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Complaint

0
TK
Country: United States
Carol Patterson?  What a joke!  I was ALMOST SCAMMED!  She also claimed to be a lawyer from NY. She knew I filed bankruptcy (HOW?) and when I tried to speak to her she wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. This was also for magazines w/ Allied Publishing.  I called my bankruptcy lawyer and he advised me not to give her any money, But I had already given her my credit card #, had to cancel it so she wouldn't get the 450 she claimed that I owed. I didn't want to have to pay over 2500 so i decided that I would pay that amount. Thank god I was quick to cancel the card. I feel soo dumb!!  She wouldn't forward any paper work to me or my attorney b/c she said it illegal. She wouldn't even speak to my attorney. She keeps calling me at work and I filed a complaint with the attorney general office.  PLEASE DO NOT LET HER PUSH YOU AROUND and file a complaint ASAP!!!   If you didn't get it in writing it's a scam!!  She is very rude!!  And you know what?  She talks to herself.  She pretends that another person is in the office, but she only talks to herself like she is important.

Comments

  • 0
    tj
    "STATED I OWED FOR A CREDIT CARD THEY COULDNT EVEN GIVE ME THE NUMBER"
    By those rules you will have a long line of people claiming you "owe" them.  If they can't give you a number, then paying them won't pay of any particular "debt".

    "THEY SAID I WAS BEING SUED"
    Normal debt collectors don't open with "you're being sued".  The whole idea of debt collection is to collect money without the expense of suing.

    "A SUBPOENA WAS BEING ISSUED BUT I HAVE NOT RECV ANYTHING YET ... "
    If you were being sued, you would be receiving a "summons", not a "subpoena".  Don't expect to receive anything.

    " THEY EVEN ASK FOR A MONEY GRAM "
    Everything about them says "scam".


    Other complaints.  
    https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-980-939-0922

    "...
    big guy
    20 Apr 2010
    This is an illegal collection agency using scare tactics to get you to call them about a bill.  It may be a payday loan or Cash Call.  They called me on my cell with a phishing # from Texas, then my work # with a California number.  Believe me if you've committed fraud as they say, you're not getting a phone call.  If you've committed fraud you're getting a visit from your local police dept. and district attorney.Caller: Unknown
    Call Type: Debt Collector

    Happened To Me
    30 Apr 2010
    A Tina McCoy just called me from 213-985-1863 and said she tried to get to me befor the local authorities did and said she was a special investigator calling and said to call 980-939-0922 I believe it to be a scam don't trust it!Caller: Unknown
    Call Type: Debt Collector
    ..."


    They are a bunch of con men.   There is no "debt", no "payday loan", they aren't going to "sue", they can't "arrest" you, they aren't "investigators".  All they are is lying criminals.  They keep changing their names and phone numbers, and only take payment by moneygram, to avoid getting caught.

    If they did sue you, they would have to serve you.  If they don't sue you like they said, and they crawl from under the rock they live under so you can actually find them, you could sue them for threatening to sue, but since they are "fly-by-night", save your money and just ignore them.

    Or report them to your Attorney General, and if they keep calling, tell they you are recording the call.
  • 0
    tj
    Your employer let them in the door, to prey on your co-workers?
  • 0
    tj
    "They are claiming we agreed to buy a year subcription to there magazines, magazines we dont even read. including Maxim, field stream(way afraid of fishing), rollingstones, and glamor."

    You know you didn't agree to anything.  They are BSing you, and if they can lure or threaten you into "agreeing" to ANY subscription, they will trump up the amount they claim you owe, then threaten you to get it.

    They are running a fraudulent "magazine subscription" telemarketing racket, following the same pattern as a number of other such rackets.  See complaints against them below.

    "They have my fiance on a recording agreeing to there scam. with him using words like yes and alright. Only four words from him were used in this recording. it is obviously tampered with."

    The recordings are faked or altered.  They were not created to use in court, whatever they claim or threaten.  They were created to intimidate YOU, that is all.

