Synapse Connect Synapse Group, Inc. Business Process Challenges Stamford Connecticut

Like many commenters pro and con re this company, I filled out a survey and got 4 magazines for 1 year at about $2 a piece.

I received a postcard in the mail recently with instructions on how to cancel, which I followed over the phone - it was seeminlgy easy enough.

I would, however, like to make a few comments re this company's procedures:

1. There is no way, thru the customer service phone line on the postcard (which I reached via ***.***.****), to reach a live agent (IOW a person), as far as I can tell. This can be frustrating, especially when someone has 4 subscriptions to cancel - there was no ability to cancel all of them quickly. So this was at least somewhat annoying.

2. One of the cancellations did not work - I was still charged on my credit card. When calling back, the system claimed that all of my subscriptions had been cancelled on 8/18. But, at the same time, it claimed that I had a new order FOR ONE OF THE SAME MAGAZINES as of 8/20 that it also claimed just before had been cancelled. That's problematic, and before someone claims "it's just a technical glitch," it's up to the human beings running these technology systems to make sure they work.

3. When I tried to use the automated service to cancel this "new" subscription, it claimed they all had been cancelled, so no action could be taken. Then why the subsequent charge? And even worse, at this point I was basically at a dead end re how to cancel this, because (again) no live agent could be reached.

4. I then called the magazine itself but they couldn't help me, claiming all subscription info was handled in this case thru the 3rd party. They gave me a (different) 877 # vs. the 800 # that I had originally called...but it didn't matter - it routed me to the same automated system i.e. no live person assistance available. So shame on Conde Nast's help line too for not having the live agent-staffed # available, or not suggesting that one vs. the automated system which I made clear I'd already used.

5. Only after doing a web search and finding a parent company for Synapse Connect - Synapse Group Inc. - and calling their general phone line (***.***.****) then waiting for instructions to press 2 at the end to speak to customer service (which was at the very end, after it suggested you enter your party's extension, or use the directory, etc.), was I able to get to a live agent. He noted the one cancellation didn't seem to have gone through, blamed it on "the system not updating correctly," and stating that he would complete the cancellation. This gave me some peace of mind that this had been executed correctly, but as I have NOT seen the pending charge eliminated yet as I file this report, and trust it will be though I of course plan to verify.

IN CONCLUSION: Synapse Connect (and the Synapse Group) do try and provide a valid service, but they do not seem to be as customer-friendly as they could be. The companies show some signs of having designed their business processes in part to make cancellations a bit cumbersome and/or problematic in hopes that less determined people will just stay subscribed. Having a live agent option available, having the magazine empowered to take action, aand/or not having cancellation status discrepancies between systems would all be an improvement on what seems to exist today.