Greatmagazines Reviews 

Money taken from account - even though website said order was unsuccessful. No help on phone and no replies to emails. Shockingly unhelpful customer service.

Still waiting for magazine(digital download)
Does it work on PC? poor instructions
will go to bank to see if they can get a refund
avoid
Pocket mags is excellent

On 1st December I bought a magazine subscription as a Christmas gift using the website greatmagazines.co.uk

Within a few days I had to cancel my debit card because it was being used by a criminal to buy goods from Argos and to buy Pay As You Go mobile credits from O2.

I do not do business with many different online retailers so I thought the most likely way my card details were stolen would have been if they had been compromised in some way from my transaction with greatmagazines.co.uk

This was confirmed when I recieved an email from greatmagazines.co.uk which was sent out to a lot of customers from a 'no-reply' address:

"Dear Mr Nash,

We are investigating a security incident that may have impacted our checkout pages at greatmagazines.co.uk between 25th November and 2nd December, 2020. We are aware that you made a purchase from the site within the timeframe stated above. We are notifying you as a precaution and would encourage you to remain vigilant and monitor your card statements for any suspicious activity.

We have set up a dedicated customer service line for you to use specifically for this security incident. Please contact us if you want further details or have any concerns and we will be happy to help.

01858 438 822

Opening hours:

9am - 5.30pm Monday – Friday

8am – 4pm Saturday

Yours sincerely,

Bauer Customer Services Team (on behalf of Great Magazines)"

The customer service team were calm and courteous and I confirmed that I was among the people who had their debit card details stolen. At this point I wasn't too concerned as at this point the only fraudluent transaction was from Argos and I'd spotted it early, had it refunded and had my debit card cancelled and replaced.

But now I'm a lot more annoyed. And the reason is O2.

I have been dealing with O2 now since the 9th December because they keep on taking money, each day, out of my account. Because it seems that even though my debit card has been cancelled and should therefore no longer work, if it was used to set up a recurring payment (e.g an automatic PAYG top up) that transaction will still go through.

So now I am in this ongoing situation where O2 take money out of my account, my bank then refund it, O2 take it again the next day, the bank refund it etc etc. And unfortunately the only way to fix this is if O2 find and delete whatever recurring payment instruction was set up by the fraudsters.

Now, to get back to greatmagazines - my Christmas period has been spent back and forth with O2, and my bank, and all because of widespread data theft from greatmagazines.co.uk - so my question is, how did this happen?

Because judging from the other reviews on this site, and the lack of replies to any of these horrendous 1 star reviews, you'd think that perhaps this was some small time, one man band operation. But it's not. It's owned and run by the Bauer Media Group. In 2015 they apparently had revenues of 2.3 billion euros. So what is their data security policy? How did the details of a lot of people get stolen? And what has been done to stop this from happening again?

Ordered three subscriptions for Xmas two they took money for so worked fine. One they did not. They only sent me an email at 1.30pm on Xmas eve when they had closed at 12 telling me they were not going to send the magazine ruining my Xmas present disgusting service as I could not contact them. The magazine's were all ordered at same time so it was nothing to do with me.

I would give them zero stars if possible! What a terrible company who say that they are sending you a free gift with a magazine but then it never actually arrives. I have emailed customer services 5 times now and have had no response back they just rip people off and should not be allowed to carry on as a company. Absolutely disgusted!! Please do not be conned like me and keep your money

My annual gift subscription was up for renew but the rolling subscription price was more than the new offer! So I cancelled my order (which was very hard to locate on their site) and re-purchased my annual subscription as a new customer. A lot of hassle, if only they appreciated loyal customers...

I have always ordered from this website for both single magazine issues and subscriptions. Great offers and always arrive on time and well packaged, would recommend!

Should be zero stars. Took money via PayPal and said my order wasn't successful. Despite many emails it takes them days to respond with the fact they are looking into it. Why why why cant I order magazines from the magazine themselves. This company will just rip you off. BEWARE AND AVOID.

