I got a telemarketing call about magazine subscriptions so I ordered 3 for a nominal fee because I don't do enough reading. I started receiving 6 magazines a month for a total price of $49.91 per month. After a few months I decided to cancel my subscription. I finally found a phone number for them and they said there was a 3 day cancellation rule from the day you order the subscriptions, which I was never told, so I was unable to cancel and I had 16 months left on my subscription.
I asked to speak to the supervisor, the CSR wouldn't let me; I asked for their mailing address, they gave me the PO Box; I asked for a physical address they wouldn't give it to me; I asked for the name of the owner of the company and they wouldn't give it to me; I asked for their website they said they didn't have one. I decided to look on complaint and found so many stories like mine. I thought about it and realized that the only way to stop the charges was to cancel my credit card, so that's what I did.
They started calling me when their next billing cycle didn't produce a charge so they began calling me. At first I answered the phone because I didn't know it was them and I just hung up when they said who they were. It has been 3 months now and they're still sending me magazines and calling me, but now I don't answer any numbers I don't know. It usually shows up as "UNKNOWN" on my screen, but they're tricky and also call from other area codes so I don't answer those either.
Anyway, call your credit card company and say you lost your card (or if you are using American Express, they will quickly and easily refund your money and do a fraud report) and they will cancel the old number and give you a new card with a new number and the charges will stop. Periodicals will call you incessantly, but you won't have to pay the outrageous subscription fee any more. And if you have caller id, you don't have to answer numbers you dont' know. I'm going to get one of those "If it fits it ships" boxes from the post office and send the magazines back to them with a "nice" note.
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