Rosetta Stone
Reviews and Complaints

There has been an ILLEGAL CANCELLATION OF MY ROSETTASTONE.COM ONLINE "LIFETIME" SUBSCRIPTION.

I know of all the details of WHY this has happened AND WHAT HAS GONE ON BEHIND MY BACK, to make this CORRUPT ACTION happen.

I log onto ROSETTASTONE SPANISH, after march 24, my court day, W/the corrupt authorities. I log on today March 27th 2023, never had a problem till after 24th. LOGS ME RIGHT OFF. CONTINUOUSLY. AGAIN & AGAIN.

I PAID MONEY FOR THIS! TOO MUCH, I'M NOT RICH. I'M LOW INCOME.

MY REQUEST is that you all put ROSETTA STONE right back on into effect so that I can get right back into it and use it without it LOGGING ME OFF EVERYTIME. YOU CANNOT HAVE PEOPLE PAY $200 OR CLOSE TO IT.. THEN DENY THEM ACCESS TO WHAT THEY PAID FOR. THAT IS ILLEGAL AND IT'S ALSO PROSECUTABLE BY LAW. AND I PLAN TO PROSECUTE & THROW PEOPLE IN JAIL IF NEED BE. PLEASE RESTORE ROSETTA STONE IMMEDIATELY INTO WORKING EFFECT. LET THAT BE FOREVER & CONSISTENTLY.

In 2016, I purchased for $184 a "life time" Rosetta Stone package for Spanish language training. I used the course on the computer and on my app for a few weeks. My circumstances changed, so I decided to stop the training, knowing that I could return to it whenever I wanted to.

Today was the day I wanted to commence the program. When I tried to log in, the system would not accept my user name and password. So I called Rosetta Stone to see if they could locate my account and re-activate it. I was told that a few years ago, when they updated their software, they discontinued the program that I had purchased for life and no longer supported it. So I assumed that they would take life time users from the old platform and give them access to the new platform. They told me they could not do that. They said all they could do was to give me a 3-month free trial membership, after which time I could purchase a new 'Life Time" membership package.

I feel quite cheated! When I asked to speak with a supervisor, I was told that it was not their policy but that someone will call me back within 48 hours. But the helpline person assured me that the supervisor would only make me the same offer... Pretty disappointing!

I purchase an unopened new product through Best Buy as the seller but through Ebay. Seal was intact and the activation code still had the grey stuff on it to reveal the activation code. It did not work so I called Rosetta Stone support. They suggested these codes become inactive after 6 months. I initially talked to Randy. He told me to submit my receipt and it would only be 10 minutes before I would get another activation code. I purchased this product March 2, 2021. I then got a message that my request was denied. No reason given at that time. Then I contacted another tech rep who told me it was because it was an ebay purchase. I tried to contact Best Buy and their return policy is no returns after 14 days on software so I am left with a 200 dollar cardboard box!

I purchased the version 4 program ($199) with an installation CD and 2 language discs. I recently got a new computer and reinstalled the program with the original discs. It installed with no errors but will not run. I tired compatibility mode without success. I contacted the technical support person via their chat line. He sent me to their customer support website where there is a download button to reinstall the program back onto your PC. I shouldn't need this since I still have the original discs but I tried that anyway, It didn't download the program. The chat person said he could not provide any support since it was an older version and that I could buy a newer version. I don't want a new version, I just want the $199 version I paid for to work!

2/26/2018
After a system crash requiring rebuild of system HD from scratch, Rosetta Stone software will not allow the entry of activation code in boxes designated for same. I contacted their support via their web form, received a confirmation that they got the submission (along with a case number) but they refuse to provide any further support. I included invoice number, customer number etc. to prove legitimacy of license - still no support. I now have a $200 door stop (boxed CD set) and crickets from their "customer support".

I ordered my copy of "Irish" Levels 1-3 in May 2015. I installed it and started my lessons. My computer needed work done on it and I replaced the hard drive. In July 2017 I wanted to resume my studies. The on line chat person was not able to help. He promised a return call by some who could, but no call came.

