Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Synapse Group, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Synapse Group, Inc.

  225 High Ridge Rd Stamford, CT 06905-3000

  
• 

  Synapse Group, Inc.

  P O Box 1966 Kankakee, IL 60901

• 

  Newsub Magazine Services LLC

  PO Box 30480 Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0480

• 

  Newsub Magazine Services LLC

  PO Box 30438 Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0438

• 

  Newsub Magazine Services LLC

  PO Box 30477 Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0477

The 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:06/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 need to cancel 3 magazine subscriptions and they wont do it. I need to cancel them.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/29/2023

  **** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********  
                       ********* ******* *****
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer *******
  *****. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ***** experienced
  regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our
  records show that Ms. ***** placed an order for **** *** *****, ****** ***********, and **** ******** when she
  accepted our promotional offer through ******** ********. The offer allowed Ms.
  ***** to receive the first year of issues for $2.00 per title. The offer also provided
  that her subscriptions would continue automatically and after her first term,
  her account would be charged monthly to the credit card that was provided when
  placing her order, unless she called our toll-free customer service number to
  cancel.
  
  In addition, it is our policy that customers who
  wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service
  number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on the customer’s
  billing statement with each charge.
  
  When we did not hear from Ms. ***** that she wished
  to cancel her subscriptions at the end of her first term, the monthly renewal charges
  were posted to her account. 
  
  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we have cancelled
  Ms. *****’s subscriptions to **** *** *****, ****** ***********, and **** ********, generating a full refund to her account in the amount of $12.09. It
  should be noted that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one to two
  billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending
  on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms. ***** can be assured that her subscriptions have
  been cancelled. Also, Ms. ***** may continue to receive one or two more issues
  of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She
  may keep these with our compliments.
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to
  us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of
  service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  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.

  Back in I believe was September 2022, *** signed me up accidentally for their **************** which was then cancelled that same day. The subscription came with a magazine subscription which i was told not to worry about since everything was cancelled and nothing would come about it. May 31st, 2023 I noticed a $22.64 charge on my account for a ******** ********** subscription. As of today, there are a total of 4 unauthorized charges for this magazine subscription from this company for the *** membership that has been inactive. The charges are as follows: November 21st, 2022 for $22.64, December 6th, 2022 for $8.36, May 22nd, 2023 for $22.64 and June 6th, 2023 for $8.36.
  
  I contacted the customer support via email on June 1st and had no response. Today, i created an account to try to cancel the magazines myself. I believe i was able to cancel one but I was then brought to an error page which did not allow me to double check and make sure both magazine subscriptions were cancelled as my account says i have 2 active magazines.
  
  On June 5th, 2023 i was refunded $16.17 for im not sure what for. I talked to customer service and they told me i would only be refunded for the rest of my “current term” and that my subscriptions were cancelled. On my end, it says they are still active. I want at least a $45.83 refund and to make sure both are cancelled and I will no longer be charged.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/16/2023

  **** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********  
                       ********* ****** ******
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ******
  ******* We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ****** experienced
  regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our
  records show that Ms. ****** placed an order for ******** ********** **** and ******** ********** Magazine, following a purchase she made at a
  ********** ************* store. The offer allowed her to choose from a
  selection of magazines and receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription
  without charge.  After the trial period,
  her subscriptions would continue automatically and be charged semi-annually to the
  same credit card used for her ********** ************* transaction, unless she
  called our toll-free customer service number to cancel.  Prior to any billing event, a notice would be
  mailed to her reminding her of the upcoming billing, the amount that would be
  charged and the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged.
  
  **********
  ************* sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms
  of the offer and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. 
  
  On June
  2, 2023, we received notification from the publisher that Ms. ****** requested
  to cancel her subscription to ******** ********** Magazine. We honored the
  request and generated a refund to her account
  reflecting the value of unserved issues in the total amount of $16.17.
  
  On June 6, 2023, Ms. ****** contacted our service center via our online website and cancelled her
  subscription to ******** ********** **** generating
  a refund to her account reflecting the value of unserved issues in the total
  amount of $5.57.
  
