Meetup, Inc.

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Dear [redacted],
I’m responding to [redacted]’s complaint regarding her recent payment. I took a look at [redacted]’s account, and I see that she was able to speak with my colleague on the phone, and her payment was refunded.
Sincerely,
Lilith B[redacted]
Senior Community Specialist
[redacted]
Meetup, Inc.

The overall experience was disappointing. First I wanted to find some hobbies or interests outside of my current group of friends. I joined some social groups and even some singles groups I am a very shy person when put into a social situation where I know no one. I decided to interact with a few people before I would show up at an overpriced event with strangers. I wanted to get a feel for the group, what to expect and to be able to get to know someone before attending an event. I received responses back from other interested members. Then meetup deleted my account stating I was sending spam messages!!! Apparently they have a rule against copying/pasting messages. How many different ways can you say “Hi can you tell me what your opinion is of said group?” How feasible is to make sure every message is unique? Is it really spam if members are talking to each other? Isn’t the point of this site for basic networking? If I’m in a singles group isn’t the point to meet others who may share common interests? Apparently not. Meetup wants you to be forced into awkward social situations and then you are free to conversate with others in your group. In this day and age meetup might be the only site where one is not allowed to send online messages. Truly bizarre.
Worst part was I don’t even get a warning that what I was doing was against their Terms of Service. Just tried to log in one day and got a message my account was deleted and would not be reinstated. That was just bizarre.
Of course trying to get an explanation from customer service is like trying to get a toddler to explain why they thought it was a good idea to eat cat poop. They are of no help. You can’t have a conversation with them. They are however really good at replying with scripted correspondence that offers no real answer to one’s specific issue. And that includes responding back and informing them that they haven’t really explained their position, offered a reasonable solution or even appear to have actually read your email query to them.
In my opinion trying to get customer service to help is a complete waste of time. They have no idea what that term means. And that’s apparently OK with them until we as consumers stop buying their product or someone else develops a similar model.
One more thing MeetUp: “Your account will not be reinstated. Thank YOU for understanding. [redacted]

Review: My email was changed with meetup.com by a hacker. I called and they said they could not help. They would not give me the email of the person pretending to be me, and stated again that they could not help. Only allowed to email in, which has already been done with Incident #[redacted]and led to an absolute fail of finding a solution. Now, my groups, and one that I organize are subjected to comments I do not make or actions I do not make by someone pretending to be me. Meetup does not care. My credit card/billing information for the monthly dues I pay for organizing the Winning Resume Strategies group is also at huge risk by the person who figured out my password and changed my email in the system.Desired Settlement: I want meetup to restore the original gmail.com address for my meetup groups and to prosecute the person that hacked into my online identity and assumed it. This is a serious legal matter and the people at Meetup HQ do not seem to understand this since I've been brushed off both via email and phone. Please rectify immediately.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: Meetup has a 100% refund policy within 30 days.

I signed up for Meetup and was charged $44.97 US dollars on January **, 2016.

On February **, 2016, I requested a full refund of $44.97 US dollars.

On February **, 2016, I received an email from Meetup saying I had been refunded and will see it on my credit card within 3 to 7 business days.

Today is March *, 2016, and I am still waiting for the refund.Desired Settlement: Meetup needs to refund me the $44.97 US dollars back to my credit card. Meetup needs to refund me an additional $44.97 US dollars for making me wait almost a month for my refund.

Business

Response:

[redacted]Dear [redacted],I’m responding to [redacted]s complaint regarding his delayed refund. I see that we issued a refund on February [redacted], when the refund was first requested, but an error caused a delay to February [redacted]. A week later, we received an email stating the refund still had not been received. From our end, we confirmed that the refund had been issued. At that point, once a refund is confirmed, we must encourage members to check in with their financial institutions to locate those funds.I’m very sorry for the delay, and any inconvenience this caused. We are unable to refund more money than was paid, but if you reach out to [redacted], we would be happy to issue a discount towards a future payment.Sincerely,[redacted]Senior Community Specialist[redacted]Meetup, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: I created an an account on www.meetup.com, and then created a group called "[redacted]", which I paid for. The group was about connecting people through a meeting at a venue which I also paid for, based on the fact that my meeting would take place. Shortly after I established the group, Meetup sent me an email, not signed, stating that my group was close because it was not in line with their guidelines, without saying a specific violation. I sent them an email requesting details, and they sent another anonymous email, saying "Your Meetup Group was brought to our attention as specifically promoting a venue, so we conducted a limited inquiry into the content. We've determined that it's in violation of our Group Community Guidelines. As a result of our inquiry, we've closed your Meetup Group and refunded your Organizer Dues.". I specifically said that I wasn't doing that and asked for a proof, and they said again that after a limited inquiry they concluded that my group wasn't in line with their policy, without giving me details, without signing the email, without any other proof or explanation saying also that group closing is at their discretion. I asked them to reinstate my group which was abusively closed, and their answer was no and that I can create a new group going through the whole registration and payment process again.

