ComplaintsforSynapse Group, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was signed up for a service without my knowledge. I believe this was through *** bookstores however I am not sure. After seeing charges every month that I had not signed up for, and never would have signed up for I called my bank to report fraud. I had to do this multiple times. I also never received the products they were charging me for. I do not understand how they got my new card number 5 different times. The only partner of this company that I shop at is *** bookstores.

  

  Business response

  11/09/2023

  ******** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******   ** ****** **** ********* ** ***** ************ **** ** ********                         ********* ****** *****  **** *** *****  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ****** *****. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ***** experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ***** placed an order for ****, ******** ********** ********, ******* and *****, when she accepted our online promotional offer, which was presented to her after completing a ******* ******. The offer allowed her to receive the first term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 each. The also offer provided that her subscriptions would automatically continue following the initial term and that the same credit card would be charged if she did not call us to cancel. 
  
  Prior to the billing event, a notice was mailed to Ms. ***** reminding her of the upcoming renewal, the renewal charge, and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged. In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and on the customer’s billing statement with each charge.  
  
  When we did not hear from Ms. ***** that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the annual subscription charges were posted to her account.
  
  On May 30, 2019, we received notification from Ms. *****’s bank that she disputed the charges for her subscriptions to ****, ******** ********** ******** and *****, resulting in a in her subscriptions being cancelled and a full refund in the amount of $115.00 being processed to her account.
  
  Please note, on May 12, 2022, we received notification from the publisher of ******* that the title had ceased publication and would be replaced with ******. 

  On November 7, 2023, Ms. ***** contacted our customer service center and placed her subscription to ****** on “do not renew” status. This would allow her to continue receiving the remaining issues in her current term, however, at the end of her term the subscriptions would not renew, nor would she be charged any renewal fees.
  

  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we issued the remaining refund for the balance on her subscription to ****** in the amount of $246.52, which includes the previous years charges. It should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  

  Ms. ***** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded.  Also, Ms. ***** may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She may keep these with our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service.  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Synapse Customer Care

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am not liable for the this debt with Synapse Credit INC , I do not have a contract with them, they did not provide me with the original contract as requested.

  

  Business response

  09/07/2023

  ********* ** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                      ********* ****** ******* **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ****** *******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. ******* experienced and have attempted to resolve his concerns.
  
  Despite multiple searches, we regret that we cannot locate Mr. *******’s account in our system with the information provided in his complaint. 

  In his complaint, Mr. ******* mentions that he is not liable for a debt with Synapse Credit, Inc.  This is not our company however, we took the liberty of researching this company and if Mr. ******* would like more information, he can contact their customer service by accessing this email address: ****************** or by telephone at ###-###-####.

  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date of the transaction: Fri, Jul 21, 2023 Amount: $70.62 Unwanted magazine subscription. I have NO idea how they got my information. I have tried MANY times to cancel. ****** *******e says that they cannot cancel it because the subscription came from Synapfe/newsubservice (###-###-####). I call them over and over - they keep charging me.

  

  Business response

  07/27/2023

  **** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                         ********* ********* ***** **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ********* *****. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ***** experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ***** placed an order for ****** ***********, ******, ******** ********** ****, and ******** ********** ********, following a purchase she made at a ********** ************* store. The offer allowed her to choose from a selection of magazines and receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription without charge.  After the trial period, her subscriptions would continue automatically and be charged semi-annually to the same credit card used for her ********** ************* transaction, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to cancel. Prior to any billing event, a notice would be mailed to her reminding her of the upcoming billing, the amount that would be charged and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged.
  
  ********** ************* sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms of the offer and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. 
  
  On July 21, 2023, Ms. ***** contacted our customer service center and cancelled her subscriptions to Sports Illustrated, ******, ******** ********** ****, and ******** ********** ********, generating a refund reflecting the value of unserved issues in the amount $72.69 to her account.
  
  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we issued the remaining refund for her balance on her subscriptions in the amount of $161.11 to her account. It should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.

  In addition, we have added Ms. ***** to our purged customer list. We have also requested to have Ms. *****’s name to be removed from our promotional mailing lists.
  

  Ms. ***** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded.  Also, Ms. ***** may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She may keep these with our compliments.
  

  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I had noticed a charge to my bank account of a total of 23.99 $ and from a magazine that I have never ordered nor subscribed to. I was able to cancel the subscription with the magazine but was not able to receive a refund. They told me it was done through an independent sales agency of SYNAPSE. I do not want to receive more magazines or items from this company. I would like a refund and cancellation of all subscriptions from this company.

