Hearst Magazines UK Reviews 

Just awful! Renewed by subscription early without any prior warning! No reminder email that the renewal date was approaching. Just took the increased subscription cost money from my account!

When I rang customer service to request to cancel and ask for a refund they refused to give me back my money. Avoid this company! Just terrible customer service.

As stated in previous e mails. This is a compelete RIP OFF!! Tho company LIES and takes money from your account even after they have e mailed and assured that they won’t . Should you ask in the correct timescale to cancel your subscription they will sneakily go behind your back and take the money from your account. They will then tell you that you cancelled after the timescale. STAY AWAY!! Take no subscriptions and buy NOTHING ! They are fraudulent con artists!!!!

Like others, received a random credit card charge. No confirmation and definitely doesn’t match up with the initial £5 offer - 6 months, started in December charged already in February??? Auto renew disabled from the get go but to my surprise turned back on when looking into account. Very shady and sneaky company, never using again.

This company are thieves and liars whatever you do don't not subscribe THIS IS A CON AND STAY WELL CLEAR OF THEM AS THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY THEN STATE THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED YET ITS CLEARLY SHOWING ON YOUR STATEMENT THAT TRANSACTION HAS GONE THROUGH SHANE ON YOU

Corrupt

I called to renew my mother’s magazines as they sent a letter stating the magazines had gone up in price . After lots of negation it was agreed each magazine could be purchased at £12 for 12 months . Taking payment one magazine had not been delivered . I chased the magazine and they said no , the payment was for only one magazine not 2 but if I want the other one they will do it for £12 ….. what a scam ! They wouldn’t refund the over payment and wouldn’t do the second magazine FOC to compensate the incorrect payment …..

I took out a subscription for Country Living Magazine as a Christmas gift for my wife in 2023. At the point of taking out the subscription I noticed that Hearst would automatically renew it after the initial 12 months was up. I 'phoned them on the day of taking out the subscription asking them not to auto renew it and was assured that this would not happen. 12 months later, they took £54.99 from my account. When I EVENTUALLY got through to someone, they had no record of that conversation and refused point blank to refund me or even refund the next eleven issues of the magazine. It's basically my word against theirs. I hope Trading Standards or some other similar authority close them down and their CEO Katie Vanneck-Smith is held to account! It's basically theft!

Another angry 😡 customer here, also been scammed out of a £29.99 payment that I Did NOT agree to!! How dare you help yourselves to a payment that I did not agree to or authorise. My 3 months is not even up yet, but you seem to think you can just do whatever you want?! Of course I should have read these reviews first but for some reason I thought it would be illegal and unethical for you to help yourself to funds?! I have emailed you on numerous occasions and get the same “speech” every time. I DO NOT want your magazine, I want my money back please?! It is disappointing and disgraceful that you can treat people this way. It really is the dreadful deceitful way you operate that is so frustrating. AVOID, AVOID

I took out a special offer for three issues of two monthly magazines. I received one issue of each and they then charged me for a subscription of almost £60. I got onto customer service immediately by email and they said they would not reimburse my money, even though I had not even received all my magazines from the special offers yet! Worst experience ever! Now that I see the same thing has happened to others, I am thinking of involving my solicitor, as this is not on.

How can a company with such bad reviews not be bothered with trying to rectify it failings.
Tried to cancel a subscription that I don't want and still no response.
They take your money but are less interested in refunding it.
They said that this subscription is due to start in March..so why take the money in January...and why do I have to give them 8 weeks notice??
Jobelle, I'm still waiting for a response. Thanks for the refund..but your service is atrocious...4 phone calls and about 6 emails..2 months of my life wasted 🤣🤣
Kind regards

Unlike other reviews, I did know that I had the subscription set to auto renew. However, I fully agree that they should send an email. I am annoyed with how loyal customers are treated. I’ve subscribed for a few years now so £44 was taken from my account, but when I went on their website the same subscription is available for new customers for just £19.99! That’s a really terrible way to treat a loyal customer base.
Update: over email they offered to cancel and refund the auto renewal and give me the better price but they said I had to phone to action this. When I phoned, they said they couldn’t do it, had no record of this, and would have to email! I’m still trying to sort this and have had to email again.

Not possible to contact them to cancel subscription. Avoid!