After a week I decided to start the same group all over again, went through the whole registration process, online payment, made sure that it was in line with their guidelines, worked hard at the group profile and settings, creating a lot of text and images, making 100 paper flyers and giving them away and reserving again the hotel conference room for the meeting. After a week of existence, 10 days before the meeting and after I managed to gather 4 members in my "[redacted]" group, today October ** 2013 I got, for the second time in my Meetup experience, the same impersonal notice that my group was again closed because it wasn't inline with their guidelines,again without stating what the problem was, without warning, without signing the email and without any regard whatsoever for my work.

I never had this kind of problem in my life, I find this behavior abusive, disrespectful towards a person's time and hard work, without caring about other expenses I had reserving the venue, making the flyers and so on, without saying what I did wrong or giving me a chance to straighten it out and without providing even a name in the emails, always signing with an impersonal "Best,

Meetup HQ"Desired Settlement: To give me proof of what I did wrong the first and second time that wasn't inline with their policies, the names of the people responsible for closing my group, an apology for their abusive behavior and to reinstate my group as it was the last time, without any charge.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We are responding to a complaint letter received October **, 2013 and dated

October **, 2013.

We are sorry to hear that [redacted] had a bad experience trying to create a

Meetup Group. I have reviewed the situation and our correspondence with [redacted]

Meetup's mission is to foster long-lasting community groups, and we review each

new Meetup Group to make sure it's in line with our Group Community Guidelines

and our Terms of Service. Those guidelines are available here:

When we reviewed [redacted]'s Meetup Groups, "[redacted]" (created 9/**/13) and "[redacted]" (created 10/*/13), we determined that they were created to promote a service. This is a violation of our guidelines, and we closed the groups as a result on 10/*/13 and 10/**/13 respectively. We also refunded [redacted]'s two Organizer Dues purchases, so he has been refunded in full for the $24.00 he paid to us. I understand that in an email [redacted] received from our Community Team, we indicated that his group

had been closed for promoting a venue. This was an error on our part.

Again, we are sorry that [redacted] had a negative experience with this. Having said that, Meetup reserves the right to remove content and groups at our discretion in keeping with our Terms of Service and his Meetup Group(s) will not be reinstated.

Sincerely,

Trust & Safety Lead

Meetup, Inc.

Review: Meet up.com stated: "Our Community Team reviews each newly-created Meetup Group to see if it's a good fit for our platform. When we took a look at your Meetup Group, Northern Westchester/Putnam Long-Form Improv. Practice Group, we determined that it wasn't in line with our Group Community Guidelines. You can check them out here:

As a result, we've closed your Meetup Group. Sorry about that. Don't worry, we've also refunded your Organizer Dues. It may take 3-7 business days for that refund to appear on your account. Please confirm receipt directly with your card issuer.

We appreciate your interest in Meetup!

Best,

Meetup HQ"

I checked the link and my event description was not in violation. I sent them an e-mail explaining this. I waited over a week for this rejection, and I rented a space and paid for a coach. They were supposed to take 2 days to review the content. They took over a week. My Meet up is supposed to start Dec. [redacted], but no one is coming. I replied to their e-mail today, Dec. ** 2013. Here is my reply:

Dear Meetup HQ,

I am baffled.

The decision to remove my group makes absolutely no sense to me. I have not violated one thing on the list AND there are two other improv. groups almost identical to mine. In fact here is Westchester Improv Group's description:

"Love improv? Taking a class in the city? Taking a class in Westchester? Want to give improv a shot? This is a group for people who want to get together to practice the skills and tools we learn in our improv classes, or even to try improv for the first time! The community I want to create here is a supportive one, in which we can work on being in the moment, finding the truth of the scene, and work at all different levels of improv. Meetups can be more advanced or beginner (or anywhere in between). Feel free to suggest a practice session! We can have a Harold workshop one week, and a "yes, and" session the next. All are welcome, but please keep the level in mind when you come to a meetup, so that no one feels left behind or held back. If anyone knows of a good, cheap practice space or has a large basement we can use, please let me know!"

This group doesn't have a consistent meet up space, yet it's on your site!

Here's mine:

Northern Westchester/Putnam Long-Form Improv. Practice Group

If you need to practice long-form comedy improvisation, please join us at The Studio Around the Corner in Brewster, NY @ [redacted]t. in the Town Hall Theater (1 block from the Brewster train station) on Thursdays (starting Dec. [redacted]) from 7:30-9:00 pm.

