The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. Sent me a box labeled you have been sent a free gift plus a new customer bonus gift. This was just AFTER I received a bill for $29.12 due May 13. Package came from Louisville KY; Bill came from PO Box 70040, Prescott, AZ 86304-7040, with an envelope preaddressed same but PO Box 80055; zip 86304-8055.
I received the bill 4/20/09, delivered by our Postal Service. The package came 4/21/09 via (presumably USPS) labeled 'You have been sent a Free Gift Plus a New Customer Bonus Gift. I thought that was rather strange because I had been receiving Reader's Digest for many years, until recently due to my accumulation of unread back issues being enough to last another decade with the amount of (nonexistent, almost) free time I have to read them.
This seemed odd - I hadn't ordered anything (nor at this point received anything); though it would be remotely possible I could have accepted a "free preview with free gifts" such as is offered online by (the real) Reader's Digest, http://www.rd.com/sweeps/winbig602/se/index. Jsp? Sep_id=21404&trkid=rdcom_sweeps_se30k -or from something similar in an email, with the full intention of declining any subscription, this bill is simply WRONG! (yes, I'm SHOUTING!!!)
I became more suspicious when I looked at the return address on the box that came a day after the bill with attached sweepstakes entry:
The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 7501 Winstead Drive, Louisville, KY 40281. Everything I have received from the real Reader's Digest over the years has come from Pleasantville, NY. The book appears to be a current edition of Select Editions. The "SEAL OF RDA" on the AZ preaddressed envelope says New York, and its mailer contained authentic-looking documents, including 3 additional addresses that apply to the 3 sweeps. The 'Free Gifts' are presumably the tiny plastic toy train car and 2 "surprize" cheap pens. There is, however, no contact information for any dispute, cancellation, or questions about the "bill".
IF in fact I had inadvertently accepted a free preview and gifts, according to the above-referenced page, I should get the book and gifts first, and later a bill for only $5.49 for delivery costs and any tax.
Anyhow, at this point they will get nothing; as far as I'm concerned, the box I never got because it was "left" by carrier (due to no response) and mysteriously disappeared, and I tossed the sweeps entry along with so much other stuff resembling junk mail! ;)
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