For the past couple of months I have received calls every few days from some company calling themselves “Readers Services.” They claim they represent the magazines I subscribe. Nope. I subscribe to one wood working magazine. I call this publisher and they say this company is a scam to sign up people for magazine subscriptions. Indeed the callers try to say I must complete some sort of question and answers and provide billing details in order not to be charged $1200.00.
Every time I say not to call me anymore they say okay. Then they call again. On the call last night at 9:30 PM (that woke my 2 year old) I tried to obtain their real company name and address. When I demanded the address the caller hung up. Amazing as for every other call no matter what I said they would not hang up.
This morning I ran some searchers. They indeed seem to be some scam soliciting for magazines. They go under the name of Readers Services, National Magazine Exchange, Special Data Processing Corp, Agora Marketing Solutions and other names. They appear to be out of Clearwater Florida.
They seem to get your contact information from the wealth of online giveaways and sweepstakes. Darn – I never should have asked for that Eucerin coupon or something similar.
Seems like the next step is to write letters to a whole bunch of folks such as the FTC, MA and Fl state attorney generals and others.
And here is the site for the scammers – http://www.unitedreaders.com/ or http://www.nrscontest.com/. Seems from most references to be the first of these two sites. Yet, they seem to be interconnected when reading the various complaints.
Here are some links to various folks with the same issue:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/magazine-readers-service-c131550.htmlhttp://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/215/RipOff0215710.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?submit22=Search+All+The+Latest+Rip-Off+Reports+Now%21&q1=ALL&q2=&q3=&q4=&q5=national+magazine+exchange&q6=&q7=&searchtype=0
http://www.travelingsalescrews.info/magazine%20scams%20and%20rip%20offs.html
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/national-magazine-exchange-c113621.html
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/national-magazine-exchange-c8287.html
http://enemiesblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/magazine-slamming.html
http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=12788
http://ago.mo.gov/newsreleases/2007/020107.htm
http://jlassen.livejournal.com/203934.html
http://www.dmnews.com/Missouri-AG-files-27-more-legal-actions-from-Senior-Sting/article/94331/
http://thefishingguy.blogspot.com/2008/04/strike-it-rich-vi-sweepstakes.html
http://lifeisjfk.blogspot.com/2008/03/nme-prize-disbursement-21-m-dollars.html
http://subtleparticle.com/Word/?p=481
#1 by mayra on July 19, 2010 - 8:52 pm
hi I feel so bad!!! I got scammed too and the worst part is that I found out about this too late I’m almost done with the payments! I’m so angry I want my money back but I don’t know what to do.. is there a way to get my money back? can please someone tell me what to do
#2 by Dan Katz on July 21, 2010 - 7:32 pm
There is little chance you will be able to get your money back. getting money from a reputable company is hard enough. Getting money from a company that appears to routinely scams tens of thousands of people will be near impossible. the only chance you have is to contact your credit card company.
#3 by Maria on July 20, 2010 - 12:58 pm
Unfortunately, I too got tricked into buying all these magazine I don’t even read. Is there a way to cancel my subscription? Thanks a lot.
#4 by Dan Katz on July 21, 2010 - 7:30 pm
Call your credit card company and in the future realize that any such cold calls are ridiculous. Apply common sense and the fact that anyone who calls your home for something is likely not a good deal. if you had wanted something in the first place you would have reached out to someone.
#5 by Art on July 20, 2010 - 4:30 pm
I’ve begun getting these calls also, just received one about 20 minutes ago. When I told the youg lady that I was recording the call, she hung up. I did manage to record a call on 7/19, and got a name, “Peter Small”. This may be an alias. I suggest that all purchase a recorder that will record your conversations leagally, and inform caller of such. Also, call your card servers and explain to them what is going on. You can close that account number and have a new one issued to the acct.. I realize that might be a temporary inconvience, but it one that will save you much stress and save your credit.
