Complaints

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:07/10/2024

  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.

  Ordered a subscription to a magazine. I saved the login info in my phone. Now the website says no account. I have a screenshot of my order showing my subscription should start arriving approximately 6-22-24 and expires 6-22-25. No magazine has arrived and its July 9th.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/03/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Magazine-Agent.com regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  At this time, my complaint, ID ******** regarding Magazine-Agent.com has been resolved.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2024

  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.

  I bought a subscription to MAD magazine on March 8, 2024. Confirmation Number ***********. The website advised that the first issue would be delivered on or about May 17, 2024. I waited until May 31, 2024, to contact the company and I opened an investigation. Ticket Number **********. According to the website I would receive an email about the investigation within 2 days. I received nothing so I checked the ticket status on May 31, 2024. No updates from the company just the status "open". So I updated the ticket and said that I had not received my magazine issue, I waited for ANY communication....NOTHING. So on June 12, 2024, I checked the ticket status again. Again nothing in the status field but "open". The heading on the page says Investigation In Progress. Again I updated the ticket and reported that I still had not received my magazine issue and asked why they did not give me an update to the status of the "investigation". I am certain they won't respond by email. I want a refund...which they tout a 90 days risk free guarantee and a money back guarantee.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/19/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.  I have received my first issue of the subscription.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2024

  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.

  Order placed on line 1-23-1024. Confirmation # *********** Amount $39.00 As of last month (March) had not received any magazine. Called at end of the month and was told that they would make sure magazine was mailed out in 3 days with and extra one. It has been almost 3 weeks and I have not received any magazine. I feel like it may be a Scam! Wanted to report so other people will not have this problem!Thank You!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/10/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, my complaint, ID ******** regarding Magazine-Agent.com has been resolved.
  

  (By clicking "OK", your complaint will be closed as Resolved.)

  OK
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/03/2024

  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 3/5/24, my Bank record shows a payment of $46.28 sent for magazine subscription. I called shortly after to cancel the subscription, and on 3/19/24, received an email stating my subscription had been cancelled, and $e6.28 had been refunded to my bank **** card.Upon checking my account, I did not see the refund in my bank statement.I called the magazine company, and was advised they attempted to send the refund two times, and it had been declined.I called my Bank, and the agent stated the records do not reflect any refund sent to my account.I went back, and forth between the bank, nd the magazine company to no avail.The bank was willing to do a 3 way call, but the magazine company declined, saying no need to do that, instead providing me with a reference number would not help, as they never received the refund.Also the magazine company said they had sent an email to me in regards to my bank declining the payment, which I never received, and there is no problem with my email.I am out the $e6.2u, and that is not right, surely there has to be a way to refundd my money, as they can see that I have not received it!I

  Business Response

  Date: 07/07/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint submitted by *** ***** ***** regarding her March 2024 subscription order.
  
  We understand *** ******* frustration and would like to clarify the timeline and resolution:
  
  On March 5, 2024, we received a payment of $46.28 for a 52-issue subscription to Star magazine.
  
  *** ***** subsequently contacted us to cancel, and we issued a refund to the original **** card on March 19, 2024. However, the refund attempt was declined by the financial institution. The card was reported as lost or stolen, which resulted in a rejection with the code: "Decline Stolen or lost card."
  
  We notified the customer by email the same day and provided a link for retrying the refund after working with the bank to lift the block.
  
  On April 1, 2024, our team again informed the customer that we were unable to refund to a different payment method due to credit card processing and fraud prevention policies. We recommended she dispute the charge through her bank as the only available resolution under these circumstances.
  
  On May 3, 2024, *** ***** successfully filed a chargeback through her card issuer. The bank refunded her directly, and the subscription was fully canceled. The case was then marked closed on our end, with no balance due and no further action required.
  
  We regret the inconvenience this situation caused and believe it has since been resolved to the customers satisfaction via the chargeback.
  Please let us know if there are any remaining concerns. Otherwise, we respectfully ask that this complaint be marked as resolved and closed.
  
