ComplaintsforBlue Dolphin Group

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I never signed up for GQ and just came to visit my parents and there is a magazine from them here. I called GQ and they told me I was signed up by this agency. They told me to contact this agency and to stop delivery. First off, I called and no one answered numerous times nor does it let me leave a voicemail. I need the GQ magazine to stop being sent to my parents home and to be removed off this agency list and to find out how I was added to it and who is paying this subscription.

  Business response

  03/06/2024

  Good afternoon, 

  I am responding to the customer’s statement of having received unwarranted magazines. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.

  Mr. ****** is receiving a complimentary subscription accepted through an email or online offer. In some instances, as a customer appreciation, some online companies/stores will offer a free magazine subscription. It could also happen by answering a simple online survey question(s).  We did not collect any payment information and there are no hidden costs. 

  As requested, we have cancelled the order ******** GQ magazine. As the publisher pre-prints the address labels in advance, 1-2 issues can be received before delivery stops. A billing adjustment is not needed as no payment was made.

  We are unsure of the phone number that was provided, but our phone number can be found online.  We provide customer support via our support page ************************************************** where customers can submit an email or chat live with one of our dedicated agents. Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. As we no longer provide support over the phone, customers can still contact our number ************, and leave a detailed voicemail that includes their email address so we can respond. 
  

  A request was submitted to our Tech department to remove/delete the personal information from our database. 

  We apologize for the inconvenience experienced.  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  

  Sincerely, 

  ****** ******* 

  Director of Customer Success 
  M2 Media Group 
  ************ 
  *************************
  
  

  Customer response

  03/07/2024

  
  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

  02/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I started receiving GQ Magazine through Blue Dolphin M2Media Group LLC, and I have never had any contact with either company. I emailed GQ a few times, which is how I found out Blue Dolphin was behind the subscription. This is not something I want, nor did I ask for. I have no idea how either company got my information.

  Business response

  03/01/2024

   

  Good afternoon,

  I am responding to the customer’s statement of having received unwarranted magazines. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.

  ***** ****** is receiving a complimentary subscription to GQ magazine accepted through an email or online offer. In some instances, as a customer appreciation, some online companies/stores will offer a free magazine subscription. It could also happen by answering a simple online survey question(s).  We did not collect any payment information and there are no hidden costs.

  The order ******** for GQ magazine has been cancelled. As the publisher prints the address labels in advance, 1-2 more issues can be received before delivery stops.

  We provide customer support via our support page ************************************************** where customers can submit an email or chat live with one of our dedicated agents. Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

  We apologize for the inconvenience experienced.  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 
  
  Sincerely,

  ****** *******
  Director of Customer Success
  M2 Media Group
  ************ 

  Customer response

  03/04/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I did not ever accept by email or anything else, a complimentary issue of GQ.  I'm female, what would I want with that magazine?  I want all the information you were given about me without my consent deleted from all of your systems.  I do not know what company gave you my information, but I am not OK with it at all, it is a violation of my privacy.  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  Business response

  03/04/2024

   

  Good morning 

  Thank you for your response.
  

  We have submitted a request to our Tech department to remove Ms. ****** personal information (name and address) from our database.
  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******
  Director of Customer Success
  M2 Media Group
  ************
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been receiving Variety Magazine from Blue Dolphin Media. I did not order this large print magazine. Don't know why and how they got my information. I've tried calling Variety directly and they said there is nothing they can do and I would have to speak to the 3rd party. It is an inconvenience to my mail person and my expensive mailbox because issues have to be forced inside. Their customer service line is a joke. It hangs up on you. The subscription label is #**************#. I'm hoping that they do not have my payment information and will attempt to do continuous service. They also send out old issues. Please stop!!!

  Business response

  02/26/2024

   

  Good afternoon,

  I am responding to the customer’s statement of having received unwarranted magazines. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.
  

  Based on the information provided by Ms. ******* we located two magazine subscriptions dating back to 07/24/2018 for Entertainment Weekly and Variety magazines. Each magazine was for a year.  Ms. ****** ******* cancelled the pending renewal orders using our website and no charges were made. Both subscriptions expired in 2019 and we have no other orders on file. Also, we want to point out that we do not handle shipping.

