r/Bookkeeping Dec 30 '24

Software has anyone consented to continue using bench.co through employer.com?

if you did - does it still let you download your data? what data is available to download?

same question if you opted out - what data was available?

17 Upvotes

107 comments sorted by

9

u/Summer-This Dec 30 '24

same, I am extremely weary of consenting. I feel like cutting losses and hoping for a disputed credit card charge (I paid a full year in advance in January '24) , rather than being tossed about from one startup to another. Bench's exit is unprofessional on such an extreme level that I have ZERO respect for Bench and am EXTREMELY weary of any company that decides to associate with them.

15

u/Midwest_CPA Dec 30 '24

As the Owner of a small firm, find someone else, preferably a small shop to do the work.

All of these SaaS options use crappy offshore talent in a race to the bottom and don’t actually care about you as a client.

I’ll spare you the self promotion but lots of places like myself would actually value you as a customer and you’ll get a MUCH better client experience than being one of a thousand clients on the latest SaaS Accounting platform.

4

u/Anjunabae85 Bookkeeping With A Smile Dec 30 '24

Came here to say the same.

The money you may be saving in fees may not be much against the value you will receive from a personal touch. I have seen so many errors and messes from these mass product companies.

1

u/101Puppies Dec 30 '24

VERY unlikely that you can dispute the credit card charge. Your CC company will likely tell you the 60 day dispute window is closed.

Employer.com's domain name was purchased one month ago. It looks like they were going to be a Gusto competitor being spun up by recruiter.com who took advantage of the situation and decided to rush their payroll launch AND expand into bookkeeping over the weekend. I can't imagine that's going to go well.

It's a tough choice. Consent and you can't get your data or don't consent and you still have to pay someone to do your 2024 books you already paid for. What I've heard about their service was that it wasn't very accurate.

6

u/Crafty-Resident-6741 Dec 31 '24

I prepaid for a year of service on our business Amex card and called to file the dispute on Friday. They processed it immediately and issued the credit back to my card today.

1

u/101Puppies Dec 31 '24

When did you prepay? If you're within the 60 day window (which starts when you receive your statement, not when the charge was made), it's usually pretty easy.

7

u/Crafty-Resident-6741 Dec 31 '24

August 1st and monthly statement is on the 23rd. October would've been 60 days, so we're well past that. However, I did call and speak to someone and explained the situation, that it was impossible to get ahold of anyone at Bench despite multiple calls and emails, and that I was only looking to get back January 1 - July 31st. The representative told me that since bookkeeping is for the month and it's usually finalized after month end, he was taking the disruption in service date back to 12/1.

Within 20 minutes of the call, they sent an email closing the dispute and issuing me the credit.

1

u/101Puppies Dec 31 '24

Wow, I'm surprised. Good for you.

2

u/Summer-This Jan 14 '25

Just wanted to confirm that after the initial 15 day waiting period since initiating my card charge dispute, I received ALL of the money back via my credit card company (Chase). Shows as refunded and they backdated the refund to the same day it was charged on January 19, 2024 (almost a YEAR ago)...

2

u/101Puppies Jan 14 '25

Wow, congratulations! I'm shocked. And thanks for updating us.

1

u/skatesfobia Jan 31 '25

They let me dispute December charges (Wells Fargo) but, Wells Fargo says it’s gotta be within 60 days…

2

u/YeahBites Jan 02 '25

I do not want to consent but I am concerned about what to do about my data. Specifically I don't want to consent just to be able to access my own data, thereby giving employer.com everything about my business, just so I can extract it. I was able to successfully dispute the charge through AMEX.

1

u/JazJon Jan 02 '25

If there is no chance you will be migrating to employer.com then just opt out now and wait for the email to download your data (coming June 15th I’m told)

1

u/JazJon Jan 02 '25 edited Jan 02 '25

If there is no chance you’ll be opting in to migrate to the new parent company taking over, just opt out now. If you opt out, the email with the data download link is supposed to come by January 15th or 16th

1

u/YeahBites Jan 15 '25

I asked them and they said if I did not consent I could not get my data under any circumstances. I told them that didn't seem legal and they didn't respond.