    Magazine subscription scams frequently use doctored, edited, or misrepresented recordings to intimidate consumers.  The goal is to get you to cough up hundreds of dollars you don't owe at all.


    Contact FTC, your state Attorney General, and the Florida Attorney General for assistance and to file telemarketing fraud complaints.  If they keep calling, just tell them you have filed fraud complaints, and hang up.


    Other complaints against them.  Note that complaints against this number go back to October 2008.  They have been running this same scam for several years.
    https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8002591649

    Fraudulently claiming to be from "tmobile".    

    "LIZ
    13 Jan 2009
    i got a phone call from them the first time in december and they claimed they were from tmobile and that i had won a bunch of s**t... like magazines and watches and stuff like that. And i tried calling them back and there wasnt an answer so then i called tmobile and asked about it and they told me it was a scam and they had all my information and automatically withdrew a large amount of cash from my checking account and when i called another number they gave me it too was disconnected. i googled both numbers and they said they were calling from salt lake city utah. Today i called them and the guy that called me name is Brian and he said that they "just moved" from utah to Florida? and that i won even more magazines and he kept talking just long enough for me to save the number to my phone so i could call it back. they had a list of options to do when i called back and then they have a website address they said as well which is http://mysubscriptionservices.com/ its all a bunch of scamming f***heads!
    here are a list of numbers that they call from
    18002591649
    12132917730
    18004763053
    Caller ID: 18002591649
    Caller: Magazine Subscription
    ..."

    Here is the "bait and switch", AFTER getting an innocuous order.
    "c.pyles
    4 Apr 2009
    they called me to sell me magazines. they said they were out of florida. i just got a letter from them billing me for stuff i didn't order. $1,149.00 are they nuts!!!!!!
    Caller: publishers guide
    ..."

    Take the money... and then no magazines.
    "Ana
    19 May 2009
    This is all a bunch of bullsh*t!!. I totally got scammed about $100.00 at this point. Was supposed to receive all these magazines which I paid $80.00 at first to start. Never received any. Then spoke with lying representative over the phone from this number 800-259-1649, told me they needed an additional fee of $19.95 per month to send the magazines. The total amount being a 1 year cost of $574.80. And still have not received a single magazine! :( Absolutely going to  contact Better Business Bureau about this SCAM!:(]
    ..."

    Note how cancelling during the "trial period" is blocked.
    "GMAGMA51
    19 Mar 2010
    I ALSO RECIEVED CALLS FROM 18002591694.  I ORDERED A FEW MAGAZINES AND THEY TOOK THE INITIAL 19.16 OUT MY ACCOUNT.  I TRIED CALLING WITH-IN THE 10 DAY TRIAL PERIOD AND ONLY GOT RECORDINGS.  WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE.  I'M STILL WAITING ON MY MAGAZINES.  IS THERE A REAL NUMBER TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON???? SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THESE PEOPLE.  THEY SENT A LETTER WITH WHAT MY ORDER WAS AND GIVES YOU THIS 800 NUMBER....
    Caller: PUBLISHERS GUIDE
    Call Type: Telemarketer
    ..."
  • 0
    ClassAction
    Alright. Enough is enough with these people. My girlfriend has been took by these people for at least $150.00. Quite a few others seemed to have shelled out even more to Seven-One-Six. I think we should really look into a class action lawsuit against them. I don't have much legal expertise, perhaps tj (thank you for your continued input on this thread!!!!) would know if this is a possibility. Also, I have a few things to add as far as our experience with these people goes. First of all, my girlfriend worked near one of the streets listed for this business (don't want to give them any identifying info, they obviously are reading this thread by now, they seem like pretty good scammers, having been around for years.) The first step they took was contacting her at her workplace. Then they called back as a "manager" to confirm the arrangement. They then had someone actually come in, being extremely friendly, talking to her boss, probably gathering as much info as possible on anyone/anything they could, and had her sign something during a particularly busy part of her day. Since then, the amounts they have requested have NO correlation to the amounts in the contract, magazines are not recieved on a regular basis, sporadically one or two at a time. Some of the names she has been called by match previous posts, most recently the name Lisa Carter ext 102.