  Upon receipt of your correspondence, we issued the
  remaining refund Ms.
  ******’s balance on her subscriptions in the amount of $40.26,
  which includes the previous year’s charges. It should be noted that banks direct
  us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written
  confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms.
  ****** can be assured that her subscriptions have been
  cancelled and all charges have been refunded. 
  Also, Ms.
  ****** may continue to receive one or two more issues of
  her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation. She may
  keep these with our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/16/2023

  
  
  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,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  5/22/22 I became aware of a magazine subscription linked to my credit card that I had not ordered. I wasn't aware of it before, as it was being sent to an address that didn't belong to me. I called to get it sorted out, and was told the magazine was cancelled. Fast forward a year later, and I get a notification that I am going to be charged again for the magazine subscription. Upon investigation and creating an online account, I see that that very same day I called and spent hours cancelling the unwanted subscription, one of them was reactivated. I didn't know about it because, again, it isn't even my address they are shipped to! So I cancelled again, but these scammers obviously have my credit card info, and I want it REMOVED from their system. They will not delete this account linked to my info, I have tried again and again, and they still have my information. I don't understand how this is legal.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/26/2023

  ***** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********
                       ********* ****** ********
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ******
  ********. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ******** experienced
  regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Despite
  multiple searches, we regret that we cannot locate Ms. ******** account in our
  system with the information provided in her complaint. We would be more than
  happy to assist in resolving this matter but are unable to do so at this time.
  
  If Ms.******** can provide
  us with additional information regarding her magazine subscription orders, it
  would help us locate her account.  We
  request that she forward to us the magazine name and the shipping address the
  magazines are being sent to. In addition, if she can forward us the billing
  descriptors (alpha-numeric codes beginning with “TWX” or “TME”) next to the
  entries on her statement, which would allow us to identify the transactions and
  any other name or address that the subscription might be listed under.
  
  We
  sincerely regret that we cannot resolve Ms. ********’s concerns at this time without
  additional information but will be happy to proceed with the prompt resolution
  of her complaint once we have been able to locate her account.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/21/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  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.

  Synapse Group, Inc. has a scam going where it says you can purchase up to 3 magazine subscriptions for $2.00 a subscription. I ordered **** Magazine and **** ********* Magazine. I never started receiving the subscriptions. Synapse Group, Inc. said it couldn't charge my credit card. My credit card company said they did not deny any charges.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  ***** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********   
                       ********* ******* ********
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer *******
  ********.  We genuinely regret the
  inconvenience that Mr. ******** experienced regarding his magazine subscriptions
  and have attempted to resolve his concerns.
  
  Our
  records show that Mr. ******** ordered **** ********* Magazine and ****
  Magazine on February 22, 2023, through an online promotion that was
  presented to him through ******** Tuesday. This offer was redeemable through the
  app and customers receive a unique one-time use promo code to access the available
  magazines. The offer allowed him to select up to 4 magazine titles for only $2.00
  for the first term of issues. After the first year, the magazines would automatically
  continue following the initial term and that the same credit card would be
  charged if he did not call us to cancel. In addition, it is our policy that
  customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our toll-free
  customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and also on
  the customer’s billing statement with each charge.
  
  We
  received notification from Mr. ********’s bank on February 24, 2023, that we
  could not obtain authorization on his credit card for his subscriptions to ****
  ********* Magazine and **** Magazine, which resulted in his orders
  being cancelled.
  
  For
  the inconvenience, we have placed a complimentary order to **** *********
  Magazine and **** Magazine on his behalf. We have confirmed his subscriptions
  will start with the May 2023 issue.
  
  If Mr.
  ******** experiences any delivery issues to his subscriptions, we would request
  that he contact our customer service center directly at ###-###-####. One of
  our representatives will be happy to assist him.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us, and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/26/2023

  
  
  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.
  However, my bank did not decline the charge.  Further, no other merchant has issues charging my card.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/04/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  First I noticed a debit of $10.70 on 11/14/22. I inquired with the bank about info regarding who, they weren't able to help me on that date. On 11/24/22, I noticed there were debits on 11/17/22 & 11/20/22, these debits created two overdraft charges by the bank in the amount of $32 each. This time, however, there was a phone number in the description on the overdrafts "POS 1120 1035 885766 ************ ****** ************ *** and *** **** **** ****** ********* ******** ************ *** I called the number, spoke with Rose on 11/24/22 about 1515 EST. She refunded all three debits. When I asked about the overdraft fees, she gave me a fax number to the billing of ###-###-####. It was Thanksgiving day, I had to wait until Fri 11/25/22 to fax bank print out and note to the number. I did it at the *** and have a confirmation sheet. I told her I wanted no more magazines and no more unexpected debits to my checking account. On 11/30/22 yet another debit of $14.98 was posted. When Rose did the refunding, she had my email before I told her it, so why did they not send a "your bill is coming due soon" notice?! No, they just start debiting and creating a mess of my bank account. I do not like it going in the negative and I don't have a lot to begin with, but I like to know when a bill is due. In December, I got a check in the mail of $10.43, apparently to replace the funds taken on 11/30/22 because it mentioned order id *********. I have not cashed it. I emailed on 12/03/22 and 12/28/22 asking about the overdrafts. I received no response. I would have liked to continue with at least 2 of the 4 magazines, but I was so ***et about the lack of billing notice and lack of responds regarding the overdrafts, I am not at all happy with the company. They sent no notice, pulled without notice creating a negative in my account, somewhat cleaned up their mess and left me with $64.00 less. I feel they need to replace my money.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2023