I do not have the box with the license number for activation. My Order number for the CDs was [protected].

It was shipped to:
James Hartneady Jr
12789 Plymouth Court
Woodbridge VA 22192

I want an activation code so I can start my lessons again

The program asks for but does not recognize administrator ID, despite the advised tweak in properties/compatibility. I understand this is a universal issue.

Tried to contact live chat through the support page. The submission form sends an email confirm but twenty-four hours later there was still no further response.

I called the 800 number. The representative confirmed version 2 will not work in Windows 10 but promised I could download the same version or upgrade. He went into the cost of the upgrade, but at my question clarified that I could download without upgrading for free. He would email me a link.

His email was basically an ad for the upgrade, otherwise returned me to the same support page, where I could not download without making a purchase.

I called the 800 number again and this time was informed that version 2 was no longer available, I needed to purchase a new product. My older but expensive CD was in fact worthless.

Received the same email advertisement.

Today (9/26/2016) I contacted Rosetta Stone's customer service department concerning a Spanish Language Instructional Software program that my sister purchased in 2008. Her daughter was planning on studying Spanish but quit after the first week.

The software package was very expensive. The copyright date is 2007 so it's 9 year old software that was only used a couple of times. I was calling to ensure that my nephew would be able to use it. He's taking Spanish in High School and needs all of the help that he can get.

The software was purchased from one of Rosetta Stone's authorized dealers on eBay. Apparently Rosetta Stone does not back up it's authorized dealers.

I provided Rosetta Stone's customer service department with the activation code of the software and was told that the code was fraudulent and that my Sister had not purchased the software from an authorized dealer.

In other words I was called a liar by their staff. I have the box full of software and the card with the activation code on hand. This was NOT downloaded software.

Do not buy from this company! If your computer crashes and you have to reinstall you will be unable to do so. Look online at all of the complaints!

There are many alternatives available these days and for the price that Rosetta Stone charges you can hire a tutor for your child.

Alternatives: Dualingo, Fluenz, Rocket Languages Premium, Babbel, Simon & Shuster Pimsleur Comprehensive, Transparent Language Online, Living Language Passport & Living Language Platinum to name a few.

For simple vocabulary tests there are many free sites online and very cheap software available at outlet stores such as Dollar General. Example: https://mylanguageexchange.com

$150 to $200 can buy a lot of software or tutoring. If you spend that money on Rosetta Stone you are buying NOTHING! You are leasing the software for one use. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE IT ON ANOTHER COMPUTER OR SELL IT WHEN YOU"RE DONE WITH IT!

My husband bought me Rosetta stone (version 3) some years ago and, although ti was very expensive, I was pleased with it - and also the support hwich I received when I encountered a technical problem (which was rare). Following some recent problems with my PC, I had to uninstall, and reinstall, various programmes, including my RS programme. It seemed to reinstall perfectly, until i attempted to add the third language level - and then it refused to read and upload from the CD. So I rang Rosetta Stone for support.
The first disappointment was that the 0800 number which I called was no longer 24/7 and I got a message that I had to call back at a different time. This was a bit annoying as I am calling from Corfu (where I spend half of my year) and, although the 0800 number is free in the UK, it is NOT free from Corfu.
When I called back, I was told that RS no longer provided support for version 3 and so I would have to purchase an upgrade, which would cost me 14 dollars (but I was NOT told that 14 dollars would only buy me one month of internet support and that longer support was much more costly). Anyway I purchased the upgrade and attempted to download it using the links and the activation codes hwich RS e-mailed to me.
To cut a longer story short, that was a week ago - and I STILL don't have a product that i can use. During this week, I have made countless costly calls, have been given contradictory advice, provided with different activation codes and been promised call backs which have never materialised.
In spite of being promised a call back, yesterday I received another e-mail from RS, telling me that I must call THEM so that they could take remote control of my PC. So I have just called - only to be told that their technical support team are based in the States and so they are not open (their e-mail never mentioned this!) So AGAIN I was promised a call back, but given past experience, I asked hwich number they would be calling me back on - AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO NUMBER ON THEIR RECORDS! So clearly their previous promises were totally disingenuous!
At this rate my month's internet support will be expired before I'v even got the product working!

