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Synapse Group, Inc.

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Reviews Synapse Group, Inc.

Synapse Group, Inc. Reviews (230)

This is a slick company that offers really low promo rates on magazines subscriptions. Then after the promo period of 6-12 months, (apparently) they send a notice in the mail that your magazine will be renewed at the full rate unless you call an automated number to cancel. If you mistake the notice for junk mail, which is easy to do, your $2 rate will now be billed at the full subscription rate: mine varied from 16.50-46.00 per magazine subscription. If you catch it on your credit card bill in time and call, they will reverse most of the charges, and as a courtesy, offer to renew your magazine subscription at the low promo rate. It can be a good deal if you remember to cancel the magazine before the new rate kicks in. It's hard to find the right number to talk to a live person instead of a voice prompted computer ässistant", but after trying several published numbers, I reached a live person at ###-###-####. Happy reading.
Pros:
-Low magazine subscription rates for popular magazines
-When you do get through, the customer service agents are friendly and helpful
-They reverse charges if you call to correct it
Cons:
-Expensive subscriptions after the promo period ends
-They send "renewal notices" that look like junk mail and many people miss them
-It's hard to find the number to cancel the charges
-Most of their published numbers direct callers to an automated voice prompted computer assistant instead of a live person who can help you and answer your questions

Review: I have an unauthorized debit to my bank account in the amount of $42.00. I do not want this subscription.

This company debited $42 from my account without my permission. I do not want this subscription and I want my money refunded. This company does this a lot as you can see by the number of complaints you have on them. Why are they still allowed to continue this practice.Desired Settlement: I want them to refund the $42.00 and cancel any subscriptions they have.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/06/03) */

June 3, 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], when she accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted]. The 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. 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 May 21, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscription to [redacted] generating a full refund in the amount of $42.00 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 subscription has 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

Review: My debit card was automatically charged and when I called for cancellation was promised a refund that was never received.

I received confirmation numbers for all 4 cancellations. I've called every telephone number possible and cannot speak with a real person. Desired Settlement: The total subscription costs for all 4 magazines is $75.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/07) */

May 7, 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] and [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 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 subscription charges were posted to her account. On April 19, 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.

Ms. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line on April 25, 2013 and placed her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] on "do not renew" status.

On May 1, 2013, Ms. [redacted] contacted our service center via our online website and requested to cancel her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted]. Her request was honored and a full refund in the amount of $75.00 was issued to her account.

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 regret that Ms. [redacted] experienced any inconvenience in using our toll-free customer service number. Our automated customer service line is designed to provide customers with the most efficient means possible for addressing their concerns regarding their subscriptions, and we are sorry that she 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 ([redacted]) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely yours,

Manager, Customer Service

Synapse Group is fantastically unethical and deliberately deceptive to consumers. I signed up for a one-year magazine subscription through Synapse and called before the end of the year to cancel my subscription. I was told my subscription was already cancelled, but was billed anyway for renewals of four different magazines (at a total cost of over $100). I called the customer service line for Synapse, but could not reach a representative and instead was guided through a horribly deceptive string of menus that attempted to lead me to sign up for further subscriptions rather than cancel.

Review: Unauthorized charges on my credit card.

Signed up for a 5K though Active.com got a free trial of three different magazines. All the sudden I am receiving charges for magazine renewals. I went on the website and cancelled my subscriptions and called, told them I wanted refunded. They told me I will receive a refund in 72 hours. We will see. Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund from this company.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/07/24) */

July 24, 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 show that Ms. [redacted] ordered [redacted] and [redacted] when she accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted]. The offer allowed her 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, her subscriptions would continue automatically 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 annual subscription charges were posted to her account. On July 16, 2013, Ms. [redacted] contacted our service center via our online website and cancelled her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] generating a full refund in the amount of $26.00 to her account.

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

I request my service be canceled on 22 December 2014 following a bill received on 3 December. They refused to refund and the only option offered was to receive the rest of my subscription (until February). At first I declined because we were not reading the magazines, but the person insisted so I said yes to get off the call. Big mistake. No idea why they would not refund but they didn't. June 4 2015 I received another debit on my account - I believe they actually charge more for the magazines than the publishers do. Called to complain and they are unwilling to refund all of the charges but only about 95% even though I have received nothing. I'll take it just to stop being billed. Thieves.
And with so many complaints, how do they get an A+ rating?

