LegalZoom

I am writing this review to share my deeply disappointing and frustrating experience with LegalZoom. After discovering that I was being billed $39.95 per month for nearly five years without my knowledge or consent, I contacted their support team to address the unauthorized charges.

Despite my clear and repeated requests for a resolution, including a full refund and cancellation of the subscription, LegalZooms representatives failed to respond adequately and have even ignored my follow-up messages. This experience has left me feeling deceived and taken advantage of, prompting me to share my experience to warn others about the companys questionable practices and lack of customer support.
In late July 2024, I noticed a recurring charge of $39.95 from LegalZoom on my credit card statement. Puzzled, I reached out to their customer support, as I had not used LegalZooms services since 2019 and had no recollection of subscribing to any ongoing service. After a lengthy back-and-forth, I was informed that I had been subscribed to a Legal Forms Monthly Subscription since December 2019a service that was neither clearly disclosed nor ever utilized by me.
Shockingly, I discovered that I had been charged $39.95 every month for 56 months, totaling $2,237.20.

I had never received any emails or notifications about these charges, and the subscription itself was hidden from plain view within my account. When I questioned how they continued to bill me even after my credit card had expired, they offered no clear explanation.
Whats worse, LegalZooms support representatives have been unhelpful and dismissive. After requesting a full refund and cancellation of the subscription, I was transferred multiple times and eventually left waiting with no response for over [insert current wait time] minutes.

It became clear that they were intentionally avoiding my requests, hoping I would give up.
LegalZooms deceptive practices, lack of transparency, and poor customer service have left me feeling misled and frustrated. This company is an intricate scam artist and a fraud.

Straight up scammers. I paid $5 to see if the name for an LLC was available.

Legal Zoom took the liberty to attempt charging me to fully start up the LLC. I didn't have enough, so the transaction didn't go through. I clearly didn't start the business, and now I have the government sending me paperwork threatening to fine me for not filing taxes for my LLC (that I never paid to start and decided not to continue with).

I contacted LegalZoom to sort it out and was told that the LLC was created whether I paid for it or not but they can close it out for a bunch of money (can't remember, either $300 or $400). I got laid off my job before the year started and became a stay-at-home-parent, so I quite literally can't afford this form of extortion.

I wish negative stars were available!

I purchased a sales permit through them in March, and months later, it was still incomplete. After repeatedly following up, I was told everything was on schedule, but more time passed, and still no progress.

When I emailed again, I was informed my questionnaire was incomplete, though I never received one. After clarifying this, they said it was actually completeyet the permit remained unfinished.

Months later, I still didnt have my permit. After countless emails and calls, they finally created an urgent ticket, promising to respond in three days. Eight days passed, and still no word.

When I followed up again, they informed me they no longer handle sales permits and issued a refund8 months after I initially purchased the service. If I hadnt reached out multiple times, they wouldnt have even refunded me.

My client's surname is *** It is one of the most common surnames in Chinese. LegalZoom told me that the state of Wisconsin did not allow that name to be used.

When I called the WI Dept. of Financial Institutions, the representative told me that there was no prohibition against using *** in the name of a corporation.

I called LegalZoom back and told them that the previous representative had lied (or given erroneous information) to me. They told me that I needed to get a name reservation to prove that the name was approved.

I ended up setting up a corporation directly on the WI Dept. of Financial Institutions' website. LegalZoom was a huge waste of time!

when they sale package they were so nice and always try to upgrade service. I fall for the same trap.

They convinced me to upgrade but never explained there will be $49 charge for legal advice fee every month and i need to cancel. i was not told and after two months when i figure it out, then called them and they promise one of their supervisors going to call me to resolve the charges, no one called. 3 days after i called and they refused to refund two-month charges and telling to see the receipt where they have mentioned about the charge. this is how taking the advantage of small prints.

that charge to me is unauthorized and illegal. But these guys are very tricky, and they just take advantage of people who is not aware of those terms when start a business. And always try to prove whatever they charge is right and they explain to you, which they don't. i am not recommending anyone to them.

if you deal with them, be careful and go through each line of the documents which they sent. This is really unexpected, its completely a fraud way to do business.

I used legal zoom to set up an LLC to register a car in Montana, this was the wrong choice in my opinion. The set up was not the problem, it was customer service and company policies which are not okay.

In the process of registering my car, the 3rd party that was in charge of registering the vehicle needed to send some documents to my registered agent, which i was told that all documents that are received by the registered agent will get sent out to the mailing address on file. That never happened and all of my paperwork from the state and from the bank that was sent out was lost, so i had to restart the whole process. My car registration took 3 months due to this. Insane.

Before i started the process again, i changed my registered agent as the one that i was assigned was not responsive whatsoever.

My agent was changed in the first two months of the LLC creation. It was a joke, i attempted everyway possible to get in touch with the agent other than driving across the country to visit in person. i changed my registered agent and did the correct paperwork with the state and they continued to charge me for 3 more years. This is a $240 yearly fee.

I wake up this morning and notice i have roughly $600 (Registered agent $240 and compliance fees $280) in charges from legal zoom, so i immediately review all the emails from leagel zoom, i quickly realized that ALL EMAILS WERE GOING TO MY SPAM, and i never saw a single one of them.

They even told me over the phone that we noticed that you opened the email this morning. The email i opened was sent 2 months prior. I followed up and asked if any other emails were open and she said not that i can see. I get that i signed off 3+ years ago for some of these services, but if someone calls in and politely explains the situation and why it is not correct, and the customer service rep even acknowledges the facts that i havent opened a single email besides 1, and they still wouldnt refund my money due to company policy.

Its a complete joke and i would not recommend using them to my worst enemy. I am totaling about $730 that should have never been charged, plain and simple.

If i was anyone wanting to form an LLC or corporation, do not use legal zoom services.

This was a nightmare, and i'm not exaggerating one bit here. Use another 3rd party and pay more for a better experience

First: Last price increase was much more than one might expect. I inquired via email for a written response--no one bothered to respond.
Second: I'm disappointed in the lack of attorneys in Southern California.
Third: Just before I terminated my plan, I was contacted by either a LZ employee or staffer at the attorney's office I was waiting to speak to.
The attorney incorrectly read my description of my issue.

I clarified my need and the employee spoke to me in a condescending tone parroting the same message from the attorney. She refused to convey my clarification.
I've located a more expensive plan with a broader selection of attorneys to choose from.

I'm also disappointed LZ no longer offer Tax questions with my plan.
Overall, the offerings and dearth of attorneys led me to terminate my plan.
Companies which do not respond to customer's needs eventually burn out. LZ, I believe, is on that trajectory!
Joe Bell