ComplaintsforLifestyle Publications, LLC
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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
08/04/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I recently completed my original $4500, 12mo. 1/4 page ad contract (July 2024-June 2024) on May 2024 (June 2024 issue). I did not renew or sign for another contract due to horrible ROI and waste of my advertising dollars over the term. On June 24th, 2024 City Lifestyle Publications forged my name/signature on a new 12mo contract (August 2024 - July 2025), which no one from City Lifestyle Pub had contacted me to discuss or agree to, and I only found out when I received an email that the August 2024 ad placement was due. I then tried contacting CLP to let them know I never signed or authorized this new contract, I left voice messages, sent emails to their "contact" info listed on their site and invoice requesting someone contact me, with no reply from corporate office. I did get a response/call from my local West Chester CL rep, **** ********* who insured me that this would be taken care of. After two follow ups with him over 3 weeks, he notified me that he has had no response from the corporate office. I have now just received the Sept 2024 ad invoice.Business response
08/21/2024
We have reached out to the author of the complaint and believe that the matter is resolved to their satisfaction.Initial Complaint
10/27/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
City Lifestyle is a spam magazine maker. I have never signed up for their magazines and I have asked for them to remove me from their mailing list. Despite being assured I would be removed from their list back in May of 2023, I continue to receive this unwanted junk mail. Further attempts to get them to stop harassing me have, to this date, been ignored. I have a right to no be harassed by consistent junk mail and have no obligation to provide them for any reason. this harassment and lack of responsiveness is not what I would expect from a company in good standing with the BBB.Customer response
12/05/2023
The company has addressed my complaint and I would like to withdraw this filing with the BBB. It appears I might have waited too long and it has auto closed out and will be listed as customer remains unsatisfied. What can I do to formally withdraw this complaint?Initial Complaint
02/22/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
A local branch of this magazine (******** **** **********) used one of my most iconic photographs as an inside cover print ad for three of their issues. These issues were also still available online until this past week. When I contacted them and told them this was copyright infringement, the editor and owner first told me an outside design agency had created the ad. Then, later in the day, she said that an unpaid intern at the magazine had created the ad and that she was sorry, but the copyright infringement wasn't intentional. When I explained that this was still copyright infringement and that I needed to be paid for the advertising use of the image, she replied that print is in a tough market, that profit wasn’t a priority, and that she wouldn’t pay the amount I proposed even if she could afford it because it wasn’t fair or reasonable. She instead offered an editorial opportunity in the magazine. When I told her that ad space in their magazine was not an appropriate offering, and asked her what she considered fair and reasonable, she stopped communicating with me and took the digital version of the ad off of the three online issues of the magazine. This magazine's editorial process is extremely flawed and companies or businesses that advertise with them should be warned that ads they pay for have been and could be created with stolen artistic work. Rather than simply paying me for the use of the image, they are now trying to cover up their copyright violation. As an advertising company, they should know better.Business response
02/22/2023
My understanding is that the local publisher has been very open about the image use. I believe some of the materials were provided by an outside agency, but the actual image in question was downloaded by the intern (it could be that the intern provided the image to the agency – I am not sure of the specifics).
I think you misunderstood her response, as she wrote that she WOULD pay if a fair and reasonable amount could be agreed upon (quote, “I have no problem doing the right thing as long as it is reasonable and hope we can come to an equitable arrangement.”) Her offer of trade/editorial was a good faith attempt to add value to the settlement.
I do not think she has stopped communicating but is trying to determine how much she can offer as settlement. As a very small business, a large cash payout will be tough for her. Be assured she will be reaching out and is committed to doing her best to make this right.
We manage the production of over 150 magazines across the country and our training and systems make this kind of mistake very rare. On occasion, something like this gets through and we join with the local publisher in apologizing that this happened. Nobody is trying to cover up anything, but we are trying to help and everyone is doing their best to correct any and all infringement as quickly as possible and work on the best settlement offer the local publisher can offer.
