Synapse Group / Magazine Customer Service review: magazine renewal 65

I was very upset they charged my card even though i called that number on the postcard could not talk to a real person just the automatic system.This is a shaded company. I got on the computer to see if I could get some help. They was suppose to refund my money, have'nt done it yet. Thanks for the information, it really helped.

Please note that for cancellation it is necessary you hear instructions carefully. There are catching questions that may confuse you. Note that if you answer "NO" to most of the questions they will cancel your subscription and they will provide a cancellation number which will be the same even if you cancel several magazines on the same call. But remember to cancel all. If you don remember all the names of the magazines the sistem will listed for you.

I had much the same difficulty in cancelling the subscriptions to the 4 magazines I was receiving. I called the phone number on the postcards I received and thought that was the end of it. But, I was reviewing a recent credit card bill and saw charges for all 4 magazines on it. So, I called the phone number on the bill and had to go through the automated system and was not willing to subscribe to anything further, so I just hung up. I called the phone number on the original postcards that informed me of automatic renewal and the option to cancel and went through the prompts and was informed that the subscriptions had been cancelled when I originally called. I used the email address that someone provided on this site and saw that all of the magazines were cancelled. I saved copies and will send them as attachments to my credit card company should it need proof of my cancellations and need to note the justification for my refusal to pay those charges. I will not use such a service again, no matter how good the offer sounds. If it is this difficult to cancel an order and they don't care enough to have a human being available at the numbers provided, then they are not worth my time.

Jeez. I called the number on the postcard [protected] many times and made sure they said my subscription has been canceled. And then I just called the number provided by someone here, and the live representative said I didn't call and didn't discontinue the service! How shady it is! Anyway, I canceled the service now and will see how it goes

My own experience pretty much mirrors everyone's here. I actually never received the warning postcard that my subscription was going to auto-renew at top price, and only discovered the charge when checking my account for something else. I had, however, saved an older warning postcard from last year b/c I was already suspicious...I called the number printed on the card to demand an explanation but it is thoroughly automated with NO option to discuss w/ a live person anything more complicated than Y/N answers. Oh! And the auto response for my subscription stated that the *last* transaction on the account was the $2 debit from a half year ago, NO mention of the more recent $52 debit! Anyway, many thanks to chiyan above who provided the number to call to speak with an actual rep: [protected]

The number on the "renewal notice" postcard [protected]) was disconnected... either when I dialed a 1 first or dialed it as a local call. I found the 800 number on this site (thank you!) and was able to cancel. I am glad for the comments about because they helped me detect the very tricky sales in the cancellation. I dealt with the automated "gal." It seemed weird to say no to the option in which she said "do you want me to cancel your subscription ... and extend the deal." But I did and she then tried another "deal." She finally - at the end of the conversation - said the subscription was cancelled without me having to respond.

The subscription was a gift to me from a child and the "automatic" renewal notice was for $32 for 6 issues. It is a good magazine but this shady practice of "automatically" continuing the subscription by using my credit card (I don't know how they got the number) is so obnoxious that I will not buy the magazine again.

I did not agree to subscribe to four journals. I was supposed get them free of charge with a lengthy survey.

I just received a card in the mail from SynapseConnect, INC about my Good Housekeeping Magazine for automatic renewal at a cost of $38.00 for 12 months., which is a lot higher than what I have been paying. I called the phone # [protected] if I wished to discontinue before Aug 03, 2016. Please note that their address is now shown as P O Box 30468 Salt Lake City, UT 84130.. The Since this call was most likely answered by a recording I was not able to ask any questions I promptly said "Go to Hell and hung up.. I suppose now I should contact Good Housekeeping magazine to make sure my subscription has not been canceled.

I just received 2 renewal notices for a total of 5 magazines. This is the 3rd time that I have tried to cancel these. The number on the postcards, [protected], is TOTALLY automated. There is no way to talk to an actual human. You have to listen the their selling spiel in order to cancel. The renewal prices a EXTREMELY jacked up. If I am charged again, I WILL be contacting the credit card company and have this charged as fraudulent.
This is the website address where I was able to make an account and cancel the subscriptions, yet again. https://www.magcustomerservice.com/wss/CommunitiesLogin?cid=1
This was displayed when I was finally able to log in.
"Payment Information
For security purposes current account information is not displayed."
So they DO NOT allow you to see what information they have on file nor are you allowed to delete this information. They keep it for as long as they want.
I will be contacting each of these magazines directly and letting them know what is going on with this company.

I would like to cancel all magazines. I tried using the phone, dam machine.
Address:- Clinton Hall
PO Box 201
Gilbertsville, ny [protected]

I didn't sign up for any magazines with automatic renewal. I know better. So how was I signed up for auto renewal? I received free magazines as a bonus for purchases made at an online merchant. No where was I told this was the deal. I received a postcard that stated if I didn't cancel my (3) subscriptions (at the highest rate possible) by such and such date, that I would be charged for same. I called the number to cancel and of course it was an automated system primed to bate you into receiving more issues. Each magazine had to be entered separately, so the same speil was offered with each one. By the time it was over, I think I was yelling into the phone, I was so upset. These people are going to be reported to my state Attorney General and I suggest that everyone else do the same. Apparently since I'm over 60, they were hoping I would ignore the number to cancel or subscribe to even more issues when I called, due to my "aging brain". This is one of those scams targeting seniors. Put a stop to it.

