Synapse Group / Magazine Customer Service
reviews and complaints

I had ordered magazines prior but did not in anyway authorize these two magazines. I am very upset and now I have received two overdraft fees. I am told I have to submit copies of my statement to show the overdrafts. I did not authorize, there is no reason I should send my account information. Its unfair. I had depended on this company to deliver what was ordered but not exceeding. I am very upset and irrate. I want my overdrafts back.

I just received a card stating that this company is going to be automatically renewing 4 different magazines I subscribed to as a special rate for 1 year previously. I have not dealt with SynapseConnect, Inc., directly so I don't know how or when they became involved. If I had not read the fine print I could have missed what they intend to do, which is bill my credit card, at an outrageous rate, for these 4 magazines. I will be calling them to cancel these but this type of practice should be investigated. I will be calling them but I have a feeling that canceling with them is not going to end with this phone call.

Received a postcard stating that my Conde Nast Traveler would be automatically renewed if I didn't contact them by Dec. 3. I called one number [protected]) and it would not allow me to talk with anyone. Called [protected] and spoke to someone who tried to tell me that I had signed up for this magazine on-line on some special - WRONG. I've subscribed to Conde Nast for over 12 years and told her so. After a long call, I cancelled the magazine and another one that was ending in December. She implied that this is now the way all Time/Warner magazines are renewed. I told her it was preposterous that I had not given any permission for automatic renewal and resulting charge to my credit card and that I would be contacting the BBB and my State's Attorney General regarding this practice.

I called the phone number on the post card to cancel my subscriptions, but they were already cancelled since August 18, 2015. And today I checked my bank account and i am being charged at the moment for national geographic magazine for $17.50, time magazine for $34 & Allure for $16.50.. so why am i being charged if it was cancelled? I want my money back. And whats the point of having a phone number to call if we cant talk to a person?

While cancellations are clearly not the intended outcome of calling the phone number, the company has now automated the process of accepting cancellations. They provide a notice of renewal with plenty of lead time. I wish they still had a website, but it does not appear to be working. So use the automated phone number, tolerate the sales pitches, and cancel; be prepared to write down the confirmation number at the end of the call.

I am shocked by this system. Since when is it OK to set up a system that interferes with a subscription that I already paid for and assume the authority to make charges to a customer unless the customer says no? This is crazy. When I pay for a subscription, I want my magazines until I see a renewal notice. If I don't renew, I should not be charged. This company is just a clever hoax and needs to be shut down.

Given a "free" trial subscription with an "opt-out" option. The #[protected] phone number just says, 'all circuits are busy, please try again later' or 'this number has been temporarily disconnected'. I do not want my credit card charged for something I don't want but they never answer the phone...

I answered an ad for a trial subscription for magazines they represent. Their customer service is an automated line. When I call the number listed at the BBB which is their number on their website, they answer and tell you that it is Time Inc. When trying to cancel a trial subscription the automated system tells you there is a "nominal fee" but won't tell you the fee. It is impossible to reach a human being and get answers or help with any customer service issues. I initially wanted to cancel a title and retain one. Now I want to just not have any association with this company. BBB complaint filled out.

Hi
I bought a pair of jeans in Loehmann's.
And they subscribed me for 3 magazines.
It was 3, 5 months ago! And I didn't receive anything still!
And I can't cancel the subscription!
Really weird company!

I ordered Cooking Light for $2, House Beautiful for $2, and Esquire for $2. I received a post card in the mail giving me the toll free number to call @[protected]. No one could be reached. It said the number was either out of order, disconnected, or call back later. I have no way to cancel these subscriptions. Please help. My subscription ID is #[protected]. My name is Carolyn Madison. The second post card I received gives the same toll free number and I can't cancel this subscription either for Popular Mechanics for which I originally paid $2. Mu subscription ID is #[protected] for Popular Mechanics. Please help.

I am getting charged for magazines I never even ordered and I think its a load of horse ###.And if these damn idiots think they will get another penny out of me they are f***ing out of their minds.

Received postcards stating several magazines that I subscribe to will be automatically renewed and I have to call to cancel -- I did not request this option to reorder and feel abused by system. When calling phone number listed on postcard there is no extension to speak to a live person -- the only option is to cancel subscriptions -- I don't want to cancel at this time but let the subscriptions phase out upon appropriate end date. On website, this also is the only option. What a sad, sad operation and I will NEVER order magazine subscriptions again via airline rewards! What a hassle - magazines: you will be losing a lot of business via auto renewal.

This company never sent me any annual renewal/cancellation notices in any of the years I maintained a subscription. When I called to cancel, I reached an automated voice system that did not provide me the option of speaking to a real, live, customer service representative. Because of the run-around and continuous offers for better and cheaper rates and incentive to renew, and the extreme difficulty/lack of option to simply CANCEL my subscriptions, I am still unsure whether or not my three magazine subscriptions were actually cancelled. I will NEVER allow this to happen again and will no longer subscribe to any magazines. The reference number (whatever that means) I was given by the automated system for my telephone call is: [protected]. Please file a formal complaint with the company, the governing agency, and report back to me. Thank you.

On October 23, 2010 I cancelled four magazine renewals...Fortune, Money, Bloomberg Business Week and Entertainment Weekly. I called Entertainment Weekly today and they said my subscription ends next year. It was to end with the January 11 edition. The telephone number I called in October was [protected]. The card I received in October states that I would receive notification of a new term. What gives? Gay Wright for Charles Wright

Received Postcards on Auto-Renewal for Subs ID #:[protected] for Sunset, Health, and travel+Leisure. We want to cancel the above 3 subscriptions, and only renew Digital Photography. However, the phone # listed: [protected] is not currently in service. Then we tried the on-line form at the cancel or renew website, but it got to a point where it wanted our credit card # for a "free trial" to a legal service. WE DON'T DO THAT. How can we get these 3 magazines cancelled by Jan. 3, 2011 as the postcards state?

I am receiving the following unordered/ unrequested magazine subscriptions: This Old House, FORBES, Discover, Mens Health, Maxim, National Geographic, Science News, US!

the above name- Synapse Group, Inc. was supplied online by This Old House Customer service- other attempts to contact above magazine customer service has required contacting company of order which is difficult to do as I NEVER ORDERED IN THE FIRST PLACE!
November 16th, 2010- [protected]@live.com

'Out of the blue' I received a card notifing me that they were renewing my Reader's Digest subscription at $42.00 for 10 months! They purport to have an "account number you agreed to be billed for your selection(s)." I have never had any dealings with the subject companies and would never purchase through such an outfit. I believe that I was able to cancel whatever it was they have by a lengthy phone conversation with a computer which tried the bait and switch ploy as well. Does anyone have any idea how they got me on their scam listing?

I found charges on my credit card for $32.00 on 9/3/10 from TWX [protected]. I researched and found other people had the same issues and it's a magazine company making the charges. One person found the website to search for any open magazine subscriptions and how to cancel them. When I searched I found I had 1 subscription open for Health magazine. I never renewed the subscription after the 1st year, which was in 2007. I had no idea they have been charging me every year. I submitted a refund request and am now in process of changing my credit card number. This is terrible to do to people, why do they even bother sending "Renewal Offers/Notices", begging you to renew, if they are just going to charge your card triple the subscription cost anyways. Is just plain wrong.