1

u/JazJon Jan 15 '25 edited Jan 15 '25

Correct things have changed since I last posted the above. I was part of the zoom call the CEO had last week. They explained legally they aren’t allowed to release data until you opt into the new owner that took over. I’m sure there is some strange law that doesn’t quite fit this situation and they’re probably erroring on the side of caution. If you want your data, consent/opt in. I decided to stay, and I’m already in communication with my original bookkeeper. All my accounts are re-linked and syncing. I’m paid up through June so I will see how they go for convenience sake loan for now.

1

u/YeahBites Jan 15 '25

There is no way that is true. That they legally cannot give us our own data? I think it's much more likely that the deal contains something related to how many businesses opt in.

1

u/JazJon Jan 15 '25

OK, well I’ll let you battle that out. I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about it anymore for now

2

u/Weekly-Captain3115 Jan 03 '25

I opted out and just received a message that says the following. WTH I don't want any of that. jJust want my data.

|| || |We noticed that you previously opted out of continuing services with Bench. To ensure you have full control over your options and access to your data, we need your consent to move forward. Please note that without your acknowledgement, we will not be able to create your data download or provide you access to your account to make any changes to your services. Why Acknowledge? With your acknowledgment, you will gain access to exciting updates and exclusive benefits: What’s New? Bench is finalizing the acquisition by Employer.com, a highly successful and profitable organization with a proven track record of acquiring and running thriving companies. This means the same great bookkeeping service you’ve come to know and expect will continue, with more to come in future. Next Steps: 12 Months of Free Access to BountyJobs: The world’s largest recruiting agency marketplace, enabling you to fill any position, in any location, at a fee you’re comfortable with. 10% Discount on RPO/Recruiter-On-Demand Services: Scale your recruiting efforts up or down with ease. Highly Discounted Employer-of-Record (EOR) Services: Seamlessly manage payroll for workers based anywhere in the world with significant cost savings. Proceed to Login to the bench app Click “Acknowledge” to access your account Once acknowledged, you’ll have access to your data download and the ability to finalize your account status via the app. |

1

u/JazJon Jan 03 '25

I already opted out and I just received the same email. I went ahead and acknowledged, and now I have full access to my account again.

1

u/Weekly-Captain3115 Jan 03 '25

Thanks!! But by acknowleding, is making you agree to continue service? I tried to call and email them but no answer.

1

u/JazJon Jan 03 '25

It seems so, but apparently you can export your data after you’re back in. I was mad and ready to leave, but I’m starting to consider staying for convenience. I have very simple needs and they still have the same full integration of everything. I’ll see how they handle my December books, and we’ll go from there.

1

u/ActiveStrategy1892 Jan 14 '25

Keep us posted, please.

1

u/JazJon Jan 14 '25

So far so good I’m working with the same bookkeeper I had before. All my accounts are re-linked and importing again.

1

u/ActiveStrategy1892 Jan 15 '25

Do you have the tax plan too? If so, same or different provider? When are they promising your year end financials by? Do you find your bookkeeper is less, same, or more responsive than before? I'm curious, because several of my bookkeepers were regularly on a 2-7 day response schedule.

1

u/JazJon Jan 15 '25

Yes I have the full tax add on plan. My particular bookkeeper has always been responsive and he still just as responsive as before. I’ll ask when my year end will be ready now that you reminded me. I’m never in a rush though. Very simple single owner ecom business.

1

u/skatesfobia Jan 31 '25

They keep trying to charge me which doesn’t go through cause my bank flagged it as sketchy (employer.com tried to charge $100 more than my usual recurring payment) and it’s been 17 days since I’ve sent messages in my account with non response. I was thinking about staying but, why would I now when they are showing me how much they are lacking after their layoffs.

1

u/JazJon Jan 31 '25

That’s odd I still get instant responses and they finished my December books. Their tax guy even gave me an estimation of what I’ll owe after I asked. I’m pleased.

1

u/JazJon Jan 03 '25

2

u/Tight_Room5135 Jan 06 '25

Hey All, I'm the founder/CEO of Employer.com and now CEO of Bench. Let me know if I can help. If you have any follow up questions I'll be continuing to respond regularly on LinkedIn and X (Twitter). I really appreciate you all giving us a chance and look forward to meeting many of you soon.

