So not only did I NEVER get a billing statement, or a notice to renew, I was randomly billed for $14.50. I called and get the voice-automated system, where you have to speak like a robot in order for it to work correctly. After successfully canceling the initial subscription, it then asks if I’d like to take part in a special promotion to receive some random magazine, and “Urban Latino” for like $16 each. Seriously? Have you not seen me? I am the whitest white girl in the world and you really think I’d be jumping for joy to receive “Urban Latino” at a discount price?! I scream “NO!” into the phone several times only for this cocky female robot automated-machine to say, “Great! We’ll send your magazines out right away!”. Oh you have got to be kidding me!
So I hang up. I call the number back and work my way through the system to get to a REAL person. Someone who clicks from a drop-down menu and pushes keys to get in to my account. He pulls it up, I tell him exactly what has happened, and when I get to the “Urban Latino” part, he starts cracking up. Not only am I now LIVID, I realize what a humongous idiot I must sound like. But I keep going. I want the intitial subscription canceled (the one we never received a billing notice for), and also these special promotions.
Talk about poor customer service. Talk about being so incredibly outraged at a MACHINE. I wanted to smash my phone against the wall. USE REAL PEOPLE. Those automated voice things DO NOT work.
www.magcustomerservice.com if you are reading this: YOU SUCK. HIRE REAL PEOPLE to answer the phones FIRST, and let people choose to use the automated robot chick. Don’t let her be our first option, because there is NO WAY I am the first person to get royally screwed over by “Urban Latino” magazine.
UPDATE!
Just checked our bank statement (Feb 13), and were charged $2.00 for postage and handling. I just got off the phone with a much nicer agent who said the charge was for two magazines. Yep, you guessed it. Urban Latino and whatever the second one was. He credited our account that $2.00 and apologized. Said if we received any issues, they are complimentary and we will not be charged. Great! Now Hubs has bathroom reading material!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Now I’ve been on the opposite side of you with some companies…talking to a human but wishing I was talking to a robot because the human I was talking to had the IQ of a grapefruit.
.-= Kim @ What’s That Smell?´s last blog ..Why my laughter woke my daughter up at 11pm… =-.
Oh I hear ya! I HATE those stupid automated machines! They drive me crazy!!! If you get that magazine, send it my way…my husband is Mexican! lmao ;)
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Small Talk Six =-.
Oh how crazy. I think if a site/store/company has crappy service it doesn’t matter what they use (robot or human) you’ll never get anywhere.
.-= Brandy´s last blog ..Layout: A is for … =-.
I’m laughing but not at you. More like I know this is what would happen to me. That sucks.
Lee
.-= Lee´s last blog ..Based On Your Color Preferences What Career Suits You? =-.
And with many well educated people looking for jobs….
.-= DogsMom´s last blog ..Remembering Fallen Friends and Heroes with Ice =-.
omg, I hate the automated crap. I can’t even tell you how many times I encounter circular voicemail issues – you know, where you press a bunch of numbers only to wind up right back where you started?
Let me talk to a human, please!
Preferably one that does not have an accent so thick I could cut it with a chain saw.
.-= Creative Junkie´s last blog ..Welcome to the Barfiarrhea =-.
Oh, no I just ordered from them UH!
.-= Shasta´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday! =-.
they are probably run by Chase bank..the bastards that Fed up my mortgage recently!
trisha
.-= trisha´s last blog ..$2 Off Coupon for BoogieWipes =-.
These magazine companies try and pull crap like this all the time…good thing you caught it.
.-= Robin´s last blog ..Join Kelly’s Bake Off to Fight Ovarian Cancer =-.
there is something in the water I guess, I keep getting bad service too!
Customer service as gone to CRAP these days, regardless of whether it’s automated or personal. Grrr.
.-= Kat @ For the Love of Chaos´s last blog ..Random Chaos – Episode 17: Fitness, Sex/Kids, Nursing Homes =-.
I hear you loud and clear!
It seems like what customer service I call it is always automated 1st!! or they ask you to push 1 to hear in English! What I hate worse is after all the pushing all the buttons & listening to commercials or muzak the phone rings like you are finally getting a HUMAN, and then you hear “click” and you are disconnected!
AARRGGhhhhhh!
.-= Faythe´s last blog ..Goodies from my inbox! =-.
That’s ridiculous. I used to have to call a lot of insurance companies and HATED having to try to interact with a computer. If you can even call it interacting. Of course, the other option was talking to someone overseas with an accent so thick we had no idea what they were saying.
.-= Katie´s last blog ..Finally, mom =-.