Anonymous

Big Time Scam

I ordered some magazines from a student for a school fundraiser. I didn't want them but did it for him.

I purchased a one year subscription for several magazines. I couldn't remember when I started receiving the magazines so wasn't aware of when it was to stop. In looking at my bank statement they had renewed all the magazines. I contacted the individual magazines and they cancelled my subscription but they could not give me a refund, it was up to Synapse.

What a joke. Had I known I was cancelling and not getting a refund, I would have continued on with the sub.

I have cancelled the credit card. At lease now I will know they can't do it again.

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Loss:
$40
Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy

Preferred solution: Full refund

Anonymous

Call your credit card

I had four magazines put on my credit card without any notice. I called my credit card company to dispute the charges. They called Synapse right away and got a real person. He asked the person to cancel them. He said he dialed 0, then the pound sign to get a real person. She has to cancel within 10 days, so I will watch my statement now online. I also asked her to remove me from their database. I hope this helps someone else. This really made me mad, and the lady at Synapse said they automatically renew. I told her that they were supposed to notify me first. But in the end, she did cancel them.
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Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy
1 comment
Guest

Dec. 28,2016 : Yes, you did help!

Both of my college- student kids got duped at charity 5k registrations. Same deal -not informed of charges.

Thank you so much for the information and taking the time to post!

Anonymous
map-marker Tucker, Georgia

Synapse - Subscription Review from Tucker, Georgia

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Synapse is a complete scam!!! Started receiving the Weight Watchers magazine and saw a charge for $29 on my bank account. Called the magazine and they said the subscription was done by a third party company, Synapse, and gave me their number 877-789-****. It's a VERY annoying automated service where you cannot speak with a representative at all! Gave the magazine name, last name and zip code. Keep saying NO to all offers and in the end you will get a confirmation number for your cancellation and refund. Not satisfied to speak with only a machine, went online and found out you could speak with a person by calling 1 (87*) 755-**** and I did! Gave them the confirmation number from my previous call and the assistant confirmed the cancellation and refund. However she also said the subscription wasn't made through them but online by another website. I had subscriptions for Time magazine and cancelled more than a year ago! I do not know how they actually have my account number!! I'm very upset and I will keep a very close close eye to my statement because there's no guarantee there aren't more "subscriptions" they have my info for!
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Reason of review:
Pricing issue
2 comments
Guest

Run as fast as you can away from this so called company. so crooked.

I was charged $73.00 on 2/1/18 for TV Guide and last year paid $20.00! Quite a difference. I also had incurred an overdraft of $36.00 from my bank! After calling 1-87*-***-**** and getting no where I used another phone # of 1-87*-***-****.

I spoke to an Indian guy who is supposedly going to cancel why subscription and refund all charges including the overdraft in 1 to 3 business days. I won't hold my breathe waiting but hopefully this will be corrected. if not, I got him to give me a business address to contact this rotten company.

225 Highridge Road, East Buidling Sanford, CT. 06905.

Guest

Oh my gosh!!!

CRAZY! Thank you SO much for your post.

I called the second number and spoke to the nicest guy ever - Brian.

He cancelled all 4 magazines they were trying to charge me for. Should have my refund in 24-48 hours.

What a confusing mess.

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Deforest Uyt
map-marker Gulfport, Mississippi

Unwanted Avenue Magazine Subscription

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This is for Avenue clothing store and the magazines that I do not want, did not want, and have not read!! At this moment, they said that ALL 4 of my magazine were cancelled.

I called the auto system and cancelled each one separately making sure to write down the confirmation number at the end. It takes about 3 minutes per call. I used my last name, zip code, and magazine name. If you do not remember the magazine name, the auto voice can tell you.

The first number I used was1-80*-586-****. Then I called and talked to a live person at 1-87*-755-**** to verify. I will call back in 1 month to check again. I did not wait until I got a post card or they started to charge my credit card.

These are problems I do not need. I have not opened 1 magazine. Pointless!!! Just pointless!!!!

No thanks...means... NO THANKS!!!! I never wanted the magazine to start with.

Do not accept the additional offers. Keep saying NO or pressing the no key.

If they say call back at a later date, do not hang up.

just press "0" or say no. Eventually they will honor your request.

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Reason of review:
easy to fix problem. Just unsubscribe.
1 comment
Guest

i got scammed too from this.