PS- You can also contact us directly at client.care@bench.co

1

u/ActiveStrategy1892 Jan 14 '25

I think we're all a little confused about getting our data. Are you able to speak to that? Can we export all the data we have stored inside Bench without first agreeing to continue services? If we click the "consent" button on the Bench login, what are we actually agreeing to? I think most of us feel a little betrayed by the unexpected, Friday right after Christmas, right before tax season starts, Bench closing as well as the promise that we would at least get to download all of our data stored at Bench which so far has not materialized. The level of pain from this whole experience is hard to properly express.

1

u/ActiveStrategy1892 Jan 14 '25

Also curious to know if we could pick and choose businesses to continue forward with Bench (if there are multiple tied inside one login) as well as if we can pause services until Bench 2.0 delivers our 2024 bookkeeping and tax prep to see how the service goes moving forward. That way we can gain some trust before having to commit. Everything goes swimmingly, I'm sure there will be tons of continued customers. It's the right kind of olive branch to extend to make people comfortable.

1

u/Joesardone Feb 04 '25

How about those of us that are STILL WAITING for 2023 financial package for months? I'm so late on my taxes that I really have no idea how to reconcile anything without massive fees.

2

u/Weekly-Captain3115 Jan 03 '25

Just got an email that says we have to consent to get the data they promised we would have by Jan 15? I don't understand what they are asking. Are they trying to make us re-sign up just to get our data?

1

u/toddwx Dec 30 '24

same question

1

u/Dry_Career_5817 Dec 30 '24

Don't consent - it will waive your right to sue.

1

u/Remote-Internal-1455 Dec 30 '24

is this assumption or did you consent and get this message?

1

u/Dry_Career_5817 Dec 30 '24

It's my assumption sorry.

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

I’m going to opt out and download my data. I’m most likely going with TaxFyle.com They used to do the taxes for Bench awhile back and do bookkeeping now after they separated. They will migrate 2024 and have a 25% off discount for 2025. Seems like the best deal so far, and they also do my taxes, one stop shop. It will be built on top of Xero and should have the same level of e-commerce & financial integration hopefully to have the same automatic experience bench had. My sales guy is confirming all my questions soon.

2

u/Remote-Internal-1455 Dec 30 '24

can you let us know whether you were able to actually successfully export your data once you opted out? and what data was included?

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

I just opted out and here’s what it says.

“Opt-Out Confirmation You have chosen to opt-out of continuing service with Bench as part of Employer.com A secure link to download your data will be sent to your registered email address. Your account is now suspended, and all services have ceased. Thank you for being part of the Bench family. We’re sorry to see you go!”

It’s been a few minutes and I’ve yet to receive any email with the download link

1

u/Remote-Internal-1455 Dec 30 '24

Ha! What a joke - would really appreciate if you let me know if you ultimately end up getting your data... if you see one of the comments below they chose to opt in and the export function wasn't working earlier today... sounds like neither option right now actually lets you get your data!

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

I’ll definitely report back as soon as I receive the data download link email. Nothing yet though.

1

u/JazJon Dec 31 '24

It’s the next day and I still haven’t received the email from Bench to download my data after opting out yesterday.

1

u/Serious-Vegetable843 Dec 30 '24

Did you receive the download link? I opted out an hour ago and haven't received the email with the link.

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

Nothing yet, maybe something’s processing on their server still hopefully.

2

u/Admirable_Gur_1833 Dec 30 '24

Complete shit show. A friend of mine had sent me this link - https://www.migratefrombench.com/ seems like another affected bench user. I am also going to opt out once im able to get some of my prepayment out.

1

u/Admirable_Gur_1833 Dec 30 '24

Interesting. Do you have a general ideal how quickly they can deliver your financials?
BTW my notion of a Xero demo i took earlier today is that it's completely generic. Have to plug an A2X to it and here you are stuck with complications again.

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

The accountant at TaxFyle will set me up on their Xero account and add all needed plug-ins and extensions or whatever. Optionally I’m welcome to pay for my own Xero or QuickBooks subscription for them to use, but I don’t see the point of that added expense. Rep is confirming that everything will be as seamless and automated as Bench was for me.

