America's Choice Readers — Took money without consent!
This is a letter i wrote to America's Choice Readers, one of many: do not give America's Choice Readers your checking or credit info.
I am extremely unhappy with your customer service as well as the company itself... I was contacted by your company by phone... And originally told that my magazines would cost me $3.50 per month by a service rep named kris... Then he was having another rep call and confirm... In which case they did and happy to pay $3.50 per month i gave them my credit card information... Then the rep tells me it is 39.98 per month for 14 months for magazines which is completely outrageous!!!... I told him i could not afford that and if it was like $9 a month i could but i did not have the money in my account and that i couldn't pay for the service... He assured me that when i received the 3rd phone call they could lower the payment to $9 a month... I made sure i asked him 2x that my card would not be charged until i was sure the payment would not be more than $9 he assured me my card would not be charged... But the next day i get a call from the bank explaining how this withdrawal of $49.98 out of my checking account caused an overdraft... Shocked i called your company many times getting bounced from rep to rep when finally i was told i would get a complete refund due to the fact that i never authorized the transaction... These conversations were being recorded so i know they are there... I was told that the money would be returned to my account within 10 days ... I am writing this 14 days later and still getting the run around from your company different stories from each rep... I spoke to someone named alex on several occasions and he told me that it would be resolved that it says on my account full refund... And told me to call in 2 hours for a supervisor... Only a supervisor is never available... Convenient for your company to take money from people who do not have it...
I am also going through the same thing. My bank is helping me and filing a claim against them. They also cancelled my debit card and issued me a new one. Now the magazine company is threatening collections. Contact your bank they are a great help. I also reported them to the BBB and consumer complaints. Don't let them harrass you. Hang up or tell them they must go through your representative. Ask them to send a copy of any written contract, they can't. They also manipulate any recorded messages in their favor. Let your bank deal with them and get all your phones on the National Do Not Call Registry and report any calls with the number and the name of the person calling so you can file a complaint with the registry.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/debt/luebke_baker.html
A guy who used to work for the "collection ageny" ACR uses has some helpful tips for all you guys. Hope this helps :)
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/debt/luebke_baker.html
Dale from St. Louis wrote a comment on June 30, 2009. He supposedly used to work for the " collection agency" they use, and has some useful tips for all you guys. Hope this helps!
I HATE THIS LYING ###!!! All the things described above had happened to me. I was tricked into subscribing to a 5 magazine for only $23.95 a month.. then I did the math and it all totalled to at least $500 a year! I called to cancel, they wouldn't let me, and I told them I can't pay for this since I'm unemployed. They offered to extend my payments for two months...
THEN AN EPIPHANY HIT ME!
I gave them a Visa Gift Card credit card number, and I'm pretty sure they won't be able to haunt me. I finally did get the magazines.. but with the two month's worth of payments that they took out from me, I do not feel bad at all. And yup, I moved, and I am pretty sure there is no way of tracing me. But I will still fight coz these scammers are just nasty!! They don't have my real name (as I am recently married) No SSN, and NO DOB!
REVENGE IS SWEET!
I have been receiving calls from a collection agency of America's Choice Readers lately stating that I owe $84.00 on my account. I cancelled my subscription several years ago and have not received any magazines since. I know that when I called America's Choice Readers, the rep. I spoke to cancelled my account and I stopped getting debited from my account. I don't understand why now, in 2009, I am receiving a call from a collection agency that America's Choice Readers is using to try to get money from me. The collection agent keeps harassing me to settle the matter by paying for the balance even though I have not received any more magazines. Why would I have to continue to pay for magazines that I haven't been receiving anymore because my account has already been cancelled a long time ago? I told the collection agent that it makes no sense for me to pay for something I stopped receiving. If i was receiving magazines, then my account would still be debited, but it has stopped because my account has been cancelled. They are trying to scam me and everybody else for money. They are a scam company out to get peoples' money. I am stessed over this matter and I want it to go away, but they won't stop calling me. Why contact me 6 years later telling me that I have a balance owed? That makes no sense at all.
Sincerely,
Seng
S.O.S.
How can I stop this. I tolerated it as long as I can. I don't have a job now and I don't have money for these magazine. I have paid huge amounts to try to get it done and over with. They keep insisting I owe them more money for two more years, it has already been 3 years. They prey on people young and old and misrepresent themselves and then threaten to ruin your credit. I don't understand how they can get away with this kind of business practice. Anyone out there with any
suggestions please post them. I am at wits end!