  

  Business response

  07/07/2023

  **** ** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                      ********* ***** ******* **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ***** *******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ******* experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ******* placed an order for ********** and ****, following a purchase she made at a ********** ************* store. The offer allowed her to choose from a selection of magazines and receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription without charge.  After the trial period, her subscriptions would continue automatically and she would be charged semi-annually to the same credit card used for her ********** ************* transaction, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to cancel.
  
  Prior to any billing event, a notice would be mailed to her reminding her of the upcoming billing, the amount that would be charged and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged. In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any **** by calling our toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge. 
  
  On June 22, 2023, we received notification from Ms. *******’s credit card company to cancel the automatic charges for her subscriptions to ********** and ****, resulting in her account being placed on a on “do not renew” status. This would allow her to continue receiving the remaining issues in her current paid term, however, at the end of her term her subscriptions would not renew. 

  On June 29, 2023, we received notification from the publisher of ********** that Ms. ******* requested to cancel her subscription. Her request was honored and a full refund in the amount $12.00 was processed.
  
  After further research our records shows we were unable to process the refund back to Ms. *******’s credit card account, therefore the refund was issued in the form of a check. Ms. ******* should allow 2-3 weeks to receive her check in the mail.
  
  In her complaint, Ms. ******* included a charge for a Backstage Pass for $11.99. A Backstage Pass can only be purchased and activated at an FYE retail location which allows customers to receive a 10% discount on their in-store purchases. If Ms. ******* has any questions or would like to cancel, she would need to contact 877-351-2131. Additionally, she can visit www.fyevip.com for additional details regarding the Backstage Pass VIP member benefits.
  
  Ms. ******* can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded.  Also, Ms. ******* may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazine since it was in process at the **** of cancellation. She may keep these with our compliments.

  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care

  Customer response

  07/13/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I need to cancel 3 magazine subscriptions and they wont do it. I need to cancel them.

  

  Business response

  06/29/2023

  **** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                        ********* ******* ***** **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ******* *****. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ***** experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ***** placed an order for **** *** *****, ****** ***********, and **** ******** when she accepted our promotional offer through ******** ********. The offer allowed Ms. ***** to receive the first year of issues for $2.00 per title. The offer also provided that her subscriptions would continue automatically and after her first term, her account would be charged monthly to the credit card that was provided when placing her order, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to cancel.
  
  In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge.
  
  When we did not hear from Ms. ***** that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the monthly renewal charges were posted to her account. 
  
  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we have cancelled Ms. *****’s subscriptions to **** *** *****, ****** ***********, and **** ********, generating a full refund to her account in the amount of $12.09. It should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms. ***** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled. Also, Ms. ***** may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She may keep these with our compliments.
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Back in I believe was September 2022, *** signed me up accidentally for their **************** which was then cancelled that same day. The subscription came with a magazine subscription which i was told not to worry about since everything was cancelled and nothing would come about it. May 31st, 2023 I noticed a $22.64 charge on my account for a ******** ********** subscription. As of today, there are a total of 4 unauthorized charges for this magazine subscription from this company for the *** membership that has been inactive. The charges are as follows: November 21st, 2022 for $22.64, December 6th, 2022 for $8.36, May 22nd, 2023 for $22.64 and June 6th, 2023 for $8.36. I contacted the customer support via email on June 1st and had no response. Today, i created an account to try to cancel the magazines myself. I believe i was able to cancel one but I was then brought to an error page which did not allow me to double check and make sure both magazine subscriptions were cancelled as my account says i have 2 active magazines. On June 5th, 2023 i was refunded $16.17 for im not sure what for. I talked to customer service and they told me i would only be refunded for the rest of my “current term” and that my subscriptions were cancelled. On my end, it says they are still active. I want at least a $45.83 refund and to make sure both are cancelled and I will no longer be charged.

  

  Business response

  06/16/2023

  **** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                        ********* ****** ****** **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ****** ******* We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ****** experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ****** placed an order for ******** ********** **** and ******** ********** Magazine, following a purchase she made at a ********** ************* store. The offer allowed her to choose from a selection of magazines and receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription without charge.  After the trial period, her subscriptions would continue automatically and be charged semi-annually to the same credit card used for her ********** ************* transaction, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to cancel.  Prior to any billing event, a notice would be mailed to her reminding her of the upcoming billing, the amount that would be charged and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged.
  
  ********** ************* sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms of the offer and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. 
  
  On June 2, 2023, we received notification from the publisher that Ms. ****** requested to cancel her subscription to ******** ********** Magazine. We honored the request and generated a refund to her account reflecting the value of unserved issues in the total amount of $16.17.
  
  On June 6, 2023, Ms. ****** contacted our service center via our online website and cancelled her subscription to ******** ********** **** generating a refund to her account reflecting the value of unserved issues in the total amount of $5.57.
  
