HandyMan Club of America / Scout.com review: lifetime membership renewal? 140

My husband had a lifetime membership. Stopped receiving magazines. Same thing happened to Gardening club of America for me, and North American Fishing Club for him. I think they were reputable companies that closed due to low funding. We have the internet now. But I still love my print and read books and magazines every day. SAD.

To all the comments I have read I have to admit they are all exactly right! I myself have been a so called master life member since 2005! This was supposed to be the gold membership with these people! It untitled you to any and all offers handyman had to offer, the test tools, freebies, no more paying the yearly subscription for the magazine not to mention all the various discounts that a master life member was supposed to be intitled too! I quickly realized this was all a big joke have not heard from them since they got my money! Here in the last year they have started sending me notices telling me I need to renew my subscription! What? Lifetime membership ment never having to pay that again! But don't worry they will never get any of my money again and if anyone reading this has any smarts they will do the same, run away fast as you can it's all a money scam and don't worry when you tell them you are not satisfied you will not see a dime back you can count on that! 12 years and still waiting on my money back from these crooks! Thanks for nothing DScearce master life member since may 2005!

i have not received a magazine in two years or more i think i received one or two after i paid the lifetime fee no one will answer us back this bull crap

I have paid for my life member ship and there saying my member ship is canceled but Im still alive I paid in full. Life to me means till I die. NOT TILL THEY GET MY MONEY AND CANCEL ME.

I am a Lifetime club member and was supposed to get the club magazine for life. I am not getting it. This is a not what I was promised. Also I was supposed to get trial tools, etc., not happening.

my name is Tony Pitts I have a lifetime membership with you and I have not got magazine or the free test tools I was promised when I got the lifetime membership with you can tell what is going on with it? If you don't want to do your part in the membership I should get some of the money back that I paid to you or start getting all the magazines and test tools you owe me.
you can reach me at pitts_tony@hotmail.com

I am a lifetime member [protected] and have stopped getting anything from Handyman for over a year. What has happened to my lifetime membership. I'm still living I expect to receive my benefits until then

I am a lifetime member for over ten years. After a couple of months I stopped receiving the magazine. Attempted to contact with the Handyman Club and they told me it will be taken care of. Nothing was done, so considered this a SCAM and never contacted them again.
The problem I'm having now, is that I get up to 4-5 phone calls per day looking for the Handyman Club. I keep telling these people that I'm not the Handyman Club and ask them where they got my phone number. They tell me that the number was given to them by the Handyman Club..This has been going on for at least 9-10 months.
As of May 06, 2016 I will be telling the callers that this is a SCAM and to report it to the Better Business Bureau.
I'm requesting that someone from the Handyman Club send me an e-mail telling me that this was taken care of. I will wait for a response until May 06, 2016. If I don't receive an adequate answer, I'm telling them as per above.
The telephone number they're calling is [protected], which is my HOME PHONE NUMBER.

I too have a Lifetime Membership" maybe it means someone else's life and they died because I also have not seen a magazine since 2014. A previous writer mentioned and editor named Larry. What happened to him and how do we get him back. This present editor doesn't seem to know what he's doing or not doing as the case may be. There has to be a way to get to the bottom of all our lifetime problem with this company. I think each person should contact their state's Attorney General's Office. They have the power to pursue an inquiry that we all don't. I'm going to try it with CT's office. This whole thing really stinks.
Mary Stebbins #[protected]

I have been a life time member for quite a few years and shortly after
I sent in my lifetime dues I quit receiving their magazine... I never received
any products to review as was promised in their literature... It has now been years since I heard ANYTHING from this club... I wrote several times asking for products to review but heard nothing in return... This club, I'm afraid is a scam... I would like to retrieve my club dues, if possible...

I joined as a Lifetime Member, paid in full, and then upgraded to Master! I received the patches and some junk. For the first few years, I received and enjoyed Hany magazine, the trial test product section, although I was never selected to test, and continued to receive the magazine! Suddenly, the magazine stopped coming! I found that Handyman Club had been sold to something called Scout!I researched Scout and found nothing but complaints about the organization, and several civil lawsuits over false advertising and misleading statements! They even claimed to have won a suit, that upon my calling the State of Michigan, I was informed it had not yet been to court! I to date, have never received any correspondence from Scout, Handyman or anyone affiliated with the organization. Upon contacting the California Department of Consumer Affairs, I proceeded to file a claim against Scout, who accepted all agreements made by Handyman when they purchased the Club! The States Attorney General office has informed me that they will begin attempting to contact Scout, and get everything resolved, or if they are unable to do so, the State will file a suit on behalf of members in California, to refund all monies and ask for damages, as well as punitive damages! I have no idea how many people are or were members who lived in California, but if the number is high enough, ma class action suit could be filed against Scout. Since I paid in full for the entire Master Club membership, I feel justified in getting a full refund! I have also spoken with two attorneys I keep on retainer, and asked they look into the matter. One is a criminal credit fraud attorney, and the other a civil and criminal prosecuting attorney! If I pay to sue Scout, it will be for significantly more than just a refund! It will be to close their doors!
I am the owner of an extremely large privately held corporation, and do not take kindly to being taken for any amount of money! I also will not tolerate false claims about my credit worthiness!

