BE KIND. by Ellen Box – Premium Upgrade Available!

ByLiz CadmanOct 16, 2019 | 100 comments

BE KIND. by ellen Box is now offering a Premium option! This is available in an annual payment plan only.

As a Premium Subscriber, you’ll pay an ANNUAL FEE of $251.96* (saving 10% overall!) and receive FOUR quarterly boxes throughout the year, starting with the Holiday 2019 box. Subscribers who upgrade before the launch of the Holiday Box, will receive the Holiday Box and the following three boxes. Subscribers who upgrade after the launch of the Holiday Box, may receive the latest box (if still available), otherwise they will receive the four following boxes.

In addition to all of the products our Quarterly Subscribers receive, Premium Subscribers will receive chances to win amazing prizes, like tickets to Ellen’s 12 Days of Giveaways tapings, travel experiences, and big-ticket products like those Ellen gives away on-air. Trust us, you don’t want to miss out!

Update: More info from BE KIND. by ellen:

Over the last 17 years, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has cultivated a culture of surprise and delight, with Ellen gifting larger than life premium prizes, travel experiences, and life-changing moments to hundreds of thousands of fans. The BE KIND. Premium Membership will bring Ellen’s subscribers one-step closer to the surprise and delight moments her fans have come to expect. We’ve created the model for the Premium Membership based on subscriber feedback. We’ve heard from them repeatedly that they want chances to receive big-ticket premium gifts (think: 12 Days Tickets, airline vouchers, TVs, travel experiences, etc.) and have access to the caliber of product-giveaways they see on-air. The Premium Membership will give us the opportunity to surprise members with (potentially thousands) of prizes each quarter. It’s important to clarify that we’re not planning to have 1 Premium subscriber receive a special gift, but rather have potentially thousands of Premium subscribers receiving these big-ticket gifts. If you know Ellen, you know she never disappoints when it comes to surprises!

By comparison, the general annual subscription is $197.96 for 4 quarterly boxes total. The premium is $251.96 upfront, which works out to $62.99 a box.

What do you think of this new option? Would you pay more for a chance to win prizes? (If you are a current subscriber and want to upgrade, you can do so from the "Manage Subscriptions" section in your account.)

As a quarterly box, this subscription box is $54.99 and ships to the US and Canada. Check out our reviews to get a sense of what to expect!

Starting at $54.99

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Be Kind by Ellen

2.5 overall rating

72 Ratings | 18 Reviews

For 17 years, Ellen DeGeneres talk show guests, viewers, and audience members have all felt the same unifying experience when they watch The Ellen DeGeneres Show one that lightens their moods, lifts their spirits, and makes their hearts smile. To share this experience with people everywhere, Ellen h... read more.

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Posted in Subscription Box News

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

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100 comments

viki

So I ended up upgrading to the premium Be Kind subscription. In my Spring box I actually received a claim code for a FREE year of Amazon Prime!!! Pretty cool. It isn’t tickets to the show but it is a $120 value 🙂

Jen

Can you clarify– if we did not sign up for Premium but kept our regular subscriptions will we still receive the Holiday box??

David

Be kind give my gf a box she wants you more than me e
So you might calm her mind enough fo me to make an amazing moment for us with out Ellen on her mind

MelBell

How do you reach someone there? I cancelled then reactivated the next day since I liked the fall box… now I am getting a second fall box which I don’t want. I have emailed them 4 times to try and stop the box but have not heard back from anyone. My guess is they are busy dealing with thousands of questions about the premium membership

It is Extremely challenging to BE KIND when they have NO Customer Service! It’s simply horrible. I emailed them several times over six weeks, and 5 weeks later a woman finally replied, never apologized for taking 5 weeks, and told me I could still upgrade from quarterly to their Premium plan and gave me instructions on how to do that. I followed the instructions but I still couldnt upgrade to Premium. I emailed yet another time asking for help and someone else just replied Monday and said in their email message that they didnt know why it wouldnt let me upgrade to Premium, and then said I could try to upgrade to the Annual Plan and my next box would still be the Holiday BE KIND box and then it should work to let me upgrade from annual to Premium.
So I fell for it and I did what he said and their website finally let me upgrade to Annual. Now today, I checked my online account to find they are already fulfilled my first box in my new Annual Plan and they are sending me another Fall Be Kind box. Omg! I already paid for and got their Fall box from my quarterly plan in October.
I dont know what to do now. I am literally so discouraged now and completely disheartened that Ellen would be associated with such a miserable company running her Be Kind boxes. No one their cares about anything. They refuse to reply o emails and now they give false advertising and false help just to get me to subscribe to pay more for a full year and there’s no one to call to complain and no way to get any honest help…and they dont care because they already took my money for a year. Its really shameful.

