BBB warns of popular diet app Noom after thousands of complaints filed

[left-of-center2012]

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about Noom, a popular app-based weight loss service. According to BBB Serving Metropolitan New York, where Noom is based, customers have submitted well over a thousand complaints alleging that the company offers misleading free trials and that subscriptions are difficult to cancel after free trials are complete.

Between August 16, 2019, and August 18, 2020, BBB received 1,213 consumer complaints regarding Noom, representing a significant uptick in complaint volume over previous years. Since July 2017, Noom has drawn a total of 2,023 complaints.

According to complaints made to BBB, consumers reportedly try to cancel the trial offer before it ends but still end up being billed for the subscription. A number of these consumers said they believed that after the free trial the cost of monthly membership was between $20 and $40. Instead, they discovered that they were charged for several months upfront upon the free trial’s end, resulting in alleged charges varying from $120 to $180 or more.

Consumers consistently alleged difficulty trying to get in contact with Noom’s customer service to request a refund of charges. They then turned to BBB for assistance. As of Friday, Noom’s BBB Business Profile displays a D rating due to the high volume of complaints filed against the business and the company’s failure to address the underlying cause of its recent pattern of complaints.

https://www.krqe.com/news/business/bbb-warns-of-popular-diet-app-noom-after-thousands-of-complaints-filed/

[MarianJack]

1. I was going to try it, but not now.

Thanks!

RESIST

[orwell]

2. Is Bannon & Co. behind this as well...

...just sayin'...

[Tink41]

3. I started in Oct 2020

I haven't tried to cancel, but I have been able to radically change my eating habits and my thinking. I have never in 40+ yrs been on a "diet" never! This is working for me. I guess with other programs psychologically it feels like they eventually "end". I'm not feeling that here. It's doable for life.

[Scout]

4. i was lucky i guess

did free trial, then quit without signing up. went back and signed up in May this year. i've lost 30 pounds, but stalled since xmas.i'm a lifelong picky eater, and Noom has been the best "diet" i've used!

[Tink41]

5. They do tell you upfront

Not YOU personally but in general you have to inform your "coach" you'd like to cancel. They take it from there. Sometimes people do not read the instructions ever, about anything. Informed consumers...... Congrats on the weight loss. I'm very happy w the program, I mean I'm doing it myself, the App is just guidance, a learning tool. I've since added another "free" app to give me more nutritional details. I am now hyper-aware that no-one should eat a typical American diet. On Noom i've found out some people believe you can still visit fast-food joints and just leave out the bun! NOPE!! Everything about that burger is engineered to keep coming back, and crave fat, sugar,salt, processed carbs. Downward slide for me. No thanks. Most anything packaged on the shelf has the same thing going on. They are there to sell, make money, not to nourish you. lesson learned

[Livbaker]

6. interesting

oh wow interesting, didn't know this! A couple of my ex-coworkers (pre covid) used it and both lost a bunch of weight. They loved it. I almost signed up for the free trial. Hm, maybe it's good I didn't