  I write in response to the complaint dated April 4, 2023. I would like to provide some information regarding this customer's account and clear up any misunderstanding.

  This customers order for Readers Digest and **** ******** was place through an agency, and therefore, it is necessary that the customer contact them, (Synapse) to report this matter. Our agreement with all agencies is that any such actions regarding cancellations and refunds must be taken only with their approval.

  Agency Contact Information:

  Synape (New Sub Service)

  *** **** ***** ** **** ****
  
  ******** ** *****
  
  **************Our records indicate the subscriptions listed above were cancelled on our system on November 30, 2022.

  I hope this helps clear up any misunderstanding. I
  apologize for any disappointment the customer may have encountered with our
  company. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/17/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  

  I appreciate the additional information; however, On Friday following Thanksgiving day, I faxed the overdraft information to the billing fax number I was told by the original Lady.  I keep getting the run around.  The subscription keeps being talked about, but not the overdraft fees.  I will reach out to the additional address provided, but I feel someone that has to do with the business needs to step up to the plate and get this to the correct place.  It is like a maze.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2023

  ****** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********
                       ********* **** ******
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ****
  ******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ****** experienced
  regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our records show that Ms. ****** placed an order for ******** ******, **** ********, **** *** ***** and ***** * *****, when she accepted our online promotional offer, which was presented to her after
  completing a ******* survey. The offer allowed her to receive the
  first term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 each. The also offer provided that her subscriptions would
  automatically continue following the initial term and that the same credit card
  would be charged if she did not call us to cancel.
  
  Prior to the billing event, a notice was sent to Ms. ****** reminding her of the upcoming renewal, the renewal charge, and
  the date by which to cancel to avoid being charged. In addition, it is our
  policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our
  toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and
  also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge. 
  
  When
  we did not hear from Ms. ****** that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at
  the end of her first term, the annual subscription charges were posted to her
  account.
  
  On
  November 24, 2022, Ms. ****** contacted our customer service center and cancelled
  her subscriptions to ******** ******, **** ********, and This Old
  House, generating a full refund in the amount of $55.11 to her account. Unfortunately,
  part of that refund was unable to be processed back to her credit card account,
  and check refund was issued in the amount of $10.43.
  
  Regarding reimbursement of overdraft fees, although
  it is not our standard practice, we have honored her request and
  processed a refund of $64.00 back to her account. It should be noted that banks
  direct us to ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written
  confirmation of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms. ****** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all
  charges have been refunded. Please be assured that customer satisfaction is very important to
  us and we take great care in providing our customers with the highest level of
  service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/27/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  On 4/23/23 this company started a Recurring monthly deduction from my personal checking account of $3.01 for a magazine that I did not renew. Initially I ordered the magazine via an elementary school fundraiser. I did not renew, but they kept sending it and taking more money out of my account. I finally thought it was resolved, over a year ago, and now they started it again. When I login to the ********* magazine website they've reactivated the closed account as if I had ordered a new subscription. Showing an end date in 2025. Their website option to cancel gives an error message, to try at a later date. I don't feel I should have to close my bank account to prevent this unauthorized Recurring payment from being stolen. I believe since it's a small dollar amount that this company assumes it will not catch my attention. They're wrong. I will pursue legal action to get my point across. I demand satisfaction and reimbursement plus costs from this company. They should be forced out of business, especially their association with school fundraiser event programs. Disgraceful.
  The magazine account number printed on mailing label is: #***************#
  My bank gave me a phone number to call ********* Magazine of ###-###-####.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2023

  ***** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********  
                       ********* *** *******
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ***
  *******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ******* experienced
  regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our
  records show that Ms. ******* placed an order for ****** ***** * *******, **** ********* ********, ******** ******* ***** and *********s,
  when she accepted our online promotional offer, which was presented to her
  after completing a ******* ******. This offer allowed her to receive the first
  term of her magazine selections for a nominal fee of $2.00 for each
  subscription. The offer also provided that her subscriptions would
  automatically continue following the initial term and that the same credit card
  would be charged if she did not call us to cancel. In addition, it is our
  policy that customers who wish to cancel may do so at any time by calling our
  toll-free customer service number, which is provided on our renewal notice and
  also on the customer’s billing statement with each charge.  
  