    New aliases:
    Jackie Waz (sp?)
    G Louisos (dept. Manager)
    John M.

    Also someone made the comment that they seem to charge what they think they can get out of the particular "mark" given their situation. I believe this to be true.
  • 0
    tj
    You are in New York, so contact the New York Attorney General.

    He has been pretty busy in the Buffalo area lately, dealing with scamming debt collectors.
  • 0
    Becky's Computer
    And 716, Jim Rice, John M, Jackie Waz and others are still at it!  I have now filed with NY AG and WI AG, as well as with BBB to try to get the calls to stop.  I get calls now  coming up as "restricted" at work and home from Jackie.
    She even told my boss that I am in collections with them!
    Cannot wait to stop these calls!
    Class action lawsuit against this company (and all of their aliases) is starting to sound really good about now!
    I have stopped paying them after a few months, and don't answer their calls anymore.  I cant afford these magazines and actually have alerted each of the magazines that I am going through this with this company.  Most of the customer service people have been very helpful, telling me to put a hold on the subscription and giving me contact numbers to call back (Allied Publishers, 716, and two others I cant remember at the moment).
    I just want it all to stop.
    I am also getting the threatening letters from a "2430, Inc." claiming to be a Corporate Asset Recovery company...(strange coincidence that 2430 is the street numbers for 7-1-6, hey?)
  • 0
    calling my family now
    So I have done everything that has  been suggested and they are now just calling with restricted number and wont give any info but are now calling my family saying they are an attorney and that I filled out some paperwork wrong and need to verify info and when my  family doesnt give them the info they are looking for the guy flips out and starts being nasty and saying things and then hangs up on them. The guy calls me but doesnt say a name or anything and then hangs up or if i dont answer he doesnt leave a message so I dont know what to do but I have already filed with ohio and new york attorney general and the bbb they say they cant do anything but that they are aware of multiple complaints and all are not resolved so I have no idea what to do now. Please help me. Anybody.
  • 0
    Generic
    Just today "716 services" tried scamming my family.  It seems to be a couple (one male and one female) at least running this scam.  They call from number 800-433-8784.  The number asks for your extension.... the thing is all the extensions go back to this same guy.  Try extension 100, then 101, then 102, etc.  Eventually he picks up.  IDK what to do.  Why hasn't he been caught?
  • 0
    tj
    Do not give them ANY iformation.  If you do, they will use it as an additional tool in their extortion racket.

    Contact the FTC and the New York Attorney General.  In addition, file a complaint at www.ic3.gov

    If they keep calling, tell them you have filed a fraud complaint with the New York Attorney General, and are recording the call.
  • 0
    tj
    File fraud complaints with the FTC and the New York Attorney General.  In addition, file a complaint at www.ic3.gov
  • 0
    tj
  • 0
    tj
    "She even told my boss that I am in collections with them!"

    Third party disclosure of alleged debts violates FDCPA.  You can sue them for it.
  • 0
    Not Happy At All
    I have been trying to get out of the so-called contract with 716 services. They have been continously calling and I have requested them to NOT call. I finally sent a fax there telling them to DO NOT CALL. I got a threating fax back, stating that I am behind in my payments and that my file has been sent to their collection agency.
    I have filed a complaint with the BBB of New York. They received a response back from G. Louisos (dept. Head) with false allegations, one of them is stating that I gave them my SS number. I am now wanting for the response back from BBB on my refusal on 716's response.
    I don't know what else to do. I don't want to be paying out of pocket for magazines that I can get cheaper if I were to go right through the magazine itself.
  • 0
    not happy at all
    I received back from BBB in New York that they are pretty much backing 7-1-6 services. They will file my complaint. The Dept. Manger lied to them about anything and everything. He told them that my "file" was going to be handed to their "attorney". the next day I was called from some one from their "legal" dept. statin that I needed to pay for two months. When I finally agreed, and thought we were done, she called again the next day stating that the general manager refussed it and wanted three months of pay. I stated that I did not receive any statement.
    He told the BBB that if I made my TIMELY PAYMENTS that we wouldn't have any issues. I do not receive TIMELY STATEMENTS from them. So how am I suppose to make TIMELY PAYMENTS..
    oh, yeah... I faxed to 7-1-6 services to NOT call me on my phone or the office phone... they still did call.
    Any suggestions???
  • 0
    not happy at all
    I had faxed them a fax telling them to DO NOT CALL... guess what? Jim Rice called me again today. I have had it with these people.
    I just got off the phone with them, I had told them that I faxed them that I do NOT want phone calls, and they are still calling. The person I spoke with said that there is nothing in my file stating that there was even a fax sent with that request.
    Does anyone have any suggestions? The BBB of NewYork will not do anything, because these jokers lie to them to make the consumer to look like the bad person
  • 0
    tj
    Contact the New York Attorney General.