I ordered the Rosetta Stone app from Google Play 2 weeks ago. Immediately after submitting the order I noticed that the wrong language had been selected. I contacted Rosetta Stone immediately (within 5 minutes of placing the order) and told them of the error. I also indicated that I wanted to purchase the Spanish language for $210 instead of the Hebrew that had been selected at $145.
A day later they responded that I needed to request a refund from Google Play. Google Play refuses to issue the refund because it has been over 2 hours since the original purchase, even though on it's own invoice it indicates all questions and concerns should be directed to the developer.
I am out $145, and all I have to show for it is a language course for a language I have no interest or use for. I can't believe a company like this is unwilling to make an adjustment, even when I am willing to spend more money.

The worst customer service experience of my life. Rosetta Stone sent me the wrong product. I had to contact RS via chat because they didn't give a customer service phone number. They refused to send me the correct product until I returned the wrong one they had sent to me. Once the wrong product was back in their hands, they did not acknowledge it. It appears that RS is some kind of racket, sending the wrong product and then dragging their feet about acknowledging returns. I know the bulk of their sales are to corporations with deep pockets, but I can't afford to eat $200 because their business model appears to be geared toward ripping people off. Horrible.

I was working on Rosetta Stone Latin American and everything works fine for one moment and then after that I'll be having problems. The system (its not the microphones fault because ive tried on 3 different headsets plus the regular computer microphone) wont pick up the words im saying and I cant get through the lesson because although im saying what they are telling me to say it keeps on telling me im wrong. I depend on Rosetta Stone for school so I have to keep with it but Gosh you'd think they could update it so that this problem would happen again. - Sincerely, from the student that depends on good Rosetta Stone scores for good grades.

I purchased a version of Rosetta Stone several years ago. I went through the course one and then off an on I tr4ied to go through it again, but it stated acting up, screens going blank, cutting lessons off in the middle etc, to the point that it was not possible to continue.
I set it aside and tried again acouple of times. I recently called their customer service. They do not offer support anymore. They do not even offer strategies to follow myself that might fix it, or other people to call for help. Nothing at all. I do not see anywhere that I will not be able to get help with this after a certain time. The discs are in perfect shape, and I have not even gotten through them the second time. QWhat are we supposed to do, spend hundreds of dollars only to have to discard them as they age a little. The only thing they would do was sell me a new one. Not even software support!?

I have Spanish Latin America home-school Cd's which I have purchase over a year ago but never activated. I did not even know I had to activate it. Last month, I decided to purchase French level 1 to 5. After speaking with customer service I was advised not to purchase home-school level. I received my Cd's version 4 and tried to register and was unable. Today, I finally learned that I was supposed to activate my Spanish version ( which did not arrive with activation code) and that my French version cannot be used in the same computer..., I will have to purchase a new computer just to install this version.. I could not believe it! There is no one available to help you over the weekend. All they say is call back. I am fed up and very disappointed.

I do not recommend ROSETTA STONE. I thought I was buying the solution, but I got a VERY EXPENSIVE problem instead. The Software won't recognize the language CD, no matter how many times I try to add a language. I can't even start my classes! It does not give the user an option to change file location EVER, not even after uninstalling it and installing again. Also, you have only 6 months to finish it if you wanna start online classes, which is a big pressure that should not exist for learners. I went back to the kiosk shortly after buying the whole kit, and they will not accept my brand new software kit back and I will have to PAY for shipping if I wanna get my money back, which will take 6 weeks. I am so annoyed at this, I danced around buying this kit for 6 months and when I finally did, I painfully regretted. People that illegaly downloaded it are having less trouble to run the program than me. I opted to buy it legally but they make it harder for customers like me. The website does not give any TANGIBLE support, as usual. I have to call a number during business hours, which is a huge annoyance for me. STAY AWAY FROM THOSE KIOKS!

