Unsolicited Phone Calls from 800-242-5548 and 800-237-7855

ComplaintsUnsolicited Phone CallsAmerican Reading Club

Complaint

0
Louis
Country: United States
I have been receiving unsolicited calls from this company for more than a year and have never purchased anything form them. They call daily 2 to 3 times a day on my unlisted cell phone which is also on the Do Not Call list. I have contacted the FTC and The Attorney General's Office State of Washington . I have sent the following to the Vice President of their company with no response.

[Name Removed]
American Reading Club
800-242-5548;
800-237-7855

I just received your letter from the Attorney General's Office in Washington. First I want to make it perfectly clear that the person your looking for is not me, I have never lived at the address and secondly I don't know how you obtained my unlisted and on the Do Not Call List phone number. I have never purchased anything from your company and further more if your companies annoying phone calls do not cease immediately I will be filing
paper's through my attorney against your organization. I receive 2 to 3 phone calls a day ,five days a week and sometimes on the weekends at this number, which is a cell phone (on the DO NOT CALL list) and has been for four years. My wife and I have told your operators numerous times there is no Robert at this number and there have been no purchases made by us from your company, EVER!


Most recent Calls
6-

6-5/ 8:08a 1:03p 2:51p 5:36p
6-6 /11:02a 3:11p
6-7 /10:43a 5:07p
6-8 / 11:04a 4:10p 4:23p
6-11/ 4:23p
6-12/ 9:31a 3:08p
6-13/ 1:36p
6-14/ 8:35a 2:18p 3:30p
6-15/ 9:17a 2:21p
6-16/ 9:37a
6-18/ 8:29a 1:58p
6-19/ 8:51a
6-20/ 10:27a
6-21/ 1:21p 4:34p
6-22/ 11:25a 1:19p 3:56p
6-25/ 8:47a 1:53p 2:45p
6-26 8:17a 2:51p
6-27/
9:15a 10:50a 3:06p
6-28/
9:35a 1:51p
7-2/
11:43a 2:48p 4:39p
7-3/
9:09a 11:04a 11:51a
7-5/
8:31a 9:40a 2:09p
7-6/
8:27a 11:03a
7/7
8:26a
7-09
9:58a
7-11 2:53p
7-12 9:56a
7-13 8:48a
7-25 12:06p 2:57p 6:04 p 6:58p
7-26 3:05p
7-27 10:18p
7-30 12:11p
7-31 11:23a
8-2 10:06a 2:39p
8-3 10:09a 12:09p
8-6 10:21p 1:49p
8-7 9:28a

Comments

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  • 0
    Amanda
    I just got off the phone with this company!  First there legal representives called me to threaten me and tell me they are going to take me to court for Thief/Fraud because I have not made a payment in 2 months. I am no longer making the payments because... Me being stupid joined in February 2008 and HAVE NEVER RECEIVED one piece of paper nor the CORRECT MAGAZINES!!!! They have deducted from my acocunt each month. Finally I had to cut my card because I asked them to remove my checking card number from the account and THEY REFUSED! Now they want to take me court FOR $55???  After I got off with the "Legal Representive" a lady from the Company called literally 15minutes after I hung up.
    For the past 4 months they have called me at least 12times per day(I can pull my phone record) It is always a private/unknown number.  Isn't this harassment. I even told the "manager" at ARC that I would pay if I received the correct magazines and still NOTHING!!!   If anyone knows how to help or what I can do to get out of there "binding" contract (that they won't provide a copy of) please help me! I don't even want my money back they can keep it... i just want them out of my life they are making me crazy!  I already filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau (of Atlanta, GA). What else can I do?????????????????
  • 0
    cyndy
    i have a similar problem with this number they keep calling me saying i owe them money and that they will take me to court but i have never even ordered magazines from them i did receive some at my old apartment but i kept sending them back or tossing them i did call the number twice and tried to explain to the person on the other line that i never ordered anything from them and that if there was such an order to please cancel it they gave me an excuse saying it was an order that was not possible to be canceled !!?? how is that possible!? seriously all orders must be able to be canceled also the lady i talked to was not very helpful at all and soon after the calls i realized my bank account was being charged by this people ! i called my bank canceled my account but it was too late they had already taken all my money out and left me overdrawn now i have problems with my bank because of this company i just need to know is there a way to get them to stop calling?? i don't care about my bank problems i will pay my bank back even if i never allowed this so called order and never gave them permission to charge my account i just want the annoying phone calls to stop, also my cell number is private i have no idea how they even got it and i honestly do not care i am only 22 years old and i had good credit until this started happening i stopped trying to communicate with the people that call they do not help and it seems you can not get a word in edgewise if there is any news on this please email me at poetaymodelo@yahoo.com i want the phone calls to stop i am also scared a bit because every message i hear they threaten to send me to jail i am exhausted with this and my health is suffering because of all the stress what can be done?
  • 0
    Jon
    I've recently found myself stuck too. I've recently noticed I have huge chunks of money being taken from my account from ARC. I didn't have any cash in my account so they're going to try again later. Should I just close my account and leave with a lesson learned or can I get my money back? I'm not really afraid of being taken to court or anything. I don't have the money to pay for these magazine I'll never receive.
  • 0
    Jon
    Quick follow-up.
    I cancelled the order with little trouble, they tried offering me 30% off, then 30% off again and free shipping. Then easier payments and a better choice of magazines.