When I called to cancel 3 magazines that had re-started without my agreement, I was stuck for a few minutes in the automated system. At every point where I had to give a response, I asked to speak with a representative. When I was connected, he was able to cancel 3 unwanted subscriptions and provide a cancellation reference number. He also confirmed that my credit card bill would be reversed. He was polite and helpful throughout. This is clearly a terrible scam, and I'm sure it preys on people who are not comfortable in dealing with automated phone systems and predatory companies. Shame on SynapseConnect!

I have done business with this company for a few years, and I haven't had any issues with them. My initial subscription prices are usually $2/yr or $3/year. When the initial term is almost up, I always receive a post card stating the new rate for the coming year, or I can cancel prior to the higher rate beginning.

For example, today I received a postcard stating my Bloomberg Business magazine would be renewed for $79/yr. unless I notified them by January 4, 2017..

In many cases once you refuse the "new higher rate", you are given an opportunity to renew for the original very low rate.

Today I declined the "new higher rate" of $79/year, and received an offer to continue at the rate of $2 plus a $1 handling fee, or a total of $3. I have renewed some magazines over and over for the very low rate. But, you don't always get the opportunity to get the low rate extended. In those cases I simply cancel the magazine and no "new higher rate" is charged.

I like the fact that all this can be done via an automated system that saves you from a human attempting to get you to renew for the much higher rate.

The key is to keep the info and notify the company promptly when they send the renewal post card.

Thus far I have never gotten stuck with a subscription I didn't want, and many times am able to enjoy another year with the very low rate I started with.

You must keep on top of things and respond promptly, or you will probably get renewed due to your lack of response when they advise you that you are being renewed at the "new higher rate."

I just ran into the same rigamarole. Tried unsuccessfully to unsubscribe after many, many offers I had to decline. Finally the call gave me a new # to call and ended. New number did the same shtick! Luckily I was able to find the original charge on my credit card statement and THAT had a phone # - [protected]. This actually connected to what seemed a real subscription handling line. After the online automated process asked me a few reasonable questions (reason for my call - and cancel was one of the options, name of the magazine, zipcode of the address), my account was located and i was given a confirmation # as proof!

Unsub online at:
https://www.magcustomerservice.com

This is the same company that shut down and reopened under a different name because of all of their previous BBB complaints. https://www.resellerratings.com/store/Com_sub_biz

if you got your magazine subscription from an online retailer as part of a reward for your online purchase with them or a promotion, I would contact the online retailer for the name of the company responsible for the magazine subscription. It may not be the same as the name listed on the postcard. Also, contact the online retailer about the situation - whether or not it is the same company that is responsible for the magazine subscription - that way they will end their business with the magazine promotion company and no future customers will have to deal with this situation.

Never again will I do this. Seems like somewhere around 2 years ago I answered a few questions about a website I was on and then was offered a great deal on the magazines for a year. As far as I know I received all of them, however, no way could I keep up with them. I was unable to determine who was the "owner" of the offer as I couldn't figure out how to get them cancelled until finally, this year, they sent me the postcard with the really high prices indicated would be charged to my credit card unless I cancel by Nov. 27, 2019. This is the first time I have received anything from a company indicating where these subscriptions reside! So, thanks to Google, found this review site and the additional info. Created an account on the https://www.magcustomerservice.com site, went to my email to confirm account was set up. Then logged into the site with my user name/password and was able to cancel the subscriptions easily. And, after doing so, went back and clicked on cancel again and received messages for each one that the subscriptions are cancelled as of today. Yeah! Thank you all for the guidance. Company is just like many others...they rope you in with a great deal but you have to be sure to cancel within a certain time or it just auto renews. Unfortunately, I could never find where the company name was as far as who to contact to cancel these. Good luck, everyone and hope this helps.

Jan 06 2020 - It's like dealing with a lobster with no banding on the claws. After reading the comments above though, I went to the website referenced [https://www.magcustomerservice.com/wss/10000041/home.do] and closed each magazine. They use small type faces and word choices like 'confirm' in ways that are very suspicious. I ultimately ended up on two separate subscription cancellation confirmation web pages, but! they both had the same confirmation number. Neither had my account number. I got the feeling I might as well have received two pictures of someone's grandmother. But, I saved a 'copy screen' of each as they did have different magazine titles and then emailed them to myself to record the date (which wasn't on the confirmations) and saved them. I'll be watching my bank card charges. If I need some future charge removed, the emails are dated proof of cancellation at their website to support my claim. What a pain. I'm keeping their little postcard too as it is the only source of my account number. I remember this type of problem all the way back to the 1950s. Their postcard dances right on the line between business and scam. I do believe that removing these charges and blocking his company with the bank credit card is the best way to go. When a charge is challenged, the card company sends a "What is your defense?" query to the vendor. If they fail to answer or don't answer to the card company's satisfaction, the charge is removed and/or the vendor can be blocked. Sending all your 'evidence' in your first contact with the card company is essential as they will not ask for a second go around between the conflicting parties. - Many, many words, but I hope they help someone.