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The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Publishers Business Services

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On this page, you'll find a comprehensive collection of reviews and complaints from real customers who have used Publishers Business Services's products or services. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service.

Whether you're considering doing business with Publishers Business Services, or you've already had an experience with them, our community's reviews and complaints will give you a valuable perspective on what to expect. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and money, and we hope that our platform will be a valuable resource for you.

Please feel free to browse our reviews and complaints and share your own experience with Publishers Business Services. Your feedback is an important part of our community and will help others make informed decisions.

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11:11 am EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Publishers Business Services Fraud and scam

I received a call AT MY JOB (like most others here) from someone conducting a short survey. Questions asked were how old I was, where I lived, how long I've worked there. Only like five questions.

For answering these questions, I was to receive a great deal on FIVE magazine subscriptions. She went on to explain the 'deal' and how I'd be saving a LOT of money on all these magazines. It would cost $2.31 a week for FIVE magazines. She explained the cost, and how I'd pay, still explaining how it was a great huge savings.

I have gotten these calls before for other things, and a couple times they DID work out. (I won dinner at a comedy club once for a short survey...my first date w/ my now husband! LOL) So, before hanging up, I got a phone number and extension where I could reach this woman. I would be receiving my info in the mail.

Two days ago, I got my info. Now the fun begins! I wanted to see just what BIG DEAL I was getting from this place. So, here's the deal:

$20 a month for 24 months equals $480.

$480 divided by five subscription equals $96

$96 divided by four years equals $24.

Their GREAT WONDERFUL BIG SAVINGS is charging $24 dollars for a subscription that you can get from the magazine's website for 1/3 of that price! (from $8-$15 online)

I was offered the five magazines as follows: US News and World Report, Jane, House and Garden, Woman's Day, Premiere.

Thru this company, I would pay $480.00 for these. I went to EACH of the magazine's websites and clicked the 'subscribe' link. This is what you pay for each of these mags thru their websites;

Jane--$8/year
House and Garden--$15
Woman's Day--$10
Premiere--$12
US News and World Report--$15 for 52 ISSUES

And here's the kicker... US News and World Report is a 52-ISSUE subscription, but Publisher's Business Services only gives you TWELVE ISSUES. So, you're paying for a 52-ISSUE subscription and only getting 1/4 of the magazines!

THAT IS SIX TIMES THE PRICE OF THE SUBSCRIPTION!

So, anyone who reads this...DO THE MATH before you agree to this. Don't give ANY BANK/BILLING INFO over the phone, get the paperwork in the mail, then do the math. You will see that YOU TOO, CAN BE RIPPED OFF!

I am sending in a letter w/ my findings to them, and asking to cancel my agreement. I'm sending it certified and return receipt. I will report back if/when they cancel my agreement.

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Alicia
,
Nov 04, 2008 12:02 pm EST

I work in a very fast paced professional business office and one very unlucky day for me I was forwarded a call from Publishers Business Services and I unfortunately picked up the phone. This company must train it's people to speak very quickly because before I knew it I had just gotten myself into of $750.00 worth of magazines! About 2 weeks after that I received a bill for $18 and I refused to pay it. This company has since harassed me at work, on my personal cell phone and on my home phone which is a restricted number for over 4 months. I have spoken with 7 different representatives. I have asked each rep to just cancel the magazines. Instead they won't cancel but will shorten the subscription if I pay a lump sum of $560.00. Who has that type of money lying around for magazines?!? I refuse to pay this company and now they're telling me they are going to take me to court and file a judgement against me and will be contacting my payroll company and taking it out of my paychecks! Does anyone have any ideas to get this company to go away?

Oh and for future business people out there, STAY AWAY FROM: SEVEN-ONE-SIX, PUBLISHERS BUSINESS SERVICES AND PUBLISHERS DIRECT SERVICES. THEY ARE SCAM COMPANIES! BY YOUR MAGAZINES AT THE GROCERY STORE!

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JFarns
Wichita, US
Jul 21, 2009 6:52 pm EDT

To what address did you send the cancellation request? I am in the same position!

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6:48 pm EDT
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Publishers Business Services magazine scam

this company called my job and i answered the phone .
i tried telling them that i would transfer them to a manager and they said i could complete the survey.
well i got suckered into their scam but not for long.i will be taking care of this tomorrow after reading reports from the federal trade commission that they have a lawsuit against them for this same thing.

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karategirl1
Toms River, US
Oct 26, 2009 8:55 pm EDT

Was at work, got a phone call about free magazines. Was extremely busy so just said yes and figured i could cancel later. nothing was mentioned about not being able to cancel my account. now they keep sending me bills, harassing my place of work and not going away. they say they have a tape recording of me agreeing but they do not even have my correct name.
i dont know what to do..

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howard clark
Riverton, US
Aug 11, 2016 1:41 am EDT

I never wanted to suscribe for the magazines. We got out of it before and had payed the close to $1000. They called me again and asked me to change the magazines i was getting and renewed the virbal contract. I didn't want to and now they want money monthly, and say if we don't pay it will be reported on out credit report. They also won't stop sending the magazines.

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Bert E Oksness
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Oct 04, 2006 12:00 am EDT

I never agreed to accept this many magazines and I dont want them, any of them.