Thank you for your patience-
Customer response
02/23/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********. The editor of Chandler City Lifestyle Magazine has agreed to pay me for the used image and we have resolved the issue amicably. This resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
****** ******Initial Complaint
12/19/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
1. Date of Transaction: I signed and paid $6,000 on October 31, 2022 to be an Owner/Publisher of a magazine franchise called **** *********. My local magazine was going to be Port City City Lifestyle. They are headquartered in Kansas City *** ** **** ** ****** **** ** ***** ************ 2. I paid this scam/religious cult $6,000.00. 3. What the business committed to provide They committed to provide was ownership of a local franchise magazine, as an independent contractor, and not as an employee. They committed to providing online training within 7 days of signing the agreement and paying the money. They failed to do that. Online training started 14 days after signing agreement. They committed to providing in person training within 30 days of signing the agreement and paying the money, they failed to do that, they provided in person training after 33 days from signing. This all will become further relevant when you look at one of the attachments that talks about the Deposit and Nondisclosure agreement 4. What is nature of dispute Their breech of contract. They took $6,000 from me, and said they would return the whole amount, then said only 4,800. I have received ZERO from them. 5. Did business try to resolve Not yet they have not. They said they deposited my money last Monday, but none has been returned to me. I was told in a text message which is included by *** ******* Recruiter, that I would get 6,000 back, and also in an earlier call from him. I was then told by **** *********, apparently a replacement of ********* ****, who handled on boarding, that I would only get 4,800. My desired resolution is to have the $6,000 returned to my bank account, and also be reimbursed for the plane ticket and the transportation and meals that I had to buy while in Kansas City. Totaling another $1,100.00.Business response
12/20/2022
*** **** signed a Deposit and Non-Disclosure Agreement with Lifestyle and paid an Initial Franchise Fee Deposit. She had not yet been offered the franchise. Regarding the deposit, the Agreement reads in part, "the Initial Franchise Fee Deposit shall be *non-refundable* in consideration of the administrative and other expenses incurred by Lifestyle Publications in allowing Publisher to evaluate this opportunity and for Lifestyle Publications’ lost or deferred opportunity to franchise to others" (emphasis added).
Although the deposit was non-refundable under the Agreement terms, Lifestyle agreed in good faith to refund all but $1,200, which was kept to cover direct costs of materials purchased for her. And her attachment from *** ******* never promised a $6,000 refund, as that was not owed by Lifestyle.
Lifestyle, in fact, attempted the refund, but, as can be seen on the attached transaction receipt, her bank declined the refund. Lifestyle was only recently informed that *** **** did not receive the money and is willing to send a check instead if *** **** is unable to resolve matters with her bank, which matters are completely outside of Lifestyle's control.
To clear up her misunderstanding of the Agreement terms and address her complaint, Lifestyle had no contractual requirement to offer training within 30 days. Rather, it was *** **** who was required to complete training in 30 days. On this matter the Agreement reads, "INITIAL TRAINING PROGRAM. Publisher must complete, to Lifestyle Publications’ satisfaction, the (a) online training program within seven (7) days from the Effective Date, and (b) in-person training program within thirty (30) days from the Effective Date. The online training program and in-person training program are referred to collectively as the “Initial Training Program.”"
Again, Lifestyle is ready and willing to refund $4,800, even though it is not due under the Agreement's very clear terms. *** **** can coordinate with her bank as to why the bank is rejecting the refunds attempts by Lifestyle or can request a check for the refund offered instead.
Customer response
12/20/2022
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Assumed Answered]
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
******** ****I have repeatedly contacted Lifestyle Publications via email, text and phone calls, and NO ONE responded back to me each time. I called and left a message to call me. I even asked the Recruiter who I should talk to about my refund as recently as December 19th. Every day I checked my bank account, no deposit of $4,800.00 I just spoke with my bank and they said that no attempt to deposit $4,800 or any other amount of deposit from Lifestyle Publications has been attempted. The bank said that maybe the company incorrectly entered the account number, that would cause it to be rejected. They also said that the company that tried to deposit the refund would be notified that the transaction did not go through. By the company's own exhibit, aka, "**** ******," Lifestyle Publications knew this refund was rejected on December 13,2022 at 11:15:25 CST. I am requesting a paper check in the amount of $4,800.00 be issued and sent immediately to: ******** **** **** ********* ****** ********** ***** ******** ***** Only then I will agree that this complaint is resolved
Business response
12/21/2022
We have been in touch with *** **** to overnight the $4,800 payment. If she doesn't not want this we can simply retain the non-refundable fee that was paid. This refund was offered as a good faith resolution, not something that was in any way required.Customer response
12/26/2022
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Assumed Answered]
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because: I keep getting the run around regarding the $4,800 refund. I was told on December 20,2022 that I would be "overnighted" the refund of $4,800.00. Of course, I received nothing. I then contacted the company today, and they said that they thought it was already overnighted. **** claims he will find out tomorrow where the refund is. I will not be satisfied until this money is back in my account, then I will agree the complaint is resolved.