We seek to practice long-form comedy improvisation through various exercises and scene work. Our goal is to build our long-form improvisational skills in a non-critical, supportive environment under the guidance of an experienced coach. We will begin with the basics of base reality and yes-and and move towards understanding the best moves to play the game: if this than what?

Please wear comfortable shoes and practical clothing. There is a non-refundable $30.00 fee at the beginning of each month to pay for the studio rental and coach's fee. Preferred participants should have experience or prior training in long-form improvisation and be 16 years of age or older.

Please state the specific reason this description does not meet your community group guidelines as you claim, as none of the violations in your description are present in my description.

Furthermore, to write: "Sorry about that. Don't worry, we've also refunded your Organizer Dues. . ." is unprofessional. I intend to report both your unfair decision and informal tone to the Revdex.com.

I would also like the telephone number and name of a manager with whom I can speak.

Thank you.

[redacted]Desired Settlement: I'd like them to post my Meetup or they are discriminating against me. For the inconvenience, I should receive 1 free month.

The phone number ###-###-#### only accepts voice mail. I'd like to speak with a manager.

Review: I joined a [redacted] of Northwest Suburbs group on meetup.com, and all I did was suggest/ask if this particular event could be done at another member's home or at a park and members could pitch in for price of the park so there wouldn't be a waiting list, there was a waiting list iif more than 20 people wanted to go to this brunch at a member's house. In my mind, why invite others to an event/party if you have a rigid limit on how many people can go and how fair is that to the others who can't go? Then I got a message I was removed from the group, no warning, nothing. Meetup.com said I could try talking to the moderator of the group but it's pretty clear I am not welcomed back and I don't want to be a part of the group or I could join another group. This is hardly an acceptable response from a national company who provides social interaction meetups.

Document: [redacted]Desired Settlement: Meetup higher official than indicated in my document addressing the inappropriateness of belittling my complaint and doing something about it, add a rule to meetup.com "No waiting list is allowed" or "No kicking out a member without a warning unless member is violent or abusive" I was in no way abusive. An apology or just a report on the company that a complaint was made, if corporate office won't respond to this.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern: This is in response to complaint ID [redacted]. Meetup’s Terms of Service ([redacted]), section 7.3, states that a Meetup organizer "has the right, in his or her sole discretion, to temporarily suspend, indefinitely suspend or terminate your membership in his or her Meetup Group.” [redacted]’s membership in Meetup.com has not been affected, and she is free to continue use of the platform and join new Meetup groups as she sees fit. We wish her the best in those endeavors.Sincerely,[redacted]Community Team ManagerMeetup, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

So organizers can remove a person from a group for NO GOOD REASON? Very shady to me. I was just making a suggestion/asking a question and I got removed. Please see attached for detailed documentation of events.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern:In her response, [redacted] writes, “Organizers can remove a person from a group for NO GOOD REASON?”I must again direct her to Meetup’s Terms of Service ([redacted]). Again, Section 7.3 of our Terms of Service—which [redacted], by registering as a member of Meetup.com, indicated that she read and agreed to—grant Meetup group organizers sole discretion to "to temporarily suspend, indefinitely suspend or terminate” a membership in their Meetup group.In accordance with our Terms of Service, we allow Meetup organizers to run their Meetup groups as they deem appropriate. That includes removing members as they see fit. As such, we will not be taking any action to intervene in this situation. While it is regretful when such disagreements occur on Meetup, we hope that [redacted] will find another Meetup group that better suits her needs. Sincerely,[redacted]Community Team ManagerMeetup, Inc.Tell us why here...

Review: On 02/**/14 I had created a meetup group for football league on [redacted] and paid $72 for 6 months of service. On 02/**/14 I had received an email from meetup HQ telling me that my meet up group was deleted for an apparent reason because it violated one of their rules that I had no clue about. I think it was because I had mentioned in my bio that I do offer one on one personal training service to people for $20 per hour to help lose weight or build muscle. I also stated that I am organizing a free two hand touch football league on the weekends to help the community get into shape. Apparently I was not allowed to mention anything about charging $20 for Personal training, however I see people on [redacted] charging other people $ money to attend their meetup groups, but I am not allowed to charge money in my meet up group? Ok that is fine. So The crooks had told me on the [redacted] that a refund will be issued and it will take 3-7 days. Its been 8 days and I did not get my refund. Every time I try to contact them about my refund, they reply with some nonsense like "we are overwhelmed with requests" So they were not overwhelmed to process my credit card but when it comes to my refund they are overwhelmed? I just want Revdex.com to help me get my refund from these crooks at [redacted]Desired Settlement: I want to get my refund back and an apology for trying to help the community to get into shape by organizing free football games and my group was terminated for no reason

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,