I have been was a life time member since the company started my # [protected].i have not received any magazines for a long time now and cant even get any body on the phone .what a scam, there has to be some kind of law suit against this company ?

i recently received unsolicited mail from the Handyman Club of America. I did not sign up previously for a memebership two years ago. I paid dues and got nothing for it, therefore I cancelled the stupd membership (with no return of any dues. Irecently received an official notification saying they were going to take meto a collection agency for past due membership of which I chose not be be a member and received nothing (oops I did get a key chain). Hardly worth almost 400.00. Now today I received mail that I am a returning member and congratulations. I am not a returning member nor do I want to be. It also indicates that I have received several tools which is false. You can not call them, You can not email them, you can not contact them. This Scam is frustrating

I joined Handyman Club of America and sent them the membership fee that they requested. But they have not kept up their end of the agreement. They were to send me tools to try. I have received NONE! What I have gotten is a paper note pad, carpenters pencil and a measuring tape which looks like something you could buy at a Dollar Store for a buck. The real kicker is they keep sending me statements wanting me to become a lifetime member, I would like to know (A Lifetime Member of WHAT?) There is no phone number that I can find where you can actually talk to someone. They also sent me a book that I did not order, I thought it was a gift from them and weeks later got a bill for it in the mail. I went ahead and paid for the book and sent them a cancellation in writing. It was not long until another book came.

Very Frustrated,
Jody.

P.S. DON'T JOIN THIS CLUB!

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY! I have had numerous solicitations from this company over the years which I have thrown away. Since recently starting a business where we review tools for the HVAC trade, we decided that perhaps their company would provide an avenue for growth. I sent in the reply envelope.

I failed to receive any of the offered "free" gifts. Instead, I received two rater weak magazines reporting to be club member reports. I received my dues membership invoice and acted by sending a debit card number. I received several notices indicating that payment had not been made, each of which I returned indicating that payment had been sent. Finally, I sent the last one back with a note of dissatisfaction and a request that the membership be terminated.

I received a "Final Notice" letter that sounds like a collection letter and mentions further collection action to be taken. This "club" is a scam! It is no more than an attempt to sell a substandard magazine by promising "free" tools. The tools "reviewed" fall into the novelty category and I doubt if very many "members" really see any tools.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!

We received a magazine from Handyman and an invoice saying we would receive our membership package once our payment was received. We wrote cancel on the invoice and sent it back. They sent another invoice saying they had sent us our membership package and payment was past due. We never received anything but a magazine, now by this time two magazines. We once again wrote cancel on the invoice because there isn't any other way of contact on the invoice and mailed it back. Now they are threatening to turn us in to collections. Is this legal and how do you get them to stop harrassing you?

The HANDYMAN CLUB OF AMERICA claims that I owe them a membership fee of $24.00 for a full membership kit that I never received nor asked for.
I have not been able to find a phone number listed on any of their correspondence by which to contact them, and am at odds as to why they would send me a notice to turn a non existant account over to a collection agency. I wonder if other people are having the same problem with this company that I am?

Sincerely,
Ralph Watson

We got in the mail a letter saying we were being referred to a collection agency for not making the due payments to Handyman Club of America. I did request information but have not received anything from them except bills. Oh wait, we did receive some return address labels that went into the trash. What do we do to make sure we are not sent to a collection agency? We are not paying for this! If we wanted to be members, the bill would have been paid.

While I was sending my $12. a month,someone at handyman put my money towards a set of tools that I was suppose to test and buy or send back with my opinion, like a member is suppose to do. I sent them an email telling them that the $12. was my membership payment but they never got it straight. Also, I sent that same set of tools and a book back, because I didn't want them,in the same box, and they kept sending me a bill for $29.95 for the book and today I got a letter from a collection agent. I have my lifetime member kit but I don't get any more magazines or tools to test like a member is suppose to get!

Veyy poor service!

I received a invitation to join. I returned the card and wrote on the front NO THANKS. Now I get an invoice with membership # 7715517. I do not wish to participate in the club. Please take my name off your list. Thank you.

I received a letter today stating that I am going to be turned over to a collection agenct for nonpayment. The only thing that I have received from this company are the dreaded invoices. You would think that after they did not receive payment that meant that I was not interested. The offer clearly stated once we receive payment we will send out the so called free items.

This was a real shock to receive a collection letter for items that I have never received. I am not sending a dime on it. I w0uld not even waste a postage stamp as mad as I was when I opened this letter.

I have been turned over to collection. I do recall an invitation to join approx 2 yrs ago, and I did recieve a magazine, a short time afterwards I recieved a small key chain and some stickers with my name on them. I have moved and changed addresses approx 18 months ago. Yesterday March 4th I rec'd notice from Collection Agency, that I joined in Dec 2006, and now owe them $461.00. I have not even ever gotten an invoice or statement. That is a pretty expensive key chain. I am also frustrated that I cannot find any contact numbers, nor have they answered my e-mail.

