Public Goods Tracking Order Status

Hey people who thinks they were "scammed" - IF you read their Home Page, it's THERE, it DOES state they are a "Membership" online store, just like Costco! DUH! Like with anything else out there, it's your responsibility as a Consumer to "read" Agreed Upon Terms & Conditions. Obviously these allegedly scammed people DID NOT do that! I gave 3-Stars as a "neutral" rating because I have not yet ordered from them.

It was saddened to see that this person was so unhappy about the $79 yearly fee. I’m a customer of Public Goods and a very HAPPY CUSTOMER at that. As a retired business person, I just want to point out a couple things that should make you think differently. Take Costco, for example. There’s a good chance that YOU might be a member. For many companies, it’s advantageous for the company and the consumer, to have membership(s). Some are tax reasons. Some are to attract/maintain a particular customer or business base. You state that nowhere does the site state that you need a membership. This isn’t true and I strongly suggest you look at the site again, so that you can correct your evaluation. AND, maybe, after reading this, you will change your mind and happily join! Look at it as a business, with a membership like Costco has, but it’s even better in many ways. No lines is one of my favorites! The QUALITY is bar none, the BEST quality possible. I know why, because after reading your comments, I decided to read the WHOLE website. Public Goods put each and every item through vigorous scrutiny, testing, etc. from start to finish. The products, ingredients in products, are based from who they get from. Is that supplier a decent company, treating their employees well, organic, not polluting, etc! Foods! Wow! The saying is big things come in small packages. I’m changing it-BIG AND GREAT THINGS COME IN PLAIN, RECYCLED PACKAGES. Top quality. Yummy. Quality. Prices are BETTER than the average store. The Rice Pilaf (different flavors too), is my go-to side dish. And I ALWAYS make double because everyone wants seconds. I just tried the Chai Tea concentrate. It’s BETTER, doesn’t have the ingredients that sound like it was developed in a lab like the concentrate I purchased at the store. Cleaning products- I started with the starter kits. A QUALITY spray bottle and a small container of the concentrate for Surface, Bathroom and Window Cleaners. I’m now paying HALF for a product that works as good if not BETTER than the name brand. AND, I’m not throwing away a plastic bottle over and over again. Beauty-I admit. I was apprehensive about trying the face and eye creams. I’m so glad that I did!!!! My SAVINGS are approximately $65.00 on the two! Each is JUST as good as the name brand I used for years. I’m sorry for talking ears-eyes off lol but Public Goids is one of the BEST companies I’ve EVER used and i didn’t even go into how they plant a tree for every order, or donate to a food bank, etc. They truly are a company with a heart and soul.

Seems like a cool company with good products. The reason for my review is that they make you jump through a million hoops to cancel your free trial or membership. Had to email them back and forth and then fill out some ridiculous long form just to cancel and not be charged. If you are going to stick with them- great. If you are just trying out their products to see if you like it, its not worth the effort.

Tbe products are ok, the membership has no benefits that I can see. Shipping cost is too high so I haven’t ordered again. One item I liked is no longer available. Not worth it.

I'd give 4.25 or 4.5 if I could, but I'm feeling generous today. I remember seeing an Instagram ad for their ramen and thinking, "Man, this might be a good base for a meal between classes." I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was! I enjoyed both the Original Ramen and the Spicy Sesame Oil Ramen. I have yet to try their other products, but I'll work my way around to them. Now, let's get to business practices. I wish how the "2-week membership free trial" thing worked was clarified better before purchasing. The first reference to the membership is on the homepage. You need to scroll down some to see it, but it's there. This one is straightforward and tells you about the 2-week free trial. It also briefly describes the reasoning for the membership pricing ($79/mo). It does not, however, tell you if it's opt-in. The second reference to the membership is on the checkout page. At this point, the membership is automatically added to the cart and cannot be removed. Despite this, it DOES EXPLICITLY SAY that you can cancel the free trial any time. The process to do so is relatively simple and easy (read on for my experience later in the review). I don't think this is the best way to introduce the membership. I don't know how many people would ACTUALLY scroll down the homepage to the first reference, so most are probably being introduced to it at checkout. Like any free trial involving a membership/subscription, they WILL charge you the specified amount at the end of the period. An email is sent to you for setting up a Public Goods account after your first purchase. Again, not the best way of doing this. If that's not your experience, you can contact their support. The easiest methods I could find were: the "Contact" link at the bottom of the page and the "FAQ" link at the top, next to "About." Arguably, the BETTER way to implement the membership system would be to create the account BEFORE (or during) purchasing. Many goods/services websites are structured that way, and consumers will be more familiar with that sequence. I don't know if that's possible, as it may depend on how their site/infrastructure is configured, but it would be the better way to go about it. Lastly, I'll talk about customer service. The exchange I had was brief but excellent and responsive. Initially, I was going to cancel, but I was convinced to stay (yeah, I know, but I will be buying a lot of their ramen this year). Honestly, I was expecting an email in the morning (I sent it close to 10pm) but ended up getting a response within 15 minutes. The following emails were equally prompt. For people worried about the 1-star reviews: don't worry. As long as you can read carefully—everything is spelled out clearly if you pay attention—you'll know what to do and won't be charged the membership price.