  Sincerely,
  *** *******
  Magazine-Agent.com

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/14/2023

  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.

  I ordered two magazines, WW2 and Military history and my payment was processed on 5/31/23 for $40 each; a total of $80. I called in September asking where my magazines were and was told they switched to a quarterly magazine and I will be receiving them soon. I called back on 12/14/23, and then was told that they were switched to a digital version without sending me any information about logging in or any kind of access. I paid for a paper copy of the magazine, not digital. When I asked for a refund, I was told that it will take ***** weeks to process. I am imagining that is a tactic of getting people to forget about the refund and forget fully about their money. Refunding by a check should only take ***** business days not weeks.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2024

  I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration you have experienced with the processing of your magazine order. After months of back and forth with the magazine's publisher and fulfillment house have encountered delays, leading to a switch in format without providing the necessary information for accessing the digital version.
  
  I completely understand your preference for a paper copy, and I want to assure you that this situation falls short of our standards. To address your concerns, we have initiated a full refund for the total amount of $80. However, please be aware that the refund process might take up to 7 business days but should be sooner
  .
  I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and we appreciate your understanding in this matter. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out, and we will do our best to assist you.
  
  Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we appreciate your patience.
  
  Best regards, **************** Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2023

  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.

  Have tryed several times to cancel my subscription. On line i go in circles. By phone they are not open even during business hours..

  Business Response

  Date: 07/07/2025

  Thank you for forwarding the complaint submitted by *** ****** *******.
  
  We reviewed our records and can confirm that *** ********* subscription was successfully canceled on November 1, 2023, as requested. A cancellation confirmation was sent to his email address the same day, and a refund in the amount of $4.51 was issued back to his original payment method. We advised that this credit would appear within 7 business days, depending on his financial institution.
  
  We regret that *** ******* experienced difficulty reaching us online or by phone. Our customer service is available weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time via our toll-free number *************), and we also offer a dedicated support link with each confirmation email for direct assistance.
  
  As this matter was fully resolved shortly after the customers initial request, we respectfully ask that the case be marked as resolved and closed in your records.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/27/2023

  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.

  I purchased a subscription to National Geographic from magazine agent.com for my dad for fathers day June 21st 2022. My dad passed away in Nov ***************************************************************************************************** *************. I called and verified to make sure I did it correctly so it would be forwarded to me as I was the one who purchased it. I have never received any national geographic magazines and called to find out why. I was told it was being forwarded to another address which I found out was to my sister in ******** because she was the executor of his will. I then asked who authorized this and was told the post office. I was then told they would refund me my money which I agreed upon. The original debit card I used (****************) to purchase the subscription is no longer active as there was a fraudulent charge on it and had to get a new one. Magazine Agent stated they can only refund the money to the original card. I explained to them that card is no longer active and asked if they could refund it to my new card. I was told no it had to be the original card. I went to my bank and explained the situation and they said they can only go back 6 months. The original transaction was in June of 2022 for fathers day. I would like to know if you can help me receive my refund from this company. I even told them my old debit card number to prove it was me who originally ordered the subscription. I then called the home office of magazine agent and spoke to ********************* with no help.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Magazine-Agent.com regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2025

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
  
  The gift donor purchased a gift subscription to ******************* in June 2022 for their father. We were later informed that the recipient had unfortunately passed away in November 2022, and the customer requested a forwarding address change so the subscription could be redirected. We sincerely express our condolences for their loss.
  
  Following standard industry practice and policies of the publisher, the subscription was transferred to the address of the executor of the estate on request, which in this case was the subscribers daughter. This action appears to have been made in accordance with **** forwarding or estate handling procedures.
  
  The gift donor later requested a refund, which we attempted to issue directly back to the original debit card used for the transaction even though the subscription was being sent. However, we were informed the card was no longer active due to fraud-related closure. Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds to any card other than the original method of payment, as doing so would be in violation of our merchant processing agreements and fraud prevention protocols.
  
  We acknowledge the customers effort to confirm ownership of the original card, but for legal and security reasons, we cannot accept a substitute card for refunds, nor can we issue a check without documentation we are not authorized to request or evaluate in estate matters.
  
