Synapse Group, Inc.

Review: Unauthorized access to debit card and unauthorized magazine subscriptions

My wife was told by the cashier at [redacted] that she was able to sign up for a "free" trial of magazines. She asked if it would charge her after the trial and was told that, no, they would just stop coming to the house after the trial period was over.

She filled out a piece of paper requesting her "free" trials and provided no credit/debit card information on the form which is why we believed the cashier.

We've received 3 charges so far to our bank account. I can only assume that the debit card information was obtained through the purchase that my wife made at [redacted] that day.

I called in to the XXX-XXX-XXXX in hopes of talking to a live person to make sure the subscriptions were cancelled and a full refund was submitted. When I finally got to the option to talk to a live person at 9:57 AM, 3/27/2013 I heard a message that the call center was closed and to call back between thier operating hours of 8:00 AM EST and xxx EST (can't remember, but not relevant).

So I then went to thier online website, www.magcustomerservice.com to attempt to cancel the subscriptions that way. During the cancellation process I was offered an extended "free" trial and gifts which I declined and then got to the step which I thought to be the cancellation. Instead it was basically asking if I wanted to cancel the auto-renewal. I realized this on the 3rd subscription that I was cancelling so I went back to the first 2 and am now not able to cancel them. They remain 'Active' with no renewal which is unacceptable. Desired Settlement: I expect a full refund of any charges to my account, and request that my credit/debit card information be purged from Synapse Group, Inc's records as I did not autorize them access to my account.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/04/04) */

April 4, 2013

Dispute Resolution Specialist

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT XXXXX

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. [redacted] experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

Our records show that we received an order in the name of [redacted] for [redacted] for Kids, [redacted] and [redacted], when he accepted our promotional offer after making a purchase at a [redacted] store. The offer allowed him to choose up to three titles from a selection of magazines and receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription without charge. After the trial period, his subscriptions would continue automatically and be charged semi-annually to the same credit card used for his [redacted] transaction, unless he called our toll-free customer service number to cancel. [redacted] sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms of the offer and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. Customers are also informed that the credit or debit card provided for their purchase [redacted] be forwarded to us for processing the magazine orders.

When we did not hear from Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscriptions at the end of his trial period, the semi-annual subscription charges were posted to his account. On March 27, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our service center via our online website and placed his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] for Kids on "do not renew" status. This would allow him to continue receiving the remaining issues in his current term, however, at the end of his term the subscriptions would not renew, nor would he be charged a renewal fee. During that same inquiry, Mr. [redacted] cancelled his subscription to [redacted] and [redacted] generating a full refund in the total amount of $13.00 to his account.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on March 29, 2013 we cancelled Mr. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] for Kids generating a full refund of $27.01 to his 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.

Mr. [redacted] can be assured that his subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges refunded. Also, Mr. [redacted] may continue to receive one or two more issues of his magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. He 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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at ([redacted]) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Review: never asked for mag. subscription. according to SYNAPSE, it was orderred through a hotel that I stayed in without my approval. asked for a full refund

never asked for mag. subscription. according to SYNAPSE, it was orderred through a hotel that I stayed in without my approval. asked for a full refund and the said they would withhold $3.00 on my account. don't even know who these people are and they are charging me for something I never orderred. didnt ask for the magazing when I was at the '[redacted]" hotel. never got any type of statement from SYNAPSE ...just by chance found it on my [redacted] bill when I was overlooking charges from my vacation. Desired Settlement: full refund....not them holding $3.00 of my money

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/09/06) */

September 6, 2013

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT 06492

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. [redacted] experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

Our records show that Mr. [redacted] placed an order for [redacted] when he accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted]. The offer allowed him to receive the first year of issues for $2.00 title. This offer also provided that his subscriptions would continue automatically and be charged to the credit card that was provided when placing his order, unless he called our toll-free customer service number to cancel.

When we did not hear from Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscription at the end of his first term, the annual charges were posted to his account. On August 27, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our customer service center and cancelled his subscription to [redacted], generating a full refund in the total amount of $51.00 to his account. It should be noted, however, that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one or two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.

Mr. [redacted] can be assured that his subscription has been cancelled and all charges refunded to his account. Also, Mr. [redacted] may continue to receive one or two more issues of his magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. He 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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Review: Unauthorized credit charge, subscription renewal practice.

I signed up for a foot race, which came with a trial subscription to [redacted]. Without notification I received a 40 dollar credit charge, and tracked it back to Synapse (not an easy task). Upon calling the toll free number, given me by [redacted].com, it became apparent that there was no actual person to service my call.

I'd like my $40 dollars back, and something be done to make businesses like this accountable for shady practicesDesired Settlement: $40 dollars charged to my [redacted].

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/07/09) */

July 9, 2013

Dispute Resolution Specialist

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT XXXXX

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. [redacted] experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

Our records show that Mr. [redacted] ordered [redacted] when he accepted our promotional offer, which was presented online by [redacted]. The offer allowed him to choose from a selection of magazines and receive the first 90 days of a 15-month subscription without being charged. After the trial period, his subscriptions would continue automatically and his account would be charged, unless he called our toll-free customer service number to cancel. Prior to any billing event, a notice would be mailed to him reminding him of the upcoming billing, the amount that would be charged and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged.

When we did not hear from Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscriptions at the end of his first term, the subscription charges were posted to his account. On June 25, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line and placed his subscription to [redacted] on "do not renew" status. This would allow him to continue receiving the issues in the current term, however at the end of the term, his subscriptions would not renew nor would he be charged for a renewal.

On June 26, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our service center via our online website and requested to cancel his subscription to [redacted]. His request was honored and we issued a full refund in the amount of $40.00 back to his 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.

Mr. [redacted] can be assured that his subscriptions have been cancelled. Also, Mr. [redacted] may continue to receive one or two more issues of his magazine since it was in process at the time of cancellation. He may keep these with our compliments.

We also regret that Mr. [redacted] experienced any inconvenience in using our toll-free customer service number. Our automated customer service line was designed to provide customers with the most efficient means possible for addressing their concerns regarding their subscriptions, and we are sorry that he found this system difficult to use.

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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

First they had a trial period. then they charged me, when I thought I called it in. Then the NEXT year they charged me again with out my expressed approval. then after waiting 15 minutes the billing person from india started a sales pitch mumbling about the details and pressuring me into another sale. He would not stop to verify the transaction was complete until I got angry.

This company takes your credit card number and says you can cancel at the end of the yearly subscription. When you do that over their website or phone system, they ask for extra money and continue to charge your card anyways. We had to call our credit card Co. to dispute the charges and I can't believe the Revdex.com gives them an A+ rating. Shame on this company & the Revdex.com for ripping off the consumers like this !

This website does not provide access after multiple attempts to insert the security code. Very frustrating to deal with this lack of response or alternatives to accomplish simple tasks.

Review: Offered $100 coupon to complete survey, which resulted in a bill for $93 in magazine charges, and so far a debit of $30 to my CC.

After placing a large order on [redacted] site, I was offered a $100 coupon to complete a survey. I completed the survey, and offered to choose 4 magazine subscriptions. I was disappointed it was not a $100 coupon for [redacted] but proceeded to chose the magazines, since it appeared to be a free offer. After selecting the magazines, I was told it would be a $2 charge for processing. This seemed reasonable, so I submitted my credit card information. I was then prompted for 3 more free magazine subscriptions, for which I selected, and then when it seemed it was a never ending pop-up of offers I left the site. I then saw in my email a bill for $93, including the $2 charge I authorized, with a link to the website, and the code that would identify charges on my credit card. I went to the site, and was not able to retrieve my order, as there were "too many" with my name and address! I then submitted a contact form to request that no charges be placed on my account and no recurring charges for subscription renewals. I have not received a response from that request yet, but they gave a 24-48 hour response time, so that is understandable. This morning I discovered that $2 + $28 has been charged to my account, the $28 for one of the subscriptions which I thought would be FREE. I am disappointed that my trusted resource for vitamins is involved with a scamming organization such as this. I want all magazine fees reversed, and no magazines nor association with this organization.Desired Settlement: No charges, no magazines, no further contact.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/07/15) */

July 15, 2013

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT XXXXX

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. [redacted] experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve her concerns.

Our records show that Ms. [redacted] placed two orders with our company when she accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted] after she had completed a survey following an online purchase. The first order was placed for [redacted] and [redacted]. This offer allowed her to receive the first term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00. The second order was for placed for [redacted] and [redacted]. This offer allowed her to receive the first 180 days of her subscription risk free. Both of these offers 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. [redacted] that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her trial period, the subscription charges were posted to her account.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on July 9, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] generating a full refund in the amount of $30.00 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. [redacted] can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges refunded to her account. Also, Ms. [redacted] 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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/07/17) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

This response is not acceptable because it contains misinformation. Specifically:

"When we did not hear from Ms. [redacted] that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her trial period, the subscription charges were posted to her account."

The unauthorized $28 was debited the NEXT DAY, not after a "trial period (of 180 days) had ended"

This company should be scored negatively so that other customers are not duped as I was.

Yes, I did get a refund, but they should not have taken my money!

Thanks,

SCAM!
Do the survey for an international purchase.
"Reward" not available internationally.
"Free" costs money, and wants my credit card number!
Should be illegal!

Review: this must be illegal. there are no actual people you can talk to.even machines should eventually let you talk to a real person.

I HAD A CHARGE OF $ 36.00 AND $59.00 added to my debit card that was not authorized. On my debit card statement was a toll free #XXX-XXX-XXXX. I CALLED THIS # AND SPENT 45 MINUTES ON THE PHONE

TO THIS # AND HAVE NOT RECIEVED A CREDIT TO MY ACCOUNT.THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF MY ACCOUNT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.I ORDER MY MAGAZINES WHEN I WANT.this must be ilegal. I want my $95.00 back in my account ASAPDesired Settlement: never let theese people never do this again to me or anyone.I live on a modest income and nearly a

$100.00 is a big thing.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/14) */

May 14, 2013

Dispute Resolution Specialist

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT XXXXX

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. [redacted] experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve her concerns.

Our records show that Ms. [redacted] placed two orders with our company when she accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by Magazine Discount Center. The first order was placed for [redacted]. The second order was placed for [redacted], in the name of [redacted]. Both offers 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. [redacted] that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the annual charges were posted to her account. On May 6, 2013, Ms. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line and placed her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] 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 a renewal fee.

Upon receipt of your correspondence, on May 9, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] generating a full refund in amount of $95.00 back to her account. It should be noted, however, that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one or two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.

Ms. [redacted] can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled. Also, Ms. [redacted] 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.

We sincerely regret that Ms. [redacted] experienced any difficulty using our automated customer service system. The system was designed to provide customers with the most efficient means possible for addressing various concerns regarding their subscriptions. Ms. [redacted] may be assured that her comments have been forwarded to the department responsible for our automated system, and they [redacted] be considered in future system evaluation.

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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at ([redacted]) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

They charged my card without permission.

I will never recomend this company to anyone and will do my best to warn others of their bad business practice. I am also a customer that saw a wonderful deal online for a great magazine. The deal was a such a great price I ordered an extra subscription as a gift for my mom. Then with no warning I was charged $86.00($43ea) a year later. There was no renewal notice or bill sent to me. The unauthorized charges have now caused me $105 in overdraft fees. I now have bills I can not pay. I did call and after a very long time I finally spoke with a human. The customer service rep was very polite and refunded the $86 because he knew the company was in the wrong. The rep told me to fax a copy of my bank statement to their billing department for my refund of overdraft fees. I did everything only to be emailed 3 days later to say they are not responsible for the fees. It is very bad business when you have a company that one makes it impossible to talk to a human and two does not fix a problem they caused. I have searched online and have found this company has a huge reputation of doing this. I have gone through other online discount magazine companies with no problems and they have NEVER automatically charged me a year later. I just want everyone to know there are real legit companies that do not try to steal from you. This is a horrible thing to happen to my family including 3 children.