Regards,
******** ****Initial Complaint
10/09/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I signed an agreement for a 12 month ad space in the magazine at a cost of $475 per month. (Back story this was the second time I had dealings with them). They promised me an editorial which was ran which was elementary at best. 6 months in I realized that I didn’t receive a single call from this ad being run. I emailed the editor in September to cancel my subscription and was advised that there would be a $200 cancellation fee. In November I noticed a charge on my card and again reached out to her. She basically told me that I would be charged $875 per month if I cancelled. This would bring the total cost of the 12 Month subscription to double he agreed upon rate. She told me there was nothing she could do. How is a company allowed to charge a person two rates at a time? It’s either you are going to charge me a cancellation fee but not a cancellation fee and double what was agreed upon. I will be contacting my bank ad well to prevent them any further access to my account and will be reporting them to anyone who will listen. Judging from all the complaints here I’m not aloneBusiness response
10/13/2022
I do not read anything in the complaint that demonstrates this client was misled in any way or that Lifestyle did anything wrong at all. The client seems to have changed their mind about the continued advertising but does not want to follow the terms of the contract they signed. They clearly write that they signed a 12-month agreement and wanted to cancel halfway through that term.
Based on the statement this was the second partnership, the advertiser must have determined there was value in a second advertising term. If the advertising yielded no results, I am not sure why they would have pursued a second term of advertising.
Some advertisers seek a free story in the magazine and then attempt to cancel the ad contract right after to maximize the value of their marketing. Our contract cancellation terms are very clearly presented on each Advertising Agreement. It is the longest section in the contract terms to be sure it is clearly communicated and cannot be missed. I have copied the section below. Advertisers agree to a term of months to get a discounted rate. If they cancel early, they forfeit that discount and must pay the month-to-month (Open) rate for the ads published plus a $200 cancellation fee. Until the payment is made, the contract continues as agreed.
_________
Cancellations. Advertiser understands that Lifestyle Publications offers discounted rates for multi-month contracts, and that Lifestyle Publications relies on Advertiser’s agreement to fulfill a multi-month term in its business planning, in determining magazine layout and forecasting, and in determining publishing rates and schedule. Advertiser understands and agrees that Lifestyle Publications will incur damages that may be difficult to quantify by Advertiser’s early cancellation.
If Advertiser cancels this contract for any reason, Advertiser will be charged a $200 cancellation fee and all published advertising and design services under the contract will be re-invoiced at the open (month-to-month) rate for advertising and the applicable design services rate published in Lifestyle Publications’ most current Media Kit. Advertiser understands that the monthly ad rate in the most current Media Kit may differ from and supersedes the rate presented at the time of signing for the purposes of re-invoicing under this section.
Upon cancellation, Advertiser will be charged the most current open rate for all editorial content published as part of the Advertising Agreement, if Advertiser had not been previously charged for it. Editorial content shall be charged at the open rate for advertising, according to the size of the editorial. For example, if editorial is a full page, the Advertiser will be charged the open rate for a full page ad.
Advertiser must give written notice of cancellation 20 days prior to the next scheduled ad submission deadline. The contract will only be deemed cancelled when Advertiser has paid in full all amounts due, unless otherwise stipulated in writing by an authorized agent of Lifestyle Publications._________
Lifestyle has simply honored the contract terms as agreed and fulfilled its end of the bargain.
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Customer Complaints Summary
11 total complaints in the last 3 years.
7 complaints closed in the last 12 months.