  When
  we did not hear from Ms. ******* that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at
  the end of her first term, the annual subscription charges were posted to her
  account.
  
  Upon
  receipt of your correspondence, we cancelled Ms. *******’s subscriptions to ****** ***** * *******, L*** ********* ********, ******** ******* ***** and *********s,
  generating a full refund in the amount of $196.84 to her account, which
  includes the previous years charges. It should be noted that banks direct us to
  ask customers to allow one to two billing statements for written confirmation
  of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms.
  ******* can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges
  have been refunded. Also, Ms. ******* may continue to receive one or two more
  issues of her magazines since they were in process at the time of cancellation.
  She may keep these with our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Synapse group got my information from an unknown third party- I did not provide any information about myself or provide any form of payment to this company. They registered me for a subscription to **** magazine that I did not sign up for, and has been charging me for months. **** magazine says the problem is with Synapse, not them, and they have not been responsive. I've been charged $26 for the past 3 months

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/23/2023

  ***** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********   
                       ********* ***** ******
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer *****
  ******. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ****** experienced regarding her magazine
  subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our
  records show that Ms. ****** placed a magazine order for **** when she
  accepted our promotional offer after making a purchase at a ***************
  store. The offer allowed her to choose from a selection of magazines and
  receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription without charge.  After the trial period, her subscription
  would continue automatically and be charged semi-annually to the same credit
  card used for her *************** transaction, unless she called our toll-free
  customer service number to cancel.
  
  ***************
  sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms of the offer
  and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. Customers are also
  informed that the credit or debit card provided for their purchase will be forwarded
  to us for processing the magazine orders. 
  
  When
  we did not hear from Ms. ****** that she wished to cancel her subscription at
  the end of her trial period, the semi-annual subscription charges were posted
  to her account.
  
  On March
  21, 2023, Ms. ****** contacted our customer service center and cancelled her subscription
  to ****, generating a refund to her account reflecting the value of unserved issues in
  the amount of $18.68.
  
  Upon
  receipt of your correspondence, we issued the remaining balance on Ms. ******’ subscription
  in the amount of $33.62, which includes the previous years charges. It should
  be noted, however, that banks direct us to ask customers to allow one or two
  billing statements for written confirmation of the refund to appear, depending
  on their billing cycle.

  Ms.
  ****** can be assured that her subscription has been cancelled and all charges
  have been refunded. Also, Ms. ****** may continue to receive one or two more
  issues of her magazine since it was in process at the **** of
  cancellation.  She may keep these with
  our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/07/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Synapse group has been creating false identities for subscriptions to ******** ********** magazine and then charging my bank account every 6 months with a fee that increases each transaction. My efforts of recourse for these fraudulent transactions that are committed under ******** **********’s name have been met with deflecting responsibility. Upon BBB website review I now realize this is a common practice. There is a scheme taking peoples money and it involves synapse group. My next step is to file a complaint with ***

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2023

  ***** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********  
                       ********* ******** **********
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ********
  *********** We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. ********** experienced
  regarding his magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve his concerns.
  
  Our
  records indicate that Mr. ********** placed an order for ******** **********
  Magazine, when he accepted our promotional offer after making a purchase at a
  *************** store. The offer allowed him to choose from a selection of
  magazines and receive the first 60 days of a 14-month subscription without
  charge.  After the trial period, his subscription
  would continue automatically and be charged semi-annually to the same credit
  card used for his *************** transaction, unless he called our toll-free
  customer service number to cancel. 
  
  ***************
  sales associates are instructed to inform customers of the terms of the offer
  and provide them with a copy of the brochure to keep. Customers are also
  informed that the credit or debit card provided for their purchase will be
  forwarded to us for processing the magazine orders. 
  
  Upon
  receipt of your correspondence, we cancelled Mr. **********’s subscription generating
  a full refund in the amount of $118.50 back to his account, which includes the previous
  year’s charges. It should be noted, however, that banks direct us to
  ask customers to allow one or two billing statements for written confirmation
  of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Mr.
  ********** can be assured that his subscription has been cancelled and all
  charges have been refunded to his account.  Also, Mr. ********** may continue to receive one or two more issues of his
  magazine since it was in process at the time of cancellation. He may keep these
  with our compliments.
  
