Unclear trial process and poor customer service
I signed up after clicking on the advertised 7-day free trial and entered my payment details, expecting I wouldn’t be charged until the trial ended. Instead, I was charged immediately, which was disappointing and not what I had expected.
After exploring the resources, I decided they weren’t the right fit for my needs. The AI-generated images are lovely and the platform has some appealing content, but I was looking for more bespoke, year-group-specific resources.
I cancelled my subscription straight away and emailed Pobble to explain the situation and request assistance. Unfortunately, I received no response, despite waiting three weeks, and the payment was still taken.
The quality of the resources is the reason I’ve increased my rating from one star to two, but the unclear trial process and lack of customer service left me with a disappointing overall experience.
Edit to add:
Pobble’s claim that I received a response was simply not true. I received no communication at all and am so disappointed that the sign up process is so unclear. I feel cheated. You live and learn.
Reply from Pobble
Hi Jane,
We have investigated your complaint carefully and would like to clarify the sequence of events.
The page you signed up through presented two clearly labelled options: purchasing an annual subscription immediately for £36 with a 40% discount, or beginning a 14-day free trial. The option selected on your account was “Save 40%: buy now”, which clearly stated that £36 would be billed annually. This is why payment was taken immediately. It was not a charge connected to the free-trial option.
Following the purchase, the account was accessed on and more than 30 lesson presentations were saved. The subscription was therefore actively used to access Pobble’s premium resources.
When you contacted our helpdesk, a response was sent four minutes later. It explained how to cancel the subscription, provided information about our refund terms and directed you to the refund request form, which you subsequently completed. Although the response was automated, it directly addressed the cancellation and refund process described in your email.
The refund provision referenced in your request did not apply to the discounted “buy now” subscription you had selected and used. PayPal also independently reviewed the transaction and decided the case in Pobble’s favour.
We’re sorry that the resources were ultimately not the right fit for your needs, and we appreciate your positive comments about their quality. However, the subscription was purchased through the immediate-payment option, the account was actively used, and your email received a prompt response with the appropriate next steps.
Team Pobble