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Leebens84
Morrisville, US
Apr 28, 2010 10:30 pm EDT

I FELL FOR IT TODAY! I always turned ### like this down but last night i was on Best buy and they said I was their one millionth customer...whatever so i gave them my telephone and email and the very next day this PUBLISHERS MAGAZINE company called me and said I won a shopping spree online to the webpage of my choice. All I could think about was the big screen tv on best buy that I was drooling over last night. So they hooked me with the magazine pitch and the worst part is the 1000 dollar shopping spree equals the 1000 dollars I would pay over 20 months for stupid magazines that I use to start my wood burning fireplace anyways. So yeah oh AND! turns out...the website is ONE single site that contains a bunch of random junk. WHAT A RIP OFF! I will never again be tricked by these fools. I will cancel ASAP. DO NOT FALL FOR IT!

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fred braue
, US
Nov 10, 2009 1:39 pm EST

We had the same thing here in our office, the called offering free magazines for answering a survey. We never ordered anything but about 4 days after the call got a bill for almost 800.00 for subscriptions we never ordered. It came in the name of the office secretary but also the business name. We alse received a nots stating they had a taped recording of the order. Then a couple days later we received a phone call looking for payment stating we were under contract to pay this. They were very demanding and rude. I called and they said we agreed to this and we could not cancel. I asked them for proof of delivery of the goods, and then if they had a credit card or purchase order or bank account. They have nothing more than a name, the hung up on me after telling me we were responcible for the bill. Then 2 more days later we receive another bill/statement looking for payment on the first month and to fill out a slip with our account info or credit card info. I figure it will cost them more than the bill when I get done with them, long phone calls when I need to blow off steam, many letters from them all that they have to pay for. I was thinking about sending them a bill for my time.. they are scam artists.. so have some fun and just laugh at them.

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countrychick59
tifton , US
Oct 28, 2009 2:11 pm EDT

I too fell for the scam like a dummy i should have known. but i didnt i also took care of it today. they called me and told me that i won a thousand dollar shopping spree, hey i am a woman i love to shop. but yet u have to take the magizines to get the thousand dollars thinking about it now that is a DUH kinda thing. i am glad i decided to try to find a phone number online to call them cause i never thought i would find this but i am really glad i did they done got 50 dollars out of me but they wont get no more. DON'T FALL FOR THIS LIKE ME. i cant believe i could b that dumb and i always thought hey i am careful with my account information.

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c saling
Salinas, US
Oct 22, 2009 2:10 pm EDT

If you didn't order them, then legally they are free. I can't get the magazine companies to stop, either. I've been told it is not them but some outside firm that send these to me. I will not pay them, some are in the name of a family member who has not resided in our home in over 3 years.

They send inovoices and send back with "Never ordered, please cancel. I will not pay this bill. I don't want your magazine." They just keep coming.

I pass them on or throw them out. No good to me. The postal service doesn't help either.

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citygirl11
Orlando, US
Apr 15, 2009 7:28 pm EDT

i worked for publishers for a little while until i realized what the company was all about. for anyone that is ready this, if it isn't too late, DON'T EVER ANSWER TO THESE PEOPLE...it is all a joke and a scam. when i worked there, i was told i was making most of my money in my sales, come to find out we only get 1 fillpin dollar per sale. as to our ### of a boss jeff, that scams not only the people we contact but his employes as well. he sits back in that office and does nothing and makes 700 off of us...not to mention the supervisor he hired. they said he hires the girls that are only pretty to him..some business huh? some of this supervisors would sit back in sleep if they had a long night before, and even do make overs on eachother...and he calls this job to be taken serious? i'm sorry but when i see my supervisor doing those things, why should I do my job..its a joke point blank, and when they day comes they close down, will be the day that [censored] will realize it's not worth ripping people off!

ComplaintsBoard
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2:22 pm EST

Publishers Business Services Scam to get money from me

This company initially contacted me several weeks ago trying to get me to buy some magazines from them. I kept telling the rep that I did not want to participate in any discount program and that did not want to receive any magazines that I had to pay for. The rep told me that the magazines were free of charge and that I could cancel at any time. What the rep didn't tell me was that there was no way to cancel without paying a ridiculous $125 cancellation fee.
The good people at PBS called me today and played a very highly edited recording of me "agreeing" to accept their magazines (again, this was edited as I never agreed to theuir magazines, they never told me that I was being recorded, and they definitely edited the recording).
The agent then tried to threaten me, and I told her to "get ###ed" and also told her that I would not pay any invoices and that they were free to try to pursue any action that they would like. I also told the agent that they had better not touch my credit file or I would have them over a barrel faster than they could spit.
Someone needs to hunt these people down and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

I personally think that they picked on the wrong person when they called me. I have filed a formal complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission, the Texas Attorney General, and whomever else I could reach. Don't be fooled by these cockroaches, there is nothing they can legally do, and if they do place any adverse informationb in your credit file, that constitutes a willful violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. If they contact me again, I will reference the FTC Temporary Restraing Order placed against PBS May 20, 2008, which they also are willfully violating by the nature of their contacts.

They called me twice witjhin a 10 minute span (again a violation of the FCRA) and violated the single contact per day that they are allowed. Every action that they take appears to be a violation of federal law and possibly a violation of wire fraud laws as well as Consumer protection laws.

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S. Rogers
,
Dec 03, 2008 4:39 pm EST

I just recieved an invoice for something I never ordered. The invoice lacks phone numbers, web sites, fax numbers, and any other point of contact. They are impossible to contact. They inturn have violated the DNC law by calling me. If they pursue this, I will make them bleed! I will take this to the State's AG, the FTC, and the US postal system. (They mailed me this fraudulent invoice!) ### suckers like these people belong out of business, and I will help them do just that.

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