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CB Magazines and Newspapers Review of Brunswick Readers Service
Brunswick Readers Service

Brunswick Readers Service review: Unauthoirized charges to credit card! 13

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12:00 am EST
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I was contacted (via the school I attend that sells my information to these companies) by this company who sells magazines and strong-armed into purchasing a magazine subscription. I was assured I would not be billed, however, I was immediately billed. There is nothing the credit card company can do for me as it is a ‘pending’ transaction. I should be smart enough not to fall for these things but I suppose we all learn at one point or another.

Brunswick Readers Service
30 Main street
South River NJ

13 comments
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painmom
North Potomac, US
Apr 26, 2010 10:51 am EDT

My daughter received a phone call said will charged her $50 some dollars to pay for the magazines, and will send the magazines to her dorm address very soon. After hung up that call my daughter immediately called the bank to report it. The finance company said they will closed the account and to investigate.
So the bank sent a new debt/ATM card to her and did not have any transaction for that. We thought it was over, because they doesn't have authorized to accessed my daughter's personal finance account, the most important was she does not put any order/subscription to
the service.
We don't know how they got my daughter's dorm address, we filed complained to the Better Business Bureau, at the end of school year when she clean up her personal belongings that also including the dorm's mailing box, she got a letter said my daughter"owe" them money (some hundred dollars) otherwise will have collecting company to contact her for that money, so I called several times to the company that was from that letter, no one respond it - were answer machine..., We don't were they send any magazine to that address, because my daughter's moved out dorm address.
This game still continues, how to protect our self? If we registered "Do Not Call" already, they supposed will not have my daughter's phone number.
Does my daughter will receive any calls from the collecting company?
What can we do?

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elisabeth
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Jul 03, 2008 12:04 pm EDT

in regards to their stupid little machine, i called many times leaving messages asking them to call me back and cancel, but they never did. well yesterday i called and threatened legal action. they called me back no more than 5 mins after. try that.

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Hannah
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May 10, 2008 9:54 am EDT

I complained to the Better Business Bureau and I cancelled everything through my bank. They have a fraud department that can handle this situation, so I highly recommend doing these things. Also, perhaps contact the Attorney General as well. Just be proactive. I got my money back, but I also cancelled immediately after being contacted by these scam artists. Hope this helps!

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Alejandro Ramirez
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May 07, 2008 3:18 pm EDT

The same history. They contacted my son by phone at his dorm, and now they are charging his bank account almost $6O monthly. My boy is just 17 years old.

I haven´t got the way to cancel it. They never answer their phone. It is always a machine.

Can somebody help?. I do need a fax number from them, since I am currently abroad.

Best Regards

Alejandro Ramirez

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Hannah
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Apr 13, 2008 9:11 am EDT

I had the same thing happen to me 2 days ago as well. I had my card cancelled by my bank and I cancelled within the first 20 minutes of being sweet talked into buying these magazines. I feel so stupid for giving out my personal information. I've contaced the Better Business Bureau, The Attorney General, The Police, everybody I can think of and I hope they give me my money back. I'm just scared that they know all of my personali info now. Do you guys remember them asking for your social security? I don't think they did, it's just my brain has been so overwhelmed with stress that I keep wondering if I did. Please PLEASe don't fall for this company. I'm scared now, and I'm afraid that I can't reverse the situation.

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Charles M.
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Apr 03, 2008 4:49 pm EDT

I received a call from these guys on my dorm room phone a while back as well and fell for whatever scam they have going. I got charged the initial $56 but didn't receive any magazines. I returned from xmas break to a pile of magazines (none i had ordered) and many missed calls chasing about, missed payments. I eventually picked up one of their calls, told them i was having money trouble, hadn't recieved any magazines and would like to cancel my account. They told me, it wasn't their problem that I didnt get any magazines and they still needed the money. I eventually got the woman to agree to me paying another $35 and they would cancel my account and not call me again. I have not been charged anything since, received no calls, but have continued to receive random magazines (none i originally ordered) in although this has been decreasing. I've probably come out on top going by news-stand prices actually, although i would never ever read most of the magazines i receive.

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Vanessa O.
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Mar 15, 2008 9:37 am EDT

I strongly agree with everyone. The same thing happened to me two days ago. I was contacted through my dorm room phone. I went to my checking account online right after I hung up the phone and I saw that they had charged my card. Then I looked at it again the next day and my card had been charged the same amount again. I knew I had made a huge mistake after I hung up the phone. I'm going to try and cancel with them and contact the Bureau too.

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Dana C
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Mar 13, 2008 6:29 am EDT

I strongly agree with everyone, I was scammed right into this, them telling me the same thing about my Visa card. Crazy how your information leaks out like it does. I received a bill yesterday for them saying I owe money on a contract I canceled and magazines I never received, So I think I will be going to the Bureau as well, the more complaints the faster we can stop the scam.

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Suz K.
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Jan 03, 2008 9:50 am EST

Yeah same complaint, but i was also charged a $95 from something called the American Discount Buying Club, and then when i tried to call to figure out why i was charged, I got a recording saying that no one was available and to call back again. These people should not be able to call dorm room phones trying to scam college kids.

The number of the readers service is [protected] do not let them scam you as they have me...

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Wendy Carpenter
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Dec 30, 2007 11:54 am EST

Same complaint. They will not cancel subscription without paying them an exboritant "fee"/"payment".

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James H.
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Dec 12, 2007 4:55 pm EST

Yeah, I just got hosed by these people too. I had the exact same reaction and received the calls through my dorm room phone. I've already been charged $56 and I called back 20 minutes after I "signed up". I demanded a refund and to not receive anymore magazines. All they "could" do was cancel my subscriptions. We have got to make more people aware of this thing and get them to stop this scam before it affects more schmucks like myself.

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Annette
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Mar 01, 2007 3:37 pm EST

I have been called twice by this service. Both times the person has hung up on me before offering any services. I have found their number and am going to post it. I have also left a message on their "general message board" with my contact information and told them to take me off their calling list or I will contact the Better Business Bureau. Their contact information is as follows since the number you are called with is continuously busy.

Brunswick Readers
30 Main Street, South River, NJ 08882
[protected]

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Zoe
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Feb 19, 2007 9:41 am EST

I was also contacted through my dorm room telephone, though my school claims the information was obtained illegitimately. I realized my mistake immediately after also falling for their strong-armed technique and tricks to make me believe them--saying they were Visa's Customer Appreciation and that my info had been forwarded to them by Visa. They further gave me information about my card that I did not realize was common to all Visa cards.

I was billed immediately and then canceled my card and they have recently followed up asking for the money I "owe" them for the past two months. I have received magazines, though not the ones I requested. I have asked to cancel my account and they refuse to do so until I give them the money they demand. Though I have not received $250 worth of magazines, they still claim "this is a legitimate debt for services received."

My parents have reported the case to Bureau for Better Business, but as of now everything's still pending.

I feel incredibly stupid, but yeah...we all learn somehow. Hopefully more people won't fall for this scam.