MelBell

The lack of customer service is very disheartening. I really want to like this box but they are screwing over most of the people who upgraded. I sure hope this Holiday box is amazing =|

MelBell

Finally received a response (I don’t know how you can be signed up for both):
Thank you for contacting the BE KIND. box, we apologize for the delayed response.

We checked your account and you were signed up for both the quarterly and the premium subscriptions, which is why you received two boxes. Unfortunately, we do not process refunds but I have gone ahead and cancelled your quarterly subscription for you.

Please let us know if you have any other questions, we hope you love your box!

MICHELLE BROOKS

THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM THE WEB PAGE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYONE WHO UPGRADED GOT A SECOND FALL BOX. THIS CLEARLY STATES THAT IT STARTS WITH THE HOLIDAY BOX. SO EITHER WE GOT AN EXTRA BOX OR ONE IS GOING TO BE TAKEN AWAY AT THE END WITCH IS NOT RIGHT.

As a Premium Subscriber, you’ll pay an ANNUAL FEE of $251.96* (saving 10% overall!) and receive FOUR quarterly boxes throughout the year, starting with the Holiday 2019 box. Subscribers who upgrade before the launch of the Holiday Box, will receive the Holiday Box and the following three boxes. Subscribers who upgrade after the launch of the Holiday Box, may receive the latest box (if still available), otherwise they will receive the four following boxes.
In addition to all of the products our Quarterly Subscribers receive, Premium Subscribers will receive chances to win amazing prizes, like tickets to Ellen’s 12 Days of Giveaways tapings, travel experiences, and big-ticket products like those Ellen gives away on-air. Trust us, you don’t want to miss out!

Holly

I upgraded but did not receive another fall box. I’m thankful since the fall box had a lot of stuff I could skip on. Hoping the holiday upgrade box is good and that we get it in December?

SandyS

Same thing happened to me. I reached out last week and received an email today that they are gifting me the fall box for upgrading to premium.

Viki

Same here. I upgraded to the premium box and was sent a seccond Fall box. I am hoping it doesn’t count as one of the 4 quarterly boxes we will receive starting with the holiday box.

Viki

BTW….it really was just a free box to share with friends!

Aimee

That is exactly what happened to me. I got a second fall box that was exactly the same as the first but $30 more expensive. I have sent support 4 emails and replied to the shipping email and not a single reply. All the marketing materials say that Premium starts with Holiday and says nothing about Fall. I feel like I’ve made more than enough of an effort to get it fixed so I’ll give it until Friday and then going the credit card route.

Rachel D Rieke

I’m tempted to give Ellen her key.

Holly

Hahaha! That would be hilarious! I’m sure she is aware of the nightmare people are facing. With the product she endorses, due diligence is needed.

Ann

Me thinks Ellen has gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs!

Redhed36

So I decided to look into this Premium subscription b/c I thought there is no way they would take like $40 for a chance at something… They totally are!!! The only difference between the annual sub ($198) and the premium sub ($252) is with the annual you get a discount and the premium there will be chances to win stuff. And I went into the FAQ’s page and read the details. This is comical at best. It would be different if they said everyone wins at least once with a value of at least $40 but no. I’d rather play the lottery or better yet put gas in my car. I think this ‘deal’ is best for hardcore Ellen followers.

Elizabeth

It’s actually borderline illegal. Federal regulations state that you can’t require payment for entry….which means an alternate free method of entry must be available for all sweepstakes (which this is).

Steph

Pretty sure that they did their homework and that this isn’t illegal.

Kelly

OOOHHHH….maybe I’ll win a Gorilla necklace to match the gorilla bracelet 2 boxes ago…….said no one ever….

Kelly

So basically we’re supposed to pay more money for a “chance” to win a big prize? That’s just stupid and greedy. I think Ellen’s subscribers are dropping FAST and they’re desperate to do something to lure people in.

Sammee

I’m sure that they have heard that subscribers would like the chance to enter contests; in fact I may have indicated that as one of my survey answers for this box. That doesn’t mean that a lot of people are willing to pay for that chance. If they had specifically asked that I would have answered a hard, firm no. I hope that people who do take a leap of faith and sign up for the premium get something that at least covers the extra cost of the subscription. If Ellen’s people are smart they’ll see to that, otherwise they’ll just have a bunch of angry people on their hands. Personally, I never get a long term subscription to any box because I’ve seen too many of their go drastically downhill in quality or completely fold and leave people hangin’. To those who do buy the premium, I look forward to hearing about any prizes received. Maybe I’ll even end up kicking myself for not getting in on it.