This is a very deceptive program. I never received any notification of upcoming renewals until recently. I did receive one from one of the magazines which did say If you don't respond we will continue! This is totally NOT the way subscriptions USUALLY work! You generally have to subscribe again for renewal. They also have your debit info and continue to charge it. Discount!! That is a joke! Charge every 6 months for a one year subscription which turns out to be $46 for a year of magazines! Where is the discount! I DID return the DO NOT RENEW letter along with a personal letter stating the same and that magazine was STILL renewed using my card. That was NOT an authorized purchase!

Review: This company began sending a magazine for "free trial" 3 years ago. I did not accept the magazine once the free trial was over and I DID NOT GIVE THEM ANY FINANCIAL INFORMATION. They just recently took $20 from my checking account and caused me to have an over-draft. 1) I did not order this magazine 2) I certainly did not give them any financial information.Desired Settlement: I want my $20 put back into my account as well as the $39 overdraft fee. Also I do not want them to have future access to my account. This company has done this to many people and someone needs to investigate how they are obtaining financial information to people's accounts.

Consumer

Response:

From: [redacted]

Sent: Friday, October 10, 2014 12:03 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Complaint #[redacted]

My issue is resolved. The company put the money back into my account. Thank you for your time.

Review: Unauthorized debit of credit card to renew a magazine subscription

I have tried contacting the company NUMEROUS times. All there is is machines... I email them, they say we will process within 5 days. It has been 11 and still no word. I am disputing a charge on my credit card that I did not authorize, nor do I want. It would be best if they would just VERIFY my refund and SHRED ALL my information.Desired Settlement: 43.00 charge

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/06/25) */

June 25, 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] ordered [redacted]' when he accepted our promotional offer following a phone call he had with [redacted]. The offer provided that his subscription would automatically continue following the trial period and that the same credit card would be charged if he did not call us 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 Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscription at the end of his first term, the annual charges were posted to his account. Mr. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line on June 13, 2013, and placed his subscription to [redacted]' on a "do not renew" status. This would allow him to continue to receive the remaining issues in his current paid term, however, at the end of his term his subscription would not renew.

On June 20, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our service center via our online website and requested to cancel his subscriptions to [redacted]'. His request was honored and a full refund in the amount of $43.00 was issued 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.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on June 24, 2013, we have added Mr. [redacted] to our purged customer list. We have also requested to have Mr. [redacted] name to be removed from our promotional mailing lists.

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 that Mr. [redacted] had difficulty reaching our customer service, we will look into the matter further. 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: This company billed unauthorized charges to my checking account. I had no notice they were billing me, I did not give them authority to bill me and I've never made contact with them before. I attempted to call and get a refund be they only have an automated system and it will not give me a refund. These charges are unauthorized and fraudulent.

Product_Or_Service: [redacted]

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

I would like a full refund of $58.00.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/29) */

May 29, 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] and [redacted] when he accepted our promotional offer, which was presented 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 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.

When we did not hear from Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscriptions at the end of his trial period, the annual subscription charges were posted to his account.

On September 4, 2012, we received notification from Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscription to [redacted]. His request was honored on the same day.

Mr. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line on May 18, 2013, and placed his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] 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.

On May 20, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our customer service center and cancelled his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted], generating a refund reflecting the value of unserved issues in the total amount of $53.16 to his account.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on May 21, 2013, we issued the remaining balance for Mr. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] in the amount of $32.84. It should be noted, however, that although refunds have been processed, 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 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: I need to discuss subscription cancellation so I do not get charged but no one will respond to me.

I subscribed through points for a magazine subscription. The T&Cs said to cancel before promotional period was up to avoid future charges. I've tried calling and emailing and no one has ever answered my calls or responded to my emails to ensure my subscription is cancelled and that I never receive a bill. Clearly, this is a trend with this company as I am now seeing past complaints here and on [redacted]. I need a response that documents that following my subscription, which has already been incomplete as I have only received 2 magazines in 6 months when they are supposed to be monthly, I DO NOT OPT IN to continue my subscription and I expect that subscription to be cancelled with no charges to me or my credit card. Desired Settlement: I would like confirmation that I will not be charged and that this letter serves as confirmation that I have cancelled my services following the promotional period I have opted in for.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/04/09) */

April 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 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], when she accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted]. The offer allowed her to receive one term of her magazine selections for a points paid subscription.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on April 9, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscription to [redacted]. We took the liberty of contacting [redacted] and requested to have Ms. [redacted]'s account reimbursed for the 800 miles. They have confirmed that they refunded 800 miles to Ms. [redacted]'s account. It should be noted that airlines direct us to ask customers to allow three to four weeks for written confirmation of the refund to appear back to their account.

