Rachel H.
Exceptional circumstances but they still took my money
This review is not a reflection on the quality or content of Pimsleur’s language programmes. It is a reflection on what I experienced as an inflexible and policy-driven approach to customer service. My annual subscription auto-renewed for approximately £145. Unfortunately, at the time the renewal reminder email was sent and payment processed, my family and I were dealing with my son's end-of-life care and subsequent loss. Monitoring subscription emails and account renewals was understandably not at the forefront of my attention during that period. I was not aware that my subscription remained active until after payment had already been taken. As soon as I realised, I contacted support immediately to explain the circumstances and request a goodwill exception. I was not attempting to use the renewed service and later seek a refund – I contacted them promptly once I became aware. The outcome remained unchanged: policy was policy and no exception could be made. I understand companies need policies. However, I also believe exceptional circumstances sometimes require compassion and discretion. What has left me both upset and angry is feeling that an extraordinary family situation was effectively reduced to simply "forgot to cancel". Others can make their own judgement, but based on my experience, I was left feeling that money was prioritised above compassion and customer care.
Response from Pimsleur Language ProgramsJun 11, 2026
Hi Rachel, First and foremost, we are deeply sorry for the loss of your son. Please accept our sincere condolences. We would also like to apologize for the delay in responding to your review. Until recently, we did not have the ability to respond on this platform and had to work with Trustpilot to obtain the necessary permissions. We regret that we were unable to reach out sooner. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention, as feedback like yours helps us better train our customer service team, especially new agents, on how to handle sensitive circumstances with greater care, empathy, and discretion. We would like to make an exception and refund the renewal charge. To do that, we simply need to identify the correct account. Please contact our Customer Support team and reference this review so we can locate your account and process the refund as quickly as possible. Again, we are truly sorry for your loss and for the frustration this experience caused during such a difficult time. We appreciate your past business and hope to have the opportunity to make this right. Best, The Pimsleur Team