Anonymous
map-marker Wheeling, Illinois

SYNAPSE = SCAM

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Make sure that you speak with a real person to cancel(press 0 until a real person is put on the phone), THEN cancel. I made the mistake of canceling my TIME subscription through the automated, and did not get a full refund. I went along with their *** "promotion" bit to "extend" my subscriptions, but I could call back at anytime before July 17th to get a full refund of my other subscriptions. It sounds sketchy but I just called and they say i'm getting my full $71.00 back. So maybe it's the best option. EITHER WAY, DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM IF YOU CAN AVOID IT. THEY ARE DESIGNED TO KEEP YOUR MONEY AT ALL COSTS.
View full review
Cons:
  • Pushy call center operators
  • Automated service line
  • Scam
Reason of review:
Poor customer service
Anonymous
map-marker Raleigh, North Carolina

Synapse a scam!!

like so many others I was scammed by Synapse. they never sent me a renewal and kept charging my credit card for years despite my efforts to cancel. I finally got wise to their *** and after perseverance was able to penetrate the web of deceit and cancel-I hope. This reflects poorly on those magazines that enlist this service. Buyer Beware of being ensnared by this ***.I think this requires 100 words so people will not just swear at the company as tempting as that may be so I need to get to one hundred words. So that makes one hundred!
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Reason of review:
Problems with payment
Anonymous
map-marker Statesville, North Carolina

Synapse Subscription Review

There is a $35 charge on my Bank of America account. All subscriptions or registrations should be cancelled. Pertaining to Deborah Moore, Mike Moore, Dakota Moore & Hannah Barlow and any other name linked to this account. We do not want any more subscriptions or registrations. This is gonna over draft me. Please correct ASAP. sonoultratech@***.com
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Reason of review:
Pricing issue
Anonymous
map-marker Waukesha, Wisconsin

Synapse *** Magazine company.

Thank you for posting this. I did get a live person once, in 2015 to cancel and then 6 months later, May 2016 another charge, 37.00 for each subscription on my credit card.. to equal 74 dollars! I could not find either the name of this *** company Synapse, but I finally did by calling the publisher. THEY use other names on your credit card bill, TMX is one. Your post helped me figure out how to get a live operator, PUSH 0 continually! Another hint is to immediately call your credit card company and dispute the charge, then try and get your refund. Funny how the 82 cent refund for one magazine, no problem, but could not get the automated system to refund my 74 dollars. WHO pays 37 a year for a magazine, that is more than the over the counter rate! FROM now on, I want a magazine, use AMAZON. Thanks
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Reason of review:
Problems with payment
Anonymous
map-marker Gaithersburg, Maryland

Don't fall for it!

I bought a book at BAM a couple of months ago, and was offered 3 trial subscriptions that were supposed to be cancelled after 3 months. I never received any cancellation letter or email to confirm that I was going to keep or cancel the subscription. They use without authorization the debit card number that I used to pay for my book, now I'm trying to contact them to cancel all the subscriptions and refund the unauthorized charge to my card. Let's see how this going to work. Nothing is free in this world... don't fall into the temptation is not worth the headaches and stress that will come after a couple of months of free magazines...
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Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy
Anonymous
map-marker Amherst, Massachusetts

Engineered to steal your money!

I had subscribed long ago to Runner's World magazine. I followed the instructions in the magazine about how to cancel my subscription, and received an email that my subscription was cancelled. I kept getting the magazine for a couple of months, and I assumed that it was just my yearly subscription running out, until I saw that my credit card was charged again. After a lot of online back and forth with Runner's World staff, they told me that I had to go through Synapse. So... the first problem is that Synapse doesn't bother to connect with the magazine to manage the subscription. Secondly, I called the 877 number for Synapse and got a 100% automated service that would ONLY allow me to not renew the subscription in the future, not cancel for the rest of this year. Believe me, I'm going to watch like a hawk to make sure they don't charge me again. There's no attempt whatsoever to provide good service to customers - just make money by ripping people off.
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Loss:
$56
Cons:
  • Automated service line
Reason of review:
Wouldn't let me cancel subscription when I wanted to

Preferred solution: Full refund

1 comment
Guest

I had a similar experience with this group. Deceptive marketing through Time Warner. This is a strange mentality to manipulate money from your account like this.

Probably the same bunch who flash devil horns at rock shows.

Anonymous
map-marker Russellville, Arkansas

Synapse - Taste Of Home Magazine Review from Russellville, Arkansas

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Synapse - Taste Of Home Magazine Review from Russellville, Arkansas
Bought two magazines through Synapse, Taste of Home for myself and Discovery Girl for my granddaughter. I have two unauthorized charges to my checking account showing they stole $33 for one magazine and $35 for the other!!!!!
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Reason of review:
Problems with payment
Anonymous
map-marker Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Review in Newspapers & Magazines category from Elizabethtown, Kentucky

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My son got scammed into this at an FYR Store. Did not know he was signing up to anything. FYE IS INTO IT TOO if they are offering this. I'm hoping we caught it in time before they charge his account. But we have cancelled the card too. I called and just kept pressing zero until I got a rep and told him to cancel all do not charge the account do not want their magazines; that it is a scam that is all over internet with terrible reviews. I also contacted FYE and told them they're part of the scam.
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Reason of review:
Problems with payment
Anonymous
map-marker Cheektowaga, New York

Magazine scam

Apparently this some magazine scam. I checked my credit card statement and found a bogus charge for $26 for a magazine subscription I never ordered.