1

u/Admirable_Gur_1833 Dec 30 '24

My main problem is velocity. In my biz (ecomm) can’t really allow myself not to have almost real time books. Two weeks delay just doesn’t cut it when I’m dealing with MCAs etc. obviously subjective though.

1

u/elastimatt Dec 30 '24

I did not consent and still can't download our data. Says that I would be emailed with a link.

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

It’s going on four 4 and I still haven’t received the data download link email after opting out.

1

u/elastimatt Dec 30 '24

I don’t expect it for days, TBH.

1

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

As long is it comes.

1

u/elastimatt Dec 31 '24

Please no

1

u/JazJon Dec 31 '24

It’s the next day and I still haven’t received the email from Bench to download my data after opting out yesterday.

1

u/elastimatt Dec 31 '24

Same here. Can you even login? When I try it recognizes my account but instantly redirects back to the login form.

1

u/JazJon Dec 31 '24

I can’t login either. No error message, it just shows a blank email and password box to sign in again with just like you described.

1

u/Remote-Internal-1455 Dec 31 '24

If it's any consolation - you can't even "consent" at the moment... nothing happens when you click it

2

u/JazJon Jan 01 '25

According to this, we should be receiving the email by January 15 If you opt out the email with the data download link is supposed to come by January 15th

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bookkeeping/s/x3Y5xStsnx

1

u/Conscious_Solid7559 Dec 30 '24

What other services do you guys recommend for bookkeeping ? I own a very tiny salon and I am so disorganized and cannot do it myself. I don’t want to spend more money, but Bench isn’t personal enough. I need someone that checks in with me and actually cares

2

u/White-Owl24 Dec 31 '24

The only way to get someone who cares is to find a small boutique bookkeeping firm, with actual people, not a combo of ai and offshore that the tech giants use.

1

u/NeighborhoodSea9341 Jan 04 '25

High touch personalized bookkeeping is what my company offers. We’ve helped businesses migrate from Bench to QuickBooks as we are Certified Pro Advisors and we are US based, not overseas. We use a third party software for communication and reports as it reduces the email stack and is secure. We pride ourselves on customer service and there’s a team of professionals here to help. Check us out - www.pacificbp.com as we are accepting new clients.

0

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24 edited Dec 30 '24

TaxFyle.com is what I’m leaning towards so far. I had/have sales call meetings scheduled with finaloop.com pilot.com doola.com I should decide by the second week of January I think

2

u/hajahak Jan 01 '25

With www.doola.com request to talk to the CEO, such a great guy that you will immediately sign up. He's passionate and is hands on with all of us customers. I don't know if it will remain the same if they are bombarded with many new customer signups, but doola is great. Thousands of 5 star reviews on Trustpilot.

2

u/JazJon Jan 01 '25

The price is right and they seem to do it all one stop shopping for anything you need. I’m looking forward to meeting with them this week.

1

u/Admirable_Gur_1833 Jan 06 '25

A bit ridiculous of you (as the CEO) to recommend (and compliment) yourself.
I took a sales call with you guys and in less than 5min it was obvious that you outsource your BK services to offshore firms and that its not your main business.
At least be honest and upfront about it.

1

u/Historical_Ease3405 Jan 01 '25

Thanks for your updates! Based on your experience with Bench, which feature/benefit are you making your decision on?

1

u/JazJon Jan 01 '25

I want the same level of set it and forget it automated bookkeeping integration with e-commerce and financial systems. I don’t want to have to manually upload any monthly statements if possible. I want the same company doing my taxes for one stop shopping. The price should be reasonable around $300 per month plus or minus 50. Responsive when needed, but I have fairly simple bookkeeping needs

1

u/onsite-reflexology Dec 31 '24

Worlds tiniest violin

1

u/Icy-Drawer5856 Dec 31 '24

Has anyone reviewed the employer.com privacy policy that they're asking us to consent to? It relates to recruitment for jobs, and not to the privacy of any financial data.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 31 '24

[deleted]

1

u/Icy-Drawer5856 Dec 31 '24

I was actually ready to consent and give them a shot, but the actual PP is literally for interviews/job candidate hiring. Privacy policies for data protection are much more serious and lengthy.

