Complaint / Review
Family Readers Service
Family Reader's Services - Community Reading Club Of The Firelands ripoff Magazine Scams and Liars who Threaten People that try ot get Rid of them with Voice Recordings and Collection Agencies

I got a phone call telling me I had won a diamond watch and a subscription for several free magazines through the use of my credit card. All I had to do was pay for the delivery of the magazines. Normally I wouldn't even listen to something like this, but I thought it was a good price for the magazines "only" $14.47 per month for 4-8 magazines a month. I was also told they would be arriving in no more than 8 weeks.

Now, here's where things got ugly.

I was told I could only pay by credit card not by check. I should have known it was a scam then! (Later on, I was told I could pay by check. Lie after lie after lie...)

Eight weeks later I only got 2 of the promised 8 magazines. I also started getting a TON of spam magazines; including a VERY unwelcome magazine with "adult content" in it.

I did not get the diamond watch as the form they sent me said that I accepted all their terms by signing the paper for the watch. When I sat down with a calculator and figured out how much money I'd be paying, I couldn't believe it! I would be paying $868!

When I tried to cancel, I was told by the CSR in an angry voice that I had "financial obligations" and that it wasn't possible to cancel. When I called back a few days later I was told that they would give me a "settlement agreement" I could pay them $130.20 for "expenses incurred", or else they would have a collection agency collect the $868 from me.

When I explained that the agreement was made under false pretenses to the manager, a "Ms. West". She said they had a voice recording of me agreeing and that either I paid the $130.20 or they could simply make me pay $868. Then they made me listen to the recording (which I had not asked to listen to) and repeated their threats about referring the matter to a collection agency. I was then referred to a "Mr. Smith" who only repeated the earlier threats.

I am VERY unhappy for having fallen for this scam and never intend to so much as listen to a telemarketer again. I will also have a severe dislike of all magazine subscriptions and all those who offer them. I hope this will help people avoid falling into the clutches of these money gobbling sharks and others like them. Beware strangers bearing gifts!