I purchased this magazine because I thought I'd be getting a $100 gas card - that's the only reason I paid the ridiculous $72 subscription fee. A few weeks later, I received an email saying they were having trouble with the suppliers of the $100 gas cards and offered me $300 in some type of gas receipt deal with a bunch of time limitations instead. This was not acceptable so I called the number listed on the website (which, at the time, was STILL advertising the $100 gas card). A "Tom" picked up and it sounded like a cell phone because I could hear his car door buzzing.
He seemed very hurried on the phone and eager to get me off the line. I told him I was not happy with the new deal and that I wanted a refund not only because of that but because NONE of the advertised scholarships in the ONE magazine I received were available for graduate students (which I am). He said he'd have to talk to some "people" about it and that in the meantime I should email the address listed on the site. Unfortunately, I fell for this and hung up with him and immediately emailed that address a very long note explaining why I wanted a refund... Etc.
Like a slap in the face, a few days later, I received no less than FOUR more of the automatically-generated emails offering the new $300 gas receipts deal. I was furious. For about a month, I called the number multiple times each day, only to never get an answer. I called from different phone lines, too. Still no answer. Finally I decided to file a BBB report on them. That same day (which was a Sunday), I decided to call just one more time. To my surprise, "Tom" actually picked up this time!
I was bound and determined not to hang up without him giving me a refund. He told me I had to call back during the week because they weren't "open" and I told him that was a load of crap - why is this "business" number directed to a personal cell phone, anyway? If he can pick up, he can listen to my complaint. I kept him on the phone for about 15 minutes and during that time was able to get him to admit that SMM was in "financial ruin" and "filing for bankruptcy". He gave me the number to their lawyer (which I will put below).
Since he still refused to help me since it wasn't a weekday, I asked him "What's going to happen when I call back Monday and nobody answers again for another whole month?" and he had the audacity to tell me, "Now that I've given you our lawyer's number, you're not allowed to call back." I laughed at this and told him to cut the crap and start the process of giving me a refund. He insisted he was just an answering service person and wasn't the owner.
Then he said, "There are a bunch of people who want refunds - if we gave refunds to everyone, we'd lose what little we have left." At this point I wished I had recorded the conversation - of COURSE everyone wants a refund! They didn't pay $72 for ONE magazine and no gas card! I told him I knew it was a lie that he's just the answering service and that I'm not hanging up until he gives me a refund. Eventually he hung up on me because I wouldn't let up.
I am a very patient person and am willing to do whatever it takes to get my money back from this crook. It's bogus that they're in "bankruptcy" - they've got all the money they wanted to get from this scheme and are trying to keep it all now and cut their ties. Is there anyone out there who can take pity on poor college/grad students and help us get a case against this monster? I'll do whatever I can to help. Also, I urge anyone who has been ripped off to file a BBB report. I know it might not do much, but if everybody does as much as they can, maybe somebody will listen or catch a glimpse of our plight and can help out!
By the way, here's the number to their "lawyer" that "Tom" gave me. I plan to call him tomorrow, if it's even a non-bogus number:
Roger Mary
(608) 325-2065
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