Telephone Scam. Need your help?
Today my wife received a call from someone claiming that we had been entered in a sweepstakes or something. Anyway, they ended up telling her we could get some great deal on a magazine. They called her and then had someone else call back and ask for a credit card number. Unfortunately she gave it to them and agreed to 70 bucks or so that was supposed to last 4 years. I love my wife to death but this is probably the dumbest thing she’s ever done and I’ve told her about 100 times to NEVER give our card number out over the phone.
She knew she’d screwed up right after she hung up the phone, so she went ahead and called the credit card company and cancelled our card. They said we could file a complaint later.
I told her to call back and cancel the subscription and the guy on the phone gave some stupid story about them already pre-ordering the magazine and couldn’t give her a refund. When I called to talk to them he said that she agreed to $70.00/month and we really owed them over $800 for the year she agreed to. They said they had the recording to prove it. I told them I had cancelled my credit card and that I would fight the charge. They tried to threaten me by saying I couldn’t win because they had a recording (he mentioned something about the laws in Florida???) and that I would end up having to pay the whole $800. I told them I was calling the better business bureau and would fight it with my lawyers if I had to. He then tried to make me some deal for only $99.00 for the whole thing. He wouldn’t let me off the phone and I had to hang up on him. He called back like 3 times trying to intimidate me by playing my wifes phone conversation, saying that the credit card company couldn’t win because he had her verbal agreement. My wife says she never ever heard them say anything about $70/month. And who’s ever heard of a magazine subscription that you couldn’t cancel and had to commit to for a year?
I have already cancelled the card, alerted the Credit Card Company, and will be calling the BBB in the morning.
1. Do they have any legal way to scam me out of the $800? We haven’t received any magazines and I have told them I was cancelling the subscription (probably never would have seen them anyway)
2. What other steps do I need to do to protect myself?
Thanks,
You’ve been the victim of Magazine Fraud. Go to this site:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/magzn.shtm
from the FTC:
Be careful what you say on the phone to the seller. In some states, your verbal agreement to buy obligates you to pay. Frequently, the salesperson tape records the conversation, perhaps claiming it’s for your protection. Later, the company may use the tape to "prove" you agreed to buy the magazines, selected a payment method, and understood the terms of the agreement.
If you don’t want a subscription, and you don’t want to be called again, tell the caller to put you on the company’s "do not call list." If the company calls again, hang up. It’s breaking the law. Report it to your state Attorney General and the FTC.
If you think you’ve been involved in a magazine subscription scam, contact your state Attorney General or local consumer protection office. They’re listed in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.
You can register your phone number at www.DoNotCall.gov, or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236) from the number you wish to register. If you register online, you must click on the confirmation email you receive to complete your free registration.
Your registration will not expire. Your number is on the list until you take it off, or your number is disconnected and re-assigned to someone else.
Report a Scam
Fight telephone fraud. Report telephone scam artists to the Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General. The Telemarketing Sales Rule gives these local law enforcement officers the power to prosecute fraudulent telemarketers who operate across state lines.
To learn more about how to recognize and report phone fraud, go to
www.ftc.gov/phonefraud.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
I wish you all the best
ps found similar situation but in CA.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/264/RipOff0264165.htm
I think you have done a good job taking care of things. If they call back don’t talk to them. Just keep giving them the name and phone number of your lawyer. I can guarantee they will never call him.
Make sure you are on the Do Not Call list.
References :
they will back off it`s a scam the last thing they want is the law
to get involved!
good to see you still love your wife!
good luck.
References :
You’ve been the victim of Magazine Fraud. Go to this site:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/magzn.shtm
from the FTC:
Be careful what you say on the phone to the seller. In some states, your verbal agreement to buy obligates you to pay. Frequently, the salesperson tape records the conversation, perhaps claiming it’s for your protection. Later, the company may use the tape to "prove" you agreed to buy the magazines, selected a payment method, and understood the terms of the agreement.