#6 by Carol on July 21, 2010 - 2:49 pm
I called my credit card company and told them not to accept any charges from Reader’s Services. I have had the exact same experience as above – they have called 5 times and won’t let me go. When I ask for a supervisor they hang up. So, so frustrating because they won’t stop calling. Next time they call, I’m immediately telling them that I’m reporting them to the Better Business Bureau!!!
#7 by Dan Katz on July 21, 2010 - 7:29 pm
Glad top hear you took action. My efforts to the BBB have simply continued their poor rating. I am glad to hear you will reinforce it as well.
#8 by Dan Katz on July 21, 2010 - 7:39 pm
To everyone who reads this post. I am no lawyer. I provide nothing but things that I would do and things that I think are common sense. I cannot be held liable for anything that results from actions taken, or not taken from what you read hear or anywhere else. Hey, I am just sharing my own experience and encouraging others to do the same to get these folks and others off our backs.
#9 by T-Rae on August 3, 2010 - 6:18 pm
I just gave this company an updated mailing address, minus the apartment number, but would not agree to any kind of payment. When I asked for reader service’s phone number to get an copy of the original contract, they beat around the bush about forwarding my information to a supervisor. I am being called about an automatic renewal for magazines I don’t get and never would have wanted. They say my service started 2.5 years ago, or that it started 6.5 years ago, (but the old address they have is is about 5.5 years old).
I got off the phone with them without giving any more information, and after reading these complaints here and elsewhere, I will not give any more information to them at all.
I wonder who to contact to report the scam, the FCC, since it is done by telephone? I will look into that.
#10 by Dan Katz on August 4, 2010 - 6:06 am
You should report this to your state attorney general and the FTC.
#11 by Ed on August 8, 2010 - 4:31 pm
Your Readers Service experiences closely parallel mine. After incessant calls to solicit with a promise to review contract, they got enough info to start debiting one of our accounts. They provided no written copy of contract, saying that verbal consent was recorded and stands, but it would take a few days to replay. The list goes on. We have filed with the state AG consumer fraud division, stopped payment on the auto-debit, and called Readers Service and told them what action we are taking to protect our identity from theft and finances from fraud. We have not heard back from them. Billing notices from them get “No Account Exists” and returned to them. If we receive magazines, I go to the mag’s website and explain that I do not authorize Readers Service to use my personal identity information and to please stop sending magazines. 100% success so far.
Companies like this are persistent parasites: they try to browbeat and bully people into believing that the terms are theirs to dictate, that we have no recourse. They are wrong.
#12 by Mai on August 21, 2010 - 12:23 am
Hi,
I was just on the phone with them today and they definitely have this down pretty good. He started off by saying that I was put into a contest to win some money by one of my credit card companies and listed visa, discover, etc and asked which was my favorite and I replied visa. he then asked how old i was and what my occupation was and i responded. he then goes on to tell me that as thanks, they’re sending me a watch with a diamond in it, etc and that they’re offering a magazine subscription. but of course, he talked so fast that i missed the payments for that. after a few seconds, i asked him if the magazines were free and he said no, it’s $$$ per week. i was like no thanks, i don’t want it and he said that it’s all part of a packaged deal and i’m like then i don’t want it, which then he promptly hung up on me. he verified my home address and tried to get my work phone which i didn’t give to him, but i’m afraid i gave him too much info including verifying my address (which he already had) and then telling him my age and occupation. i didnt’ give him any credit card or bank numbers…. do they already have this information?!?! should i expect some sort of paper bills?!?
#13 by Cassie on August 30, 2010 - 3:45 pm
The EXACT same thing happened to me just a few minutes ago that happend to “Mai.” I hope that i didn’t accidntally sign up for something by mistake. I did not give any extra info, but he already had my address and such. while on the phone with him i googled this place and saw it was a scam and said I DO NOT WANT ANYTHING SENT TO ME and I hope he got the memo and isn’t sending anything else. What should I do? How did they get this info in the first place?