Poor service, manipulative and deceptive business practices.
They fail to honor their agreement to notify customers before renewing magazine subscriptions and charging fees.
Customer service is non existent; an automated operator is the only contact available. Language employed by this company regarding contracts, renewals, cancellations, and subscriptions is purposefully deceptive and unethical.
When canceling customers are intentionally lead to believe they will not receive a refund without first renewing their subscription under a promotional offer.

Review: I keep receiving this magazine in my mail box, no matter how many times I have called to cancel this subscription. I WANT THIS SUBSCRIPTION CANCELLED - ONCE AND FOR ALL -I do not want free copies in my mail. I do not want a mysteries $60.00 charge appearing on my [redacted] Card after a number of months, with cryptic letters (no Identifying letters signifying "[redacted]" magazine). This complaint has been going on for at least 18 months. PLEASE STOP [redacted] from sending this magazine to me and then billing my credit card without my consent.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

DesiredSettlementID: Not applicableSee above

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/03/26) */

March 26, 2013

Dispute Resolution Specialist

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT XXXXX

Re: Complaint Case #:XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. [redacted] experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve her concerns.

Our records show that Ms. [redacted] ordered [redacted] Magazine, [redacted] and [redacted], when she accept our promotional offer following a phone call she had with [redacted]. The offer allowed her to receive the first 90 days of a 15-month subscription without being charged. After the trial period, her subscriptions would continue automatically and be charged to the same credit card, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to cancel. Customers are also informed that the credit or debit card provided for their purchase will be forwarded to us for processing the magazine orders.

When we did not hear from Ms. [redacted] that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her trial period, the annual subscription charges were posted to her account. On June 23, 2011, Ms. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service center line, and requested that her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] Magazine be cancelled. Her request was honored and a refund was issued reflecting the value of unserved issues in the amount of $32.20 back to her account. During this inquiry, Ms. [redacted] also accepted a new offer to receive [redacted] at a low promotional rate of $2.00 for 28 issues. Ms. [redacted] also accepted a new offer to receive [redacted] Magazine at a low promotional rate of $5.97 for 4 issues. Following the promotional term, the subscriptions would continue and the same terms and conditions would follow as the original order.

That same day, Ms. [redacted] also placed her subscription for [redacted] 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 subscription would not renew, nor would she be charged a renewal fee.

Ms. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line on November 1, 2011, and cancelled her subscription to [redacted] Magazine. Please note Ms. [redacted] was at the end of her term, therefore, no refund was due.

On January 19, 2013, Ms. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line and cancelled her subscription to [redacted], generating a full refund to her account in the amount of $60.00. It should be noted, however, that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation of the refunds to appear, depending on their billing cycle.

Ms. [redacted] can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled. Also, Ms. [redacted] 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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at ([redacted]) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/03/29) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

The only selltement I request is the dissappearance of [redacted] Magazine from my mailbox forever. Why does it take a certified letter, REPEATED PHONE CALLS over an 18 month period,and communication with Revdex.com and the [redacted] to cancel a magazine subscription?

The Synapse Group has an unscupulous business plan which deliberatly forces subscribers to navigate a system designed to make it almost impossible to reach them and cancel a subscription.

I am not alone in raising this complaint. I have read about numerous other irate subscribers in the [redacted].

Review: I have two charges on my [redacted] card that were unauthorized by me from NSS Magazine which is known as Synapse.

Two unauthorized charges on my [redacted] card on April 7, 2013 for $21.50 for [redacted] Magazine and another on April 4, 2013 for $16.00 for [redacted] Magazine which I NEVER AUTHORIZED.

