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What a low-down way to do business! This sure takes a lot of nerve!
I just received a phone call from my Mother asking me if I've received any free magazine subscriptions in the mail. I said, "no, why?" She said: Well, I did and the card that came with it stated that I would receive 8 free issues and then they would *automatically* charge my credit card, that "I had authorized" for a year's subscription. I did NOT authorize this at all. I was just livid! So I called them and asked them just *exactly where did you get my credit card number?*
They told her that they got it from something she had ordered on television or online. Now we know that companies sell customer lists, but give out credit card numbers? That's highly illegal isn't it? She, and I just can't believe they did this!!
Mom is going to write to her congressman/woman about this and I think we all should. She seldom orders anything online or off of television, but I told her what to look for when she did. i.e., https in the address bar and the locked padlock icon in the task bar so she would know that she is ordering from a secure site. But now I guess we'd all better read the tiny fine print to make sure that they are not going to give our credit card numbers out also? This is unbelievable!!
What unmitigating gall! To send you a free magazine and hope you don't read the enclosed card so they can then just start charging your credit card without your authorization!! How can they legally get away with this?
I told her I know that by requesting information or ordering something online that you are giving permission to receive third party emails, but we are not giving third parties permission to actually send us something in the mail. And we're certainly not giving the company we've ordered from permission to give out our credit card information.
Here's the list of what she received:
Good Housekeeping
US
National Enquirer = when she called them, they also informed her she would be receiving "Shape Magazine" too.
She told all of them that she was just livid and in no uncertain terms were they to charge her credit card. She also told them that she is going to let her Congressman/woman know about this and that they had better let their *powers-that-be* know of this too.
I told her I would get the word out as best I could online, so I hope you'll all help me with this. This has to be stopped. How many people will get taken in by this? Especially Seniors??
Comments
Been receiving Shape Magazine, when I never even asked to receive it. Thought it was a gift, but then just received a BILL for the subscription. Tried to call but they weren't answering their phones (at 6pm) even though they said they were open until 9pm.
I say this is a case for a State investigation for consumer fraud.
Please don't publish my email address, etc.
The whole thing is absolutely outrageous. I don't see how they can charge your credit card and if they do I would certainly be hollering. You have to wonder just how desperate these cretins are for business if they try to scam people this way.
Unbelievable!! I don't see how they can get away with this. These people should be prosecuted. It's theft and fraud! I just don't understand how they can bill your credit card without your permission and where did they get that number in the first place? The people they got the number from should also be proscecuted.
I've gotten a couple of free subscriptions before but I received a legitimate letter in the mail telling me that I would be receiving a one year subscription. One was a news magazine and the other was a computer magazine. Nothing of the above has happened to me.
Thanks for the link Trii, I'll check it out.
Glenda
This kind of stuff happens all the time. It is offline spam. We received a whole bunch of, "free magazines" once, in the name of Jeff Schiller. Well, there is no such person, not at this address anyway. My maiden name is Schiller, but my husband's name is Jeff Sonnenberg. The best part is that they have tried billing a credit card we no longer use, and since that has faile, they are trying to send us to collections, for non-payment.
Isn't that a HOOT!
I recommend this web site, for reaching the powers that be... http://www.planetfeedback.com I have used their services many times and have had positive results. ( I reached Bill Clinton, at the White House, through PF. More than once, and I've actually received postal mail responses too.)
Trii
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I say this is a case for a State investigation for consumer fraud.
Please don't publish my email address, etc.