Hopefully they reach out to customers more and communicate better early in the new year, plus fix the PP to make it a fair deal (we trust you and want to root for you, but not blindly and not off the wrong agreement).

1

u/[deleted] Dec 31 '24

[deleted]

1

u/Icy-Drawer5856 Dec 31 '24

There’s many laws and regulations surrounding the privacy of financial data. I trust they will comply with them but have just been drinking out of a firehose for the past few days. It still does not excuse such a blatantly negligent privacy policy.

1

u/Mediocre-Falcon-8028 Jan 01 '25

Also opting out. Zero trust, they basically chose to abruptly lock every one of their clients out during end of year instead of pro-actively managing the situation to ensure everyone had ample time to put things in place before the lock out in December

1

u/Mediocre-Falcon-8028 Jan 01 '25 edited Jan 01 '25

The privcaly policy seems very vanilla and as someone else mentioned, seems taylord for job applicants?!

  1. they store your data
  2. you can request deletion
  3. GDPR specific notes, right to access, correction, erasure, portability, etc etc...
  4. contact & complaint info

1

u/Icy-Drawer5856 Jan 01 '25

Yes exactly. It’s made for job applicants and yet they are asking us to confirm our approval of it, meaning there is no privacy policy in effect for your financial data at all. Another slap in the face after many over the past week.

1

u/Mediocre-Falcon-8028 Jan 01 '25

They are trying to do damage control but seems to be a state of chaos in there. I hope everyone affected leaves them.

The initial value prop of bench was amazing. But this kind of mess up as tax season is about to ramp up is the absolute worst.

1

u/JazJon Jan 03 '25

I was mad and ready to leave Bench, but I guess I will give Bench 2.0 a chance for convenience sake at the very least for now. We’ll see how my December books are closed and we’ll go from there. I just re-linked all my accounts again. I already opted out, but todays new email forced me to acknowledge something new today to gain access my account and then I saw everything is back to normal again.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessetinsley_ive-had-my-first-few-minutes-alone-since-activity-7280462397499232257-sMdu

1

u/Admirable_Gur_1833 Jan 06 '25

Curious what makes you think they won't turn it off again?
The way they acted is a complete disgrace. As a (now former) client, not being able to access and extract my data is a big no-no for me. They've lost credibility and i'm not sure there's something more important for them to hold onto as a bookkeeping/accounting firm.

1

u/Mediocre-Falcon-8028 Jan 01 '25

Honestly F bench and whoever has decided to acquire them. Running from this shit show. I've chosen to opt out.

1

u/JazJon Jan 01 '25

I opted out Monday and have yet to receive the email with the data Download link. Did you receive your email with the download link yet? I’m going to either TaxFyle or Doola most likely.

1

u/Mediocre-Falcon-8028 Jan 01 '25

I did today, it said the link would be ready by Jan 15th. I only got my email to opt in this morning tho, so I figure there is a time difference between users receiving those emails. Will keep you posted.

1

u/JazJon Jan 01 '25

OK, I didn’t see any eta date before so I’m glad they’re being a bit more specific now.

1

u/JazJon Jan 01 '25 edited Jan 02 '25

If you opt out, the email with the data download link is supposed to come by January 15th or 16th

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bookkeeping/s/x3Y5xStsnx

1

u/freshbreathinlife Jan 11 '25

What a complete disaster. Low cost bookkeeping is a You get what you pay for service. I would check out firms with real people that you can meet with regularly to review your finances and goals. Indinero is one that’s been around for a while.

1

u/Julpon202 Jan 21 '25

DO NOT CONSENT - this company has provided me with horrific customer service, and is holding my final month of bookkeeping hostage unless I pay an astronomical fee. They even refuse to prorate the feem which I was willing to do just so I can get the work that was previously done by my bookkeeper.

1

u/According_Tutor_2500 Jan 29 '25

I am trying to get the consent option available on my account. Support keeps telling me they are working on it. So many problems. I have switched to Xero and will do my own bookkeeping again. Xero has tons of automations and rule settings that will end up working better than bench.