    There are exemployee reports that once they know you have filed an AG complaints they go away.  They are looking for easy suckers.
  • 0
    JRJ
    SO I fell for the stupid scam.  And now they will not stop sending letters to my employeer to verify that I am still employeed there and they want an updated phone number and address.  Its all the same dumb dumb...However today an INVESTIGATOR MORRIS called my work and was very rude to my boss.  HOW DO I GET THESE PEOPLE TO STOP? I have tried cancelling my subsctiption a million times...
  • 0
    ben z from buffalo
    call the attorney general and fie a complaint on the company. the new name they are using is timothy warner. he said he is a lawer from the county clercs office. hes not hes one of those scumbags from 716 services. dont pay them any thing its all fake.
  • 0
    MAH
    These comments seem familiar-I was told on the phone I subscribed over internet and had no choice other than to accept because the cancellation fee was so high.  Now I receive calls from 3 companies saying they are sending me the same five magazines.   Now I am getting five magazines I would never choose-ex., Bride, Harpar's Bazaar.  I am retired and very happy with my husband. These are coming from a company called Consumer Reading Services.    I am saving them and told them I would send them back but they hung up on me.  Do they pass on your credit card number to different companies, or do they just change their own name when talking with you. I am going to call att general and FTC and BB and follow advice here.  Has anyone had success getting rid of them?
  • 0
    tj
    Similar complaints.
    https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/0oIPFdBHvAAPvgjMR_jKyg

    As you have found, if you feed the sharks, you just attract more sharks.  You want to get rid of them, you have to stop feeding them.  


    Delivering a product a customer actually wants has nothing to do with it.  The goal is to create the appearance of a "contract", and even use BAD service or unwanted magazines to extort payment for a "cancellation fee".

    It's a shakedown racket, basically extortion, using fraudulent telemarketing and hiding behind "confusion" as a deceptive tactic.

    There are similar scams operating out of Buffalo, the Atlanta area, Virginia Beach, south Florida, Colorado, and Montana, to name a few locations.

    "Do they pass on your credit card number to different companies, or do they just change their own name when talking with you."

    They could be doing either.  This type of scam often uses multiple "company names", both to hide the scope of their operations from regulators, and to play "collection agency" as a threat to their victims.  In addition, with fraudulent telemarketing, there is a market in customer
    "sucker" lists to other boiler room operators.  

    These "sucker" lists sometimes illegally include bank account or credit card information, in which case the calls often start as attempts to get the victim to say something that can be misrepresented as an "authorization" without even complete disclosure of account information.  Repeated harassing cold calls may also be an indication they already have account information.

    This type of scam may use deceptively constructed "sweepstakes" pop-ups to entrap consumers, with hidden "terms" used to fraudulently claim you "subscribed".  It sounds like they threatened you to get you to "agree" to their fraudulent "contract" by falsely claiming you had already "agreed" to it on some deceptive website.  

    Contact FTC and your state Attorney General.

    Regarding this "Consumer Reading Services", what are their phone numbers, and what is their address?

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