Newsub Services review: Billed for annual magazine after cancelling 11

I am only 17 and i'm being charged $300 for 5 "free" subscription that I never asked for. Before my parents found out I called all the numbers that were provided but got a telephone automated service. If you want to get a real person call [protected] and while the automated service is speaking say nothing for 3 cycles and you will be connected. Just speak kindly and there won't be any extra offers that will piss you off.

Also don't take any offers from store like F.Y.E. because they are the main people pushing you into these charges along with a few charges of their own that you have to fight tooth and nail to get out of.

We purchased four magazine subscriptions through New Sub Services. They were offered for free or drastically discounted prices, so we did enter the agreement knowing we would need to cancel our subscriptions before they renewed at the end of the year.

We called in September 2010 and canceled all four magazine subscriptions via their automated service. We thought everything would be smoothly taken care of. We were offered numerous "special" offers for each of the magazines we wished to cancel, but we refused all of them, accepting only a full refund and full cancellation.

Well, here it is November 1, 2010 and our bank account was charged for subscriptions to two of the four magazines. I had to call once again and go through their entire automated service and re-cancel all four subscriptions. The really unusual and questionable part of this problem was, despite purchasing all four magazine subscriptions together, from the same vendor and at the same time, somehow our subscription to Psychology Today ended up on a separate account. I was unable to cancel it via their automated service because they were unable to recognize the $31.00 charge on my account.

I finally had to speak directly with a customer service representative, who searched for the specific subscription via the TWX number (which had been included with the charge on my account) and that was when I found out that Psychology Today had somehow been placed on a separate account altogether--how this happened I cannot even imagine. The agent tried to offer me the same "special" deals that I had declined from the automated service, but I refused them and am supposed to be receiving a refund within 72-hours.

If you're trying to solve this problem yourself, follow these steps:

You're dealing with New Sub Services, a division of the Synapse Group. They are located at 225 High Ridge Rd., East Building, Stanford, CT 06905.
Their corporate number, which is just a voice mail service, is [protected].

If you call the corporate office, you will be directed to call an automated customer service department at one of these numbers: [protected] or [protected]. The former is the number I called.

When the automated voice comes on the line, press 0. Ignore her requests for information and please to continue using the automated service. Just press 0 each and every time she suggests something or makes a request. I had to press 0 four times before she transferred me to a live agent.

The wait after being transferred was less than 30-seconds, even though the automated agent had said the wait would be long/considerable.

I spoke with a customer service agent, explained the problem and told him explicitly that I wanted to cancel ALL of my subscriptions.

He/She is obligated by his/her employer to offer you those "special" deals. Please take that into account and do not harass the agent for doing his/her job. Just refuse the offers and insist on getting a refund.

Eventually, the agent will concede (ours made three offers before giving in) and offer you a full refund of the charges and cancel your subscription.

Before getting off the phone, be sure to get the agent's name, right down the time that you called and the date. Also, ask the agent to verify that all charges are being refunded, no further charges will come through your account or credit card, and that all subscriptions have been canceled. Use all three of those sentences and make the agent verify that all three of those tasks have been accomplished separately.

Save the information, like the agent's name and the numbers you called for future reference, in case any other charges come through or you never receive your refund. That is a very important step.

I do my parents billpay online. My mother bought some clothes through Old Pueblo, and must have been offered some free magazines. There is now a charge for three magazines to the tune of $175.00 I haven't been able to reach a real person at Newsub services, so I wrote them a letter and asked them to cancel. No word yet. I have canceled her credit card so they cannot charge more. We originally had one subscription, and recently two more were added. No one approved this. I just discovered this site today, and am appalled. I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau immediately.

The number [protected] is still in service, and I kept pressing 0 until I a rep answered. I took the advice of the above post to speak kindly, and the rep was very helpful and refunded my money back, but not before offering me the magazine for 2 dollars for 6 months. No thank you!

I have just been through this - what an unethical company! My daughter made a purchase at Delia's and was offered a few "free" issues of Seventeen and Cosmopolitan (first, why is a young teenager offered Cosmo?). After the magazines continued to arrive, I saw two separate charges of $20 and $30 automatically debited to her checking account. I called Cosmopolitan's customer service to cancel and request a refund and I was given the name of this company, New Sub Services. I found three numbers - [protected], [protected], and [protected], as well as a local number for their parent company, Synapse Group, Inc, in Stamford CT [protected]). If you call one of the 800 or 888 numbers, you have to sit through a series of voice prompts - just ignore them and keep pressing 0. Eventually you will be connected to a live operator (albeit a rude one). Supposedly, we will be receiving a full refund, but I am skeptical as to whether this will actually happen, or whether they will sneak in future charges. I am very nervous that this company has my daughter's account # in their records. Perhaps a flood of emails/phone calls/visits to the Synapse Group will convince them that this kind of business practice is unwelcome. I also plan to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I find it particularly galling that these "offers" are targeted at young people who are unfamiliar with the old "bait and switch", and that it so easy for them to get trapped in this scam without their parents' awareness.

I think we should start nameing the magazines that use this scam for new subscriptions. My, agazine was Travel & Leisure.

The number to call is [protected]. First of all speak kindly. Be silent through 3 automated recordings and you will get a customer service person to talk to. Be persistent and you will get your full refund that is charged on your credit card. Keep asking whether all future billings ($5.97 special deals) are cancelled as well.

Here is a number I used today to reach New Sub:

[protected]

If you call this number and remain completely silent and touch no keys on your phone for about three cycles of the automated recording you will get a real person.

I cannot yet tell you if my cancellations really "took", but I did get and operator name and a cancellation number.

I hope this helps.

I am going trough hell with this company... corporate service #[protected] is no longer valid (guess to many complaints to handle) I am being billed for over $270.00 for 7 ´free´ subscriptions to very well known and respectable magazines... gues what? because of companies like this many magazines will suffer... do not make any business with Newsub...

I am dealing with a mess with this same company now! I got a 1 year subscription for $2.00 after I ordered something for my husband online and not even a year later I am being billed $29.00 for a second year and I can't get a refund! I tried to call the corporate # and it is no longer in service!

At the time of my purchase at a clothing store (with my credit card) they offered me free magazines and I thought it was a good idea. It is an even better idea to remember to cancel on or before your free trial period ends.

I called the New Subservice to cancel, [protected] or [protected], which is an automated system that has a few tricks up its sleeve.

I had to go through the automated system 3 separate times for each of my 3 separate magazine subscriptions, and each cancellation had a different options to cancel with additional contractual obligations, so listen closely.

For Example:
A. Cancel your subscription now and renew the same magazine for another period of time
B. Cancel your subscription now and recieve a free trail to another magazine
C. Cancel your subscription now and any subsequent billing or subscriptions

Even after I listened closely to all the options to make sure I cancelled everything, I had to make sure, so I called their corporate office number: [protected] and asked for new Subservices. Turns out I had somehow managed to subscribe to yet another magazine, which corporate was able to cancel.

I guess the idea is to get you hooked on a magazine and continue to keep your subscription, but in my opinion, just go directly to the magazines and subscribe if you are interested. Free magazines are not worth the headache.

My recommendation if you are stuck in the endless cycle of subservice magazine trials? Call corporate and they will fix everything: [protected].

http://www.synapsegroupinc.com/contactus.html