Note: We have adjusted this company’s BBB rating according to our own standards. To better understand why we adjust BBB ratings, please see our Rating Criteria.
No Dedicated BBB Profile
The Better Business Bureau does not have a designated profile for Square for Retail. BBB does maintain a profile for Square, which contemplates its merchant accounts across all of its services.
As of this update, the Better Business Bureau is reporting an “F” rating for Square despite 2,916 complaints filed in the last 36 months. This complaint total is up from the company’s total of 2,591 at the time of our last update, which may indicate that Square’s BBB complaint total could increase further. Unsurprisingly, the BBB has lowered Square’s grade from an “A+” to an “F” despite the rising complaint volume.
How the Complaints Break Down
Of the 2,916 total complaints, 2,051 are regarding problems with service, 686 with billing and collection disputes, 105 with delivery problems, 56 with advertising and sales issues, and 18 due to guarantee or warranty issues. The BBB has also added a note stating that it has received many complaints regarding Square’s fund withholding procedures. Square has responded by quoting its Terms of Use policies and referring to the help section of its website. It does not seem to have made any tangible change to its fund holding policy in response to this notice. Square has successfully resolved just 307 complaints. 1,797 of the complaints were answered but did not receive a final response from the original complainant. 49 complaints were unresolved despite the company’s effort. Strikingly, 763 complaints were left unanswered by the company.
What Merchants Say
Square has also received 356 informal reviews to its BBB profile, only 11 of which were positive on tone, meaning 345 are negative. The most recent review describes an issue with Square’s Cash app:
Don’t ever use the cash app for any reason somebody hacked my account sent me a new card to my home address and these fools ain’t going to do nothing about it but say sorry. Someone hacked into their system and obtained my personal home address and sent me a fraudulent card! There is no phone number for you to use and if you look on the BBB website for Better Business Bureau, There is almost 3,000 complaints. Unlink your bank account and debit card throw away their card and delete the app now! If something happens to your money you will never get it back!
It’s unclear what this user’s specific problem was, but all Square Cash users are advised to watch out for Square Cash app customer support scams.
Pattern of Complaint Notice
The BBB has also prefaced Square’s profile with a notice of the pattern of complaints that the company has received. Following a review of its profile, Square’s customer service issues have caused the BBB to offer merchants a forwarning:
Pattern of Complaint
Square, Inc. came to BBB’s attention in December 2010. A review of the company’s complaints on file was done in October 2019. Based on BBB files this company has a pattern of complaints. Complaints on file state a lack of customer service specifically; a lack of timely response to urgent issues, assistance, and communication.
BBB reached out to the company so that they may respond to the complaints currently on file and explain the process of handling support tickets. To date, the company has not responded.
A “C” Performance
Due to the company’s high complaint count compared to its relatively short time in business, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “C” for the purposes of this review.
2 Responses
Customer service needs considerable improvement. After a confusing and complicated process to get a code to even call in to customer service and the 20 minute wait time, we finally reached Victoria. She was rude throughout the conversation with snide little remarks stating she needed to speak to the account owner (I’m the manager and authorized representative), which I said was fine, would she mind calling him. At first said she would call him, and asked for his number, I asked her to hold for me to text him first so he would answer, to which she said yes. I texted and while we waited I asked why if I’m authorized representative why I could not verify the account (we had a fraudulent attack, which rerouted our funds to another bank account). She responded that she didn’t like how I was speaking to her so he would have to call in and wait on hold for another representative. I told her that was not fair and he was expecting her call and I wanted to speak to a manager, she said there was no phone management support, then she hung up on me!
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-Phillip
OMG. Square gets an F rating from me. I applied for Square Merchant’s account in May of 2018 or or around May 18 – May 23, 2018. When I got my bank statement in June I was billed for a Merchant’s Account for March, April, May and June. I could not find a phone number or e-mail complaint line for Square but I did find someone who tried to sell my associate the same service. Sadly my bank said it was a legal charge. IT WAS LEGAL TO CHARGE ME FOR A SERVICE THREE MONTHS BEFORE I RECEIVED THE SERVICE. !!!!i I called the website provider and told them to remove my merchant’s account. They were kind enough to verify the web site start up date. My e-mails verified when I added Square. It was three months later! I would continue to encourage my associates to avoid Square. It cost $24.90 per month for an account that I did not have and $24.90 per month for an account I only used once when I set it up to test it’s activation with a $1.00 charge. I have searched the internet and have yet to find a number to recover my money from SQUARE. One dishonest merchant to another my own bank called it a legal charge by way of a form letter with no name or signature. Sounds pretty shady. YOU KNOW IT. I don’t know how in the heck Square could get a B from BBB. I read the complaints. I am going to continue to complain about Square in writing and to everyone that will hear me until they return my four months of payments that they charged me for an account I never used and was charged three months before I actually set up and activated Square. Theft or Fraud it certainly isn’t honest!
From The Editor
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