You have sent me a letter stating that you were going to send me to a collection company, when i am not even a member yet until i make my first year's payment. I was/am still thinking if i want to be in your club. I, as of now do not want to belong to your club. I am not as handy as i thought i might be, especially after looking at your magazine, and giving it a good thought.
How can you give me to a collection agency when i have not even sent you anything. Someone might say they want to join, but until they send the fee for joining, they are not officially joined.

A phone number on the letter would be a good thing to have. I hope you get this e-mail, and that someone reads it and responds.

In a weaker moment I gave in and accepted a free gift of Handyman Magazine. When I was billed for the magazine the notice advised me to cancel in writing if I no longer wanted the magazine. I included a note canceling. They have continued to bill me and recently turned my case over to a collection agency. I have been unable to get a real live person on the line to discuss this with the collection agency or with Handyman. The collection agency, RMCB Collection agency, gives this number as their customer service: [protected]. When you call it is voice mail that only gives your billing information. They are billing me for $24.00 which I would pay if they can show me where and how I agreed to accept the magazine in the first place.

keep sending bill for cancelled books. if continued will cancel membership and I will get all my money back

I am a person with disabities and had someone living with me, who through theft and fraud, has cost me approximately $6,600.00. I recieved a collection with RMCB with the PIN #[protected] for $359.00. As few people can understand me by phone and I do not write, I tried but could not contact you.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Dowd

Same issue, paid about $300 for a life membership years ago, have not received a "Handy" magazine for years. Just called the "Family Handyman" magazine company and was told there was never any relationship between the two which I find hard to believe. Who is this "Scout" company and why is the Handy website there?

Can't believe what I see in the myriad of complaints that are exactly like mine. I've had a lifetime membership since 2009 and haven't received any magazines in at least 2yrs. Has anyone gotten any results from this obvious theft on behalf of HCA?

I paid for one year subscription and they kept sending magazines and garbage tools asking me to become a member, I just threw them away, since my subscription ran out, I called them and told them not to send any more, and asked if I owed them anything, they said no, now I keep getting invoices in the mail with second notice on them.

What a scam!

I have been a lifetime member for years and submitted a change of address a 1 1/2 years ago and still haven't received a handyman magazine. What's going on?
Jack Young
Member #[protected] 5

I've paid for my membership and would like the magazine!

this is a classic example of corporate America promise mad don't deliver I have been screwed out of 400.00 between handymen of America and north America hunting club both life membership and north American hunting club upgrade to Trophy life

member since 2002 life member no. [protected] am not getting from handy man for a couple years what's up what a way to run a business you people are doing one hell of a job thanks for nothing you took are money fast enough frank

A lifetime member. very p.o. [protected]. Their has to be something we could do about this scam. there should be a class action suit.

I paid for a lifetime membership several years ago and i have noticed that i have not received a magazine for about 2 years now, and want to get the back issues and start receiving this magazine on a regular basis. when I signed up I was told that this was a lifetime membership and that is what I expected to get. My club member NUMBER IS #[protected] 7 # DY and my name is Ronald Nielsen and am still at the same address, which is 3911 Bernice Drive, San Diego, Ca. [protected]. PLEASE LET ME KNOW THAT YOU RECIEVED THIS MESSAGE AND ARE UPDATING MY INFORMATION AND GETTING ME CURRENT, PER YOIUR CONTRACT. THANK YOU

got my husband life time membership several years ago. He hasn't received a magazine since 2013. How can we get money back? It cost us over $300. Phone number doesn't work and he doesn't want the magazine on line. That is not what we paid for!

I was about to go online and see why I hadn't received a Magazine in a very long time and came across this forum only to find out I'm not alone. I apparently was mailed a saw which I never received as it was apparently shipped to my old address and I see I have an amount due of $19.99 against my account. I don't understand how they can just "ship" you an item and bill you without consent ? I have been a member for 15 years, paid my dues and like many others don't understand what is going on here? [protected] - Master Life Member, 2001

I've been a master lifetime member since 1996 and I haven't get any magazine for over two years. I've been trying to sign in and can even do that. Thy took my money years ago and said I will be member for life. Looks like thy just want your money and don't care about their members. This club is start to frustrating. Master life member #[protected] since 02/1996

I no longer get my magazine's ...very disappointed. now what?

I also became a lifetime member and now I receive no magazine. How can I contact them to register a complaint?

I too am a life member since 1997 and my membership number is [protected]. I have not received the Handy magazine for a number of years or any tools to test, with the except for a couple times shortly after I paid my life membership dues. I have receive no notices to the reason why everything has come to a complete stop including the book club other than the one that I have here. All I can say that it is one heck of a way to run a club. I do believe that we should all be reimbursed for the monies that we invested in good faith
Bob Peskey
Huron South Dakota