Ms. [redacted] can be assured that her subscription has been cancelled. Also, Ms. [redacted] may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazine since it was 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

Review: I never authorized them to automatically charge my American Express card and just found out today they charged $36.50 to my account.

I never received any mail or email from this company before as:

NSS MAGAZINE SUBSCRPT- EW

Merchant Address

[redacted] XXXXX-XXXX UNITED STATES

Desired Settlement: I'm contacting them for reimbursement.

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. ** experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

Our records show that Mr. ** 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. This offer allowed him to receive the first term of his magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 each. The offers provided that his subscriptions 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.

When we did not hear from Mr. ** that he wished to cancel his subscriptions at the end of his first term, the annual subscription charges were posted to his account. On May 28, 2013 Mr. ** contacted our customer service center and placed his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] 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. ** cancelled his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted], generating a full refund to his account reflecting in the amount of $55.50.

Upon receipt of your correspondence, on May 30, 2013, we have added Mr. ** to our purged customer list. We have also requested to have Mr. **'s name to be removed from our promotional mailing lists.

Mr. ** can be assured that his subscriptions have been cancelled. Also, Mr. ** 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

Horrible!!i am getting charged insane amounts for magazines I don't want and they continue to charge me

Review: Magazine offer not honored

After Takeing a Short Survey on 05/02/13 I was offered to select 2 magazine subscrpitions for 2.00 each. I decided to pay with a gift card which seemed to be accepted and the amount was deducted from the gift card. I did say to wait to recieve the magazines from 4 to 10 weeks. And now today is 7/01/13 and I have yet to see a magazine at all. the issue could be involved with me useing a gift card but the 4.00 was deducted from it back when I hadnt used it until that transaction. it was a 25.00 dollar gift card and now I have counted the weeks go by and I still have not been provided the product I was charged for.Desired Settlement: another choice of 2 magazine subscriptions(1 years worth of both) free of charge since I have already paid for it as it was a promotional offer at the time I pruchased it

Business

Response:

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

July 9, 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 two orders with our company when he accepted our promotional offer, which was presented by [redacted] after he had completed a survey following an online purchase. The first order was placed for [redacted]. The second order was placed for [redacted]. These offers allowed him to receive the first term of his magazine selection for a nominal fee of $2.00 for each subscription. The offers also provided that his subscriptions 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. [redacted]'s bank on April 29, 2013 and May 2, 2013 that we could not obtain authorization on his credit card for his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted], resulting in his orders being cancelled.

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, 2013/07/11) */

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

although my method of payment was different I still had money taken from me. the future payments after the initial term(s) should not require that my said bank account be looked at (at least not until a time of renewal for said subscirptions). in my personal view I see that as a way for them to take more money from me then what I had originally paid for

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/07/24) */

July 24, 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 Mr. [redacted] experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions, and have attempted to resolve his concerns.

As previously stated, we received notification from Mr. [redacted]'s bank on April 29, 2013 and May 2, 2013 that we could not obtain authorization on his credit card for his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted], resulting in his orders being cancelled.

Mr. [redacted] should fax a copy of his statement to my attention showing the magazine charges. Given the concern he expressed in his letter regarding his private information, he can delete or blacken out any other information on the page. My fax number is XXX-XXX-XXXX.

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: Customer had to wait 45 minutes for customer service on phone line.

I called to cancel an erroneous magazine subscription, and to receive a refund. I also called to complain about the how the company charged me for the mistaken subscription. These complaints cannot be registered via a phone tree/automated line.

I waited 45 minutes (42, to be exact) on hold before a customer service took care of my issue. I then registered the complaint with a supervisor who encouraged me to notify your agency.Desired Settlement: I am seeking to join the legion of other customers who are dissatisfied with Synapse, so that their rating and reputation on your site will begin to reflect the poor service that they actually provide. I believe that businesses like Synapse that falsely charge customers, and then force the customer to call to take care of the company's mistake, should not punish customers by making them take nearly an hour out of their busy business days simply to correct mistakes made on the corporate end.