Lily

The discount for the Premium subscription is taken at checkout. It will display $220.19 before the final confirmation which makes each quarterly box about $55.05.

Val

Mine was 220$ also! It said “prorated”, I think because I bought the current box 🙂

Lily

Same, I’m also a current member. No coupon code entered.

Kristin

did you enter a coupon code?

Mine doesn’t show that. I got to the last page where you hit “pay and subscribe” and the price didn’t lower to $220.

julie

THIS IS NOT A CHARITY DONATION!

Seriously, I understand the addiction to sub boxes and stuff but this is a business and on top of that the money that does get donated is an amazing tax write off for ELLEN and her business. If you want to donate to charity then please do the research and donate to charity but don’t pretend that everyone that buys this box should be doing it for the charity aspect because while there is an aspect to it we don’t know exactly how much gets donated. I tried to look it up and it’s pretty vague on top of which they also charge some of these companies to be featured in the box which is why you see promotional subscriptions. This box is great for her foundation and if it’s great for you then awesome! If not, please don’t console yourself by pretending you’re making the world a better place by buying this and just go and donate your time or money in a place of your choosing and actually make the world a better place. Rant complete.

Cheryl Blasdel

Well said. Absolutely agree! None of us need Ellen to direct our charitable dollars.

Juliya

Agreed. Better donate to the local pet shelters, at least you see right away where the money goes.

Tiffany

Curious, I went to the site to see the explanation chart, and the Premium Subscription really is the same as the Annual Subscription with the addition of a chance to win prizes.

Gabriela

The only way this makes any sense is if the Holiday box will cost twice as much as a quarterly box.

Tanya

This box was a hot mess but it’s still better than the Oprah boxes lol

Tanya

This box is a hot mess I mean but Ellen’s boxes still aren’t as bad as Oprah’s were lol

Julia

I completely forgot about those. What a mess.

Flo

Liz, can you please reach out and clarify this confusion announcement?

Tanya

Why don’t you reach out and ask or go to the website. Liz isn’t your secretary.

Melissa

Tanya, is it necessary to be so rude? Obviously many people are confused about this announcement as evidenced by the comments. Further, Liz often helps to sort out confusion such as this, so asking her to do so in this case is hardly unprecedented. Plus, MSA makes money for people signing up for boxes through their link, so it’s not like she’s doing it for free. Maybe you should keep the name of this box in mind and “BE KIND.”

Chloe

If you go to the Be Kind site, they have a chart with the subscription benefits under each category.

TJK

Wow, I’m surprised by the comments …I actually just received the fall box today and think it is so much better than the summer box. ! I think the key Necklace is a cute idea, the rest was quite nice too. It’s so much better than Fit Fab Fun … and other than those two I haven’t tried any others.

Tanya

It’s obvious that you are paying for the extra holiday box. The entries are just a bonus.

Sherri

Obvious? Hmmm… not to me, so can you please elaborate? Here’s how I understand it. First, the post says “As a Premium Subscriber, you’ll pay an ANNUAL FEE … and receive FOUR quarterly boxes throughout the year, starting with the Holiday 2019 box.” To me “starting with the Holiday 2019 box” following immediately after the “four quarterly boxes” implies that the Holiday 2019 IS one of the quarterly boxes, not an “extra.” Then the post says “In addition to all of the products our Quarterly Subscribers receive, Premium Subscribers will receive chances to win amazing prizes,” which suggests that what the premium subscribers get is what quarterly subscribers get (which would be 4 boxes over the course of a year), plus chances to win. I don’t see any language suggesting that the holiday box is an extra?

Chloe

Obvious? 🤔 Are you thinking that the regular quarterly subscribers are not getting the holiday box? That’s not how I am understanding this at all.

Kristin

But is this obvious? It’s so poorly worded. They really need to come back with some clarity.

Cyn

I’ve received all but the first box and just cancelled. I kept thinking the box would get better but for the price I don’t think it’s worth it. I understand that it gives back to charity but there are quite a few other boxes that give back too (causebox, anchor of hope, and many more). I also feel like they are probably not paying much if anything for the contents so I’m not sure why they can’t do better. Even the prizes they gave away were sponsored.