  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we issued the remaining refund Ms. ******’s balance on her subscriptions in the amount of $40.26, which includes the previous year’s charges. It should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms. ****** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded.  Also, Ms. ****** may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She may keep these with our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  
  

  Customer response

  06/16/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  05/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  5/22/22 I became aware of a magazine subscription linked to my credit card that I had not ordered. I wasn't aware of it before, as it was being sent to an address that didn't belong to me. I called to get it sorted out, and was told the magazine was cancelled. Fast forward a year later, and I get a notification that I am going to be charged again for the magazine subscription. Upon investigation and creating an online account, I see that that very same day I called and spent hours cancelling the unwanted subscription, one of them was reactivated. I didn't know about it because, again, it isn't even my address they are shipped to! So I cancelled again, but these scammers obviously have my credit card info, and I want it REMOVED from their system. They will not delete this account linked to my info, I have tried again and again, and they still have my information. I don't understand how this is legal.

  

  Business response

  05/26/2023

  ***** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                      ********* ****** ******** **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ****** ********. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ******** experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Despite multiple searches, we regret that we cannot locate Ms. ******** account in our system with the information provided in her complaint. We would be more than happy to assist in resolving this matter but are unable to do so at this time.
  
  If Ms.******** can provide us with additional information regarding her magazine subscription orders, it would help us locate her account.  We request that she forward to us the magazine name and the shipping address the magazines are being sent to. In addition, if she can forward us the billing descriptors (alpha-numeric codes beginning with “TWX” or “TME”) next to the entries on her statement, which would allow us to identify the transactions and any other name or address that the subscription might be listed under.
  
  We sincerely regret that we cannot resolve Ms. ********’s concerns at this time without additional information but will be happy to proceed with the prompt resolution of her complaint once we have been able to locate her account.
  
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Synapse Group, Inc. has a scam going where it says you can purchase up to 3 magazine subscriptions for $2.00 a subscription. I ordered **** Magazine and **** ********* Magazine. I never started receiving the subscriptions. Synapse Group, Inc. said it couldn't charge my credit card. My credit card company said they did not deny any charges.

  

  Business response

  04/26/2023

  ***** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                         ********* ******* ******** **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ******* ********.  We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. ******** experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve his concerns.
  
  Our records show that Mr. ******** ordered **** ********* Magazine and **** Magazine on February 22, 2023, through an online promotion that was presented to him through ******** Tuesday. This offer was redeemable through the app and customers receive a unique one-time use promo code to access the available magazines. The offer allowed him to select up to 4 magazine titles for only $2.00 for the first term of issues. After the first year, the magazines would automatically continue following the initial term and that the same credit card would be charged if he did not call us to cancel. In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge.
  
  We received notification from Mr. ********’s bank on February 24, 2023, that we could not obtain authorization on his credit card for his subscriptions to **** ********* Magazine and **** Magazine, which resulted in his orders being cancelled.
  
  For the inconvenience, we have placed a complimentary order to **** ********* Magazine and **** Magazine on his behalf. We have confirmed his subscriptions will start with the May 2023 issue.
  
  If Mr. ******** experiences any delivery issues to his subscriptions, we would request that he contact our customer service center directly at ###-###-####. One of our representatives will be happy to assist him.
  
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us, and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  
  

  Customer response

  04/26/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. However, my bank did not decline the charge.  Further, no other merchant has issues charging my card.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  04/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  First I noticed a debit of $10.70 on 11/14/22. I inquired with the bank about info regarding who, they weren't able to help me on that date. On 11/24/22, I noticed there were debits on 11/17/22 & 11/20/22, these debits created two overdraft charges by the bank in the amount of $32 each. This time, however, there was a phone number in the description on the overdrafts "POS 1120 1035 885766 ************ ****** ************ *** and *** **** **** ****** ********* ******** ************ *** I called the number, spoke with Rose on 11/24/22 about 1515 EST. She refunded all three debits. When I asked about the overdraft fees, she gave me a fax number to the billing of ###-###-####. It was Thanksgiving day, I had to wait until Fri 11/25/22 to fax bank print out and note to the number. I did it at the *** and have a confirmation sheet. I told her I wanted no more magazines and no more unexpected debits to my checking account. On 11/30/22 yet another debit of $14.98 was posted. When Rose did the refunding, she had my email before I told her it, so why did they not send a "your bill is coming due soon" notice?! No, they just start debiting and creating a mess of my bank account. I do not like it going in the negative and I don't have a lot to begin with, but I like to know when a bill is due. In December, I got a check in the mail of $10.43, apparently to replace the funds taken on 11/30/22 because it mentioned order id *********. I have not cashed it. I emailed on 12/03/22 and 12/28/22 asking about the overdrafts. I received no response. I would have liked to continue with at least 2 of the 4 magazines, but I was so ***et about the lack of billing notice and lack of responds regarding the overdrafts, I am not at all happy with the company. They sent no notice, pulled without notice creating a negative in my account, somewhat cleaned up their mess and left me with $64.00 less. I feel they need to replace my money.