  Because the subscription was fulfilled redirected per estate procedures we regret that we are unable to take further action in this matter. We hope this explanation helps clarify our position and the limitations under which we must operate.
  
  We consider this issue closed as it relates to Magazine-Agent.com, and we remain committed to transparency, security, and customer satisfaction in every transaction.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/09/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because

  I have not received a response from the business and its been over two year I believe that I filed this complaint. I was the one who purchased the subscription and after my dad passes away I asked for the remaining copies to be sent to my house which have not been done. Because my sister was in charge of my dads estate all mail even though I contacted the business was forwarded to her house. The company originally told me they would change the address to my address but that never happened. 

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2023

  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.

  Magazine-Agent.com has made a continuous practice of renewing magazine subscriptions without my knowledge or agreement for several years, whether I wanted to renew or not. I have had to cancel my credit cards several times (twice in the last year) and get new cards in an attempt to stop them. They charged most recent new charge card with ***** for Archaeology without notification and only notified me by email today, the day after they got the money {1/16/2023). Note that I did not provide the credit card to this company so I can't imagine how they got it other than by some sort of fraud. I tried to call to once again tell them to stop doing this and refund the charge, but they are not answering the phone. I have also had to stop getting other magazine subscriptions to stop them. This business should be stopped. If there is a way of permanently stopping them, I would sure like to hear about that. I have attached the email with their information.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  ********* ** ** ********
  
  ******** ************
  ***********************
  ******************************************************************
  ******************
  
  Response:
  When this customer originally purchased a subscription for ******************** through **********, she agreed to the terms of our Safe Renew program that are clearly stated on check out prior to purchase, in the receipt viewable after purchase, and in the original emailed receipt:
  
  As an added benefit you will receive uninterrupted service and delivery of your magazines,and your subscriptions will be automatically renewed at the lowest publicly available rate on our website. You won't be bothered with any renewal notices in the mail; instead, you will receive a clearly marked reminder at least 45 days before your credit card is charged. You may opt out of the automatic renewal program at any time by contacting customer service.
  
  We realize that someone might not read this or claim too for any number of reasons and thats why we send a renewal notification email and allow the customer to opt-out (or opt back in) at any time during the lifetime of the subscription term as we guarantee your satisfaction. Also, there is a phone number in the email, the descriptor of the charge, and on our website where you can reach a live person available to take customer service calls during regular business hours as well as an IVR available outside of business hours or we have a simple opt out and refund website/URL clearly marked in the renewal email to cancel the renewal too. In any event, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or confusion they may have had after seeing the charge for the 2nd renewal of the subscription. The customer can log in here ( ******************************************* ) for self-service options which includes cancelling for a full refund or just removing the subscription from the renewal program and it will just simply expire.
  
  We are a bit confused with the Desired Settlement. For now weve removed the subscriber from the renewal program so the subscription will simply expire when it is over but if the customer wants us to refund the most recent renewal they will have to communicate that or simply use one of the options above.
  
  Again, we apologize for the confusion/inconvenience, but we do pride ourselves on running a business
  that is open,honest and guarantees 100% customer satisfaction. We are constantly looking for ways to
  improve customer communications and your comments are helpful in that endeavor.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/24/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because I called them before this incident and told them to take me off of automatic renewal for all of my magazines.  It is true that I wasn't aware of any agreement to automatically renew on the only subscription I ever payed for by credit card. In my call with them I was told that they would not automatically renew.  I also cancelled my subscription to that magazine.  How do they think they can auto renew on other magazine subscriptions that were not payed by credit card.

  Something that is also being missed is that I also changed credit cards.  As I said in the original post, I cancelled my old credit card number and was issued a new card.  Subsequently that new card was cancelled and I got another charge card from a different company.  I did not buy any subscriptions with this last card. I did not renew any subscriptions with this credit card.  I did not provide this card to them.  I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO FIND THE **** INFORMATION (**** NUMBER, 3 ****** CODE, AND EXPIRATION DATE) TO MAKE A CHARGE TO MY ACCOUNT WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR PERMISSION? I'd like an explanation!