  Additionally, Ms. ******* contacted us via email on 01/25/2024 to which we replied on 01/31/2024. We provided the same information as stated above, please see email communication attached. No further inquiries have been made since.
  It is possible that the customer has placed an order with other agencies or the publisher directly, and they were combined extending the expiration date. This would explain why she is receiving the magazine.
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience this caused. If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******
  Director of Customer Success
  M2 Media Group
  ************
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have made repeated attempts to contact these folks. I want to remove my *deceased* mothers name from further communication. They list this email as "Contact Us" *********************************. Not even a correct email (missing the "@". It's the same email that is peppered throughout the website. How can any business be so incompetent??? They offer a number (************) to call but nobody answers it, they want you to leave more information. It sounds like one of those old tape recorded answering machines from the 80's. I've seen all their lame as* responses about it's not all them, other sites. Blah, blah, blahhhh. If they were just upfront about how to reach them and discontinue contact they wouldn't have so many complaints. There's been no exchange of money. In fact, I'd pay to have them never contact me again!! They say contact "Customer Care", but don't provide a way to contact them. Oh the orange "Customer Care" button on their website is broken. Just provide a legit email and phone number!! What are they hiding from? I certainly don't have time for this nonsense but since they have been so shady about providing anyway to contact them it was worth it to me to submit a complaint. These people have 95 complaints closed in the last 3 years and 18 closed in the last 12 months. What kind of legitimate company would aspire to have such complaints. And their BBB rating is 1.43 out of 5. AWFUL!!!!!!!!!

  Business response

  02/22/2024

   

  Good morning, 

  I am responding to the customer’s statement of having experienced difficulties trying to contact our company.  On Monday, February 19th, 2024, we received an email from **** at the email address: ******************* requesting to cancel and remove their deceased relative’s information from our mailing list. Since Monday was a holiday, President’s Day, and we reply to all emails according to the order they are received, we replied to the email on February 21st, 2024.  As requested, we cancelled the order for Men's Health magazine, order no. ********. No refund was due as this was a complimentary subscription.  This was resolved within 48 hours.

  I want to point out that what was referred to as an incorrect email address because is missing the “@” is incorrect. This is not an email address but the web address for our support page. And by simply typing this in any browser it will take customers to our support page. In this page customers can find helpful information, can submit an email and chat live with one of our agents during our business hours. We can understand that this can be confusing for some customers. And our voicemail recording is simple, clear and provides the support page web address as well.
  

  We offer our sincere condolences for the loss. And apologize for the difficulties experienced during this difficult time. 

  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 

  Sincerely,

  ****** *******
  Director of Customer Success
  M2 Media Group
  ************
  *************************

  Customer response

  02/22/2024

  
  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

  02/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On October 3,2023 I mailed a check to Readers Digest for a subscription for the Large Print Magazine with free Large Print Calendar. I called Readers Digest on February 02,2024 to let them know that I have not received the magazine or calendar. I was told that they did not receive the check. So I called my bank and they told me that the check cleared on October 10,2023. Readers Digest told me to contact Blue Dolphin Customer Service. I still an not satisfied with there response.

  Business response

  02/09/2024

   

  Good afternoon,

  I am responding to the customer’s statement about not receiving her magazine and dissatisfaction with customer service.  Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.
  First, let me point out that we have not offered the large print edition of Reader’s Digest in several months. So, customers cannot place orders for this title, as it’s not available. We do have the regular edition of Reader’s Digest available for purchase. 

  Based on the personal information provided, we located a voicemail left by Ms. ****** on Monday February 5th, 2024, to which we replied the following day asking for more information. We haven’t received any further communications since.  And looking in our database, we found an account with the delivery name of ****** ********. The shipping and email addresses are different. The email address on file is ******************* and the address is **** **** **** ******** ********* *****. The last order no. ******** for Reader’s Digest Large Type was placed on 05/26/2021. This subscription began in October 2021 and expired in September 2022. The renewal order, that allows customer to continue and extend the subscription, was cancelled by the customer on 05/26/2022. There have been NO additional orders since. 

  Ms. ******** statement in this complaint states she mailed a check to Reader’s Digest, and we are NOT Reader’s Digest. All mail has to be addressed to us, BlueDolphin Group or BlueDolphin Magazines. We strongly suggest that she verifies the name and address where she mailed the check to. 

  If further assistance is needed, we provide customer support via our support page Blue Dolphin Magazines  ************************************************** Here customers can submit an email or chat live with one of our dedicated agents. Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. We are closed during the USA holidays. 
  