  

  Business response

  04/12/2023

  I write in response to the complaint dated April 4, 2023. I would like to provide some information regarding this customer's account and clear up any misunderstanding.

  This customers order for Readers Digest and **** ******** was place through an agency, and therefore, it is necessary that the customer contact them, (Synapse) to report this matter. Our agreement with all agencies is that any such actions regarding cancellations and refunds must be taken only with their approval.

  Agency Contact Information:

  Synape (New Sub Service)

  *** **** ***** ** **** **** ******** ** ***** **************Our records indicate the subscriptions listed above were cancelled on our system on November 30, 2022.

  I hope this helps clear up any misunderstanding. I apologize for any disappointment the customer may have encountered with our company. 

  Customer response

  04/17/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  

  I appreciate the additional information; however, On Friday following Thanksgiving day, I faxed the overdraft information to the billing fax number I was told by the original Lady.  I keep getting the run around.  The subscription keeps being talked about, but not the overdraft fees.  I will reach out to the additional address provided, but I feel someone that has to do with the business needs to step up to the plate and get this to the correct place.  It is like a maze.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

  

  Business response

  08/04/2023

  ****** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                      ********* **** ****** **** *** ***** 
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer **** ******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ****** experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ****** placed an order for ******** ******, **** ********, **** *** ***** and ***** * *****, when she accepted our online promotional offer, which was presented to her after completing a ******* survey. The offer allowed her to receive the first term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 each. The also offer provided that her subscriptions would automatically continue following the initial term and that the same credit card would be charged if she did not call us to cancel.
  
  Prior to the billing event, a notice was sent to Ms. ****** reminding her of the upcoming renewal, the renewal charge, and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged. In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge. 
  
  When we did not hear from Ms. ****** that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the annual subscription charges were posted to her account.
  
  On November 24, 2022, Ms. ****** contacted our customer service center and cancelled her subscriptions to ******** ******, **** ********, and This Old House, generating a full refund in the amount of $55.11 to her account. Unfortunately, part of that refund was unable to be processed back to her credit card account, and check refund was issued in the amount of $10.43.
  
  Regarding reimbursement of overdraft fees, although it is not our standard practice, we have honored her request and processed a refund of $64.00 back to her account. It should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms. ****** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded. Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 4/23/23 this company started a Recurring monthly deduction from my personal checking account of $3.01 for a magazine that I did not renew. Initially I ordered the magazine via an elementary school fundraiser. I did not renew, but they kept sending it and taking more money out of my account. I finally thought it was resolved, over a year ago, and now they started it again. When I login to the ********* magazine website they've reactivated the closed account as if I had ordered a new subscription. Showing an end date in 2025. Their website option to cancel gives an error message, to try at a later date. I don't feel I should have to close my bank account to prevent this unauthorized Recurring payment from being stolen. I believe since it's a small dollar amount that this company assumes it will not catch my attention. They're wrong. I will pursue legal action to get my point across. I demand satisfaction and reimbursement plus costs from this company. They should be forced out of business, especially their association with school fundraiser event programs. Disgraceful. The magazine account number printed on mailing label is: #***************# My bank gave me a phone number to call ********* Magazine of ###-###-####.

  

  Business response

  03/28/2023

  ***** *** **** ******* **** ********* ********** ****** ******** ******  ** ****** **** ********* ** *****           ***     ********* **** ** ********                        ********* *** ******* **** *** ***** 
  
  I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer *** *******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ******* experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ******* placed an order for ****** ***** * *******, **** ********* ********, ******** ******* ***** and *********s, when she accepted our online promotional offer, which was presented to her after completing a ******* ******. This offer allowed her to receive the first term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 for each subscription. The offer also provided that her subscriptions would automatically continue following the initial term and that the same credit card would be charged if she did not call us to cancel. In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge.  
  
  When we did not hear from Ms. ******* that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the annual subscription charges were posted to her account.
  
  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we cancelled Ms. *******’s subscriptions to ****** ***** * *******, L*** ********* ********, ******** ******* ***** and *********s, generating a full refund in the amount of $196.84 to her account, which includes the previous years charges. It should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms. ******* can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded. Also, Ms. ******* may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She may keep these with our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse Customer Care
  
  

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