Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Fraudulent transaction, I have no record of making a purchase through strategic media LLC. Randomly subscribed to good house keeping since April 22. I am seeking a full refund and in addition will be submitting a complaint to NY attorney general and my credit card company

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media LLC.  Apologize for the delay in responding.  After doing some research we see that ****************** has two different subscriptions with us as she has noted and sent in her attachments.  In both cases those were bonus (no cost) subscriptions sent as a gift for being a customer of one of our partners sites.  At no time did we get any credit card info -- these are totally no cost offers and there is no automatic renewal or **** ever.  That said we have gone ahead and requested that these be cancelled and added ****************** to our Do Not Promote List so she will never get any other offers like this from us again. Please note that the labels are preprinted on the magazines so while a cancel has been initiated she may still receive 1-2 more issues.  But I have instructed my team to cancel this and add her to our Do Not Promote List.  Thank you.  

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I tried to cancel my ****** ******** subscription and was told through email I needed to contact Strategic Media LLC and the provided me the email address for them. I emailed them asking to please cancel my subscription and refund me because they were switching to digital because of a paper shortage. Also I no longer wanted to receive magazines period and didnt know how to cancel. They responded to me that they will send me paper magazines again. I told them no I just want to cancel at this point and they wont cancel me. I do not want them to renew me later on down the road either.

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  This is *********************** with Strategic Media, LLC. Apologize for the delay but this required a bit of research on our part.  The customer placed an order in Nov 2021 and that order was processed and started.  However just a week later a cancel and refund was requested.  The refund was processed but we neglected to process the cancellation leading to confusion.  It has now been cancelled and as she had already been refunded in November.  She has been contacted directly via email and voicemail.  Matter should be closed.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  07/19/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I dont know how this company received my information but they signed me up for *********************s without my consent. This is my 3 month receiving the magazines. I donot wish to receive any magazines from any company. I have contacted ************ and they said that: STRATEGIC MEDIA LLC ******************************************* ******************************* Is not affiliated with them and the company is an independent 3rd party. ************ have cancelled the subscription that Strategic Media LLC set up for me without my authorization. ********************* told me to contact BBB. Im kindly asking BBB to have Strategic Media LLC delete my information and STOp signing me up for any magazines. I also need all my monies charged refunded immediately as Im getting my bank involved.

  Business response

  06/28/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media.  I just called and left ************************* an explanation for why she received a bonus (gift) subscription.  Also let her know that I have cancelled the subscription and asked to have her name and address removed from our database. Further we have added her to our Do Not Promote list so she will not get offers like this in the future.  She may still get 1-2 more issues as the labels are preprinted but the subscription has been cancelled.  She has my direct line if she has any additional questions.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  06/29/2022

  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:

  [Your Answer Here]

   This is a lie. I have not received any call from the company. This is a scam and their response is a way to deflect on what they have done. I donot have any telephone calls from them in my call history so therefore I have no contact information for the President, who responded to my complaint. I need to know why they charged my card and when I will be refunded. The company is lying and BBB needs to be unrelenting with them because their response is a lie.

   

   

   