    I recently have lost over $100 for fraud so I assume they've had something to do with it or it was coincedence. On my bank statement there are a few charges from AP9*YouSavingsClub and AP9*TodaysEscape. Keep an eye out for these. Cancel your card the second you see them, goto your bank or if it's a credit card go call the company. Visa and my bank we great about this and I'm feeling a bit better.
    My bank will be reimbursing me soon enough, they need 5-7 days to investigate the disputed billings. I'll update afterwards.
  • 0
    nicole
    How did u get it cancelled, my boyfriend has the same problem, and when he tried cancelling they told him that he couldnt because some other company pays for his subcriptions and then he has to pay that, which i think is so bs. But if you would reply to this it would really help, cuz they call several times a day everyday of the week. Thanks
  • 0
    Jon
    I just called them up and said I couldn't afford it. Which is sort of true. They chopped the prices twice and then were mad as they said goodbye. Just tell them there's not way you can get the funds to pay for these things. Just keep refusing the magazines. When he made the order, assuming he actually did, the never mentioned your obligation to them or your inability to cancel the order. Once the item is shipped you can only cancel those which haven't been sent. Since these are periodicals they can't send you them all at once. So worst case scenario he'll pay $20. So my suggestion is to act fast and keep making phone calls as much as you can. Keep your cool and be courteous regardless of their behavior.
    Good luck. Tell us if it works.
  • 0
    Brey
    I too, have had this problem with this company. They took money out of my checking account, and I quickly filed a dispute with my bank and applied for a new debit card. I have not had anything taken out since, because they have no information. However, I do receive phone calls at all hours of the day, every single day. I filed a report with the BBB of Atlanta, GA, but I dont know what else to do. I get calls from a "BLOCKED" number, and I think it's them too. Although I do receive calls from the 800-237-7855 number as well. Should I answer it and fight with them, or just let them keep calling and not do anything?
  • 0
    Riujin
    About a month and a half ago I stupidly signed up thinking it was a good deal.  I thought it was 3 payments of 74.80 a month for the 60 months of magazines, NOT 15 payments of 74.80 a month.  Also their welcome package only had like one magazine that I actually ordered.  They call me yesterday stating that if I don't settle for $900 they would press fraud charges against me because one, read one, of the payments bounced because i keep most of my money in my savings.  Their contract even says you are NOT in default till after 10 days of a missed payment, yesterday was the ninth day.  I filed a complaint with my states attorney general and the BBB and will be filing with the FTC soon.
  • 0
    tara
    i'm really tired of the blocked phone calls on my cellphone! the american reading club company calls me everyday about magazines i did not order. they call and hang up and when they do answer they are rude. i'm going to do whatever i have to do to get them shut down. if anyone is interested in helping me do so e-mail me at sfh1987@yahoo.com i am really serious about this. we do not have to take this.
  • 0
    arcAND po'd
    This Co called one day when I was asleep, I answered there questions and later when I woke up and got a confirmation call later , I tried to cancel after tallying how much these mags were going to cost($1400)i tried to cancel they said I couln't. so i said I'd take 1 yrs subcr. that was still 220 dollars, but trying to resolve with them I am still not getting my magazine and have numerously called to complain, they give you the run around, but i'm about to run around on this Co.(ARC) they done worked on the nerve that I had in reserve.this co. is ridiculous.

