discarded. Now they are asking for photos of the damage- after I told them that I had to trash the un-consumable sticky items.
Do not use this service!
If you've ever tried to get a refund from any company, you should be aware that taking a picture of the damage the moment you receive the package is the easiest, quickest way to get that done. Playing devil's advocate here - for all they know, your request could be totally fraudulent. Any smart company will ask for proof when given a refund claim. Also, a phone call may have shortened that 3-day wait period.
why are you posting anonymous?
Thrive Market is underhanded at best and a complete scam at worst. When you make a purchase on their website, they have some sort of very well hidden clause that automatically signs you up for an annual membership. I ordered a product that was $2.00 and was completely unaware that they would automatically deduct a membership fee of $59.95 a month later. There was no email or any sort of notification that I had paid them $59.95 - any respectable business would provide a receipt or record of this. I only noticed that they deducted $60 after viewing my credit card transactions.
I tried to remove my credit card information from the site, worried that they would automatically deduct random "fees" in the future. However, there was no "remove" button which concerned me. I actually had to call Thrive, and only after they received my call did I see a button to remove my credit card info. DON'T GIVE THRIVE YOUR BUSINESS, PEOPLE!!
The woman I spoke to at Thrive said she would reimburse me the $59.95 for the unwanted annual membership. I'm not too sure I'll actually get my money back, but we'll see how it goes...
TL;DR: If there's an online offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
TL;DR #2: Skip Thrive, you'll survive! :)
The same thing just happened to me!! I've sent 2 e-mails so far requesting a cancellation...have not heard back since I am in EST and 3 hours ahead. I will be going to the bank this morning to see if I can get my over the limit fee reimbursed and I will be calling Thrive Market as soon as they open today!!
I hope that works out for you. Fortunately my phone conversation was pretty straightforward and I got them to cancel my membership without too much hassle. I've already gotten an email from Thrive trying to get me to come back - HA! No thank you!!
The $59 annual fee is clearly stated all over the site as well as in this article. Your first purchase initiates the 30-day free trial, and then you're automatically charged after the 30 days ends. That's how online subscriptions have worked since their inception. It's really important to read all relevant information before entering your credit card information online.
You say you didn't see the remove button and that was a negative thing for Thrive to do, and then you say that when you called, they told you where the button was *and* you were promised a full refund...failing to see the bad customer service there...
It's truly shocking how many of these reviewers happily gave up their personal credit card information without even bothering to read what's clearly posted everywhere.
Real sketchy business practices. Inflated MSRP pricing to show steeper "discounts". Their pricing isn't any better than any other store especially when you consider the membership fee. Also, they say "free gift of ___" but it's not free. They should be using an asterisk when using the word free as they charge you shipping, the offer is only while supplies last and oh by the way they enroll you in an annual membership. They also, do not send you reminders of when your membership is going to renew, they just renew it. From my experience and what I've read literally everywhere they make it impossible to cancel. Most subscription based sites have a simple button or link that states "cancel my membership". I've never seen the way Thrive does business done anywhere else. They also operate eerily similar to popular multi-level marketing companies the way they leverage their "affiliates". Shady all around. Beware!
The $59 annual fee is clearly stated all over the site as well as in this article. Your first purchase initiates the 30-day free trial, and then you're automatically charged after the 30 days ends, and then annually after that. That's how online subscriptions have worked since their inception. It's really important to read all relevant information before entering your credit card information online. It's not an industry norm for companies to offer a one-button cancel option for a subscription - they'd rather you call to cancel, so they can get the inside details about why you're dissatisfied. That's not a company defect.
You can eliminate being surprised by bills hitting your bank by keeping better track of your budget. It's nice when companies give you a heads up that they're going to charge you, but it's not a requirement. Maybe write down on a calendar when you should be expecting bills to hit your bank, so you're not surprised.
In my personal research, not a single MSRP price was inflated - some savings are clearly higher than others, but I have yet to see anything actually inflated...maybe you could substantiate those claims? Furthermore, the $59 annual fee only comes out to $5 per month...that's literally less than 20 cents per day...that's an enormous savings no matter how you slice that. Just purchasing a couple of items each month saves more than that $5, and you get free shipping on orders over $49 which is a huge steal compared to similar companies (most make you order over $99 before giving you free shipping). And if you're used to eating paleo, organic, or vegan, you will know that it's incredibly easy to spend more than $49 in one shopping trip.
Upset about paying $1.95 in shipping for a free item? I thought it was common sense that ordering a free item online rarely guarantees free shipping...and that when there are free items offered to the masses, supply and demand asserts that the items probably won't last long, at least until a restock. Less than $2 for shipping on an item worth $20 or more really shouldn't be that bothersome.
Terms of Service clearly (in miniscule font) state that Thrive can change anything they want (price, size, membership fee,etc.) with no notice. This is not ethical. I am grateful for these reviews, and the snarky replies stating things are "clear" on the website. What is clear is to go to Amazon and not Thrive Market. Amazon does not change or charge without notice and they have free shipping.
They were having the promotion with the "free" jar of coconut oil, so I added that to my cart along with my order.
When it arrived, no coconut oil. So I messaged them and they said that they must have run out and it was only a "while supplies last" promotional. If that is true, why is it when I went back to the website it was listing FREE COCONUT OIL WITH PURCHASE??
Not quite the bait and switch, but you get the idea. Had to cancel it, they didn't give me any trouble with that though because I don't let anyone tell me how I'm going to spend my money.
The coconut oil was probably restocked after your purchase...that does happen when companies offer free items...doesn't necessarily make it a bad company, perhaps ill-prepared for the number of people wanting free stuff would be a better suited judgment.
I bought something off of their website without having any idea that they were going to automatically start charging me a ridiculous amount of money as a membership fee! When i called to cancel the membership the man that I spoke to asked why I was canceling and LAUGHED at me! He was so rude about it. What a terrible business.
What the heck??? I bought something and saw a 59.95 charge to my account of membership. Did even see anything when I ordered stating I was going to be charged.
The same thing happened to me! I called them today about the issue and requested to have my credit card info removed from their site because I was concerned they would deduct more random fees in the future. The woman I spoke to was fairly polite and said she would give me a refund for the $59.95.
We'll see how that goes!
did you get a refund?
emily - not sure if your question was directed at me, but yes it does look like I did get the refund. I don't plan on ever letting them have my credit card info again.
The $59 annual fee is clearly stated all over the site as well as in this article. Your first purchase initiates the 30-day free trial, and then you're automatically charged after the 30 days ends. That's how online subscriptions have worked since their inception. It's really important to read all relevant information before entering your credit card information online.
It's truly shocking how many of these reviewers happily gave up their personal credit card information without even bothering to read what's clearly posted everywhere.
I'm sorry, but your oversight is not someone else's shortcoming...and they did issue a refund in this case...failing to see the bad customer service there?
You work for Thrive, stop Trolling. Get a life and improve your service
Next time something like that happens, cancel your credit card and have a new one sent out. Then, they can't charge you, and as a bonus they will try to contact you to get your payment.