Looking for money for magazines
Complaint
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
the next month i saw two transactions on my bank account for $3.67 and i called the numbers on it and asked what was it for they said it was for Shoppers Direct and Travelers Innovations. I had said I did not sign up for this can i cancel this. she said yes. then i asked when will i be refunded the money. she had said it was not refundable. I had replied i did not sign up for this and i shouldn't be paying for something i did not sign up for. then she said yes you did i have a recording here that says you did. So she played the recording and it was the 10 questions i answered for the magazines i thought i was only going to pay for 3 months. she let the recording play and at that time i just realized i got SCAMMED and hanged up.
i called Publishers Promotional II and i asked to cancel and the lady says that cancellation can be made only within 3 days. and i keep telling them that the first telemarketer said i could cancel in 3 months. So at this i knew for sure i was SCAMMED. She had play the recording to me again and hanged up.
They called again today May 9, 2013. and i tried again to explain I was only going for 3 months for $39.88 like i told the first telemarketer and again they played the same recording. so i hanged up. and did my research about this Publishers Promotional II and found they are scammers.
can anyone help me in getting out of this so called contract that they said i could cancel in 3 months.
The following information is from a mail I received from their company.
Company: Publishers Promotional II
Mailing address: PO BOX 741112, Arvada, CO 80006
Phone number: 1-800-851-8934
The following numbers were on my caller ID whenever they called:
Phone number: 303-431-4080
Phone Name: Casandra P
the following numbers were left on my voicemail:
Manger: Rachel
Callback: 1-800-851-8934 ext. 7403
Casandra; I spoke to on May 9, 2013
Callback: 1-866-76703-83
They will just make up various "terms" they claim you agreed to, continuing to pile on additional "subscriptions" and raiding your bank account or credit card until you get wise and figure out how to deal with them.
Some of these scams just toss magazines in the mail, maybe whatever they have lying around, as a prop in the shakedown, while others may sign you up for a short subscription, to create the pretense of some "long term contract". In reality, they have little at stake, may not even have paid the publisher for any subscription, possibly just ordered you a free sample to get the con started. Some of these scams aren't actually selling magazines, but are angling to extort some "termination fee", probably in the $300 to $400 range, using fake claims of a "multiyear contract for $1200" and ridiculously bad service to get you to want to pay them just to go away.
The best way to respond to fraudulent schemes is to realize that they set out from the beginning to fleece you, and that there is no way to enforce a "contract" with someone whose intent is to defraud you. The alleged "contract" is void due to fraud, as they never intended to follow their side anyway, just as an excuse to make up additional phony "subscriptions" and extort payments you never agreed to. It's just an excuse to get your account information and steal you blind.
First cut off the money. Immediately contact your bank to dispute their charges as fraudulent, and shut down your account or block your card number to prevent further fraud and theft. Your bank can reverse charges if you dispute promptly, within 60 days of the statement date of the statement showing the disputed charges.
File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, the Colorado Attorney General, and the US Postal Inspector. Also contact the publisher to report the fraudulent and extortionate "subscription" and that you have reported them to authorities. Either you might get them to cut off business with these scammers, or you might find they don't even have any subscription under your name.
They typically choose the "facts" of this fake "contract" so far back it wouldn't appear on any credit report, as a prepared excuse in case you recently looked at one. Note how she said they hadn't contacted the credit bureaus "at this time". That's weazel words for threatening, while knowing they can't report, because this fake "debt" is too old to show on credit reports anyway, unless they faked the original date along with everything else. They don't dare, since that's what would get the NY AG's interest real quick.
Note how she claimed to have all sorts of "proof" of this "contract", yet she hasn't shown you anything, played any "recording", or whatever. It wouldn't matter if she did, cause these scams are known to doctor recordings, even dredge up successful shakedowns every few years, and try for another round. If she sent anything, it would be deliberately unreadable. If she played anything, it would be proof of nothing.
The usual goal of Buffalo magazine shakedowns is often claiming $1200 to $2000 is supposedly "owed", aiming to settle for $300 to $400. Her fraudulent pitch matches the common Buffalo pattern.
File fraud complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and the New York Attorney General.
It's an extortion racket, and they aren't "attorneys".
They depend on finding a continuing stream of suckers who fall for it.
File complaints with the New York Attorney General.
The scams that know how to survive will leave you alone.
Or if you want, sue them, if you can find them.
You can find a consumer attorney in your state through www.naca.net
my email address is zestoeren@gmail.com
Phone-18554208308
Hi my name is Natasha Trent and I'm calling from the firm of Miller Davidson peoples. I'm calling to let you know that your case has been handed over to me and it's gonna be processed tuesday(?) it will be based on breach of contract allegations of theft of goods and services and making a [...] promise. If you feel as though you wanted to rectify the situation you must contact me at my office at 18554208308. You can ask for Natasha Trent and I can assist you. I'll be a short if I don't hear back from you I have no other choice with-in(?) case over. Have a good day.
Forget their threats. They are bogus.
As for any "alleged debt", numerous complaints report they are just as bogus.
And any "agreement" to pay a bogus or fraudulent claim, is no more enforceable than the claim it's based on.
Agreeing to pay a "debt", then not paying it, leaves the "debt collector" (using the term loosely) no worse off than before, still holding their worthless "alleged debt".
Notice how they lump together "breach of contract allegations of theft of goods and services" (while leaving an out), and "making a promise" (which by itself doesn't establish a contract, and really means nothing at all). This is typical of US based scams, who usually use weasel-words to leave some pretext for a defence against fraud and extortion should they be caught.
The Indian scammers don't bother, since they know they are beyond the reach of the law.
You didn't "order a magazine subscription".
She obtained your card information through illegal threats and false statements, and deception.
Their charges are therefore fraudulent.
Immediately contact your bank to dispute the charges as fraudulent, and have them immediately block your card number to prevent further fraud and theft.
Don't be surprised if they throw a few magazines in the mail for this "subscription". You were suckered once, so they'll come back for more. If they call again, tell them you've filed fraud complaints, and you are recording their calls. They'll either hang up quickly, or "go ballistic" like Rumpelstilskin. Should be entertaining.
File fraud and extortion complaints with FTC, your state Attorney General, and the New York Attorney General.
Here, they're running through "debt collection payments" as "magazine subscriptions".
That say's their merchant account sets them up as a "magazine seller", and their using it for these extorted "collection payments", for this "different company". Even though the lines between the magazine scam and the collections scam are a sham, that's a big merchant contract violation, since it's prohibited speicificallly to prevent the hiding of fraud behind other names.