Marketing Programs
Marketing ServicesThis business is NOT BBB Accredited.
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Complaints
Customer Complaints Summary
- 5 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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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:07/28/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:UnansweredMore 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 paid to advertise in ********************* Discover Today magazine, scheduled for display in 5 stores. I was charged $1,354 on 8/29/22. 1st issue was supposed to be out in Oct 2022. Delayed. On 11/8 finally got final proof for approval for a Dec. or Jan. 2023 issue. 2/7/23: Contacted them as I had not seen the magazine in stores. Response from ***** the Art ********* "Mags sent on 1/27/23 for Feb. display" & ********************* in Distribution would advise. No response, but 1-2 weeks later I received several copies of the magazine in the mail. Still none on display. Contacted my credit card company, they said I was outside of 100 days from the charge so nothing they could do anymore.Late March, I contacted another local advertiser, *******************. She had not seen the mag either & attempted follow up with the company also. I called the salesman, *****************************, who sold me the ad. He said that ***** was also an Owner of the mag. Called several times with no response. I called **** & asked him to have ***** call me. He finally did. Another month had passed. *****'s response was that "the Distribution people sent him photos when they'd been delivered so he knew they were". Later in May, I spoke w/ store managers at each location the magazine was supposed to be (4 Publix grocery stores & 1 Whole Foods). Whole Foods mgr. said they had no hard copy magazines and the like since the Covid pandemic. All 4 Publix mgrs. said that it was company policy that "No outside publications" were displayed in any of their stores other than newspapers. I asked ***** for a Refund.6/7/23: **** in Distribution emailed w/ photos of mags on display. They were a different magazine in another county. I told him this and showed him the displays were unlike my area stores. No response. I asked for a Refund again. Calls, emails, request for refund has gone unanswered ever since. I have emails and supporting docs. *****'s email: ************** *************. Company: ************ I want a REFUNDInitial Complaint
Date:03/29/2023
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:UnansweredMore 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.
We entered into a contract for 1 year of advertising at a cost of $6000.00, paid in 3 installments on a credit card. The magazine that the ad was to appear in never was published and the ad never appeared. One year later the company started charging my credit card every month. These charges were unauthorized and I have filed a fraud complaint with my bank.Initial Complaint
Date:02/06/2023
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:UnansweredMore 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 was approached to purchase an advertisement in Insider Magazine . I was told by sale rep the magazine ad would be for 1 year .. and would include a free radio voiceover ad . As well it would be distributed to all 4 WholeFoods grocery stores and 106 other local stores . The ad would cost $2340 and i could pay in 4 installments of $547. I paid the first installment. And was told it would begin in January. And began what i thought was the process of designing and ad. After asking both sale rep and art director several times when i would see the ad and when i would be charged again. No response. I then went to all the Whole Foods in ********* and did not find this publication anywhere. Not one store . And was informed by the large meat store they dont allow free publications .On Jan 23rd the sale s rep informed me the sales pitch was a fraud and a scam. His words. The magazine was only promised to be in 1 Whole Foods , and that store did not even have a magazine rack. Additionally there would not be a radio ad . It was never in the contract. He sent me the link to the Yelp reviews of this company and the history of the scam is well documented for several years . Apparently it has been working for them, so they keep doing it . This is really ridiculous that it has been happening for so long to so many people. I have disputed thier charge for $547 and written to them to advise them I am not moving forward and to stop sending me invoices . Im not sure what the resolution will be with my credit card. But i dont want other people to fall victim to this company .. as i did.. and so many before me .. If it sounds to good to be true .. it is .Initial Complaint
Date:10/18/2022
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:UnresolvedMore 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 signed a contract with DISCOVER TODAY Magazine on 7/7/22 for a magazine ad. The first line of the contract says that the ad will begin within 90 days of signing. That would have been 10/7/22 which has come and gone and still no ad.. Towards the beginning of September 22, 2022 I wrote to the Salesman, the art director and the companies credit person. The credit person said that my copy of the ad was in the mail and the art director and salesman said the copy wasn't out yet. That's when I started suspecting that I had been scammed. Meanwhile the company has withdrawn three payments from my credit card for a magazine that so far doesn't exist. Two weeks later I wrote to the Credit person again and she said that this time she would ***** a copy to me and send me a tracking number. This too never happened. I wrote to the company once again during the first week of October and received no answer. Yesterday 10/17/22 I wrote to the credit person and received an email from someone different from a different company name who also said a copy would go out to me with tracking and that too hasn't happened. I also was never contacted about a video ad that was supposed to be made as well as a QR code that never was sent for seeing the ad. During tough times like this to be scammed when the money stolen from me could have gone to good use. This is not an **********!! BEWARE. I demand a full refund immediately and will have my attorney take over on this if necessary.Customer Answer
Date: 10/24/2022
I went to my local Whole Foods store this weekend where my Ad is supposed to be in the Discover Today Magazine. The Magazines weren't displayed in the store and the workers there never heard of itBusiness Response
Date: 11/03/2022
We're sorry that ************ had this experience with the company. A copy of the magazine has since been mailed to ************. We appreciate **************** business and hope to continue to have a positive working relationship with him. The video is in the works and will be sent to ************ very shortly. We do not provide a timeline for the video.
We also sent a proof of the ad to ************, of whom approved the ad, with the ** Code.
See Attachment/File: ************************.jpgCustomer Answer
Date: 11/04/2022
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This companies customer service is below a 0. They did not address my concerns at all. Besides when an upset customer writes to you an answer would be expected. They charge my credit card without a problem!!
They are in BREACH of our contract. The first line of their contract states that there will be a product within 90 days of signing which was on 7/7/22. I received a copy on 11/1/22 which is a BREACH. Two weeks ago I went to WHole Foods where the magazine is supposed to be displayed and they didn't have any. ANOTHER BREACH!!!
The salesman stated that this is a September to September magazine. The first one came out in November. So You will not get what you are promised or your money's worth with this company.
With all this going on they have never tried to contact me or make me feel better about the scam that they are running. The salesman also stated that My store would be the only one of its kind in the magazine. I finally received a copy two months late and my local competition has an ad in the magazine with a larger page ad.
I do not accept lying at all!!! I approved the magazine ad, but was never shown a video ad or ** code. After writing in many times an unapproved video ad got sent to me which was obviously rushed through as it has a picture of my competitor store in it. I wrote in immediately and nobody answered. So I obviously won't be able to use the video.
For them to say that I approved the Video ad and the ** code is absurd!! Why would I approve and ad that has a picture of a different store in it. Plus I have never seen a ** code from them.
They charge more than most other advertising companies and they provide the worst customer service and products. The next answer from them needs to have a solution to make this situation better.
Last but not least the Magazine that finally arrived says Fall Issue even though it comes out in the winter which means you get short changed. This has been a very frustrating situation since the company won't answer, lies and just keeps charging my card
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