Magazine Subscriptions
Complaint
Tawny
Country: United States
They sent me a letter that said I am late to pay my monthly fee for 2 months. If they are professional, they should send me a letter when I am late the first time. NOT PROFESSIONAL AT ALL. Then I call their 1-800 number and told me if I don't pay them, they will send to collections.
Comments
I have never seen them reported to do ANYTHING that is not saturated with fraud. Unexpectedly threatening you with "collection", for 2 late months yet, is about par for these sort of shakedowns. It is an opening move to soften you up for the extortionate con to come.
They are a fraudulent telemarketer operating out of a call center in Mumbai India, that has just "expanced" from "gas voucher" scams into the fraudulent "magazine subscription" shakedown racket. Their usual "magazine subscription" game turns into a bait and switch offer inflated to about $1200, supposedly for years of various magazines that must be paid for in a few months up front. When their victims choke on that, they will then "settle" for $300 to $400 to just go away.
Don't expect to be getting $1200, or even $300 worth of "magazines". The "magazines" are just a prop in the con, to create the appearance of a "contract" that they then use to extort much more out of you than any magazines you will get will be worth.
How did you run into them?
Did they call you out of the blue, or did you respond to some type of advertising?
Did they claim to be affiliated or connected with any publisher or other company?
Did they have some story about why their rates were supposedly so competitive? What was it?
What did they "sell" you?
Did they call back later and try to up-sell you?
Was there some sort of mix-up compared to the original "offer"?
What magazines did you supposedly subscribe to, for how long, and what have you actually received?
What, if anything, about this "subscription agreement" did they send you to document the "agreement" in writing?
What does this "dunning letter" now claim you owe, and what does it claim the "agreement" is?
What phone numbers show up on caller id, and what do they provide to call them back?
What addresses are they using?
What was their return address on the dunning letter?
https://complaintwire.org/complaint/2aABAAAAA ... central-rewards
Magazine scam complaint:
https://complaintwire.org/complaint/xcw87oXMHAU/central-rewards
Note that you may have to use bank fraud disputes, and blocking card numbers or closing accounts to stop fraudulent charges.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-545-7561
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-695-1617
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-676-5828
Here's the "magazine shakedown" as it appears in a consumer complaint.
They are probably calling the wrong person, as this consumer doesn't even know why they are asking for money.
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-610-991-2936
"...
SLick
24 Apr 2012Im pretty sure this is some scam! Trying to get money for Central Rewards. Said i owed almost 2000 dollars but they would take 400. Last offer was 300 or else he would get in troubleCaller: Central Rewards
Call Type: Debt Collector
..."
Note that they use Vitelity LLC, VoIP telecom to the scams.
"...
Bonny T
5 May 2012told me i owed over $2000.00 on magazines .BULL and could get it reduced to $500.00 or it would go aganist my credit.Caller: VITELITY,LLC.
Call Type: Debt Collector
..."
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-877-652-2168
Many will refund the unused portion of your subscription payment if you cancel early.
10 magazines a month (an absurd amount of magazine reading), should only cost about $100 to $150 per year, directly from the publisher, and with no risk that some fly-by-nite telemarketer will run off with the money.