There is no phone number on the reference ticket for me to call them and going online, I have not been able to contact them and have only seen complaint after complaint against this group for unauthorized charges. Please have them removed.Desired Settlement: Credit my [redacted] bill for both amounts:

$21.60 and $16.00 and never charge me again for any magazines.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/04/17) */

April 17, 2013

Dispute Resolution Specialist

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT XXXXX

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]:

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. [redacted] experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve her concerns.

Our records show that Ms. [redacted] placed an order for [redacted], ** the [redacted] Magazine, [redacted], when she accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted] after she had completed a survey following an online purchase. 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. [redacted] that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the annual charges were posted to her account.

Upon receipt of your correspondence, on April 11, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted], ** the [redacted] Magazine, [redacted], generating a full refund in amount of $78.00 to her account. It should be noted, however, that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one or two billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.

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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at ([redacted]) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Review: This company practices a highly deceptive way to sell magazines that appear to be free and then make it difficult to remedy the situation.

This company appears to mislead many people and they have many complaints - Why are they permitted to be part of the program?Desired Settlement: I want to ensure I get my money back and ideally you practice more upfront and clear business practices

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/08/16) */

August 16, 2013

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT 06492

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. [redacted] experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

Our records show that Mr. [redacted] placed an order for [redacted] and [redacted] when he accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted] after he had completed a survey following an online purchase.

Unfortunately, Mr. [redacted]'s order for [redacted] and [redacted] was unable to be processed due to an invalid credit card resulting in his subscriptions being cancelled. A postcard notification was mailed to Mr. [redacted] advising him that we were unable to fulfill the order. Please note, Mr. [redacted] was not charged for these subscriptions.

If Mr. [redacted] would like to like to place a new order, he may contact our customer service center directly at XXX-XXX-XXXX. 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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Review: Called the cancel subscription and the automated system could not locate a magazine subscription for me but I was still charged weeks later.

[redacted] book store offered a free three month trial of 3 magazines to me through this Synapse company. I accepted the offer. They advised to call the 800# on my receipt to cancel my subscription before July 1, 2013, and my credit card would not be charged. I attempted several times to call the 800#. I wasn't offered any other way to contact them to cancel. There was not an option to speak to a live representative and when I went through the automated system it could not locate any subscriptions for me. On July 20, 2013 I was charged $24.50 for an annual subscription to [redacted] and $12.00 for an annual subscription to Southern Living. I feel this is terrible business practice to not allow more options than an automated message to cancel my orders. I found out today after doing a search for magazine scams a website to go to cancel. I have cancelled future orders from this company.Desired Settlement: I am seeking full refund of the magazine subscriptions I was recently charged to my account in amount of $24.50 and $12.00 that drafted from my account on 7/21/13.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/07/26) */

July 26, 2013

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT 06492

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. [redacted] experienced regarding her magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve her concerns.

Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] placed a magazine order for [redacted] and [redacted], when she accepted our promotional offer after making a purchase at a [redacted] store. The offer allowed her to choose up to three titles 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 [redacted] transaction, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to cancel. [redacted] sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms of the offer and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. Customers are also informed that the credit or debit card provided for their purchase will be forwarded to us for processing the magazine orders.

When we did not hear from Ms. [redacted] that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her trial period, the semi-annual subscription charges were posted to her account. On July 21, 2013, Ms. [redacted] contacted our service center via our online website and placed her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] on "do not renew" status. This would allow her to continue receiving the issues in her current term, however her subscriptions would not renew, nor would she be charged renewal fees. During this same inquiry, Ms. [redacted] cancelled her subscription to [redacted]. Please note that her account was not charged for this subscription.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on July 22, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] generating a full refund of the amount charged of $36.50 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. [redacted] can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges refunded to her account. Also, Ms. [redacted] 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.

