Books A Million MAGAZINE SCAM WITH SYNAPSE GROUP INC
IN DEC, 2011, I PURCHASED A BOOK AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT AT BOOKS A MILLION. I WAS OFFERED AT THAT TIME 3 FREE MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS WHICH I WAS TOLD WOULD LAST 3 MONTHS AND THEN I COULD CANCEL.
I JUST CHECKED MY BANK ACCOUNT, TODAY, MAR. 5, 2012, AND ONE OF THE MAGAZINE HAS ALREADY CHARGED MY ACCOUNT. I NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM THEM ASKING IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THIS MAGAZINE. I HAVE CONTACTED ALL THE NUMBERS I HAVE WHICH ARE ALL AUTOMATED, NO REAL PERSON, AND HAVE CANCELLED ALL MAGAZINES.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SCAM BY BOOKS A MILLION AND THE SYNAPSE GROUP, INC.
I HAVE CONTACTED SYNAPSE GROUP THROUGH THE WEB SIDE WWW.MAGCUSTOMERSERVICE.COM AND REQUESTED A REFUND ON MY $12.00. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Location: Colonial Heights, Virginia
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Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content
Its 2 months not 3
I just discovered this happened to me. i will not return to books a million ever. now to get my $74.00 back
I cannot believe this. I'm having to deal with it right now.
I trusted a reputable company to not do something so underhanded but I can see now how much of a mistake that was. I should have read the list more carefully, but they shouldn't entertain such a sketchy promotion.
Update as of November 21 2017 they are STILL doing it
They are STILL doing this! Unbelievable.
I never received a thing. Was charged for all 3, I got a partial refund from 2.... hopefully that's the end. The navigation system is incredibly frustrating.
If you don't speak perfectly, slowly, with zero background noise, it can't understand you. It never understood my name. I spend a lot of money at BAM.
I'll be avoiding them more often now. What a shame.
Same thing happened to me today! November 2016.
Never received any correspondence to cancel. I'm not sure how they can get away with using your cc information. Will see if I truly am refunded.
Very disappointed that BAM has so little respect for their customers. Will order on Amazon from here forward.
October 2016 and they are still getting away with it... I just got charged by Time Magazine.
I don't even know how they got my credit card info. Unless it was saved from the register transaction prior to accepting the publication.
Yah know the chances of me staying with their subscription was 50/50 but now it's a complete 0% I am kind of bitter about this, how many people don't even check their bank accounts? They could be making tons ofmoney off this
It's not a scam if you can cancel it...
But they don't tell you that...hidden charges are a scam no matter how you look at it. Luckily I read through my receipt but still don't like being lied too
I had the same thing happen but I even called to cancel the subscriptions before being charged. I didn't remember which magazines I had ordered (because I don't even like magazines) so the guy I talked to just mentioned 2 magazines and said they were canceled.
Then I got a charge, called back and realized that there had been two other magazine subscriptions that the guy did not even mention.
This is such a horrible scam and I can't believe they are able to do this!! I only hope that this is the last of that awful scam.
What is a number I can call to cancel mine before they start charging me
Obviously, it was passed the two months to cancel before being charged. You stated you were aware of the fact that you had to cancle, yet didn't.
Dont slander a company for not taking care of your business. You signed a receipt for it, stating you understood the conditions.
Lets be responsible here.
Sadly I experienced this today. Asked the BAM cashier directly if it was an auto renewal.
She told me and my husband, that no, it wasn't. After I signed my debit card purchase, the printed receipt states that BAM is sending my card # to Magazine Rewards Center for automatic renewal charges.
Yes I will be calling to cancel tomorrow and get a new debit card, if necessary. But that was a direct lie in the part of the BAM cashier at the Monroe, LA store.
Wish you had not posted this in ALL CAPS!
Should've done this a long time ago. Thanks for posting the number.
It shall be done tomorrow. :-)
I was offered three free mags with a ten dollar coupon to BAM I received the notification in the mail with the number to cancel the subscription but when I called the number (885-285-****) to cancel the phone company said the number didn't exist. This is just outright ridiculous and I am going to BAM tomorrow to complain. This is this kind of scam that you heard about happening in the past and shouldn't happen today in a bookstore yet here it is slapping all of us dedicated book lovers in the face.
I received a charge for a magazine subscription that I did not even ask for from Books a Million. I did NOT give them my debit card info - they pulled it from the items I was purchasing from the store that day.
I am NEVER going there again.
What they are doing is just about the shadiest thing I've ever seen!
Same exact thing happened to me. Only the clerk NEVER told me it was my responsibility to cancel.
I assumed the magazines were trying to find subscribers, but I did not understand they were putting it on my shoulders to cancel. Those magazines know most people will not know they have to cancel to prevent being charged a yearly subscription. Also, what gives Books A Million the right to give those magazines my account info? Scam, pure and simple.
I filed a report at BB.
I was just offered this "deal" again when I purchased two books. How convenient for them the offer comes between after your card is swiped to before they give you a receipt for purchase.
I am tired of businesses always trying to up sell everything. I get most of the employees are being policed by management but it still unethical "hard" selling.
This seems more like a '90s practice. That's the last time I remember a DVD/VHS store trying to hard sell memberships for a discount.
Even cell phone companies at the mall have calmed down hard selling.
So why do I have to deal with this when buying books.
I think it's time to take my business to Barnes and Noble.
I have the same issue! Which number should i call? I cant seem to cancel mine.