I have also been scammed by these people. Luckily my bank flagged the first charges on my debit card so I simply ordered a new card. Without my correct info they started calling and telling me that if I didn't pay them they would have to send me to collections. Having never physically signed a contract, I ignored this threat. Soon this "collection agency" started calling numerous times a day. I never answered the phone the first couple of times and they never left messages. Finally, Being totally freaked out that they could ruin my credit score, I agreed to pay the "collection agency" over $100. The Readers Service people started calling me again demanding payment. Every time I simply told them "I WANT TO CANCEL!" They told me what they told all of you, "I'm sorry, but we have already paid the distributors and you can no longer cancel." I was told I owed over $1, 800 for a five year subscription I had supposedly agreed to. (The salesman was an EXTREMELY fast talker). I have decided to call their bluff and will no longer be giving them any money. They continue to call me between 4-8 times a day, but I do not answer. They don't leave messages and I will not call them. I will be contacting the BBB and whomever else I need to, to get them to stop.
a verified customer
took money from my visa without my consent
a verified customer
I agree with all of your posts... every month I have a new bill and every month I send them an email or call them to cancel. Same runaround. I will be contacting the BBB and the Montana Office of Consumer Protection.
Fight back!
a verified customer
AHHH! man! i'm totally in the same boat as all of you are. I'm soo angry with this company. I just recently had turned 20 in september and I'm NOT WILLING to have them mess up my credit for some stupid magazine agency! They completely scammed me into agreeing to it. I also was told about the fabulous $1000 shopping spree, which you had to pay the cost of shipping which was ridiculous! AND which I NEVER used! The man from America's Choice Reader's asked me for my credit card number and stupid me gave it to him without questioning because he had told me that in order to recieve the shopping spree, I would have to give him my card number. ALSO note that, around that time I had just opened my first credit/debit card account, I didn't know any better. The next following day, I check my online banking to see that they had charged me around $45 for the magazines! I was SHOCKED and had called them back right away to cancel. They had lowered the price down to $20/a month but I wanted to CANCEL! They told me I COULDN'T and I was stuck with them for the next 29 months! The representative or the boss or whoever the hell I was talking to that I gave my credit card number to had told me I can cancel my account ANYTIME so what the hell was this ### saying that I can't?! I had a VERY VERY HEATED discussion with the telemarketer because he was being very rude to me also. Next thing you know over the week, I recieved all these letters about spas and all this load of bull which they had charged on my debit WITHOUT my permission!! I never even heard of these companies so how was I a preferred costumer?! I had to call every single company I recieved packages from to cancel whatever the hell they were charging me for. Please email me with ANY information to help me out because I'm just soo fed up with them calling my house and harassing me with their calls and letters threatening me. I'm young and I'm scared of what this might do to my credit in the future! Please let me know!
a verified customer
i have been roped into this mess right along with all of you. once i found out i was being charged over 30 dollars a month, i called and they "agreed" to change my subscription and drop the price down to 18. i felt satisfied and and hung up the phone. a few weeks later, i got not one, but TWO bills in the mail, for the original 30+ dollars, and ANOTHER for the 18 that i thought i had changed the 30 to. then i got a bank statement saying that there was over 140 dollars taken out in the past month. they had signed me up for unauthorized programs and "discounts". not exactly a "discount" when money is being TAKEN FROM YOU UNWILLINGLY. i am officially fed up and am soon to file a complaint.
a verified customer
I have the same problem as all of you. They kept charging me on my card numerous times and they signed me up for other services that I didn't authorize. I would call them and they would put me on hold and never come to the phone and they are definately not going to take NO for an answer. So when I read their paper, the one they send when you first get the service, I read that if at any time you feel unsatisfied with the service you could write them a letter, and with no questions asked they would cancel the service, and they didn't they keep billing me. (I didn't even use the 1000 dollar shopping spree)
So right now I'm thinking of writing a complaint, I have all the letters, and the faxes I sent them, and I have the regulation e-form from my bank... I have everything, so they can't deny that I didn't send them any letter or didn't get charged from them on things I didn't authorize.
I called the Office of Consumer Protection in Montana and they are going to send me a Complaint Form, so I can't wait because these people are idiots and should be penalized, I should sue them for everything they are worth, they made me cancel my credit card, and were fraudeulently charging me. I'm so sick of them harrassing me with bills... I'm just done with them! I am not paying them a cent if anything they should pay me for dealing with their inconsistency and lies!
DON'T EVER ACCEPT THEIR OFFERS and if they keep trying to convince you CLOSE THE PHONE its not WORTH IT!
a verified customer
I was called and promised a gift certificate if I signed up with their company, then in a second phone call AFTER I was charged $49.50, they told me that the gift certificate could only be used on their website for their specific goods. I told them then that I was no longer interested and would like to have to money refunded and that it was not specifically stated that the gift certificate was limited. They REFUSED to return my money and said instead they would give me two free nights in Las Vegas or FLA and that was my only other option. HOW DO WE STOP THESE PEOPLE from doing this to other individuals? I am a college student and cannot afford to throw $50 away to nothing!!! Please help!
a verified customer
JUST got charged over 200$ between JULY AND AUGUST...nothing to show, I barely have money as it is...Why do people do this, it's horrible..they should have charges against them.
a verified customer
Today I received a letter from a credit-collections agency. This was the first such letter I have ever received, and it was, in summation, regarding Reader's Choice "willingness, " its "compromise, " to renege all defamatory and negative remarks on my character (so put by the woman at the agency) if I will "merely" pay $199+, and not the $458+ Reader's Choice nefariously alleges I owe them.
I was contacted, same as most who are scammed by this stain of America's financial scheming thieves, more than two years ago. At that time, and still, I was being stalked. I was in a marriage with a man who well...to date has not relinquished his hateful intentions for me. I was not in a state of mind to "subscribe" to anything. The America's Choice rep said the "deal" was for 18 months. When I tried to cancel within 72 hours, I got the same ###ic treatment we all seem to get. I was told to cancel within the next week.
When my husband tried to cancel, he was told the "deal" was for 24 months. According to this collection agency, [protected], which does not identify itself, Readers Choice told them I am locked in for 29 months. This is ludicrous to such a degree, preposterous to such an end, it can only happen in America.
I wonder, does this really have to be my headache? Readers Choice has had suits and complaints levied against them since I simply said yes over the phone. No judge would hold up their ability to raid accounts, especially without signatures. The fact that they've already, according to the collection agency, bartered what they want me to owe shows poor confidence in their status as a valid business. I wonder what is their tax status, and how their tax records look.
No, I am not paying a dime. As soon as my credit report is in any way marred by these idiots, I will join the woodwork of the suing and (cough, clear throat) try to find some justice in this country of thieves.
a verified customer
this people took money out of my account with out my conssent please investigate this people they get your number and call you to get your info please i need help with this problem
a verified customer
America's choice readers service is the
BIGGEST SCAM EVER!!!
This kind of Pure Evil must be STOPPED by the public being aware, as well as ready to fight for their rights!!
I worked for a legitimate telemarketing company prior to receiving the call telling me I had gotten a $1, 000.00 online shopping spree! So stupid me I think O-boy how nice whats the catch...? I was told I simply had to order 5 magazines of my choice that cost $3.97 a week . So stupified I again think this sounds great! Give away my debit number (STUPID!!!) By the time I had realized it was a scam was the 2nd day I called and was reassured the would provide magazines that THEY DON'T EVEN CARRY!!! As well as this "Fabulous" $1000 shopping spree and the thousands of items to choose from blah blah blah... So again like a tool I buy their load of Sh*t. Then the 3rd day, (the last day I'm allowed to cancel) I not feeling very good about this then receive a call from the company stating that I'm to be enrolled in 3 money savings clubs (LIARS!!!)
Then he continues to speed talk into my ear overloading my brain with so much Bull Sh*t that I just said ok to shut him up
I was busy at work when I received the call. I had time to think about it then decide I DO NOT want this !!! So I call to cancel and magically the company phone line said they were closed even though it was on a Friday BEFORE they claimed to close. So after some research I quickly realized I'm not alone!
This is a HUGE Scam that MUST BE SHUT DOWN!!!
They gave my bank account number to fake companies that tried to make multiple unauthorized transactions from my personal account!!! I had to close the account, my bank was rejecting their attempts to withdrawal money up to 30 times a day !!! And the nightmare goes on and on and on ...
they end up charging $58.27 a month to my account. I close the account move and then receive collections letters from a credit company, that I'm sure is Fake as well. So I pay them a couple more times out of fear of ruining my credit. Despite the fact that I'm not receiving the magazines I ordered in the 1st place!!!But wait it gets worse :)Remember my shopping spree I mentioned with thousands of items to choose from... YA is TOTALLY BULL SH*T!!! Enraged & fed up I called & complained. Even the sales rep I spoke with agreed with me & said ALL their customers are VERY unsatisfied with the "shopping spree" which is a SCAM site containing Sh*t that even thrift & dollar stores couldn't try to sell!!! So the rep says I will receive a $60.00 gas gift card & time share scam crap hotel in Florida or Vegas. So I receive all these $5.00 gas redemption cards that I can only use once a month. Pissed & defeated I send the coupon for my measly $5.00 in gas. All I received was NOTHING so I wasted paper time and a stamp ...great. So now a year has passed the fear of my credit being tanked now gone I'm armed with consumer protection services
And they will NEVER see another penny from me AGAIN!!!
PLEASE HELP TO STOP COMPANIES LIKE THIS BY HANGING UP IF THEY CALL AND NEVER EVER EVER GIVE OUT YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO ANYONE THAT CALLS YOU!!!
THEY ARE ALL LIARS & THIEF'S!!!
DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU !!!
a verified customer
They called me a in early May about the magazine deal. I have been an avid magazine reader for a long time so it sounded like a good idea. 2 days later I called them back and asked to cancel because I changed my mind. The rep told me that since I had a new account I could not cancel by phone since my account was not in their system yet, I had to go to the website. I submitted a form on their website and asked them to cancel my account, the rep told me they would e-mail me back a confirmation. I never got one so I called back 10 days later. They told me they had no record of me originally calling in and that they had already paid my magazine subscriptions up front, and there was no way to cancel anymore. Discover card disputed the charges, changed my credit card number (so they could not keep billing me) and got me my original money back. Americas Choice calls my house 2-3 times per week now asking for their money. They are threatening to send this to collections. I have perfect credit and do not want this to report on my credit report. I never gave them my SSN# or DOB, is there any way they can put a collection on my credit? Please let me know others experience with this
a verified customer
They are nasty, nasty, nasty.They spoke to me in a manner that was not customer
friendly.I was told that I could not cancel and that they paid for the magazines upfront.
They just want to take your money. I was scammed by another company which led me
to Readers Choice as part of a promotion.I was called in my home by Cheap Trips who
made the connection.I am not happy at this point .Any advice?
a verified customer
They contacted me with a promotional offer of a gift certificate during the holdays. I agreed, but never got the certificate. When I called to cancel their service and tell them I no longer wanted the certificate, they refused to cancel and then billed me again. I had put the billing on an funds card, or a card that I had to put money onto before I could use it. Luckily for me, otherwise they would still be billing me. They still call me and threaten to send the account to collections, I keep telling them that I cancelled their service because of their own failure to fulfill the terms of the promotion, and that I have filled numerous complaints with every consumer group I can think of, and they won't stop calling!
a verified customer
Does anyone have the website address for America's Choice Readers?
a verified customer
An America Choice Readers rep called me in May 2007 numerous times. They offered me 4 magazine subscriptions for $39.87 a month. and I said "no thanks, I can't afford it and do not need it." After the rep would not take no for an answer I finally gave in. They have been billing monthly (automatically through checking) BIG MISTAKE. It has been 7 months now and I have still haven't seen the first magazine! I have contacted to company 3 or 4 times and they say the same thing. "We will file a complaint with the publisher and the magazines should be at your house in a couple weeks". Also, they will not let me cancel or refund my money! What should I do? I didn't file with my Bank to dispute the charges in a timely manner to begin with. I thought it was all legitimate. It's ALL A SCAM!!
a verified customer
Please contact
Jim Hammill
[email protected]
Office of Consumer Protection
[protected] or [protected]
Tell him your experiences with them. He will help you file a complaint against them. Also go to the Better Business Bureau and report them. This is what I did.
a verified customer
I have gone through the same issues as well, but had some luck. Three free magazines for $3 shipping/handling turned into five magazines for $46/mo for 4 years somehow and was instantly billed to my credit card. I called them at [protected] and could not reverse the charge to my credit card, but was able to turn the $46 charge into a two year subscription of one magazine I wanted. The operator on the phone is very persistent, and tries to send you a lot of other items such as $40 gas cards and "free vacation" offers among a whole list of things in which you must cancel upon receiving, or else you will be charged for memberships. I told the operator many times I was not interested in any of the memberships and not to send me anything at all. America's Choice Readers is a big magazine scam to begin with, then it spawns into multiple membership scams and gets out of control. Hopefully I won't be hearing from them again!
a verified customer
I am having the same issues with them. They told me that my card would not be charged and I could be set up on billing to where they would send me a statement via e-mail. Some months I get a bill, others I don't and I do not get my magazines as I believe I should in the e-mail. I just got a late bill yesterday saying I owed $104 and a $5 late fee, in which I am refusing to pay. I have tried to call and cancel and they tell me I cannot. I told them I would pay them for what I had received so far but they said no. I'm thinking about contacting the credit bureau.