When Vibe went belly-up, the publishers of the urban beat magazine didn’t lift a finger to refund subscribers who were left high and dry by its sudden demise, according to a federal class-action lawsuit filed in New York.
The civil complaint, on behalf of Enterprise, Ala., resident Kenneth Rogers, claims he purchased a year-long subscription to Vibe three months before the magazine’s collapse on June 30. Rogers claims Vibe hasn’t done a thing to refund his money. His lawsuit invites any of the mag’s 800,000 subscribers to join.
A one-year subscription cost between $9.95 and $14.95, and readers had to pay up front, according to the suit.
The magazine was founded by legendary music producer Quincy Jones in 1993 before he sold his interests in 2006 to The Wicks Cos., which announced the shutdown late last month.
Jones wants to revive Vibe and a spokesman for the R&B hit maker said they weren’t sure how this litigation might impact a potential purchase.
“He has been exploring options to buy back the magazine,” said Jones’ rep, Arnold Robinson. “I can’t speak to that [the lawsuit].”
Rogers claims Vibe’s owners knew they were closing shop for weeks before the announced shutdown but still kept hawking subscriptions.
“This conduct includes . . . continuing to sell subscriptions to Vibe Magazine to consumers without disclosing that the company was on the brink of ceasing its operations,” wrote Ronen Sarraf, a lawyer for Rogers.
A rep for Wicks did not immediately return messages seeking the company’s comment.