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Gulf Coast Readers Complaints - Received magazines I never ordered!

Review all Gulf Coast Readers complaints

Gulf Coast Readers

Posted: 2007-07-04 by Crystal Cunningham [send email]

Received magazines I never ordered!

Complaint Rating:

I received a postcard saying I ordered Stuff and Maxim magazines from Gulf Coast Readers I never ordered these magazines I do not want these magazines. I also believe my checking account was charged I have called and left a message at the 1-800 # but have not heard anything from this company. Beware!

Comments

United States

Magazines & Newspapers

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393 days ago by Jerry G. Brook [send email]

377 days ago by Greg Omar [send email]
I had a similar experience. I had a charge show up from this company on my credit card statement. Then several magazines started showing up that I don't remember ordering. I plan to check into canceling my credit card and send back these magazines...

376 days ago by Crystal Cunningham [send email]
Jerry - You seem to know a lot about this company and put a lot of effort into defending them, are you sure you don't happen to work there? ;-) Just kidding. Seriously though, I guess I don't see how your positive experience makes me any less wronged. It doesn't sound like we had similar experiences at all.

150 days ago by Perfect A. Okay [send email]
Funny how Jerry G. knows so much about the business; don't you think? Of course Jerry G. Brook works there. It's not the person's real name; they do this all the time.

148 days ago by Diana Shane [send email]
I had someone come selling magazines door to door. He cashed my check but that was 2 months ago. I was supposed to get a subscription but never did. I talked to my bank and I'm going to get that person. I called for the magazines and they never heard of me.

135 days ago by Kenneth Blanton [send email]

Gulf Coast Readers is without a doubt the worst organization I have ever dealt with. My son returned from Iraq in late December. It is unclear how they gleaned his account information, but they are sending him Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, etc. that he is not only uninterested in, but he also did not approve the purchase. I have spent the last two months trying to help him resolve the problem by calling Gulf Coast Readers at their toll free number only to be left on hold for 30 minutes at the time. I have never been able to contact a supervisor; however, about once a week one of their representatives calls me demanding payment.

I finally called my local Better Business Bureau who researched Gulf Coast Readers and discovered that they have numerous complaints. I have since turned them over to the North Carolina Secretary of States office for resolution. We have begun returning the magazines to the publishers with a copy of the correspondence for their review.

Beware of Gulf Coast Readers they are not a legitimate company.

115 days ago by James Andrews [send email]
I was wondering if anyone has the number to contact this company. They took 60.00 out of my bank and i never received anything. I want to talk to them and cancel my "subscription" if i cant do that i will just contact my bank and have them stop payments to that company, that should work, right?

114 days ago by Marie [send email]

I agree 100% to what most of you guess have to say about this company, the way they go about things, and get in contact with someone there. The only person I don't agree with is the one stating that they had any good experiance with this company. Just like Kenneth Blanton I have also sent a complaintto the BBB and Gulf Coast Readers do have multiple complaints and most of them are about the same issue. You can contact Gulf Coast Readers by call 239-540-0707 and that just once of there #'s . But belive me when I say when you get done with them you might want to be contacting the BBB yourself.

95 days ago by I Am Real [send email]

well i DID work for this company and im not defending them nor condoning their methods of sales. but one thing stays a fact this company IS LIGIT. They are real people making a living in florida, the computers pull up names of people who are LISTED OBVIOUSLY FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER!!! we dont scan the phone book to pick you out for fun. Also in order for one rep to "close" a sale YOU MUST give them the OKAY to transfer the call and you MUST give them the info... THEY are not phycic, all we see is John doe and where he lives... you give us the rest of the info...IN ADDITION to what wa said about our service... maybe they dont have the top of line speed but they always treat you kindly!!! i know this for a FACT.

50 days ago by Paul L [send email]

I would have to agree with most of the complaints, They blind side you like a deer caught in the headlights. I got 2 random calls from this company, First time they hung up on me before i could get who they were, But oddly enough, It was the same girl that called me the last time, So i sat here kindly, Writing down pretty much everything they said, And i caught something funny in what she was telling me... She said that my "Visa Credit Card Company" entered me into some kind of contest? Uhhh... No they didn't, Nor would they. So tomorrow, I will be calling this 1800 number to cancel this "agreement" of 59.80 bucks a month for 15 months, for 60 months worth of mags of which i won't read anyhow... But i like their spin of the "You been entered to win a million dollars" thing, Bravo on their part of adding that in to get people to go with it... Almost impressed with that.