RUBBISH COMPANY My wife for my birthday, bought for me a £89.00 subscription for Bikes unlimited which is 6 mags a month for a year. Great deal I thought, then I had to contact them 6 times to get the voucher code then a further 6 times cos the voucher code wouldn't work. My birthday has passed and I haven't been able to see a magazine yet. I have been passed to a different rep every time and they send the same crap e-mail out for you to try.
The call centre is a disgrace they aren't able to check your account or do anything apart from refer you back to UK.
I urge anyone out there not to subscribe to this company they are a multinational giant who quite frankly does not care one iota about the people and the distress and disappointment they are causing.

I wish I had read the reviews before ordering from this company as I haven't received the magazine I ordered and despite emailing their customer services four times and being told an agent would contact me within two working days I have not been contacted and received no explanation, no magazine and no refund. Nothing great about them.

What a shower! Didn’t receive magazine, confirmed address and they to send again still didn’t arrive. Somehow sent to totally different address now out of stock. Rubbish just don’t bother

receipt said last edition to be number 51. At number 47 they informed me next would be last and renewing was necessary. No reply from emails to them. I agree with all the reviews and comments.
It made the price of the magazine more than if I had bought it at local shop - which I will be doing from now on.

I pre-ordered a magazine in July (for a Sept issue), and it's November and I'm still waiting. I contacted customer service for the status of my order, and was asked for more info. When I replied, I got an email saying that my email/problem was not understood! I plan to contest the charge to my PayPal account if they can't resolve this in the next week or so. Not impressed. I should have checked reviews before I bought.

Yes, these people keep taking payment although the magazines were cancelled. Their sales calls are very efficient and so is their ability to make money for magazines which they are not sending!! Dishonest and nasty. surely they could update their database as this is happening to so many people. I have been charged for magazines until late January 21 although I haven't had a magazine for years from them.

Their business model revolves around trapping you in a recurring subscription. They are able to decide when to take the payment, whether it's due or not. Once they have taken it, it's impossible to get a refund. Overseas call centre just fob you off with scripted excuses.

Ordered 3 magazines, received 2, no sign of the third one. Have been in contact with their customer services who were going to send the missing magazine again. Still no magazine, I have asked for a refund but they are now not responding to my emails.

Absolutely awful. Undelivered magazines, no promised free gift. Can’t cancel even though they do not supply what you are paying for. Wished I read some reviews before committing.

Would not recommend at all. My husband has been picking up a copy of a certain mag for years but with covid restrictions he opted for a subscriprion delivery instead. Twice the mag has not been delivered and he had to go out and buy one. Phone calls were a total waste of time. Insist on your money back as they try to fob you off with an extension of another month (of non or late delivery!).

This company has taken 4 payments without forwarding a single issue.
I emailed their so called Customer Services have had no reply.
I have now had to cancel my debit card.
Beware this company is a scam.

Absolute shambles. No customer service skills what so ever. I signed up via 20cogs.co.uk and saw what I thought would be a great deal on magazine picture arrow crosswords at £2.40. Cancel at any time. Perfect. Or so I was led to believe...

What a big fat lie that was! I signed up mid September, so I missed that edition. It was only when I checked my bank account and saw I had two payments taken out of my account in September, one under Great Magazines and another under Bauer Media... So I wrote querying... Their reply... Apparently I'd signed up to an annual subscription?!

What the actual...?! I've checked my order confirmation, my welcome email, their website and NOWHERE does it state that I signed up to a 12 month subscription! I've asked and asked them to cancel- as according to their website you can write to them to cancel at any time... but their replies have stayed they can't because I haven't paid the minimum required number of payments!

I've had a gutsful and have screenshot their ts and cs along with a screenshot of their OWN website saying that they have a high volume of cancellations :') haha, I wonder why?!

I've learnt the hard way. If they do not cancel my reoccurring payment, I will be contacting the necessary ombudsman and trading standards to fully investigate their misdemeanors and shocking, false and misleading advertising.

Stay well clear of this company, DO NOT GIVE YOUR BANK DETAILS AS THIS WILL SET UP A REOCCURING PAYMENT WHICH YOUR BANK WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP!