scam for $1,000 shopping spree

ComplaintsScamsPublishers services

Complaint

0
Christina
Country: United States
I just got a call from the phone number 888-279-9221 saying that I won a thousand dollar online shopping spree and some magazines at a very low price. They told me there was no catch, but they asked for my credit card info. I always check online for complaints when I get phone calls like this one, and it saved me because they were just going to steal money. I got the same exact phone call a few days earlier, and it turned out to be a construction company in Tampa Florida. Both calls said they were from Publishers Services.

Comments

123Next
  • 0
    A.T
    All of this is now stemming out of Fl. It is one company,different corporations to protect themselves. They trade numbers, c.c info etc. Within the company to form "call lists" keep calling attorney general .everytime one side of this scam is shut down the closer they come to the end of the scams.
  • 0
    Eddie
    I received this call from Publishers Service. The good new is I won a $1000, the bad news is she didn't get to talk to me. I called back the number they called me from to check out they're scam (877-875-2099). That number gets they're so called rewards department where you get a voice mail. Imagine that, the voice mail is full. Probably from hundreds of people calling in who are fooled from this scam. I'm just glad that when I got this call the first thing I did was check them out online to find out if they are for real.

    They are as fake as a $3 bill. Don't give them any information at all.
  • 0
    BM
    I just "respectfully declined" the same scam. I knew it was a scam right off the bat because they told me that I'd been selected because I had a magazine subscription in my name that'd been paid in full (which I don't) or that I had a good track record with a Visa or Mastercard company (when I don't, in fact, have any credit cards in my name!). She asked me my age and if I had a checking account, which set off more alarms in my brain. She continued to tell me about the Online Shopping Spree with a $1000 value and quickly ran through the magazine offer. Of course, there was no charge involved EXCEPT the small shipping fee of $3.85/week. When I asked her how exactly "The Publishers" were going to obtain those fees, she claimed she didn't know because the Shipping Department deals with that and that she's new! HA! She assured me that I could let the fees pile up and pay one lump sum in 3 months or so and that they'd bill me then.

    Thanks, but I'll pass.

    I'm sure they rarely use the same number, but this call came from
    423-586-1663
  • 0
    Marcus
    Anybody who falls for this is a complete idiot!!  They told me it would cost me $3.73/week for the mags, which is equivalent to almost $200/year......and for a 5 year term, that would equal $1000.  $1000 for 5 magazines for 5 years?  No magazine is worth that.  Not even the best ones.  Maxim is about $30 for 3 yrs.  In this case I'd be paying about $200 for the same magazine, even if it's legit.
  • 0
    mc
    I was told i was selected to win a $1000 shopping spree and all i had to do was pay $3.95 week for 18 months. The lady i talked to told me MULTIPLE that im not obligated to pay for the magazines and this is not a contract. I definately would not even considered agreeing to it if i had known it really was a contract!..i dont even want a PHONE contract,much less one for paying for 6 magazines a month! who reads 6 magazines a month anyways? Well anyways i started looking it up on the computer and realized it definately wasnt anything i wanted to go through with! i called back within the SAME NIGHT!..and they still wouldnt cancel it! after i got off the phone with them i got on the computer and was reading all the different comments about this same situation and noticed alot of people said something about contacting the state attorney gerneral office. which i really didnt want to get the state involed with this but really wanted to scare them if i could and i guess reading america is like really afraid of them because they been trying to put them out of buisiness for this type or stuff for a long time. so i called bak the next day and after arguing with the lady for about a good 20 min i was jus lik "well i dont know then, im just going to have to contact somebody about this" and she was like "contact who mam?" And i was said "my state attorney generals office or somebdy because this is not what i agreed to"..and she immedeately said "well we only want constomers that are happy and satified with our buisiness so to set aside any complaints your account with us is being cancled as we speak and there will be no charges sent to your account."

    So this really worked for me! i was so happy and really surprised when she said that!
    But just remember they have all of your information so you dont want piss them off so try to stay calm and be patient but be stern with them lik nothing other than cancelation will satify you. And when you have been on the phone long enough trying to reason with them bring up your state attorney generals office!..if all else fails i totally reccomend this!
  • 0
    mc
    I was told i was selected to win a $1000 shopping spree and all i had to do was pay $3.95 week for 18 months. The lady i talked to told me MULTIPLE that im not obligated to pay for the magazines and this is not a contract. I definately would not even considered agreeing to it if i had known it really was a contract!..i dont even want a PHONE contract,much less one for paying for 6 magazines a month! who reads 6 magazines a month anyways? Well anyways i started looking it up on the computer and realized it definately wasnt anything i wanted to go through with! i called back within the SAME NIGHT!..and they still wouldnt cancel it! after i got off the phone with them i got on the computer and was reading all the different comments about this same situation and noticed alot of people said something about contacting the state attorney gerneral office. which i really didnt want to get the state involed with this but really wanted to scare them if i could and i guess reading america is like really afraid of them because they been trying to put them out of buisiness for this type or stuff for a long time. so i called bak the next day and after arguing with the lady for about a good 20 min i was jus lik "well i dont know then, im just going to have to contact somebody about this" and she was like "contact who mam?" And i was said "my state attorney generals office or somebdy because this is not what i agreed to"..and she immedeately said "well we only want constomers that are happy and satified with our buisiness so to set aside any complaints your account with us is being cancled as we speak and there will be no charges sent to your account."

