When I was 20 years old I received a phone call from some random company stating that I had just won $1000 shopping spree. I accepted the $1000 shopping spree; what 20 year old wouldn't? I was put under contract, with tape recorded authorization, that I was willing to pay $39.49 for the next 24 months for a 5 year magazine subscription with 5 different magazines. I like reading magazines, so it wasn't really bad. This occured in August.
In April of I received my first phone call from this company. They said it was a service call. I was in between class, standing outside, and sick. I could not really hear what the lady on the phone was saying. Before I knew it, I was repeating prompts, thinking I was changing my payment method and just updating my account. I was actually verbally signing away my money for the next 24 months on top of the payments I already had.
In November of that same year, I moved out of my parents house and out on my own, so I called the company to have them change my address so my parents wouldnt have to deal with the mass amounts of magazines I was receiving every month. They don't tell you you'll get more than the 5 you subscribed for, but many, many other "free" magazines.
Today, October I received a phone call stating that two of my accounts have been paid in full, but I still have two active accounts. These accounts were supposedly set up in December and June. My reaction was, wait, what?! I was told that I was on the do not call list. Corey (never gave me his last name, how convienient), whom I guess is the supervisor, told me that he was going to put me on said do not call list.
I received a service call in December because I lost my debit card and had to cancel it, so my December payment didn't go through. Well while I was updating my account, he asked me if I wanted to cut my payment time in half and pay $62.50. Of course I do, I can afford to, so why not? It was with this phone call that I found out I had been set up with a second account almost a year and a half earlier. I was pissed, so that is why I was being called my a supervisor. But this supervisor was really slick with his words and I was, again, unknowingly signing myself up for yet another account.
In June of I had lost my debit card again (it's a problem) so I received another phone call. Corey told me that I can pay off my first account paying $289.10 for 4 months and close it out and just have remaining 12 payments of $89.71. So I said great, I'll do it, still thinking that I am paying this crap off as quick as possible.
Back to what I was saying about the "service call" that I got today. I was informed that I had, not one, or even two accounts set up but a total of 4 accounts set up with this company. My first two accounts were listed as paid in full, which is great, but I still have a balance of about $2200 dollars. The woman on the phone asked me that I could pay it all off for $995 and never receive another phone call. I was livid. I said no! I told her I do not want to make any changes to my account because every time I do I am being set up with another account.
Overall this company has cost me thousands of dollars, and as a college student I really dont have much money to spare. The only good thing that has come out of this comany is that I have great credit. Other than that, they are sneaky, and sign you up for things that you do not realize you are saying okay to. Never trust Great American Readers and save your money. They will take it from you so fast.
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