  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  
  
  Sincerely, 

  ****** ******* 
  Director of Customer Success 
  M2 Media Group 
  ***-***-**** 
  *************************
  
  

  
  

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I just received a 2nd issue of GQ magazine which I did not purchase a subscription to. Also, the subscription was sent to my address and addressed to my deceased wife. ***** *. *****. My wife's middle name does not begin with an A. Also, my wife has been deceased for over 10 years now so I'm pretty sure she didn't order this rag.

  Business response

  02/06/2024

   

  Good afternoon, 

  I am responding to the customer’s statement of having received unwarranted magazines. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.

  The subscription to GQ is a complimentary subscription accepted through an email or online offer. In some instances, as a customer appreciation, some online companies or retail stores will offer a free magazine subscription. It could also happen by answering a simple online survey question(s).  We did not collect any payment information and there are no hidden costs. 

  As requested, the order ******** for GQ magazine has been cancelled. As the publisher prints the address labels in advance, 1-2 issues can be received before delivery stops.  To further assist Mr. *****, we also submitted a request to remove/delete her personal information from our database.  

  We provide customer support via our support page Blue Dolphin Magazines (bluedolphin-magazines.com), where customers can submit an email or chat live with one of our dedicated agents. Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. We are closed during the USA holidays. 

  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  

  Sincerely, 

  ****** ******* 
  Director of Customer Success 
  M2 Media Group 
  ***-***-**** 
  *************************
  
  
  
  

  Customer response

  02/07/2024

  
  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

  01/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I keep getting a magazine I didn’t order ! I have no use for a men’s magazine with no males living in my house !!

  Business response

  02/01/2024

   

  Good afternoon, 

  I am responding to the customer’s statement of having received unwarranted magazines. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.
  

  Based on the limited information provided, we are unable to accurately locate an account. provide customer support via our support page ************************************************** where customers can submit an email or chat live with one of our dedicated agents. Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. As we no longer provide support over the phone, customers can still contact our number ************, and leave a detailed voicemail that includes their email address so we can respond. This voicemail also provided the web address for the support page previously described.

  Please reach out directly so we can further assist you. We will be glad to.
  
  If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

  
  Sincerely,
  ****** *******
  Director of Customer Success
  M2 Media Group
  ************
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  10.26.23, purchased a coupon code thru groupon and then placed order with blue dolphin. They took $ but still no magazines, I have reached out with over 15 emails and they try to blame the company i am assuming US magazine and say they will get back to me and never do. Its so unfair that they do this to customers, its been a long time and been waiting for this and they got paid. HORRIBLE customer service horrible.

  Business response

  01/26/2024

  Good afternoon, 
  

  I am responding to the customer’s statement about not receiving her magazine and dissatisfaction with customer service.  Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines. One of these partners is Groupon. 

  ******** ******* first contact or email to us was on 10/25/23 with the ticket no. ****** and we replied the following day. She then replied to the same thread, and we replied on the on the very same day, 10/26/23, and this happened 5 other times during the same day. This was a back-and-forth exchange of a total of 6 inquiries from Ms. ******* in less than 24 hours. Please see these communications attached. 

  For some of her questions, the answers were available and provided before completing her original purchase at Groupon.com, under the Fine Print section. See attached.  We respond to every customer email according to the order they receive. We advise customers to allow 1-3 business days for a response.  We are open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm EST. 

  Then on 12/01/2023 Ms. ******* emailed again, and we responded on 12/04/2023. And multiples times during January and for every email received we replied withing 2-3 business days. Our company process magazine subscriptions and does not own any magazines or other publications. We also do not handle or take part in the shipping or delivery process; we must contact the publishers to obtain information. The publisher’s contact methods and response times vary, and we simply must wait. 

   On Wednesday January 24th, Ms. ******* contacted us via chat. As we had no update from the publisher, we cancelled her order. We refunded the amount paid to us, a fulfillment fee of $1.99. We also submitted a request for a refund directly to Groupon.  On our end, we returned her money, and this has been solved. 
  
  

  
  

  Customer response

  01/29/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I still havent gotten anything from Groupon would like to see proof from groupon. Also maybe need to do one wiht groupon if they owe the $
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *******

• Initial Complaint

  01/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am being charged for a magazine subscription I didn’t sign up for. The website won’t provide a customer service number to call and cancel. The number I did find says to leave my email and info and I would be contacted but then hangs up before you can do anything. This is robbery.