We sincerely regret that Ms. [redacted] experienced any difficulty using our automated customer service system. The system was designed to provide customers with the most efficient means possible for addressing various concerns regarding their subscriptions.

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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

[redacted].
Like any other telephone or direct marketing scam, there's the lowball incentive (" $2 magazine subscription! " ), with "satisfaction guaranteed!", and "cancel at any time, for a full refund!" And lets not forget the "you will be notified before your subscription renews". The only notification I received was on my credit card statement, after having already been charged. No doubt, they'll claim that you were notified, as they'll probably send you notification from some bogus-sounding email address, entirely intended to be blocked by a spam filter. Regardless, they also make the "cancel at any time, for a full refund" as difficult as possible, and apparently never intend to provide you with that full refund. Read some of the other reviews. They all sound something like this: "We'll give you a full refund, but the publisher has already sent you advance copies of the upcoming 23 out of 24 issues, so you'll get a full refund of the 1 issue that you won't receive, minus shipping, handling, taxes, restocking fees, federally mandated toxic waste disposal surcharge, and random, inexplicable universal service charge. So, net after fees, your full refund of 1 cent should be credited to your account sometime within the next fourteen billing cycles."
But don't forget, your satisfaction is really important to them. Or not.

Review: Without notice, Synapse eliminated online access to a magazine subscription in a clear breach of contract.

Two weeks ago, I went online to access a magazine purchase with frequent flier miles from Synapse and was denied access. I contacted the magazine--the [redacted]--and was told that Synapse had removed online access as part of contract negotiations. The magazine rep stated they had received many calls about online access removal because no one had notified the customers of the change in the terms and conditions of the subscription. This is a clear violation of a contractual obligation and full refunds should be issued. I contacted Synapse and was told that the customer service department would have to contact me for a resolution, and the agent became very rude and uncooperative when I asked for a method to contact them directly. To date I have received no call from customer service and no promise of a full credit back to my account of the FF miles I spent on this subscription. I must now purchase two subscriptions: one for online access and another for print access, despite the fact that both were promised when I subscribed the first time.Desired Settlement: Synapse must refund all frequent flier miles to my account and issue an apology.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/06/07) */

June 7, 2013

Dispute Resolution Specialist

Revdex.com, Inc.

94 South Turnpike Road

Wallingford, CT 06492

Re: Complaint Case #: XXXXXXXX

Consumer: [redacted]

Dear Ms. [redacted]

I write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer [redacted]. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. [redacted] experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

Our records show that Mr. [redacted] placed an order for [redacted] through our program when he accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted]. The offer allowed him to receive one term of his magazine selections for a points paid subscription.

On May 23, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line and requested to cancel his subscription to [redacted] as we no longer offered digital access. Unfortunately, due to policy changes, subscriptions to [redacted] are print only and are not available digitally. Mr. [redacted]'s request was honored and we took the liberty of contacting [redacted] and requested to have Mr. [redacted]'s account reimbursed for the 3200 miles. They have honored our request and his miles have been added back into his account on June 6, 2013.

Mr. [redacted] can be assured that his subscription has been cancelled. Also, Mr. [redacted] may continue to receive one or two more issues of his magazine since it was in process at the time of cancellation. He may keep these with our compliments.

We apologize for the unsatisfactory experience Mr. [redacted] had with our customer service representative. We have listened to the call and feedback has already been provided to the representative and their superiors. 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. If I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

As a thank you for completing a survey I was told that I could get Magazine Subscriptions for $2 each. At the end of the trial period I would get a notice in the mail asking if we wanted to renew. I never received any notice in the mail to renew or cancel the subscriptions. I was actually looking out for it to come, but it never did. They just charged my card with out my authorization. The fees are also much higher than just ordering the magazine directly from the publisher & they also charged that additional $2 for each subscription. This company is a total scam. Stay AWAY!! Stay very FAR AWAY.

I've tried 10 times to enter your password to complete my order. All attempts failed! What kind of game is being played on consurmers? Outrageous!