If Synapse is overstaffed, and unable to handle call volume, they should alter their business practices. If part of Synapse's business model is to intentionally make it difficult for customers to cancel, their company should be taken to task. And if Synapse's practices are outright scams, then this should also be brought to light.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Consumer Response /* (-101, 5, 2013/07/11) */

From: [redacted]

Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 9:04 AM

To: [redacted]

Subject: Second Complaint against Synapse Group, Inc.

To Whom It May Concern:

Yesterday, I filed a complaint for poor customer service against Synapse Group, Inc.

Today, I did further research into my dealings with the business and realized that I was facing more than poor customer service: I've been charged for services that I(and the company itself) had recorded as previously cancelled. When I called Synapse customer service this morning, I was informed

that Synapse had no record of these new, false charges--although the charges have Synapse's

name on the debit recorded by my bank. I was also told by one of the customer service agents today that Synapse "required" my credit card number, the one that they already have on file and

are wrongly charging, in order to do more "research" on this matter. I do not trust them and did not want to share this information again.

I attempted to file a second complaint today against Synapse and was told by Revdex.com system that this new complaint was a duplicate complaint and that I needed to contact your agency.

How do I file a second complaint against Synapse for predatory and deceptive business practices?

And, most importantly, if only one complaint can be recorded by a consumer, how do I replace the less important one (bad customer service) with the more substantive challenge I'm facing now (deceptive and predatory business practices)?

Thank You.

Sincerely,

Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2013/07/16) */

July 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] ordered [redacted] and [redacted], following a purchase he made at a [redacted] store. The offer allowed him to choose 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 to the same credit card used for his [redacted] transaction, 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. [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.

When we did not hear from Mr. [redacted] that he wished to cancel his subscriptions at the end of his trial period, the annual subscription charges were posted to his account. On May 28, 2013, Mr. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line and cancelled his subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted]. Please note that Mr. [redacted]'s account was not charged.

Mr. [redacted] contacted our customer service center on July 8, 2013 and cancelled his subscription to [redacted], generating a full refund in the amount of $24.00 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.

Despite multiple searches, we regret that we cannot locate Mr. [redacted]'s any other charges in our system with the information provided in his complaint. Mr. [redacted] contacted us on July 12, 2013 and stated that the charge was not from our company and the charge was from another company with the name Synapse.

Mr. [redacted] can be assured that all of his subscriptions have 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

SCAM!!! They said I received free magazines then charged my account over $100! I tried to contact their customer service and they cannot find my information, however had no problem finding my bank account! How can this have an A on the BBC? How can I get my money back?

Review: My wife signed up for a Charity 5K, and made a donation. Soon afterward her card was charged for magazines with no way to cancel the subscription.

Unauthorized charges.

My wife signed up for a 5k and now there are magazine subscriptions being deducted from her account that are unauthorized. A search of the Revdex.com and the Federal trade commission proves this is a very common issue with this company. Please advise us on how to collect a refund AND cancel any further action on our card. How can they operate like this for so long?

Desired Settlement: Unauthorized charges.

My wife signed up for a 5k and now there are magazine subscriptions being deducted from her account that are unauthorized. We suppose they got her card information from a profile set up on active.com. Somehow we needs to cancel those subscriptions,and we need to do so now. She has never authorized them. A search of the Revdex.com and the Federal trade commission proves this is a very common issue across the nation. Please advise us on how to collect a refund AND cancel any further action on our card.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/29) */

May 29, 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] ordered [redacted] and [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.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on May 17, 2013, we cancelled Mr. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted], generating a full refund of $46.00 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 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

This company makes money by tricking people into committing to magazine subscriptions and making it very difficult to cancel, through their "Magazine Customer Service" website, magcustomerservice.com. They do a good job at hiding their phone number and website, but when you find them, still have a hard time cancelling. I had to cancel half of my subscriptions by phone, and the other half online, which I had to learn on my own. Both of these steps had the same exact process, 100% word for word (what you heard on the phone is exactly what was on each page on their website).
While trying to cancel, They try to trick you into continuing your subscription, and when you say no, try to trick you into paying for some of your subscription. Getting your promised 100% refund is difficult to achieve (why are they charging up front for magazine subscriptions in the first place?), especially for those less educated. Their choice of words is what makes it all very tricky and deceiving. I'm very surprised they have an A+ rating. Makes me wonder if they're hiding this scam-like business under a mother company.

