I sent out a subscription card from a mailed solicitation couple of months ago telling the magazine to “bill me later” and was expecting a magazine, but instead I got a bill telling me to send them their money before I get a magazine. It’s been a long time since I’ve sent out one of these “bill me later” cards and it didn’t say anything about paying before getting the first issue, but I recall most magazines send you your first issue along with the bill.
I put the bill aside and totally forgot about it until I received an unsolicited book from WWJ as part of their book-of-the-month program and a second bill saying they want their money now. Annoyed, I sent the book back, but wrote a check for the subscription just last week. Today I got this notice from their credit department telling me “Nonpayment… will have a serious effect on your credit rating with our company… you are obligated to honor your bill.” Credit rating?
If I didn’t pay the bill, am I legally obligated to the subscription even if I never receive a single magazine?
Replies
Was the solicitation from WW Journal? I remember hearing about a scam where an outside company solicits subscriptions for mags., but not on behalf of the mag. itself. Seems they get people to send their money in, but never actually place an order for the customer.
Newhuh,
I'd contact WWJ directly, providing copies of the dunning notices you've received, and explaining what you told us. If there's another outfit that's using their name for illicit purposes, I'd be very surprised if they don't want to hear about it; and if, indeed, WWJ is the perpetrator, you will be in a better position to make a decision about your desire to conduct business with them in the future.
To whom did you send a check?
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
For what it is worth I agree.. Call them direct and.. If it were me I'd say 'What the hell is going on here?'
I experienced a deal like that with Rodale Press years ago- In a certified letter, a copy of which I kept, I said thanks for the book, I didn't ask for it and don't want it, you know where it is because you sent it to me, drop by any time and pick it up- I don't recall any credit repercussions-
Yea perhaps I should give 'em a call to just varify the situation. I think WWJ's editorial office is located in Minn. but their subscription department's in Colo. Strangely there's no phone number on their billing letter. Hmm...I just thought it was odd that they'd send me a book unsolicited, and at the same time yell at me for not making prompt payment. I guess they're thinking I'm some kind of deadbeat subscriber. Anyway thanks for the responses.
Interesting, I just checked their website and customer care - all email based - no phone numbers. Check the magazine - may have a number there.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
The book thing is legit and new. They send you the first book (in a series). It's yours to keep for free, but they encourage you to send it back if you really don't want it. If you send back the form that's included, you're signing up for the series, which is one of those "opt out" things. I'll have to find the paperwork, make sure I'm recollecting right, but I'm pretty sure that's it.
Sounds like you were the target of a scam. Want me to find a phone#?? I'm sure I have one!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I checked out Woodworker's Journal Website and I accessed their "personal account info" section. Found my name in there so it looks ok. I think the scam everyone's talking about was the phony Taunton Press subscription incident that happened last year.
"was the phony Taunton Press subscription incident that happened last year." That type of scam doesn't have a finite lifespan. For every one that's stopped, 3 more jerks step up to fill in.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Same experience with Time Life books, unsolicited mailings. They sent a collection agency after me, ended up on my credit report....
Just curious... How were they able to do that? Don't they need your s.s. number to have access to your credit report?
It's been 25 years, but as I recall, it started as a trial basis book club (no obligation, that sort of thing). At some point I wanted to end it. I sent a letter to cancel it returned with next volume, next book same thing etc. Postage was getting expensive, books kept coming. Advised at the time by a friend/lawyer to write letter informing them that any further books would be considered gifts as I had given adequate notice (several times) to terminate. A while after that is when I got a call from a collection agency. Funny thing is, I recalled eventually paying the collection agency, as the calls were getting very nasty.
Did you dispute it? I know it's a PITA, but the b******s will be free to run roughshod til we take the time to make them pay- Where money's the motive, the cash register's the conscience-
Was not aware until quite a while after it happened. Access to credit card reports was difficult 25 years ago.
I'm pretty sure that if they sent you an unsolicited book, you are under no obligation to pay for it or to return it.
FWIW, every time I have accepted a "trial offer" magazine subscription, the bill comes before the first issue. The times I have, as instructed, written "cancel" across the bill, I got no issue at all.
It seems that if you never got a magazine, and don't want any magazines, and only requested an advertised trial offer, they have no reason to expect any money from you at all. What, exactly, would you be paying for?
Tell 'em to pound sand. Every time these tactics work, more a holes start using them.
edit: Thinking about this I realized, if there is any debt at all here, it is that they owe you one copy of their magazine.
Edited 6/23/2005 10:07 pm ET by TXJon
The unsolicited book came with a return sticker/postage so I just dropped it off with my local mail center. It's been some time since I've had a new magazine subscription, so I was assuming that I'd get a magazine before the bill arrived. It was only $13 for six issues. It seems like everyone's doing aggressive sales tactic these days... kind of annoying. Strangely WWJ's Website has no phone number. As far as magazine scam goes, that is really low on the scam food chain...
I had the same problem with Woodworkers Book Club. I sent the book back, and they continued to bill me for a few years. Ignore them and they will go away.
This topic came up on WoodCentral a few weeks back. It was pretty well hashed out in this thread:
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/messages.pl?frames;read=223135
Basically you can keep the book and ignore the paperwork that came with it even though it really looks like an invoice.
Alan
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