I was looking for Rosetta Stone’s French levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and I found on eBid that there were two selling from a seller named Micheal Daniel. He had put the description up as “Brand New & Sealed Rosetta Stone French Version 3, Level 12345″. Supposedly it was still in its original wrapping and never opened, being sold as an unwanted gift. The description also stated that the seller “previously planned to travel and no longer needed it”.

So i bought both of them on the 2nd January 2011.

However when i recieved the item it was a clear fake, i didn’t even realize you could get fake Rosetta Stone products, but the user manual had numerous spelling mistakes, even referring to it as Rosetta Stome! So I contacted the seller to say that I would accept one of them, even thought it was fake, but would like a full refund for the other one I purchased as my friend did not want a fake copy.

I got no reply, so I tried to install the fake product onto my computer but it kept coming up as error and would not install. I contacted the seller to inform him that I would like a full refund instead, but he still did not reply.

I am flabbergasted with their inability to activate the software. I purchased my Rosetta Stone over a year and a half ago. I own version 3 all 5 levels. This purchase cost me over 550.00. Unfortunately, I have encountered problems with my computer which has required me to reinstall this software and all other software's previously loaded in my computer. What's worse is the receipt has been misplaced or disposed of therefore without the proof of purchase, I can no longer utilize the product and whats worse is I haven't completed levels 3 through 5. I registered the product when it was purchased, they have all my information on file/database so I don't see what the problem is regardless of the number of times I have to reinstall, I should be able to use this software.
Attached is a photo. In this photo you will see the complete kit. The audio companion, levels 1-5, ( at top) and below is the language software level 1-5. In the corners are the original box the product comes in and the sticker price which you can't see is 699.00. The headphones are included in the kit but not in this photo. This was purchased from Barnes and Nobles in New York and with the help from family, we were able to buy the entire kit. Rosetta needs to review their policy and change it. I pay this kind of money for any product, I expect no conditions to be attached especially considering that this version is not available on their site. I refuse to be treated or feel as if I am a suspect. I am almost inclined to give a heads up to any potential buyer for this product that I see at these Rosetta booths in the mall. If you have a similiar experience with Rosetta Stone then I would like to hear from you. [protected]@yahoo.com

Don't buy Rosetta Stone off the internet. In fact, be wary of purchasing it anywhere. You might be purchasing a pirated copy and not be able to tell and be left holding the bag. Purchased full Rosetta Stone version 3 set off the internet. I had gone to the official site for the company. Did a research on "sales" from the official site. This took me to the sales page where I found the set I purchased. After making the purchase, I found out that the product was coming from China via the email confirming the purchase. The email said it was coming from the Company of Rosetta Stone. I did not like this, but it was too late to stop the purchase. When the product arrived, I did the download and there were problems. So I contacted the Rosetta Stone customer service number and tech support told me that I had purchased a pirated copy. There was absolutely no way to tell prior to making the purchase. The only help I received from people at the Rosetta Stone support was to be told to call back if I had any other questions. They would do nothing to help me and refused to accept that I had ended up on the sales page through their website. They did not seemed to be surprised by my call. In fact, now I am not even sure I really was talking to someone from Rosetta Stone. Supposedly Rosetta Stone is a US Company, but I rather suspect my calls were routed to somewhere in India. Bottom line: don't buyfrom Rosetta Stone because there is no way to tell whether you are buying an approved copy.

My daughter gave me the Rosetta Stone set for Italian as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, I must have thrown the registration number out...I was told that it was on a white "postcard" in the box. When I called for help with the installation they insisted that I had to have the number or proof of purchase. I called my daughter who purchased it but she did not have the receipt...it was bought from Amazon so the Rosetta Stone group did not have her name in their system. I am left with a $200+ set that cannot be used. I asked where I could send it back so that they could see that it was unused and they told me I would have to have a ticket number. We have a trip to Itlay planned in a few weeks and, by the time I can have the situation settled, the set will be of no use to me.
A warning to all who open the boxes, be careful not to throw the registration card away by mistake.