The complaint has been investigated and
resolved to the customer's satisfactionResolved Cook's Illustrated — False Advertising/Additional Charges
resolved to the customer's satisfaction
I have gotten a friend a subscription to Cook's Illustrated for several years. This year, I got an email offering a $22.95 renewal of the subscription and any additional subscriptions for $19.95.
No, we are not talking a lot of money here. But, When I went through the online subscription renewal, it asked me for my information as the billee, but never even gave me the option of selecting a subscription for myself. The system certainly tried to get me to add other subscriptions for $19.95, but since I was not interested in getting any others, the only subscription I authorized was for my friend.
When I got to the confirmation page, I was informed that my credit card had been charged for a subscription for my friend and one for myself.
No where in the email, or online did it state that the $22.95 deal was contingent upon me getting a subscription for myself. And no where did I have the option of selecting or unselecting a subscription for myself. The customer service link on the confirmation page is dead. You will sit on hold for at least 20 minutes on the 800 "customer care" line. When I finally got someone on the line who told me that all managers and supervisors were "busy, " she informed me that she could see the renewal for my friend in the system, but could not see the subscription for me. Therefore, she could not get rid of the subscription for me.
This is definitely a scam. If I did not review the confirmation page (since I had been carefully reviewing the information I was entering) and see the $42.90 as the total instead of $22.95, I may not have noticed until a couple months from now when I got my first magazine.
More Cook's Illustrated Complaints & Reviews
- Cook's Illustrated - Unauthorized billing
- Cook's Illustrated - Fraudulent charges
- Cooks Illustrated - unauthorized billing
- Cook's Illustrated - Did not deliver
- Cook's Illustrated - cook's illustrated misleading automatic renewals practice
- Cook's Illustrated - Magazine Test Kitchen
- Cook's Illustrated - online website subscription
- Cook's Illustrated - Unauthorized Billing
- Cook's Illustrated - magazine
- Cook's Illustrated - Cooks Illustrated Issue #168
Avoid doing business with this company. They sent me a notice last year I would receive their 2009 cookbook unless I returned a post card stating I didn't want it. I forgot to send them the the postcard and received the cookbook in Dec. 2009. I was also to receive 4 CD's . They informed me they weren't ready and I would receive them later. I followed up with them in March 2009 and they said I wouls would receive them in June. Here it is June 2010 and NO cd's. They are a scam avoid them! Additionally I cancelled my on-line subscription in 2008. They renewed it without my permission in 2009 and charged me and refused to give me a refund! The credit card company will not help me in this matter. What a way to do business! avoid them, avoid them!