Tried calling all the numbers I could find. Wenner Media (publisher) told me the order was put in by a 3rd party, "New Subservice". They gave me a number which I tried, as well as the # on the charge. Both lines are only automated with no option to speak to a human.

The machine informed me that the subscription was a "gift" for answering some survey. Some gift. Machine said it was giving me a partial refund and only charging me $2 to continue it. It gave me no other option.

After 2 hours on the phone, I called the bank to cancel my credit card. I had investigated the number on 800callnotes.com and found several people had later had their credit cards maxed out.

View full review
Loss:
$26
Cons:
  • Scam
Reason of review:
Accessed my credit card with no permission.

Preferred solution: Full refund

Anonymous
map-marker Logan, Utah

Synapse Magazine Scam

I, like many of you, received outrageous charges to my account for several magazines. When I looked it up online, I found these reviews that gave the advice to press 0 until you can get a live representative which worked great and I admit I never would have gotten to that point because the automatic recording would lead you in circles for hours if you let it. However, this is where my experience differs from other reviews I have read. I clearly stated I wanted all subscriptions cancelled with a full refund. The man on the phone verified the magazines I had been charged for, cancelled my subscription, and confirmed the date when I should receive the credit to my account. Now I'm not sure yet whether the money will actually come or not because this all happened about ten minutes ago, but I didn't experience any pushing, prodding, arm-twisting, or really anything negative in my encounter with the customer service rep. If my money is not replaced when they say it will be, I'll definitely be calling back but my experience with customer service was actually helpful.
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Reason of review:
Order processing issue
Anonymous

Automatic Magazine Subscription Scam

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I received a charge on my credit card bill of $43.00 from an unknown source. I called the phone number on my credit card bill and it was "Magazines" and the hold message said, "Visit us online at magcustomerservice.com".

When a representative got on the line, she said I had subscribed to Southern Living in May, 2014 and as a courtesy they were renewing me. I told her I bought one year at a special rate of $10.00 (with a coupon code) and that was it. I have the printed receipt and it said nothing about auto renewal. She said it was done as a courtesy.

I would never pay $43.00 for a magazine. Why did they keep my credit card data? After going back and forth, she said she'd issue a prorated credit of $36.00. I told her, absolutely not, that I'm contacting my credit card company and reporting fraud and filing a complaint with the BBB.

I then asked for the corporate information, at which time a supervisor got on the line (apparently the don't give out their information without a supervisor's approval). I was told I'd receive the full credit of $43.00. I then contacted my credit card company and informed them of this fiasco. I wonder how many people don't check every charge on their card?

I wonder how many people this company is scamming? FYI: Their corporate information: SYNAPSE GROUP, INC., 225 HIGH RIDGE RD.

EAST BLDG., STAMFORD CT 06905. TELEPHONE: (877) 335-****

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Loss:
$43
Reason of review:
Scam

Preferred solution: Full refund

2 comments
Guest

Happened to me too. $22.95 for a $7.99/yr for 1 yr.

of All Recipes magazine. I hadn't received that magazine for 3 yrs., then all of a sudden was informed BY MY CREDIT CARD CO. that they posted the amount on my card. I wrote them (Synapse) and received a message that a 3rd grader could've written---NEVER addressing the request to credit my account and TOLD ME THE SUBSCRIPTION was cancelled back in July, 2017.

Today is Dec., 2017!! Now I have to go to the trouble of cancelling my credit card and getting another.

I don't want them to have my acct. #.

I hope you got it straightened out and they never bothered you again.

Guest

My little brother accepted a free month trial offer from Books A Million while making a purchase in store, only to find out this company has been auto-renewing three subscriptions on his account without his consent.

After finally getting a representative to speak with, he was informed that he could only receive a partial refund for the time being unless he held off until Nov of this year, at which point he would get a full refund. How exactly that works, I'm not sure.

I decided that I would give them a call and see what I could do.

So I proceeded call, get a rep on the phone, and then basically call their operation a fraud. The ref went out to say that it was BooksMillions fault for not informing my brother of the automatic renewel. I then informed them that this account is this money used for groceries, he's in college and only has an on-campus job that goes toward his tuition.

The rep then informed me that my brother would be receiving a full refund and confirmed my brother's information.

Whether this will actually happen or not, is something else entirely. I'll believe it when I see it.

Either way, I would advise staying far away from this company.

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