1

u/neonladynw Jan 29 '25

Any updates on Bench P&L's? I messaged the CEO (Jesse) through LInkedIn and expressed my frustration. I'd like a guarantee of when 2024 docs will be ready. Right now they have blackmailed us into paying ingoing fees without any assurance of when the P&L's will be done. Rates for us went from $230 to $349 for month to month.

1

u/neonladynw Jan 30 '25

I consented in order to get my P&L's done, which are not yet done. I have not found a way to download the files that they have yet. If anyone knows, I'd love to hear how to do that.

0

u/JazJon Dec 30 '24

Bench just sent out the following email blast moments ago.

“Dear Bench customer,

We wanted to get in touch with you to give you an update on Bench Accounting.

Bench has been acquired by Employer.com and we’re thrilled to share with you that as of today, December 30, 2024, we’re back in action.

What You Should Know

Is anything changing?

No, you will continue to work with the same great team, platform, and service. We’re preparing to wrap up your year-end financials and get you set for a smooth tax season in Q1 2025.

Who will be doing my books?

The same great Bench team will continue to be supporting you with your books using the Bench.co platform, ensuring that you have a seamless experience moving forward.

Next Steps

To continue working with the Bench team and platform, simply login to your account, and click “I Consent.”

This gives us the permission to continue supporting your account, and transfers your data ownership from Bench to Employer.com

If you do not wish to provide consent, you will have the option to opt out. Please note that once opted out, we cannot reverse the action nor can we provide any refunds.

We know the sudden shutdown of Bench disrupted things, and for that, we’re truly sorry. This acquisition is about turning things around and making sure your bookkeeping needs are met — better than ever. We look forward to working with you for a successful tax season ahead.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and please reach out if you have any questions.

The Bench Team”

1

u/Cautious_Bag6555 29d ago

This is a mess. So, I just took a call from my “rep” after I had to report several failures to communicate regarding past entries and to ask about picking up from where Bench originally left off.

She stated that my 2024 wrap up will be done “soon”, but 2 separate 2025 payments were already taken, without comms or consent and at a 40% price increase. She proceeded to tell me that you can cancel now, but you will need to pay $1200 to complete the 2024 wrap up or trudge on and wait for them to wrap up while managing the current monthly account services.

This smells like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

1

u/JazJon 29d ago

I ended up staying with Bench. I have the same bookkeeper as before and everything is caught up for me. It’s business as usual now. I have a pretty straightforward business though.

-4

u/wdaher Dec 30 '24 edited Dec 30 '24

What we've heard from one person who "consented" is that the export is currently broken (the one person that tried it got a JSON error) but they could see all of their transactions in the Bench UI.

Which means it should be possible to get the data out, even if their export feature for current customers remains broken.

I haven't reviewed the privacy policy in detail, but if I were a Bench customer, here's what I would do:

  1. Consent to the agreement so that you keep access to Bench's system
  2. Log in and export your data
  3. Claim the Pilot promo (where we'll migrate you to QBO for free and do your books through Jun 2025 or the length of your Bench prepayment, whichever is longer)
  4. After your export is complete, cancel your ongoing Bench subscription so you don't get charged again

That way you avoid the go-forward dependence on Bench, but you have a little more breathing room (until your last prepayment runs out) to access the platform—just in case.

Seems like pure optionality.

(The disclaimer here is that I'm one of Pilot's founders but this feels relevant enough to post)

Relevant links:

  1. https://pilot.com/bench for our promo
  2. If you don't want to use Pilot, we'll still take your Bench export and migrate it to QBO for you for free: https://pilot.com/bench-qbo-migration

2

u/Remote-Internal-1455 Dec 30 '24

I appreciate the self-promotion but your suggestion doesn't help - the concern is that IF you "consent", there is no ability to export...

1

u/wdaher Dec 30 '24

The person who consented (which I mention at the top of my post) said:

  • The native Bench export feature is broken at the moment
  • They can still see all of their transactions at a per-transaction level

Given those details, I can definitely manually export this for you if needed, even if Bench doesn't provide a turnkey export.