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

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

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  This is *********************** with Strategic Media.  It is possible ************************* did not see my call as it was sent from my home phone (not a cell).  In any case she can reach me directly at any time by emailing ***********************************  I have researched this and see that ********************* directly cancelled her order.  We will do the same again.  This was a gift subscription for being a customer of an ecommerce site and at NO time did we get any billing information.  This was a totally no-cost subscription with no **** or automatic renewals.  If you saw something that looked like a **** it was simply the publisher sending what we call a "pre-renewal" which is asking if you'd like to go ahead and renew upfront so when the free period ends you will not miss any issues.  It is not a real **** and people are often confused by this.  We have cancelled this subscription yet again with the publisher.  In addition we have added ************************* to our Do Not Promote list so she will no longer get offers like this from us in the future.  Again my email is above should she have any additional questions or concerns.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I began receiving ******************* a few months ago and wrote to them to cancel the unwanted subscription. I never subscribed to any magazines and was concerned that this was some sort of fraud. But I never found any billing against any of my credit cards. ********** responded to my inquiry indicating that the subscription was placed by Strategic Media LLC. My complaint, like so many others, is that Strategic Media seems to be engaged in an unfair business practice of setting up unsolicited magazine subscriptions to unsuspecting individual like me, for some business purpose intended for the benefit of Strategic Media LLC.It may seem innocuous to pepper peoples mailboxes with unsolicited magazines, but in practice it is a red flag suggesting some level of fraud is being perpetrated. There should be a letter accompanying each magazine explaining that it is a free offering and telling the recipient who sent it and why.I suspect Strategic Media gains some benefit from initiating these phantom magazine subscriptions. I know that it's taken hours from my life to inquire and address this monthly recurring problem in my mail box.PLEASE STOP SENDING ME MAGAZINES. REMOVE ME FROM YOUR DATABASES. DO NOT ENROLL ME IN MARKETING PROMOTIONS.

  Business response

  06/01/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media.  We have cancelled these subscriptions and also added ************************** to our Do Not Promote list so he won't get any other offers like this in the future.  I have also requested his name and contact info be purged from our database.  He may still get 1-2 more issues as labels are preprinted but the cancellation has been processed.  Thank you.  

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am continuously receiving magazines that I did not nor would I order. I have received **** ******** ******* ******* ***************** ** ******, People just to name a few. I have called and have been told the subscriptions are from Strategic Media, LLC. I want all subscriptions cancelled by this company as I never ordered them and I am sick every day is another magazine.I will not pay for any of these magazines and I live in a condo community and my mailbox is very small and this is just terrible and apparently a continuous problem for many others that have complained.

  Business response

  05/06/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media.  I just spoke with ****************** and explained how she got these totally free subscriptions included with a site purchase.  Also told her there was no **** we never got credit card.  We are cancelling all of our her subscriptions and adding her to our Do Not Promote list so she won't get any other offers from us in the future. She has my personal phone number if she has any additional questions or concerns.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received copies of ***** ********** and **** ********* magazines in the mail addressed to me and was quite confused as I know for certain I never subscribed to these. I contacted the magazine company ****************** ******************* and they were able to advise me on how to get into "my account" (which I never set up) using my mail address. In that account, I see two subscription orders on 3/31/2022 for these two magazines using my mailing/billing address. When I attempt to cancel the subscriptions under "my account", I am unable to do so and am only able to suspend delivery because "this order was placed through STRATEGIC MEDIA LLC. You will need to contact them to request cancellation." It looks like they don't have any of my payment information and I do not care if I was not charged - this is simply unsolicited spam and in my opinion, incredibly poor practice on Strategic Media's part.

  Business response

  05/02/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media, LLC. I just left ********* a detailed voice message letting him know how we got those two subscriptions and reassuring him that they were free and he was never billed (nor did we ever get his credit card or email info).  This was just a free gift for making a qualifying site purchase.  I have gone ahead and cancelled both subscriptions and also added ********* to our Do Not Promote list so he will not get other offers like this from us in the future.  He may still receive 1-2 more issues as the labels are preprinted but I have instructed the Publishers to cancel both subscriptions.  I also left him my personal phone number should he have any additional questions.  Thank you.

   

• Initial Complaint

  04/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We received a ******************** in my wifes name and address. Called ***** *****. They confirmed that Strategic Media LLC had requsted and payed for the subscription in the name of Strategic Media **** *****  They said they would cancel the subscription and I confirmed it. They also said that I would have to call Strategic Media to cancel the credit card. I called Strategic and talked to ***** (no last name would or could be given). She said I could cancel the subscription of ***** ***** but I would have to talk to *************** who had instructed them to order the magazine in my wifes name but they knew nothing of a credit card number as it was payed by ***************. The only way to contact them was my Email. ********************* was given....I sent an email to him and to *************** asking to have all accounts closed and asked how they got our card numbers. Cancellation was requested immediately along with confimation of this requested action.

