7/28 - Young adult salesman for HP Consulting, Inc., MD Network, Inc. And "Youth Communication Award" rang doorbell and began a fast talking sales pitch about a "tax deductible donation to charity by purchasing a magazine subscription". The sales pitch was full of lies contradicting the fine print on the company's purchase receipt, was deceptive, designed to mislead consumers and constituted fraud.
The salesperson, with a group traveling nationwide, stated that the extremely over priced magazine subscriptions are completely tax deductible donations to charity and mentioned the country of Haiti and active duty U.S. Troops as examples, this is completely untrue as HP Consulting, Inc. States that they are strictly a for profit company in the fine print of their purchase receipt. They have no connection to any charitable organization, yet their young salespeople are trained to mention a variety known charities and in the art of fast talking chatter designed to distract a victim/customer from reading the contradicting fine print.
He stated that if I paid by check, the check would be held for six to seven weeks, this contradicts the receipt fine print that states that checks will be deposited immediately, he urged me to pay in cash. The salesman said that a purchase would help him to earn a scholarship for college, I believe this to be a misrepresentation. He tried to get me to make out the magazine subscription in the name of a household pet and list it on the receipt as a gift, I refused to do so. He attempted to get me to purchase a subscription that would be a "charitable donation to active duty U.S. Military personnel", I believe that given the company's track record of customers never seeing the magazines ordered as described in other complaints, that the subscription would never have reached the "troops".
I paid $63.00 for a 12 issue magazine subscription, the salesman showed me company literature showing half of that money, minus the $15.00 process/handling fee would be donated to a "charity", not specifically named. I believe that claim to be a company backed fraud and deception. Many others describe on the internet being "ripped off" by this company, that continues to change it's D.B.A. Name often as reports of fraud and erroneous credit card charges are reported nationwide. Overpriced magazine subscriptions never delivered or only partial deliveries made, a recurring complaint.
The company's policy for canceling an order in writing within three days makes it seemingly impossible to get a refund. The companies doing business from their P.O. Box address are named in complaints nationwide for fraudulent, deceptive activity as well as the exploitation of teenagers and young adults used to prey on the unsuspecting customer and evoke sympathy. After seeing numerous other complaints posted online, I paid an expensive bank fee to stop payment on my check, priority postage to rush my cancellation and took other actions, to warn others.
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