    P.S. is there anyway you can stop them from electonically taking your money?
  • 0
    MIKE
    I FILED  A LAWSUIT THIS MORNING... FOR $500,000 AGAINST THEM......  I'LL TIE THEM UP IN COURT FOR YEARS
  • 0
    Anonymouse
    they purchases Lists from brokers, its a commmon practice
  • 0
    ANONYMOUS
    best thing you can do is change your phone number, and your account information, i worked for this company and it is all illegitimate
  • 0
    TheWrongGuyToScam
    I think we should all call and write to the owner as often as we can throughout each and every day (and night) to let him know what a fine job his employees are doing, and how much we appreciate their efforts:

    Richard Maresco, Owner of American Reading Club Incorporated
    Phone:  770-844-8687
    Fax:   3870 SINCLAIR SHORES RD [***], GEORGIA 30041
    Atlanta & Cummings Ga, Georgia
    U.S.A.
  • 0
    Karyn
    They keep calling me.. Two, three times a day, asking for someone who is not me. They claim they are attorneys and that they are calling in regards to a legal matter. No matter how many times I say that I'm not who they are looking for, they either hang up on me or tell them that I need to fax my phone bill to them as proof. I will obviously not do this. They state that they have all of my information but refuse to give me their number or the company name. I had to google their fax number, which is the same as a helicopter charter service in Georgia and ask the lady who answered what the company name is. What do I do? How do I get them to stop calling without giving my personal info? What if they do have my info, even if they ask for someone else? Do I call the cops? Get a lawyer? This is harassment! Please help!
  • 0
    tj
    Their harassing calls are either Do Not Call violations if they are the magazine telemarketer, for which you can sue them under TCPA (up to $500 per violation), or FDCPA violations (up to $1000 per action, plus damages and attorney fees), since they are acting like debt collectors while failing to identify themselves or that they are calling to collect a debt.

    They are calling for someone else.  All you want is for them to cease calling you.

    You have no obligation to provide them with any information on yourself, nor would you want them to have anything they might use to fraudulently claim you agreed to some phony "contract".  As you have already seen from earlier complaints, they have been running some sort of "magazine subscription" scam/extortion racket for years.  

    File complaints for their Do Not Call violations with FTC, then contact your state Attorney General, and the Attorney General for the state of Georgia.  You might also file a complaint with Georgia BBB for their harassing calls, to put it on the record.

    Deal with them at arms length.  If you have to, look for an attorney with experience in TCPA and junk fax litigation.
  • 0
    tj
    It may be a common practice to purchase lists of names and phone numbers from list brokers, but the above summarized complaints indicate they are obtaining bank account or credit card billing information as well.  That enables fraudulent telemarketing and theft through fraudulent charges.

    Selling lists of names with account information is illegal under federal law.  FTC has prosecuted several scams using such purchased account information.
  • 0
    tj
    http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Jody/Pearson/

    "Jody Pearson
    Title
    Executive Administrator at North Atlanta Magazine Corp.
    Demographic info
    Executive Office | Greater Atlanta Area
    Current: Executive Administrator at North Atlanta Magazine Corp. Past: Executive Administrator/Operations Manager at Choice Savings Direct mail Advertising & Printing Education: Pima Community College
    "

    Past employer, in Roswell, GA:
    http://www.choicesavings.com/aboutus-new.html
  • 0
    tj
    What is the relationship between CGC Consulting Services (CGCCS) and American Reading Club?

    Does CGCCS buy list information from telemarketers and TV advertisers that includes credit card numbers?

    Does CGCCS sell lists including credit card numbers?
  • 0
    tj
    Claiming to have "tapes" is primarily a tactic used by fraudulent telemarketers to extort payments not actually agreed to.  Fraudulent telemarketers are well known to both doctor tapes, and to use only excerpts played to their victims in order to coerce payments consumers may not have agreed to.  

    If they fully disclosed their terms up front, they would not heve to be set up to use coercion.  But if they did that, who would agree to their absurd prices?

    It is unlikely that any "recording" will show up in court.  Whatever they recorded (and there are many ways to produce a recording different from the actual phone conversation), will most likely be used only to threaten consumers, or possibly to deceive foolish bank employees too stupid to recognize telemarketing fraud when they see it.

    It is also unlikely that any threats to take you to court will ever be carried out.  Threats are used BECAUSE they can't use the courts.  They have to keep below the radar, using "in-house" collections rather than suing or using an external collection agency, since FTC and various state Attorneys General are familiar with this type of scam, and have gone after many similar ones.

    With this type of scam, their best play is to get your money by threats, offering some "discount" to reach a "settlement" if they have to.  They get most of your money, and never send you the rest of their overpriced magazines.  It's all profit.
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