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  This is ***** ******, President of Strategic Media.  I just tried to reach ***************** by phone and left a detailed voice message explaining how he got his subscription and that it came at no cost whatsoever.  At no time did he get billed and we did not get his credit card info.  This was just a one-time free bonus sent by our partner as a thank you gift.  Totally free.  We have cancelled the subscription and added them to our Do Not Promote list so they don't get offers like this from us in the future.  I left my contact info should they have any additional questions.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  03/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I suddenly started receiving multiple magazine subscriptions I never signed up for--all to magazines I have never nor would I ever purchase. I went to cancel the ******* ****** subscription and it can only be suspended. The subscription came through Strategic Media. When I went to cancel it I see I am also signed up for **** ******* magazine, both of which for a $10 subscription I did not approve. I don't have time to deal with this barrage of magazines and I despite the waste. Rather than making dinner or working for money right now I'm researching how to cancel magazines I would never read in 100 years and then I will have to comb my credit card statements.

  Business response

  03/31/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media.  I personally saw ******************** email in our customer service inbox this morning and also know we have already responded back to her -- within about 14 hours.  These subscriptions were gifts for making a site purchase with one of our partners and there was never any cost or **** for it ever.  What she is seeing at $10 is the "value" of her free gift.  We never **** or automatically renew for these.  We have already responded that all are cancelled and we have also added **************** to our Do Not Promote List so she won't get any offers from us in the future.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The other month I noticed that I started receiving ******* ********* in the mail. I know I had not signed up to start getting this magazine. I put off looking into it. This week I got a ******** ****** ******** in the mail. After this second suscription, I went online and tried to cancel the subscription. Of course, as all the other reports for this company, you can't cancel directly via the magazine. I do not want these susbcriptions, nor did I ever approve to receive them. If I were going to get susbscriptions, these would not be the magazines I'd order. And I'd do my orders via ******, where I know I would be able to cancel them with no problem.

  Business response

  03/29/2022

  This is ***********************, President of Strategic Media.  Wanted to respond to this complaint by *** ********.  The publishers really should be suspending these subscriptions if you contact them directly but in all cases they should refer customers to us ********************************* and we are always happy to cancel subscriptions and/or answer any questions.  

  *** ******** received these subscriptions as a thank-you gift for making a qualifying site purchase.  At no time was there ever a cost, **** and there is no automatic renewal.  That said, I have gone ahead and requested that all subscriptions be cancelled for *** ******** and that her name be added to our Do Not Promote List so she will not get any offers like this in the future from us.  Please be advised that she may still receive 1-2 issues as the labels are preprinted and may have been posted already.  But we have submitted the cancellations for all titles on her behalf.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  03/30/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In the last few months, I started receiving magazines in the mail which has been everything from the **** ******* down to the latest today from ******* ******. Each time these magazines were delivered, I called and advised these companies that I never subscribed to their magazines and to stop these issues. The name that EVERY magazine representative mentioned as the third party company that signed me up for this nightmare was Strategic Media. I tried reaching out to this company and never got a response. It is unacceptable on every level that I have to call each time I get these magazines so that it is on record when this Strategic Media company should not be signing consumers up to begin with.

  Business response

  03/28/2022

  This is ***********************, owner of Strategic Media.  I just got off the phone with ******************************************** and explained how she got these magazines and that at no time were they to automatically renew nor did we get her email or credit card info.  They were merely a gift with a qualifying site purchase from the ecommerce site to thank her for her loyalty.  I have also asked our customer service to look up their phone logs to see when she called as I am not happy that her call was not returned.  I have arranged for all of her subscriptions to be cancelled and we have also added her name to our Do Not Promote list so she will no longer be eligible for these offers going forward.   I did advise her she may still get 1-2 issues for each title.  Furthermore I provided her with my name and my personal phone if she has any additional questions.  She seemed satisfied with our conversation and the steps taken to address her concerns.  Thank you.

   

  Customer response

  03/29/2022

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

*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. ↩