Complaints
Customer Complaints Summary
- 23 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 4 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:09/22/2022
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I took out an international subscription to Cottage Journal in June or July 2021. I was told my first issue would be the winter edition. When this had not arrived, I chased it up and in late January 2022 received the Winter and Christmas editions. No further magazines arrived, but in April 2022 (ie two months early), Hoffman Media took a second year's subscription money. I chased again and Hoffman said they had despatched the missing issues and - as I had requested - sent a refund of the second year's subscription. It transpired they had sent me a cheque in ** dollars, which would have cost almost as much to pay into my ** bank as the amount of the cheque, so clearly was useless. I contacted them again and said I would tear up the cheque if they could make the refund to the same card I used to take out the original subscription. They have not replied and have not made the refund. Again, I chased the missing issues which they said they had posted to me. Today, about 8 weeks after they said they had been despatched, two magazines arrived: the Winter issue (which I'd already received 8 months ago!) and the Spring 2022 issue. But no Summer issue. Their customer service **** seems impossible to deal with and to be honest, I've never experienced such completely awful customer service. All I need is (a) a refund of my second year's subscription and (b) the missing issues of the magazine which I've paid for (ie Summer and Autumn 2022). And an apology would be rather nice, too!
Business Response
Date: 05/30/2023
Hi ******,
From what I can see with this customer, she was sent several replacements from CDS and ******* but it sounds, like she never received any of them. She was sent Spring 2022 on 7/18/22 and again on 9/23/22. Winter 2022 was sent 7/18/22. Autumn and Summer 2022 were sent on 9/23/22 and Autumn was sent again on 11/10/22. Her subscription was cancelled on July 18th and a refund was issued.
Transaction ID
Item ID Batch Item Quantity ******************* Code / Renew Code Item Total Price Delivery Type Status Remaining Transaction Date Action
10712071
PI-2941 1316-54 1 CJS Missed Issue Autumn 22 ZCJS ****
Purchase - refulfillment
To ***********;J FIELD M20BDEFJ edit/ 0 0 Thu Nov 10 2022 06:43:21 detail
10631209
PI-2862 1316-41 1 CJS Missed Issue AUT22 ZCJS ****
Purchase - refulfillment
To ***********;J FIELD M20BDEFJ edit/ 0 0 Fri Sep 23 2022 06:34:21 detail
10631208
PI-2069 1316-40 1 CJS Missed Issue SUM22 ZCJS ****
Purchase - refulfillment
To ***********;J FIELD M20BDEFJ edit/ 0 0 Fri Sep 23 2022 06:34:03 detail
10631207
PI-2068 1316-39 1 CJS Missed Issue SPR22 ZCJS ****
Purchase - refulfillment
To ***********;J FIELD M20BDEFJ edit/ 0 0 Fri Sep 23 2022 06:33:46 detail
10537215
PI-0 1233-58 1 Cottage Journal
Cancellation for transaction: 10497765
To DR ***********;J FIELD #****F00A edit/ -45 Expired 0 Mon Jul 18 2022 14:00:31 detail
10537212
PI-2070 1233-57 1 CJS Missed Issue WIN22 ZCJS ****
Purchase - refulfillment
To DR ***********;J FIELD M20BDEFJ edit/ 0 0 Mon Jul 18 2022 13:46:52 detail
10537210
PI-2068 1233-56 1 CJS Missed Issue SPR22 ZCJS ****
Purchase - refulfillment
To DR ***********;J FIELD M20BDEFJ edit/ 0 0 Mon Jul 18 2022 13:46:33 detail
10497765
PI-0 1 Cottage Journal
Purchase
To DR ***********;J FIELD #****F00A edit/ 45 Print Expired 0 Thu Apr 28 2022 02:36:59 detail
10214692
PI-0 1 Cottage Journal
Purchase
To DR ***********;J FIELD I00000865 edit/ 49 Print Expired 0 Thu Jul 22 2021 03:13:05 detail
Agent Name Agent Email Description Date Added
*********************** ****************************** Refulfilled CJS Missed Issue Autumn 22 ZCJS ****. Reason: did not receive issue/card.
read more Thu Nov 10 2022 06:43:21
*********************** ****************************** Refulfilled CJS Missed Issue AUT22 ZCJS ****. Reason: did not receive issue/card. Comment: AUT22. Fri Sep 23 2022 06:34:21
*********************** ****************************** Refulfilled CJS Missed Issue SUM22 ZCJS ****. Reason: did not receive issue/card. Comment: SUM22. Fri Sep 23 2022 06:34:03
*********************** ****************************** Refulfilled CJS Missed Issue SPR22 ZCJS ****. Reason: did not receive issue/card. Comment: SPR22. Fri Sep 23 2022 06:33:46
*************************** ******************************** Cancel transaction successful, type: cheque, transaction Id: ********. Mon Jul 18 2022 14:00:30
*************************** ******************************** Refulfilled CJS Missed Issue WIN22 ZCJS ****. Reason: did not receive issue/card. Comment: . Mon Jul 18 2022 13:46:52
*************************** ********************************Customer Answer
Date: 05/31/2023
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***********************
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