When I saw this “raffle” thing all it did was annoy me. I have an APO box and it has taken as long as 8 weeks to get this box. I dont think anyone with an APO box will be winning as I’ve seen winners on her show before I’ve even received my box.
I was so excited for the first box I received and tried to be upbeat even when I received three digital codes but i can’t be upbeat about the box anymore.
Am I the only one that feels like because it’s from Ellen the curators feel like we will accept whatever is put out as we should just be grateful that we are getting something from Ellen?

Carolyn

This is crazy. Who would spend all that money to take a chance

Carolyn

So you are paying $60 extra for a chance at maybe getting something. And if you don’t like in LA, if you get show tickets, they are useless

Courtnnn

I’ve never been as disappointed in a box as I was with this one this season. Terrible customer service. No response for over a week. Locked out of my account. Finally got back in. No spoilers. Worst!!! I can’t imagine paying more for this. Ever.

ellen

This announcement is an early April’s Fools Joke right? I mean come on … The spring box was good but it has gone down hill since. I don’t want a bar of soap. I don’t want another membership to something I won’t use. I am holding out that the winter box will be good … if not I’m gone.

Holly

Ah but it is a $13 bar of soap! Hahahhaha, couldn’t believe that. Yes this has been a major let down, but Ellen, I am sure, is unaware how disappointed her fans are. Or maybe not

Angie

Putting aside the crazy notion of paying more for a chance to win something, how do they figure the annual sub is saving 10%? It’s a higher price than the non annual sub price.

Sherri

They seem to have revamped their website and subscription plans. They now offer 3 subscription plans, a Quarterly subscription (i.e. paying for individual boxes quarterly at a cost of $54.99 each), an Annual subscription (4 boxes over a year at cost of $197.96), and the Premium subscription (4 boxes over a year plus the “chances to win” at a cost of $251.96). It is the $197.96 Annual plan that is10% lower than buying 4 boxes at $54.99 each, not the Premium subscription. HTH.

Jenny

This box has a lot of potential, but i think so far is falling short of consumer expectation. My hypothesis is they’re not actually spending a large portion of the money they make on the products inside the box, but rather engaging merchants to try and donate or cut them a significant discount. And the proceeds of the box go to benefit the Ellen’s charity. I’m guessing they thought that with time, they would get a larger subscription audience and entice merchants to collaborate with them for exposure (although for now, it looks like subscribers are dropping off more than anything) .

If you view this as “my money going toward a charity WHILE getting some items in return”, then i think this works! If you’re viewing this as “i’m paying money and i’d like to get my value”, then obviously this isn’t the right choice and you should just donate to whatever charity you want. My guess is that anyone with expendable income to spend on a sub box isn’t in dire NEED of anything that comes in a sub box (does anyone want one of my 10 exercise bands or water bottles?). I’m going to stick with it for a few more cycles and see if the execution improves (the items are okay for me, but the consistency of shipping, the website and customer service are all mediocre.) , but probably not pay for the premium sub. Just my two cents. 🙂

AnninVA

I don’t think Ellen’s customers can just think their money is going to charity. The website says the fall box “supports the ASPCA” but does not say how much, if any, of the proceeds of selling the box will be donated to the ASPCA. I have not received the fall box or even a tracking number for it, but the box could just be supporting the ASPCA by including advertisements for it in the box. I don’t think there has been much transparency on how and how much the box supports charities and that’s not why I would buy this box.

Delcie

FYI, on the inside of the box it says $100,000 was donated to the ASPCA in our name or honor.

Redhed36

That is very true. When it says the proceeds go… Until you see them hand the organization a check you have no idea what the proceeds are. People forget that companies also keep part of the sales for expenditures, manpower, taxes, supplies, shipping, etc… After the cost of the items plus all the behind the scene type things there may only be a .50 donation per box to the organization. This doesn’t just go to the Be Kind Box but anything that is sold with the proceeds going somewhere. If you are okay with that then go for it but it’s something that people need to be aware of.

BKK

Jenny, I agree with your comment on how one is viewing the product. I have the mindset that I’m supporting Ellen’s charity and trying out products she’s helped hand select and chose in alignment to her values.

I think it’s unfair of people to dwell and comment that they got a box of water in their last box-that was one of many items, and I was excited to experience something with a clear initiative and value that Ellen’s company selected. I support the story and intention of these boxes, and therefore, I am satisfied. I also subscribe to Fab Fit Fun-and while I enjoy that box, this one has demonstrated better quality products than FFF AND there is the fulfillment that much of my money is going toward great causes that I want to support-many I am learning because of this box.

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