  Business response

  01/18/2024

   

  Good afternoon, 

  I am responding to the customer’s statement about receiving unknown or unauthorized credit card charges. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines.

  Based on the limited information provided, we are unable to accurately locate an account. provide customer support via our support page ************************************************** where customers can submit an email or chat live with one of our dedicated agents. Our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. As we no longer provide support over the phone, customers can still contact our number ************, and leave a detailed voicemail that includes their email address so we can respond. This voicemail also provided the web address for the support page previously described.

  Please reach out directly and Vimary, the Floor Operations Supervisor will personally handle your case. We would need additional information to be able to locate your account. Helpful information would be the full mailing address and an additional email address. We could also search by the last 4 digits of the credit card used and the type.

  We will be glad to assist you and we look forward to hearing from you. 

  Sincerely, 
  

  ****** ******* 
  Director of Customer Success 
  M2 Media Group 
  ************ 
  *************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered a magazine subscription for Highlights High Five for my granddaughter using a Groupon voucher. This was through Blue Dolphin, evidently, and while redeeming it I, also, chose one of their $2 trial subscriptions. I got contacted by my bank regarding a $41.99 payment to Blue Dolphin which I did not agree to. I have tried contacting Blue Dolphin in various ways but the website keeps taking me back to the beginning. I am elderly and need this kind of scam to be stopped.

  Business response

  01/17/2024

  Good afternoon,

  *************** to the customers statement about receiving unknown or unauthorized credit card charges. Our company works with several partners to acquire circulation for top-rated consumer magazines including Groupon.
  

  *************************** indeed purchased a Groupon offer for Highlights ******************* order no. ********. Plus, she also signed up for two additional magazines under our $2.00 promotional offer. These orders were ******** Babybug and ******** Woman's World (digital edition). At Groupon.com and our offer page for the $2.00 offer, we do provide the terms of these offers. These include an automatic renewal service, to ensure no issues are missed, and a continuous service. Please see below the terms or Fine Print provided at Groupon offer page, Highlights ******************** From $15 - ****** | Groupon

  Fine Print
  Promotional value expires 90 days after purchase. Amount paid never expires. Cannot be combined with other offers. Can only redeem one voucher at a time. Voucher is non-transferable.Free shipping. Doesn't ship to ******. Most orders ship within 6-8 weeks from the redemption date (with the exception of titles published quarterly).
  
  $2.99 non-refundable fulfillment fee charged upon redemption. Blue Dolphin does not accept prepaid cards or PayPal for payment of the fulfillment fee. Master *********** Discover, and **************** are accepted. Upon completed redemption, your subscription for each magazine will automatically renew and following the initial term, you will be charged the full price for the magazine chosen on an automatically recurring basis at the end of each term until you cancel. The length of the automatic renewal term is dependent on the magazine(s) you have chosen and its accompanying issues. Before the end of each term and before your subscription renews, you will receive a renewal reminder notice via email with the rate for the next term of issues. You may cancel at any time by contacting us at support.bluedolphin-magazines.com, by logging into magtracker.com or by clicking "Complete Cancel" on the cancellation page linked to your account in your renewal notification email. You must cancel your subscription(s) at least 1 day in advance before the renewal charge date in order to avoid billing of the subscription fees for the next billing period.Subscriptions cancelled after processing and fulfillment may be refunded for a prorated amount. We will give you advance notice of any changes to the terms of your subscription. Limit 1 per person, may buy 4 additional as gifts. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. Offer is not eligible for our promo codes or other discounts. Learn about Strike-Through Pricing and Savings.

  END of Fine Print-

  We send renewal email notices 30 days before the actual renewal date for each title and customers have 30 days to cancel. This is sent to the email address provided by customers when placing an order. For the renewal order ******** Woman's World (digital edition) the email was sent on 12/11/23 and for ******** Babybug on 12/25/23. As the order ******** was not cancelled within this timeframe, the customer was charged the renewal fee.

  On 01/12/2023 we did receive an email communication from **************** requesting to cancel her subscriptions and a refund. We replied on the very same day confirming the orders were cancelled and a refund for the full amount was submitted. This was solved via email. See email correspondence attached.
  
  We apologize for the inconvenience this caused. If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. 
  
  Sincerely,

  ***************************
  Director of Customer Success
  M2 Media **********************
  ************
  ****************************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