Collective Books Co Reviews 553

The first order with the book was fine, but then a month later they charged me €34.99 for something I hadn’t ordered. A scam!

The physical journal itself is nice, but the way the accompanying subscription is handled shows a lack of transparency that ruins the product for me.

I purchased the journal as a gift and did not realize I was signing up for a paid subscription. While the subscription disclosure technically exists, it is buried several scrolls down the product page, below reviews, inside a collapsed dropdown, and requires additional scrolling even after expanding it. At checkout and in the order summary, the access is labeled as “Free 30 Day Community Access,” with no clear indication that it converts into a paid, recurring subscription or what the post-trial cost will be.

I only became aware of the subscription after being charged. For a physical product purchase, especially one marketed as a gift, this feels misleading and like poor UX at best. Transparency matters, and this experience undermined my trust in the company.

Because of this, I would not recommend this company or purchase from them again.

I don’t usually leave reviews, but this experience was honestly unbelievable.

I ordered two books on 15 November. A week later, when nothing was happening, I cancelled the order well within the legal timeframe. They didn’t reply. I emailed again. Still nothing.

Then on 6 December, they suddenly tell me the package was lost — and casually add that they already resent it… on 3 December.

Let me repeat that:

They KNEW THAT I HAD CANCELLED ALREADY, they admitted the original package was lost, and they STILL shipped a new one after my cancellation. Who does that??

Fast‑forward to January (yes, January), and the books finally show up — long after I said I didn’t want them.

When I asked for the return address (multiple times!), they hit me with “returns on sale items aren’t accepted.”

First of all, that’s not even true under EU rules.

Second, you can’t just ignore someone’s cancellation and then refuse a return because you decided to ship it anyway.

And of course, they’ve stopped replying to my emails. Completely. Radio silence.

I’m now stuck with books I cancelled, didn’t want, didn’t ask to be resent, and can’t return because they won’t even provide an address.

Honestly? This whole thing feels disrespectful, unprofessional, and just exhausting.

Buy from literally any other bookstore — your sanity will thank you.

I purchased products from Collective Books Co and at no point during the checkout process was I clearly informed that I was signing up for a subscription. If this had been disclosed in a transparent way, I would never have agreed to it, as I was only interested in the one-time purchase.

After the purchase, I discovered that I had been automatically enrolled in a recurring subscription and charged without my explicit consent. I contacted the company by email requesting cancellation, yet they still charged me again afterwards.

On top of this, the delivery was extremely slow, with no clear communication or updates about shipping, which added to the overall poor experience.

After researching, I have found many other reviews describing exactly the same experience, which shows this is not an isolated incident but a repeated and intentional practice.

I consider this behaviour misleading and deceptive. I have filed a formal complaint, reported the matter as fraud, and am currently working with my bank to recover the unauthorized charges.

I strongly advise others to be extremely cautious when purchasing from this company.

I bought the book for my father as a gift and then one month later was charged a subscription fee for something that upon purchase I didnt realise I was signing up for. They made it deliberately hard to spot that the purchase came with a subscription.

The day after it was charged I emailed them and requested a refund which they refused because it was not in their T&C.

Classic TikTok drop shipping trash - dont buy from here.

I absolutely hate this company, the book was interesting, well done in Spanish. But they hide your automatic subscription and charge you ~$30 monthly unless you cancel. I reached out to customer service and they said "according to terms and conditions..."

Hate them

Charged for a hidden subscription! First, I ordered a book for Xmas on-line from CBC; by it's advertising I believed the company was based in Mexico, where I live. Delivery time was 8 weeks. I found out it was actually being printed and shipped from China. Missed Xmas. Book quality is fine, although filled with many invented feel-good quotes by CBC itself. In the purchase process, there is mention of a subscription to a "Family Legacy" access, whatever that is. I deliberately OPTED OUT of subscription at that time. A month later, I suddenly see a withdrawal from my checking account for appx $30 USD (causing real problems with my ability to pay my other bills at the time). I reached out to CBC (and "Legacy" website) to customer service and was told multiple times I could cancel subscription, but they could not refund me the money they withdrew from my account. First class theft!

I’m very happy with my order, the delivery was fast and the books are excellent quality!

Warning: this is a scam.
You buy a book and, without any clear warning, you are then charged a €40 monthly subscription, until you realize it and cancel it.
Worst part: when you ask for a refund, they don’t even reply.
Abusive practices and completely unacceptable. Avoid.

Scammy company buyer beware. Took 3 weeks to send the books. And now i randomly got a 49$ charge for a supposed subscription they add to their books. Figured out how to cancel it but they wont give me a refund for non authorized charge. Customer service was terrible saying it was in their terms and service. When you buy the books apparently they give you 30 days free into their community and then charge you. Never buying from this scammers again

I made a purchase pre Christmas for my partner and mother. The journals arrived and all was fine.

I am currently away from my UK home in Europe for a substantial amount of time. Collective Books attempted to collect another payment for a subscription I had no idea about. My bank flagged it as fraud and has blocked my card. Clearly a recognised merchant.

It appears I am not the only one unknowingly subscribing. How to turn a nice event in to a poor one. Avoid, scamming.

I made a one-time purchase and was later charged again without knowingly signing up for any subscription. There was no clear disclosure during checkout.

After reading other reviews, it’s clear this is happening to many customers. Very misleading and feels scammy.

What’s even more concerning: the website I originally ordered from no longer exists under the same name (Collective Books / Know Your Legacy), yet charges are still being processed.

Be very cautious!!! Avoid at all costs!

Be careful! I bought a couple of books and, without warning and without my consent, they automatically signed me up for a monthly subscription to their services (whatever they may be). When I realised that they had charged my account for the monthly fee (35 euros), I told them that I had not given my consent to any subscription and that they should not charge me for it. They replied that there was nothing they could do and have not refunded the amount. They are scammers!

SCAM! Buyer BEWARE!

They subscribe you to a $50 MONTHLY membership to a bs subscription service. You are automatically opted in and they make it hard for you to even notice, and don't even email you to let you know what this pseudo subscription is for when you place an order.

Such SHADY business practices.

THIS IS A SCAM. a recurring charge is on my card now, which I did not order.

SCAM! They charge your credit card for access to a “community” no one wants or asked for, one month after purchase.

They are scammers. Unauthorized charged of 49.90$CAD for a suscription i did not know I purchased.

We will see how the refund request plays out but I feel like changing my credit card

⚠️ Just sharing my experience:
I was charged a €30/month subscription that wasn’t clearly communicated, they refused a refund, and they didn’t remove my personal data after I asked.
Please be careful and double-check before purchasing.

I thought the idea was simply wonderful. My dad and I are both quite reserved when it comes to expressing our feelings, so I’m thrilled that he’ll have the chance to open up freely. Once he’s finished, I’ll be able to dive into it and finally get answers to all the questions I’ve always had.Truly amazing, thank you so much.

They tag on unexpected charges a month after you purchase anything. Then, when you dispute it... they tell you the charges can not be reversed. I highly recommend you avoid.