The 'call' came sometime during December from Consolidated Media Services, and my bank account was first charged on December 16th of last year.in January, after I had come back from my Winter Break for two weeks, I recieved a mail in my dorm mail box what I thought to be Consolidated Media Service's confirmation package, but turns out to be the confirmation for the prize watch that I was to recieve, or made believe to receive. There was no approval or agreement letter in that package.
The agreement was already made over the telephone. They said I had agreed over the telephone, but I recalled asking them will I have a chance to choose or confirm my membership with the package that I was to receive. They said yes, but it turns out that the confirmation package was for the prize watch, not the magazine subscriptions. That was fraud right there.
Now one of thier policy was cancellation in ten business days.US Postal Services does not even deliver that fast, and they expect us to call in and cancel within that time? How did they get my dorm number anyway, and how am I supposed to find out about them since they don't even have a website or a contact telephone number?
Then every month after december my credit card was charged $58 each month until I call in after finally receiving the mail to cancel. They said I cannot cancel because they already paid the magazine companies ahead of time and now I owe them, the CMS, the money for the magazine. The only option I had was to decrease the number of subscription to three years instead of four. My total payment came down to $496, and I still have not receive a single issue of 9 magazines I was to receive. 9 magazines, I repeat. My credit card account was charged earlier and earlier, until I do not feel like they were charging my account every month, but more like every week.
I admit that it was part my fault to give them my credit card number, but surely a legitimate business companies such as this would have thier client confirm with either an invoice, a signed approval, or such. Consolidated Media Services had none, they do not even send receipts of money, or bank statements, but our payments are typed in a little brochure that they sent, formatted in such a way as to confuse the reader, and never outlined any concrete form of payment.
I have asked my bank about how to change account numbers to avoid further payments, and hope they never find me again. If anyone knows a way to prosecute this type of fraud, know that Consolidated Media Service is full of it, and warn your friends, sons, daughters, and perhaps students about ths deceptive company.
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