OT---Magazine Scam???

Jiles · Dec 30, 2012

With all the scams going on today, I am a LITTLE concerned about a minor occurance.
My wife has received three different magazines in the last month. All are different but the address labels are almost identical.
No problem if someone gave a subscription as a gift but what if she receives a bill for these magazines.
Oh yes --one is titled PARENTS and we are in our 60's?????????

ericlb · Dec 30, 2012

stop it, and right now, i got into this a decade or so, you will eventually receive a bill for these, which will be slightly higher than news stand prices, after she pays for those 3 the company will send additional magazines, and bills until you wind up with a monthly bill of around 150,00 for them and you wont even like 3/4 of the rags you are getting, it is hard to stop them i finally had to threaten them with my lawyer to do it as according to them once you pay for the first 3 your actually signing a contract for the whole bunch

ericlb · Dec 30, 2012

if it is indeed a gift there would have been a card in the first copies stating that and also which one of your friends gave the gift

rrlund · Dec 30, 2012

My mother got my wife a gift subscription to some cooking magazine for Christmas a few years ago and we kept getting billed for that,even though my mother had pre paid for it.
It's supposed to be that if somebody sends you something in the mail,it's free isn't it?
That said,from our experience with that gift subscription,they'll make your life h#ll if they get in their heads to try to get money from you.

SweetFeet · Dec 30, 2012

If it came in a plastic bag...open it and read ALL the papers included.

My mom used to sign me up for gift/free issues of Country, Birds and Bloom etc. THEN they started billing me!! The send you the complimentary issue... but if you do NOT want to continue reading it --- YOU must spend your stamp and return a form stating you do not want.

Mom did this to me numerous times - though I told her I did not want free issues. I finally contacted Rheiman Publications (sp?) and I told THEM not to send me any more free issues no matter who sent them a request in MY name.

Pain in the neck!!! And I assume that many other magazines utilize the same methods.

oldtanker · Dec 30, 2012

I let em send all they want. When they start trying to pressure me I send em an email telling they that they sent unsolicited material and the address to a lawyer and they can talk to him if they want my money. I haven't gotten anything like tht in the last 5 years.

Rick

Indiana Ken · Dec 30, 2012

Sending you a bill for magazines it is one thing; when they bill your credit card is another thing. A friend of mine (very savy person) accepted a free trial subscription for a magazine - later noticed they had billed his credit card. Turns out there was a notice buried in the magazine; if you did not want to continue the subscription, the card had to be signed and mailed back to cancel. Sooo, no action means consent.

He ended up working with both the credit card company and the Indiana attorney generals office to get the thing cleared up.

Kind of like: free cheese....yes, in a mouse trap.

teddy52food · Dec 30, 2012

Some outfit turned me in to a collection agentcy, so I wrote to them stating I didn't want the magazine so I didn't pay. Never heard from them again.

Jiles · Dec 30, 2012

All these magazines have my address label looking the same--but not identical. They came unrapped and with no card whatsoever inside.
How do I stop if I have no one to contact????

Anonymous-0 · Dec 30, 2012

You could adopt. Just trying to be helpful.

Walt Davies · Dec 30, 2012

In a few weeks you will get a notice that you can continue the
subscription if you want the Mag. Just ignor it and they stop
after about three months of magazine.
Walt

Jiles · Dec 30, 2012

(quoted from post at 19:13:32 12/30/12) In a few weeks you will get a notice that you can continue the
subscription if you want the Mag. Just ignor it and they stop
after about three months of magazine.
Walt

If that's the case----NO PROBLEMS

Dave Sherburne NY · Dec 30, 2012

Never pay for a magazine subscription with a credit card. Once they get your credit card number they will just keep sending and bill your credit card

Jiles · Dec 30, 2012

(quoted from post at 19:36:46 12/30/12) Never pay for a magazine subscription with a credit card. Once they get your credit card number they will just keep sending and bill your credit card

Yes --we are very careful about buying with CC.

Jiles · Dec 30, 2012

(quoted from post at 19:36:46 12/30/12) Never pay for a magazine subscription with a credit card. Once they get your credit card number they will just keep sending and bill your credit card

Yes --we are very careful about buying with CC.

Wile E · Dec 30, 2012

My wife just got a "free" issue of Cosmopoliton magazine, she is pizzed off. She will call and cancel it, if they give her a hard time she is calling the attorney generals office.

Walt Davies · Dec 30, 2012

Billy Shafer · Dec 30, 2012

When I started getting magazines after my wife died. I ask my lawyer. I was told if you didn't order them. You don't have to pay for them.

Russ from MN · Dec 30, 2012

The magazine industry is really struggling,I suppose they will try anything for business. The paper mill that I retired from used to be the Newsweek mill of the year, we were their preferred supplier. They announced recently that they are no longer doing a print version. The paper mill had an explosion and fire that killed one employee and did a lot of damage, and they decided it was not feasible to repair/rebuild.

Nancy Howell · Dec 30, 2012

If they do that, you call your credit card carrier and dispute the charge. It will be taken off your bill and billed back to the magazine company.

JOCCO · Dec 30, 2012

You may see the post master in your town, they are quite helpful on this stuff. Inside the book somewhere is a data sheet on who publishes it. You may have to send registered letter, telling them to stop.

jbp · Dec 30, 2012

I subcribed to Popular Science three or four years ago for a 1 year subcription. It definately wasn't the same magazine it was 50 years ago so did not renew. They kept sending the magazine anyway and started sending over due notices down to threatening with turning it over to a collection agency. I sent the notice back to Hearst stating that if they continued, I would turn the matter over to my attorney. Haven't heard from them since. Joe

OT---Magazine Scam???

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