    So this really worked for me! i was so happy and really surprised when she said that!
    But just remember they have all of your information so you dont want piss them off so try to stay calm and be patient but be stern with them lik nothing other than cancelation will satify you. And when you have been on the phone long enough trying to reason with them bring up your state attorney generals office!..if all else fails i totally reccomend this!
  • 0
    Tricky
    I also got a call from American Publishers Service in Tennessee.  Beware, do not talk to these people.  She focused on the fact that I won $1,000 worth of prizes/shopping spree.  However, that is not what the call is about.  They are trying to bamboozle you into buying 6 magazines for 5 years.  She will say for only $3.85 per month, but what they really want is to take $49.99 out of your credit card every month.  What a scam!  They prey on single parents, the elderly and even young adults with their first credit card.  They are using the old BAIT & SWITCH, deception, and pressure tactics.  I told the 3rd party lady that I don't want this, do not process.  The guy lied and said he only needs my credit card numbers to verify that the card is valid. Don't give them the 3 digit code on the back of the card. I contacted the Better Business Bureau.  My heart goes out to anyone who is tricked by these cons!
  • 0
    Kristen
    Got into this after being hooked on facebook by a phony 'Free Dinner Survey' ad (Thank God the company posted about the scam).  Now I'm trying to remember what I gave out because I closed many of the pages before fully 'completing' the survey.  I don't think I gave out any credit card info, but I'm keeping an eye on my bank accounts.  Have received several spam calls from them and got THIS one tonight.  Woman called back and I told her to cancel EVERYTHING.  Said she would..
  • 0
    April
    Just had a woman call me from Publishers Services. Said I won a &1,000 shopping spree online. And all I would have to do is pay shipping. Then said she'd call me back in 10 min. I had a feeling this was too good to be true, so I look it up online and lo and behold I see this...glad I looked.
  • 0
    April
    Oh yeah...and when I tried to call the number back...it wouldnt go through...
  • 0
    April
    Here's the number...423-272-9136
  • 0
    MRM
    I never put anything like personal information online, so when this lady called me in the middle of the day, while i was at school for petes sake, my teacher let me answer it. i was confused but a thousand dollars for a high school girl sounded like fun, so i kept her on the phone, waiting for the catch. she talked about my good credit history with visa and mastercard, and that severely confused me, but she sounded really nice and friendly (haha) so i didn't hang up yet. this was too entertaining. when she asked me my age, i told her i was fourteen and she said, "oooh! sorry hun, but this contest is only for people eighteen and older!" she apologized and said my  name would be taken off the list, and i hung up. i googled the number after i hung up, and this came up. i'm glad i was too young to be bamboozled! not that i would have anyway, but still
  • 0
    tj
    They buy various consumer lists to target for telemarketing.

    Curious whether you have ever ordered, say, consumer magazines or other products by mail order, or entered your name in contests.  Sometimes those sources of consumer names are collected and sold to list brokers, who might be selling them to scammy telemarketers like this.
  • 0
    annababy
    i got a call from these people and i called them back....having a dumb moment i gave them my prepaid bedit card number...but not the three numbers on the back...can they still take money out of my account without those 3 numbers? and if so...what can i do?
  • 0
    SCAM VICTIM
    These [***] lied to me, said that I had got a shopping spree of 1000 dollars. They said that I would be charged 3.95 for 6 magazines (one flat fee) and receive a 1000 online shopping spree with the promotion. WRONG! These [***] charged me 49.99 for the 6 magazine package for 20 months.. i said. WTF that equals ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. So I said no, absolutely not. THEY WENT AHEAD AND CHARGED ME FOR THE MAGAZINES ANYWAY! Tell them that you are not interested from the beginning, This is the most ridiculous company and they should be cited for their illegal activity. Yes, it was my fault for giving them my bank info, i get it, but I gave it to them thinking i was going to be charged 3 dollars. I called my bank, filed a claim, and they took care of it.
  • 0
    tj
    Dispute fraudulent charges through your bank, and block the card number or close the account to prevent additional fraudulent charges.

    File fraud complaints with FTC and your state Attorney General.
  • 0
    AJ
    The person who contacted me already had my credit card info, and they said I won the $1000 shopping spree because I am a prefered customer of mastercard (which is my bank card). I never shop online, I never give out my credit card info. Did anybody ever receive the shopping spree and magazines?
  • 0
    GO
    These people have a new business name: Mountain Area Communications, and a new phone number: 423-581-8572.
    By the time i realized what was going on and tried to cancel, the guy on the phone played back their recording of me verifying myself saying that it was a binding contract. Then, as i expressed my outrage to him he "out of the grace of his heart" managed to change my 'package' and close for $120. They are still trying to charge my account for $50 a month. I had to cancel everything. When they originally called, they already had ALL of my credit card numbers.
    Don't get caught up in thinking that they only have the card they tell you about. Be wary and protect all of your accounts.
  • 0
    Annomous
    The reason they ask for your DOB is to  make sure you are 18 or over. i do have to admit that i myself worked for Ron Allen & Asscoiates, we called ourselves Publisher Service, asked if you can hear us ok for you to respond with a "YES" to get you used to saying "YES" then tell you you have been selected for a 1000 shopping spree b/c of your good status with you crad company, we then ask "you do sitll cary one of thoes correct?" to make sure you can pay us with that card. it took me a few months to figure out what i was doing. I then Made a scean in the office screaming at the president of the company Mr. Ron Allen Jr. of Santa rosa CA telling him that he was a scam artist and that he is going to HELL in a handbag for what he is doing to people. If you do receive a call Tell them to put you on the "do not call list" get very upset and it will be taken care of.
  • 0
    skyler lejeune
    I took your advice and I just sent the email a few seconds ago. I hope it works! They actually convinced me to give my CC number and they charged my account so hopefully they reimburse me. I don't see how those people can sleep at night.
123Next

Post a new comment