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the follow-up from the customer regarding their concerns.
  
  We acknowledge the customers frustration and would like to reiterate the following facts for clarity of an explanation as requested:
  
  1. Original Subscription and Safe Renew Authorization
  
  The customer originally placed an order for Archaeology magazine through Magazine-Agent.com on February 16, 2021, and agreed to the Safe Renew automatic renewal program at the time of purchase. This agreement is clearly disclosed:
  
  -On the checkout page prior to completing the order
  
  -In the confirmation email/receipt sent immediately after purchase
  
  -In renewal notification emails sent in advance of renewal dates
  
  The renewal emails clearly state that the subscription will be automatically renewed unless canceled before the deadline and include both cancellation links and a customer service phone number.
  
  2. Renewal Notifications Sent
  
  Per our records, renewal reminders were sent:
  
  -December 1, 2021 for the 2022 renewal
  
  -December 1, 2022 for the 2023 renewal
   
  These reminders were emailed more than 30 days in advance and provided clear instructions on how to cancel the renewal, either online or by phone.
  
  3. Most Recent Charge and Customer Notification
  
  The most recent renewal was processed on January 16, 2023, for $23.95, and a receipt was emailed the same day
  
  4. Card on File and Payment Security
  
  The customer alleges that we charged a card they did not provide. We want to emphasize that we never have access to or store full card numbers or CVV codes. Payments are processed securely through PCI-compliant payment processors. In this case, the customer had previously authorized recurring billing on a **** card ending in ****, and our processor updated the billing token associated with that card via the card updater services provided by ****  a standard industry practice for authorized recurring transactions.
  
  5. Customer Contact
  We understand the customer claims to have requested a global opt-out but we can only perform customer service for titles they purchased through our website. We honor all opt-out requests promptly, and we did disable auto-renewal to the then current subscription to Archaeology. That said, we did remove Archaeology from the renewal program and it has never been purchased again via our systems. 
  
  We will gladly perform a cleanse of the customer's data and permanently delete the customer's account.   
  
  We hope this clarifies the matter. We value customer satisfaction and have acted in good faith based on the original agreement. We respectfully request that this case be marked resolved, and we remain available to delete the customer's entire account from our systems, if desired.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/05/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  I have subscribed to **************** through Magazine-Agent.com. I moved in October, coincidentally, just as when my subscription was coming to an end. I paid for my subscription and changed my new mailing address. I then received a letter from them that was forwarded from my old address stating I was going to collections if I dont pay them by 1/8/23. First, I verified directly with Hot Rod ************ that my subscription is paid up but more importantly, why are they sending me to collections? I dont want to do business with any subscription company that sends you to collections if they dont renew. Is this legal? If someone doesnt pay for a magazine, I would assume they dont receive the magazine versus sending them to collections and potentially ruining their credit score. I will not renew with them again. I tried two customer service numbers: ************ and it was down, then tried ************ and never got past hold. Account Number: *********

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  ********* ** ** ********
  
  ******** ************
  *********************
  **** *********
  ************* ** *****
  **********************
  
  Response:
  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We sincerely apologize for the trouble with the customer service numbers. We have been a bit short staffed due some workforce shortages but if you request a callback we will get back to you.
  
  This customer renewed their subscription through our service so any communication about non-payment was from the original vendor, NOT OUR SERVICE. Our service did NOT send out this letter nor do we have anything to do with it.Most publishers will renew your subscription without payment and then send out notice for payment and some use collection agencies. We get paid via credit card only and will only process your order when paid for in advance, so we never have this issue. When you called the publishers 800 number that was the order you placed with our service that we sent to fulfillment. We never send out renewal offers via ***** and we never use collection agencies.   
  
  Again, we apologize for the confusion/inconvenience, but we do pride ourselves on running a business that is open,honest and guarantees 100% customer satisfaction. We are constantly looking for ways to improve customer communications and your comments are helpful in that endeavor.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/19/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************