An initial screenshot of text that stated was the basis for the Clearwater warning. Someone from Clearwater reached out to you and asked if you would be interested in joining the NIL Club on your team. There was an invitation to join the NIL Club and see who had invited you, along with a download link for the app.
Members of their team, whether they be students or student-athletes, provide content for the app that is accessible only to app subscribers. Anyone can subscribe and see the content, including fans, relatives, and friends. “In this model, students produce and disseminate content like videos, updates, and articles behind a paywall that subscribers can access,” explained Mick Assaf, co-founder of NIL Club.
Consumers who have subscribed to the NIL Club have taken their complaints about the company’s silence and refusal to honor refund requests to the BBB. As a result, the Better Business Bureau has given the firm a 1-star rating.
Refunds that customers have not received are the most common source of complaints, according to Taelor Hicks of the Better Business Bureau in Atlanta.
“The confusion some individuals have expressed, particularly around recurring payments, often stems from a misunderstanding of the subscription model and a lack of familiarity with the details provided on the website,” the NIL Club said in response to the issue.
As of this writing, we still have not heard back from the Kansas State High School Athletic Association regarding whether or not a student athlete’s membership in the NIL Club would impact their eligibility.
The full statement from NIL Club co-founder Mick Assaf is as follows:
Subscriptions, Not Donations: First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that NIL Club operates on a subscription model, not a donation-based system. Supporters, such as friends, family, and fans, subscribe to access exclusive content created by participating students. Subscriptions can be canceled at any time without any further charges. The confusion some individuals have expressed, particularly around recurring payments, often stems from a misunderstanding of the subscription model and a lack of familiarity with the details provided on the website.
How the NIL Club Works: NIL Clubs are student-run and designed to help high school students, not just athletes, monetize their digital content. Students create and share content—such as videos, updates, and articles—behind a paywall that subscribers can access. The proceeds from these subscriptions go directly to the students involved in creating this online experience. There is no affiliation with schools or use of school resources. Instead, this is an independent platform that gives students an opportunity to share content with their supporters and be compensated for it.
Addressing the Scam Accusations: While there have been some complaints, primarily related to misunderstandings of how our subscription system works, the NIL Club is not a scam. It is a legitimate platform providing students with a way to earn money based on content creation rather than athletic performance or donations. One recurring issue seems to be confusion between team-affiliated fundraising and our platform’s independent nature. NIL Club is not tied to any school or institution, and we explicitly state this on every NIL Club page to ensure clarity.
Commitment to Transparency and Compliance: With tens of thousands of paying customers each month, NIL Club is confident in the value and trust it provides to students and their supporters. While there are a very small number of negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), we want to stress that these reviews do not represent the overall satisfaction of our users and cannot be verified as coming from legitimate paying subscribers of the platform. Our focus is on ensuring that every student receives compensation for their content creation, and we have not prioritized paying for BBB accreditation, as our goal is to continue supporting students effectively. We actively work to resolve any concerns that arise and strive to improve the user experience.