44 days ago by Dee [send email]

I recently received 2 calls from this company as well. I immediately recognized it was some sort of telemarketing ploy. I attempted to tell the representative that I was not interested but before I could request that I be taken off of their calling list and out of their data base, the rep hung up in my face. I was curious to know how they obtained my information. The next day I received another telemarketing attempt by a different representative. The phone call played out exactly as the first call did the day before, the rep hung up in my face when I expressed I was not interested and when I attempted to request that they remove me from their calling list she hung up in my face before I could finish my sentence. I immediately googled the company which led me to this website. I obtained the 239-540-0707 number from a previous complaint by Marie. (BY THE WAY THANK YOU MARIE FOR POSTING THE NUMBER IT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR KUDOS TO MARIE ) So I contacted them and immediately and politely requested to please speak with a supervisor. I was told by Rhonda after being placed on hold for a few minutes none was available. I then proceeded to tell Rhonda to please remove me from their data base and to cease from calling my telephone. She then identified herself as the office manger ( was I in the twilight zone Rhonda ??? I just asked for a manger and you said none was available) she then told me after I asked how they obtained my personal information that they purchase names and addresses and telephone numbers of individuals from other companies. I did recently apply and was approved for a new credit card (my one and only credit card, I am stating this because I am careful of what info I put out there and have a horrible time refraining from shopping so I deny myself credit cards to keep my finances in order but I then realized this is where the information probably came from--the credit card company). Anyhoo I stressed to Rhonda, who kept interrupting me and talking over me to please remove me from their system and to not contact me again. The reps are very rude and seem evasive. I feel if the company is on the up and up they would not have to use the tactics this company is utilizing to try to lure individuals to purchase their product. I did forget to mention during the first call the rep did go through the script they use to try to get me to offer my visa or mastercard number in order to enter some sort of sweepstakes. Of course I refused to do so. Something is shady about their dealings.

44 days ago by Dee [send email]
OH P.S. I forgot to check the "thumbs Down" box in my previous statement so it does give the illusion despite my commentas that I agree with this company, but I do not.

41 days ago by Teresa [send email]

Gulf Coast Readers is a scam operation. It is beyond me how people can report to a "job" like this every day. To all of you folks who have been swindled... check out this information from the FTC... http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/magzn.shtm ... and then PLEASE FILE COMPLAINTS with the following agencies:

THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION...
you can file complaints online with them at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
and then file at
http://www.ftc.gov/sentinel/
where they keep a running tally and work with other offices (like the BBB, etc)

THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU...
https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/GetStarted.aspx

AND, last, but NOT LEAST - YOUR STATES ATTORNEY'S GENERAL OFFICE (just do a google search by your state and attorney general). Almost all states allow you to file the complaints online.

ALSO - I would recommend sending a "cease and desist" letter to Gulf Coast Readers - making it crystal clear that you are also notifying all of these other agencies, your state's AG. Make sure you send the letter Certified AND Return Receipt Requested. (this will cost about $15. - but it will hold up in court)

MOST OF ALL - do NOT let them bully you. If you have the means, I would pick up a recording device, and if they call again - make a POINT of saying "Hold on, I need to record this conversation"... take as many moments/minutes as necessary to get the recording going.

Do NOT let them get away with this.

33 days ago by Melissa [send email]

I agree with all your statements about Gulf Coast Readers, my husband unfortunately was conned in to 2 magazine subscriptions (Gulf Coast Readers & Your Best Option), more than 10 years ago and they are still withdrawling money from our bank account. I hardly think anyone would sign a subscription for 10 years. I would like for them to send my husband a contract stating this. Everytime my husband calls they tell him that they will do this and that and then the subscription will be over, but it's been a year since they have said that!

They won't let anyone other than my husband talk to them. A very rude representative stated that very clearly to me one time.

I'm sick of spending $100/month on magazines we don't even want. Whenever they don't have the ones we had specified they send doubles of others and others that I wouldn't ever read. We continue to get renewal letters for certain magazines.

I will have my husband call 239-540-0707 right away and hopefully stop this subscription good and for all! My husband was single at the time, probably didn't know what he was getting in to, I have a feeling since we have direct deposit it's going to be harder than we think to get rid of this company!

29 days ago by M. Mitchell [send email]

I agree with all of you. I spoke with a rep a few months ago, who explained ot me that I had been " chosen" to receive this special offer of 2 payments of 59.80 for 15 months of mags. i do not read mags, but thought it was a good offer. I noticed that they have been debiting form my account for 3 months now. I called the 1-800-637-6959 to cancel and receive a refund ( I have not received any mags). I left a message in the Vm and reeived a call the next day. The rep was very rude and she sucked hard. She basically called me a liar and told me that she was not a mind reader. When she said that I asked who she was and she told me that she was a CSR I immediately asked for a sup. She stated that he would be in at 1pm and he will call me then. I recieved no call, so I called the next day. I was told by that rep that the sup did not come in and would not be in and he was on vacation until next week. I flipped, I asked was there another sup available she said no she was the only one there. In my office we have 5 sups, there is no way that this is a legit company with 1 employee a day and no sup r that the sup can take off for a week and not tell anybody. I reported them to my bank and when I get in touch with these MFs I will put a loud a clear buzz in their ear. Gerry g and I am real you can let them know that.

29 days ago by Claire L. Rayl [send email]
My name is Claire L. Rayl and I do not want any more magazines. Unauthorized bills from you, your company or any of your subsidies, including any unauthorized money charged/or taken out of my bank account, will bring charges of fraud about your company to the Federal Trade Commission and the General Postmaster and the Better Business Bureau for FRAUD!

29 days ago by Claire L. R. [send email]

I just got off of the phone with the Gulf-Coast-Reader's account's supervisor. I asked for a 'hard copy' of the original contract. They declined and said the original contract dated would be replaced with today's date (then the customer/subscriber would be able to cancel within the 7-day period).
I asked him "what good is the contract that has no contract date on it?" He said "that's why they don't send contracts back."

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