Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I opened a public.com account with an offer of $100 in stocks in August of 2024. I met all requirements, however, public.com failed to present the offer. I emailed COO ******* ***** in February of 2025, who reviewed my information, agreed that the offer should have been activated, and then added the reward. However, I am now under ***** regulation and forced to liquidate my account. I messaged this information to ******* ***** on 2/11/25 and 2/18/25 with no response or resolution. Public.com is refusing to release the hold on an offer that should have been cleared for release by November of 2024, 3 months after the offer was supposed to be presented.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  Hi *****, Thank you for reaching out. It looks like you received your fractional share reward on February 8, 2025. Funds from fractional shares settle 90 days from the time the rewards are granted. Your funds should be settled and available to withdraw by Friday, May 9, 2025. We are not able to expedite the settlement timeline. 

  If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know in the app or by email at *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/17/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]I have no received  the lot information they are referring to ! So that I can close my account 

   

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****
  
  
  
  
   
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  Hi *******, Thank you for reaching out. Were happy to help you close your account. You currently have two stocks in your portfolio that will need to be sold before your account can be closed. We provided a ***** Lot Form for you to fill out to sell one of the stocks and provided instructions on how to sell the other stock. Once this is complete, we can start the process to close your account. 

  If you need the ***** Lot Form again or have any questions, please reach out to us in the app or by email at *********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/06/2025

  Hi *******, Thank you for following up. We have resent the ***** lot form to your email. Please fill it out and return it to us and we can ensure that position is liquidated. Please note you have one other position, you will be required to sell.

  Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing us at ********************************************************. 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   Your business practices are very malicious. Holding funds for weeks because you only have a chat that you can respond to and ignore whenever you feel like. Its disgusting that it took a BBB complaint and an account transfer to finally get a response

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** **************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  Hi ******, Thank you for reaching out. Your account was restricted due to a returned deposit. However, due to your outgoing account transfer, your account is restricted to no trading to allow the transfer to process correctly. 

  We apologize for any delays in our response. If you have any questions, please let us know using the in-app chat or by email at ********************************************************. 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/11/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  Yes, you have told me that numerous times now. I have made a deposit which your bank returned. Then restricted my deposits and withdrawals,  You gave me no clear cut instructions on how to get my account back to normal from your bank error. On top of it kept the money that was left in the account. Where does this $377.23 go? Because as of now it is connected to an account with my name on it? Which at the end of the day you want to keep from your bank error. And I am still getting statements each month on an account that is soposes to be closed from a brokerage that cant handle a simple deposit. 

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****
  
  
  
  
   
  to deposit into that account any amount since my account was restricted to being unable to withdrawl, and didnt feel comfortable to do a wire transfer. . It felt similar to a scam. So I instructed them to close my account. Which they did but didnt. My account is not active , But I have $377 that is on deposit at public and I can not get any answers as to steps needed in order to get the money out of their bank and get my account fully closed therefore have a zero balance going forward with the $377 withdrawn and account completely closed. I should not be receiving account statements each month on a closed account? But I still am. The attached statements show they have created a negative balance of -$377 on my account in order to offset the positive balance of $377 to bring the account total to $0 on paper but where did the -$377 come from? Id like answers to how to get the money and how to fully close my account to $0. Thanks

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2025

  Hi *******, Thank you for reaching out. It looks like your deposits were canceled, therefore you did not have any funds in your account to invest with, and this resulted in a freeriding violation. A freeriding violation occurs when you buy securities and then pay for that purchase by using the proceeds from a sale of the same securities. This practice violates Regulation T of the ********************* concerning customer broker-dealer credit.

  Your account has since been closed, as you requested. If you have any questions, please let us know by email at *********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Hi *******, Thank you for following up. As explained previously, the funds in your account were the result of a Freeriding violation. When a freeriding violation occurs, we restrict your account, and the profits from purchases in the account are not eligible for withdrawal, based on a lack of payment for the purchases. We provided instructions on how to wire funds to your account to maintain your account. 

  If you have any questions, please reach out to us directly by email at *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/11/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I have had accounts with dozens of brokers and banks over the past 60 years, and have never before heard such a specious argument. Obviously, they already know who I am and they know that the bank account is in my name. Returning deposited funds to the same account from which they were received is incontestably a ZERO risk transaction.
  
  I wish that I had not already handed over so much personal information to this business. I simply do not trust them. If I decline to provide the additional personal data that they demand, then do they intend to confiscate the money?

  
  

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ********
  
  
  
  
   
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2025

  Hi ***, Thank you for reaching out and letting us know. Due to your recent deposit and withdrawal activity and the short time between them, we view this as a high-risk transaction and ask that you help us by providing a few additional details to verify your information further. We ask for a valid government issued ID and proof of bank ownership in the form of a recent bank statement for the bank account linked. We do have a secure document upload link you can upload your documents to if you prefer. 

  Please reach out to us by email at ********************************* and we will be happy to provide the secure link and review your documents.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  Hi ***, Thank you for following up. We are required to verify bank ownership on outgoing withdrawals. This step is to ensure the security and protection of your account and information. This is a requirement for all members. 