Review: Unauthorized bank acct charges for several magazine renewals, unable to reach 'human' cust. svc rep. & did not cancel subscriptions after requested.

This company used my credit card & bank account number to renew subscriptions to several different magazines (four to be exact) without my permission. The only way I became aware of these charges was after I bounced checks and had to look it up through my bank account statements. The name of the company did not appear on the statement, only a toll free number. It took me weeks to find out the name of the company that was responsible for these charges and I ended up calling the different customer service numbers for each individual magazine to find out. Even then, one of the magazines gave me the name "News Subscription Service" (very vague)! The other three magazines said that the company was "Synapse" and then one of the customer service reps told me that "News Subscription Service" was just another name used for "Synapse".

When I called the toll free number for what I now know was Synapse, Inc. to dispute charges and cancel subscriptions it was only an 'automated magazine assistant' that allowed you to answer a series of questions, some of it very personal information such as credit card number, to access your account and to eventually choose to cancel. Each cancellation process through this automated system took at least 10 minutes for each magazine subscription. I ended up calling back two or three times just to make sure the correct information had been entered and that I had actually cancelled all subscriptions. There was no way to ask for a refund for the charges that appeared on my bank account statement. There was not an option to speak with a 'real human' customer service representative. Needless to say, this 'automated process' at the very least, was not helpful! When I called each magazine a month later to ask if my subscription had been cancelled, they said that it had NOT been cancelled by Synapse!!! I went ahead and cancelled with each individual magazine and decided to make a complaint to Revdex.com because it has now been over a month that I have tried to get in touch with this company to resolve these issues.

Desired Settlement: Even though there is no way to refund my time and effort spent on this ridiculous scam, I would like a refund in full from this company for all four magazine subscriptions that were renewed without my permission. I should request an additonal amount of $50, which was how much I had to pay in overdraft charges for my bank to cover the checks that bounced because this company charged me without my knowledge.

I predict Synapse, Inc. will say that I did give them permission through not trying to cancel before the subscriptions were renewed, but how would I know who to call? I never received any information via email or mail, their company name was not listed on my account statement or magazine subscription! I have read countless complaints online that this company disguises their renewals in mail envelopes that resemble junk mail so that you will not recognize that it is a bill and/or cancellation notice so they can renew without actual permission from each client.

We don't need these kinds of companies in this world, ones that are shady, for lack of a better word, who try to scam us and know that most people won't take the time to pursue a refund or complain to Revdex.com. Please take all of this into consideration and please do something about this company's practices! They do NOT deserve a Revdex.com rating of A!!!

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 two orders 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]. The second order was placed for [redacted]. These offers allowed her to receive the first term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 for each subscription. The offers 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. On March 8, 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 issues in the current term, however at the end of the term, her subscriptions would not renew nor would she be charged for a renewal.

On March 19, 2013, Ms. [redacted] contacted our automated customer service line again and placed her subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted] on "do not renew" status.

Upon receipt of your correspondence on April 10, 2013, we cancelled Ms. [redacted]'s subscriptions to [redacted] and [redacted], generating a full refund of $71.50 to her account, 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.

Regarding reimbursement of overdraft fees, although it is not our standard practice, Ms. [redacted] should fax a copy of her bank statement to my attention showing the magazine charge and the overdraft fees. Given the concern she expressed in her letter regarding her private information, she can delete or blacken out any other information on the page. If we determine that reimbursement of the overdrafts is appropriate under the circumstances, we will do so promptly. My fax number is XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Ms. [redacted] can be assured that all of her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges have been refunded. 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 also regret that Ms. [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 she found this system difficult to use. Her comments have been forwarded to the department responsible for our automated system and will be used 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

In 2013 - 2014 I have received a letter from [redacted], one for [redacted] and one for [redacted] Each time after asking for a subscription for airline miles I have received a postcard basically informing me there is a problem and my order cannot be processed. They are so nice to tell me my satisfaction is so important and they genuinely apologize. There is no simple way to know what has happened except to learn no mags are coming and as for the miles in my account - you decide!

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Description: Magazine Sales, Marketing Programs & Services, Book Stores (NAICS: 451211)

Address: 205 Kentucky Street, Brightwaters, California, United States, 94952

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