  In addition, please be assured that it
  is our strict corporate policy not to sell, rent or lease the personal
  information of our customers for secondary purposes such as marketing or
  creating false identities for customers, as suggested by Mr. ********** in his complaint.
  
  Customer satisfaction is
  very important to us, and we take great care in providing our customers with the
  highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  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.

  Synapse is the banking end of the ***** platform. After being the victim of identity theft and receiving thousands of dollars in charges my other account was made negative $2,8007. After reporting to the *** the ****** and *** ***** ****** ******* I contacted synapse with all the proper documentation as well as my claim and asked for help in reversing these the negative balance and everything else after an extremely long amount of time. I received confusing and conflicting emails and because they are not in touch with **** I have no idea what to do my account is locked with **** and they can unlock it until they hear from synapse completely horrible customer service absolutely no clear cut response and the person in the disputes department named J***** A***** who was supposed to have been completed the investigation by now has not directly responded to anything I've asked as well as I have not been allowed access to my account or my money where is my money.? I want this solved now before I take the next route which is litigation so I'm trying to hear hopefully I can get this figured out attached are some pictures related to the confusing and conflicting emails.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2023

  ***** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********   
                       *********  ****** *********
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer ******
  *********. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Mr. ********* experienced
  regarding his magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve his concerns.
  
  Despite
  multiple searches, we regret that we cannot locate Mr. *********’s account in
  our system with the information provided in his complaint. 
  
  In
  his complaint, Mr. ********* provided a screenshot with his correspondence from
  a company named Synapse Credit. Although we have a similar name, this is not
  our company, We took the liberty of researching them and if Mr. ********* would like
  more information regarding this company, he can contact their customer service
  by calling them directly at ###-###-#### or by accessing this link: ****************.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2023

  
  
  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,
  
  
  
  ****** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Synapse Group has been charging my **** card for a subscription that I have not authorized. I haven't used this credit card and I didn't track them. Having reviewed this more thoroughly, This company has been charging me for years without my authority. I've worked with **** to block this charges further, but I would like to get a refund for all the charges previously. The obviously are not sending the magazines to me - given they do now have my correct address. This is an unethical business practice! I don't even have an account to cancel my subscription. Please help correct these practices. Thank you in advance!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2023

  ******** *** ****
  
  
  ******* ****
  ********* **********
  ****** ******** ****** 
  ** ****** ****
  ********* ** *****
  
  
            ***     ********* **** ** ********   
                       ********* ***** *****
  
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  I
  write in response to the inquiry registered with your office by consumer *****
  *****. We genuinely regret the inconvenience that Ms. ***** experienced
  regarding her magazine subscriptions and have attempted to resolve her concerns.
  
  Our
  records show that Ms. ***** placed an order for *****, T***** * *******,
  *******, and *** **** ********, when she accepted our online promotional
  offer, which was presented to her after completing a ******* survey. The offer
  provided that her subscriptions would automatically continue following the
  initial term and that the same credit card would be charged if she did not call
  us to cancel. In addition, it is our policy that customers who wish to cancel
  may do so at any time by calling our toll-free customer service number, which
  is provided on our renewal notice and on the customer’s billing statement with
  each charge. 
  
  When
  we did not hear from Ms. ***** that she wished to cancel her subscriptions at the
  end of her first term, the annual renewal charges were posted to her account.
  
  On June
  19, 2020, we received notification from the publisher that an address change
  was requested and therefore our records were updated to reflect the recent change.  
  
  Upon
  receipt of your correspondence and learning Ms. ***** did not receive authorize
  these subscriptions, we cancelled the subscriptions generating a full
  refund in the amount of $1,367.00 back to her account, which includes the previous
  year’s charges. It should be noted, however, that banks direct us to
  ask customers to allow one or two billing statements for written confirmation
  of the refund to appear, depending on their billing cycle.
  
  Ms.
  ***** can be assured that her subscriptions have been cancelled and all charges
  have been refunded to her account.  Also,
  Ms. ***** may continue to receive one or two more issues of her magazines since
  they were in process at the time of cancellation.  She may keep these with our compliments.
  
  Please be assured that
  customer satisfaction is very important to us and we take great care in
  providing our customers with the highest level of service. 
  
  
  Sincerely,                            
  
  Synapse
  Customer Care