  To begin the verification process, please reach out to us using the in app chat or by email at *********************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  It is patently absurd to say that you don't know who owns the bank account, since **************** would have rejected the initial deposit if it were not my account. And even if the account were in the name Porky Pig, you have been asked to return cash to the same account from which you acquired it. No rational being would demand additional documentation. And since Public.com has repeatedly demonstrated absolute contempt for rudimentary privacy protection, I have no intention of providing such irresponsible clowns with one iota of additional data.

   

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ********
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  Your team isnt understanding what Im saying though and Ive been trying to tell that that and theyre not listening. I just want this to be simple as possible and theyre over complicating things.

   

  
  

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******
  
  
  
  
   
  ing to me. Because of this issue there has been missed bills and payments on my part that I have late fees on and am furious due to lack of service from your end. Ive thought about pursuing this legally and have spoke to a lawyer earlier this week but would not like to as it is a hassle on both ends and just simply would like the buying power back into my account as a simple option for both parties but for some reason its taken 2 months to get it to me even though Ive been told it would be taken care of multiple times over support line and over chats and its extremely irritating and wrong the way its been.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2025

  Hi *****, Thank you for reaching out. Our teams have addressed your concerns with your options contracts both by providing the quotes at the time the orders were entered and also the reasoning behind why your orders were not filled. 

  At this time, we do not offer phone support. Please reach out to us in the app or by email at ******************************** with any further questions.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2025

  Hi *****, Thank you for following up. Your order did not fill because the limit price you set was above the best bid at the time, as discussed by one of our supervisors. The price displayed on the options chart is the ***** which is the average between the bid and the ask. If the spread is large for a contract, the **** can be substantially higher than the best bid at the time. There was no technical issue, and this was described in the communications within our support channels. Through the support channels we provided the best bid at the time you submitted the orders, and the reason the orders were not filled. As one example, the **** was $.12, yet the best bid at the time was $.01. In addition, you reached out regarding canceled orders and not receiving buying power back. There were no canceled buy orders, which would provide buying power, as all canceled orders were sell orders. The third point was the 1D Pending you saw, this is for the 1D return, which can happen if you add additional contracts on the same day. The following day, the 1D Pending is removed once the trades are batched overnight. The 1D Pending notice has nothing to do with pending orders, but instead profits/losses for that specific day.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/30/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because
  

   It is not an accurate representation because of the order of events that took place. Heres what happened from my perspective to hopefully make this a lot more clear on why Im so upset about everything. I had bought shares and had a pending purchase and was told by your team that if I canceled them that I would get my buying power back if I had canceled it. So I did what I did and canceled it and later was corrected after the fact that I had done so that I was in the wrong after I was informed by your team what I shouldve done. In that mean time of me canceling it the original sell order I had wouldve been executed and I wouldve made capital on it but because of your team I hadnt gotten either of those. All because your team didnt clarify things with me properly. Its absolutely ridiculous. Im being gas light into thinking Im in the wrong when I did what I was supposed to and listened to support but was ultimately wronged by them in the end. The major issue Ive had is that Im trying to explain this to you and you dont seem to see how its a problem and its caused me to speak with a lawyer because of how crazy it is me that you can look at it through my perspective.

   

   

   

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/31/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I used the app belonging to public.com to invest and made a deposit from my savings account which was accepted and approximately 2 days later they messaged me that could not link to my account. Basically their system is flawed, failed to take responsibility by making it difficult to communicate with a live person as well as not responding to my direct messages. They charged me $36 placing my account in a negative. Because I am unable to locate a telephone number and they are failing to contact me as requested I am filing this complaint with you and for them to correct their undesirable business practices.Attached is the most recent email I received which is a repeat of past emails. They are ignoring my sent emails to them as well as the direct messages via their app and not acknowledging my requests.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Hi *****, Thank you for reaching out and for letting us know. A deposit was reversed in your account as the funding account could not be located. There is a restriction added to your account, which has since been removed, and a $30 fee charged to your account when a reversal occurs. 

  While we currently do not have phone support, our experienced Member Support team is always available on the app or via email at ********************************* and have responded to each of your inquiries. Please reach out to us if you have any further questions.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/23/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am filing this complaint against Public.com due to their failure to release $635.21 from my account despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue. I initiated a withdrawal over a month ago to transfer the funds to my personal checking account, but the company flagged my account as a business account, which is incorrect.I have provided them with multiple forms of evidence, including official ******** statements, proving that my checking account is a personal account. Despite this, the company has delayed the process without justification and has largely ignored my messages. On rare occasions when they respond, they provide vague or unhelpful updates and have not resolved the ******** of today, the funds remain withheld, and I have not received a clear timeline for resolution. This prolonged delay is unacceptable, as Public.com has failed to honor its obligations as a brokerage to handle customer funds responsibly. I request the immediate release of my $635.21 to my personal checking account and a written explanation for the delay.If this issue is not resolved promptly, I will escalate the matter further to regulatory authorities, including ***** and the ***** I am seeking the BBBs assistance in holding Public.com accountable for their lack of communication and their refusal to release my funds.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Hi ****, Thank you for reaching out and for letting us know. Since we are in a heavily regulated industry, we are required to verify bank ownership on outgoing withdrawals, as this step is ultimately done for the security and protection of your account. Your funds are now available to withdraw. 

  Thank you for your cooperation while we verified the ownership of your account. Please reach out to us in the app or by email at ******************************** with any questions.