Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

Whats up with Reader's Digest and their billing for a subscription I never asked for. They keep sending their digest that I did not subscribe to and a bill. I have been trying to get their phone number but it was hard to find so I tried looking it up on line and found out I was not the only one. Here is a link to what I found out while doing a Goggle search for their number which I will be calling Monday.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/misc/readers_dig.html

This should be illegal!

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

I declined to resubscribe after reading that if I give them a credit card, they'll automatically renew it forever afterward unless I take action. Incredible!!!!

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

Sports Illustrated automatically renewed my subscription for two or three years and turned me into collections when I didn't pay the $59 they say I owed them. I called and told them they could have their free coffee mug back if that's how they do business.

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

I didn't renew Readers Digest after they doubled the subscription prices. They then sent an offer reducing the price from $24.95 to $17.95 with 5 free gift subscriptions. I'm not going to subscribe again.

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

I just re-subscribed (after a free subscription!!!!) to a magazine I really do like called

"The Week"
after renewing, they've already sent me another renewal notice, pain in the butt...

but it's a very good magazine that I'd recommend

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

Oprah is out to get me.

Yes, Oprah.

A year ago I spent ten bucks on a subscription. (It's such a pretty and slick publication. I just could not resist.)

I paid my ten bucks by check.

The subscription expired. I don't want it anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a quite hateful renewal notice saying that I had agreed to subscribe forever or give them my firstborn child or some such thing.

I wrote, "DID NOT AGREE. CANCEL." across the letter and mailed it back.

We shall see what happens.

Do you think there could be a pattern here?

Hey, they probably have our demographic and figure it's open season on the geezers who are used to paying their bills.

This is kind of funny because when I first received the hate mail, I thought about asking this same question on TOTV, but I didn't. I'm glad somebody did. It's interesting to see that a lot of us are getting hit.

Magazine subscriptions have to be feeling the influence of the internet. Maybe they have turned their subscription departments over to Tony Soprano.

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

OK.

This is a bump.

When I should have been outside digging in the yard, I was in here digging into my own posts.

And I found this one and I deemed it bump-worthy because this happened to me again on Friday and I bet it is happening to a lot of you.

What is with these magazines sending us this mail telling us that we agreed to subscribe forever and ever and ever?

First of all, I have never paid nor will I ever pay by credit card for magazine subscriptions. I have always suspected that doing so would leave me unable to escape renewals without jumping through a couple of hoops.

But I guess it makes no difference how you pay, they try to tell you that you agreed to stuff that you did not.

In the post that I put in this thread in January, Oprah was out to get me. Well, I have not heard any more from Oprah -- so far.

But now "Smart Money" is trying to tell me that I agreed to all sorts of things.

I had subscribed to that one because I thought maybe they could help me spin straw into gold. Well, they have not come through, and now they are telling me, just like Oprah did, that I promised them my first born child.

I would actually have renewed "Smart Money" but after Friday's mail, I am in a bit of a snit and may break up with them.

So watch out when you subscribe to magazines. They are getting pretty heavy-handed and rather deceptive in some subscription departments.

Boomer

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

In spite of its sanctimonious, holier-than-thou look that it presents to the world, I've never fully trusted the Reader's Digest and am not surprised to read about a scam like this. Please post the results of your battle with them--thanks!

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

Please see the new thread I started re: Receipt of Unsolicited Mail/Merchandise to find out how to handle these issues.

However, you should also be aware that starting a few years ago, many magazine subscriptions contain verbiage to the effect that your subscription will be automatically renewed. Unless you objected to this statement, apparently it's interpreted that you've agreed to such an arrangement. Unethical if not illegal IMHO.

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

I had paid for a 1 year subscription of Reader's Digest. A month later they sent me a box with a free gift for you on the box. Inside was a book. No letter was attached with the box.
Next month the same thing happened except their was a cheap toy train and a book with short stories in it.
Two weeks later I got a bill for $27.25.
I called Readers Digest# 914-238-1000. (customer service)
She gave me the # 1-800-463-8820 for the book dept. They take calls to 11 PM.
I explained the problem. She was very nice and cancelled my bill.
I hope she wasn't scamming me again.
I was put on hold for a while so wait it out.
I hope this helps some of you out.

billing scam? -- A solution
 

Believe it or not, the credit card companies are addressing this problem. Many, if not most, of the big guys have not come up with the single use or limited time credit card specifically aimed at such things as online purchases and companies that try to automatically rebill. I heard about in on the Kim Komando radio show --- great show, by the way. The Digital Goddess explained the use of virtual card numbers. Sounds like a good solution:

Shop online the safe way

11/10/2007

A big time-saver in my life is online shopping. I can find almost anything imaginable with just a few clicks. I'll probably get my Christmas shopping done on my lunch break!

It's important to be safe when shopping online. You don't want your financial information falling into the wrong hands. But how can you best stay safe?

Your credit card issuer probably has a great option-"virtual card numbers." These numbers are temporary. So you don't have to put your real number at risk. And they are intended specifically for the Internet.

These programs are either downloaded or run online. You use them at the checkout page.
Once signed in, the programs generate temporary card numbers. If someone steals the number, damages will be limited.

Let's look at three programs.

Bank of America

Bank of America offers ShopSafe free to its online banking customers. You have to have a Bank of America credit card. Just sign in to your online banking account to access ShopSafe.

When ready to make a purchase, switch over to ShopSafe. Enter a spending limit and expiration date for your temporary card number. It will generate a new 16-digit number. At the checkout screen, use this number like a regular credit card.

Your ShopSafe number can only be used with a single merchant online. But it may be reused at that same merchant. Once expired or at the spending limit, it is no longer valid.

Discover

Discover cardholders can use Secure Online Account Numbers. You can download a program to generate the virtual numbers for PCs. Or, you can run it through the browser on a PC or Mac.

The downloaded program pops up a window on a retailer's site. If you use the browser process, open a second browser window. Use it to sign in to Discover and generate a number. Either way, the number is copied and pasted into the retailer's checkout page.

A virtual number from Discover is valid at only one retailer's site. It can be used multiple times at that site. If you buy something elsewhere, you must generate a second number.

You can't set spending limits on Discover's temporary numbers. Nor can you set an expiration date. The temporary number has the same expiration date as your real card. To deactivate a virtual number early, you must call Discover.

Citibank

Citi credit cardholders use Virtual Account Numbers. This service can be downloaded to your PC. Or, it can be accessed through a secure log-in in your browser.

Like the other cards, the number is generated at checkout. You can set an expiration date between 1 and 12 months. But the spending limit will be that same as your real-world card. The virtual number is good for only one online store. But you can use it at that merchant until the number expires.

Virtual card numbers are a great way to stay safe online. But you can't use them for every purchase. Sometimes you have to give your real card number. Some pickups or deliveries require you to show your actual card. If you used a generated number, it won't match the card.

Be sure to report stolen cards, real or virtual, to your issuer. If your card number is stolen you are protected under federal law. The Fair Credit Billing Act says you're liable for $50 in unauthorized charges. And credit card companies will often wave that liability.

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

Thanks Muncle,

I had not heard of this.

I wish I had been named Kim Komando. What a great name.

Boomer

Re: Reader's Digest billing scam?
 

What I get mad at magazines about is the way they try to get you to renew way ahead of time. If you did it every time they sent a message, you'd have a subscription for ever.