I’m only giving one star as I can’t give none!!!
Shocking customer service- absolutely awful.
I advise anybody NOT to buy any subscription from them.
I had a tempting offer to get a subscription to Country Living for 6 months & was told I could cancel after this. Tried online - thought I’d succeeded but magazines kept coming. Phoned & cancelled. Or so I thought. Money taken from my account £29.99
I rang today & was told that I couldn’t cancel until this subscription had ended. I told them I had before money taken but they said I’d agreed to think about it & then email to confirm the cancellation. I ABSOLUTELY DID NOT HEAR THIS OR AGREE TO THIS!!
I said I didn’t have time to read these any more & wanted to cancel immediately & have a partial refund.
I then spoke to a supervisor who wouldn’t cancel the subscription & then my husband spoke to them & asked to speak to his supervisor. He said he’d phone back. We are still waiting……!

UPDATE:
A manager has rung back & apologised for the incident yesterday.
They have promised to refund my money & I can keep the magazines. Lovely person on the phone.
Restored my faith in human nature.
Thanks to the management.

If you want to retain your sanity, avoid this company. Trying to sort issues with my own account has failed. They have not responded to my emails and despite having current subscription, their App tells me I don’t have an account, even though their website shows it’s active. I have now cancelled my subscription (I hope) and will not deal with them again as it’s too frustrating.
UPDATE.
Thank you for your response. Things appear back to normal now and the magazine is being delivered. Please consider the matter closed.

Terrible. Do not subscribe unless you make yourself fully aware of the automatic renewal process. I saw that a payment of £29.99 was pending on my bank account for Hearst Magazines. I tried to cancel online but this didn't seem possible. I tried calling the number to cancel but I gave up after 30 mins of trying to get to speak to someone. The money has since been taken from my account. Today I managed to get through to speak to someone on phone (maybe by not choosing the wish to cancel option). Pretty unhelpful to be honest. My only option to get a refund was to sign up again for another 5 issues for £6 and then she could process my refund. Madness! I said that there should be a cooling off period. I now have to remember to cancel this new subscription by the middle of July otherwise I will be in the same situation all over again. I am furious and I will never subscribe to a magazine with Hearst again.

No notification is sent of upcoming renewal - they just take a payment. Saw the payment had gone out of my account on 19 January, called on 23 January - cancellation and refund was refused, even though I have not received any of the magazines that the payment relates to. Very poor and I thought this wasn't legal? Beware of this company!!!

I ordered the Harpers Bazaar beauty box. When putting in my address I accidentally- using the autofill selected an address which is similar to mine but was not mine. Within minutes I realised my mistake and emailed them asking to cancel the order and that I would reorder using the correct address. I received a reply saying that they were happy to cancel the order but that they could also just change the address to my correct one. I said that was great, supplied my correct address and postcode and was told it had been changed. Yesterday I received a shipping confirmation that the £100 box had been shipped to the wrong address, someone else’s house.

I signed up for an initial 6 copies for £6, I’ve received 2 copies so far and today £25.99 has automatically been taken from my account. Obviously I’ve missed the small writing - but still, after the sixth copy is received or even the fifth! No mention of about to take payment etc… sure they know how to get their money! It’s wrong to not ask and just take! 🤣

I payed subscription, never received thing i payed for. Contacted customer support, they only send automatic answer, not helpful. Never again!!

Let me add my name to those who thought they were buying a one off 12 month subscription to a Hearst magazine but found out a year later that it had been renewed and money taken without either prior or subsequent notice. Of course, they hide behind the small print at point of sale. Disgraceful sharp practice and not OK from a supposedly reputable company, particularly given the impending Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 which is supposed to prevent such thing - for example a cooling off period after automatic renewal to protect those who had forgotten to cancel. Is it really ok that a purchaser has to cancel on the day they buy a subscription to protect themselves from these people? Avoid this company. If Country Living was any good I'd have taken out a new subscription voluntarily, rather than being ripped off for £50 for another year of a magazine I don't want because it's the same each month and 90% adverts. Bet you the company trots out their usual platitudinous reply after this post to pretend that they are reacting to consumer concerns.

Cancelled my subscription in advance and yet they have taken £34.99 out of my bank account and I emailed them straight away. You've cancelled my subscription yet not refunded me my money. Can't get through to anyone on the phone. I have logged it with my bank. I have sent another email just you need to send me my money back or i'll be taking legal action