If you don’t want a subscription, and you don’t want to be called again, tell the caller to put you on the company’s "do not call list." If the company calls again, hang up. It’s breaking the law. Report it to your state Attorney General and the FTC.
If you think you’ve been involved in a magazine subscription scam, contact your state Attorney General or local consumer protection office. They’re listed in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.
You can register your phone number at http://www.DoNotCall.gov, or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236) from the number you wish to register. If you register online, you must click on the confirmation email you receive to complete your free registration.
Your registration will not expire. Your number is on the list until you take it off, or your number is disconnected and re-assigned to someone else.
Report a Scam
Fight telephone fraud. Report telephone scam artists to the Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General. The Telemarketing Sales Rule gives these local law enforcement officers the power to prosecute fraudulent telemarketers who operate across state lines.
To learn more about how to recognize and report phone fraud, go to
http://www.ftc.gov/phonefraud.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
I wish you all the best
ps found similar situation but in CA.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/264/RipOff0264165.htm
References :
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/magzn.shtm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel12.shtm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/264/RipOff0264165.htm
You have tree days to cancel, and that’s been done.
Next time You do something She does not like, You could remind Her of this or play it safe and never mention it again.
References :
As I learned in the process of assisting my daughter last year,magazine subscription scams are actually VERY common. As to dealing with a magazine scam account, closing your account does cut them off from your funds, but don’t expect them to give up easily. Oftentimes these companies will continue harrassing collection efforts for years. Excellent advice from “jlc1701a”… in my experience I found that reporting them to the FTC and both the Attorneys General in my home state and their state of operations, and telling them so, was the only conversation that got their attention.
Once cancellation was agreed upon, I was unwilling to accept anything less than WRITTEN cancellation confirmation from them to prevent future collection attempts for “outstanding balances’” (evidently this is another common magazine scam tactic). BTW, I even got a second letter through their Attorney General again confirming my daughter’s cancellation with specific mention that she will “never be billed again whatsoever” and even expressing “sincere regret” for any inconvenience caused to myself or my daughter.
Also it is not uncommon for customers to have agreed to other (likely worthless) third party preview offers without even realizing it. These accounts may also require cancellation or even have non- refundable activation fees. Check your closed account statement closely for any unexpected debits and watch your mail for any “Welcome Packages” that may look like junk mail.
There is a wealth of good information out there to help us from the FTC, Department of Justice, National Consumers League, and others. A collection of consumer telemarketing/ magazine subscription scam information and direct complaint submission links can be found on my blog referenced below if more information is needed. (I noticed the FTC magazine scam link posted above is broken.)
Best of luck to you, D/
http://www.theNRSscam.blogspot.com
: Ok i am also a victem of this scam…i would also like to share my horrible experiance with every body …however i am curious as to what magazine company you were refering to …i am actually trying to file a legal claim and this company i am refering to has verry bad company history and i am also warning wany friends ,co workers,anyone willing to listen …IVE read so many complaints far too close in common to be coincidence of randome people who dont even know eachother complaints about a 1000.00 shopping spree that apearently no one reseaved after a promise made but never kept then attempting to sue the consumer…i call that breach of contract by not honering their part of the deal while i paid in full for 9 months and sometimes being billed 2 times in the same month… i believe that i was more than patient waiting that long for something i should have recieved with my first magazine but eventually a figured out that i will never get the voucher i was promised by like 6 different sales reps …in the policy i much later realized it stated that to cancel this agreement with no obligation i would have had 5 days to call and or write a notice of cancelation….however i was told that my magazines would not start comming for like a nother 2 weeks to a month and i would have also recieve the voucher at the same time …so at the time i did not know about the terms and conditions but finding out too late im left thinking how am i goin to figure i want to cancel a service in 5 days when i wouldnt have experianced the services to say im not satisfied i want out …so thats only half of my issue with there theives i would get more spacific but i still would like to play it safe right now …however if you or anyone is familiar with my post and believe you’ ve been taken by the same telemarketer as me then id be interested in making sure would be victems will know to avoid companies and thieves who work for them and expose the false advertisment and fraudes that they are….