Area Circulation Scam 309-589-0867

[frostbitetwice]

I called 309.589.0867 and spoke with one of the sales representative who was very helpful in answering my questions.. She answered by saying Sweepstakes Center...Rather strange are they a sweepstakes concern or are they selling magazines??? Oh yes, when placing an order for magazines you are entered into a $100,000 drawing for cash and a Ford Hibread...

When I ask then if their parent company was Area Circulation, the rep said they no longer work for that company and that the new owner is WorldWide Preferred Publication, Redondo Beach, Calif (see attachment)..

Apparently, Mr Bellows, is no longer in charge..It is interesting how quick ownership was changed..

BTW, I called the number of WorldWide Prefer Publisher and the number was disconnected...

[frostbitetwice]

Hear is a website where you can order magazines with no sweepstakes or drawings nor a five years commitment..By order five magazines, from these vendors, you will pay 40% less or more than Area Circulation..There are thirteen different companies to order from..

http://www.toptenlinks.com/cat.php/Shopping:Magazines

A word of caution from the Ill Attorney General.

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.g...magazines.html

Despite going twenty pages deep into a Google search, I could not find one link for Area Circulation, under "buying magazines."

[DScully92]

Okay, I'm one of those poor shmucks you all talk about. They do use some trickery, they tell you that what you are entering into is NOT A CONTRACT, just a promise, and if something comes up call them. Well, I did have a problem and called. They were supposed to cancel it and then a month later I get a call from their billing department telling me that i never did. And that i need to pay up at least 65 right away. I told them no way. We're going through bankruptcy, had a car repossesed, several hospitalizations (including my infant) and they think we can afford to pay them. When i had talked to them before it was "we understand, don't worry it's cancelled, we are taking a hit, but if you can't do it you can't do it." This has been July through now. They are still calling!! I can't pay them. Yes, we are starting to get straightened back out, but we also have another little bundle to welcome in April. The last person I spoke to was rude and not understanding at all! Can they legally come after me for this (if so, I'll include them in our bankruptcy filing, and they will still get nothing). I just don't know what to do and am so sick of these people. The offer sounded good up front, but they just keep adding on more and more crap all the time.

[frostbitetwice]

Originally Posted by DScully92

Okay, I'm one of those poor shmucks you all talk about. They do use some trickery, they tell you that what you are entering into is NOT A CONTRACT, just a promise, and if something comes up call them. Well, I did have a problem and called. They were supposed to cancel it and then a month later I get a call from their billing department telling me that i never did. And that i need to pay up at least 65 right away. I told them no way. We're going through bankruptcy, had a car repossesed, several hospitalizations (including my infant) and they think we can afford to pay them. When i had talked to them before it was "we understand, don't worry it's cancelled, we are taking a hit, but if you can't do it you can't do it." This has been July through now. They are still calling!! I can't pay them. Yes, we are starting to get straightened back out, but we also have another little bundle to welcome in April. The last person I spoke to was rude and not understanding at all! Can they legally come after me for this (if so, I'll include them in our bankruptcy filing, and they will still get nothing). I just don't know what to do and am so sick of these people. The offer sounded good up front, but they just keep adding on more and more crap all the time.

Congs on your expected little one!!!! Could you please name he or she after this website.....They more than not likely to take you to court, however, they would report it as a default to all the credit reporting agencies...I would never, I repeat, never give out your phone number anyone selling magazines..

I would incorporate them in your bankruptcy and change your telephone number.. I have over six subscriptions and none of them have my phone number...GL and report back to us...

[DScully92]

Originally Posted by frostbitetwice

Congs on your expected little one!!!! Could you please name he or she after this website.....They more than not likely to take you to court, however, they would report it as a default to all the credit reporting agencies...I would never, I repeat, never give out your phone number anyone selling magazines..

I would incorporate them in your bankruptcy and change your telephone number.. I have over six subscriptions and none of them have my phone number...GL and report back to us...

Thank you! I do find one thing odd on their site. They say if you need a credit reference and you've done well with them they will write you a credit reference. I checked my credit report and they are no where on it. Do they actually report to the credit bureaus? I just think its odd that they would write a reference letter instead of letting your credit report speak for yourself through them. They won't send me any paperwork on what I still owe or if I still owe them, and I need that to be able to put it into my bankruptcy filing (last thing I wanted to do, but we did make some financial mistakes and had several bad and good things happen at once). Thanks Frostbitetwice.

[frostbitetwice]

Originally Posted by DScully92

Thank you! I do find one thing odd on their site. They say if you need a credit reference and you've done well with them they will write you a credit reference. I checked my credit report and they are no where on it. Do they actually report to the credit bureaus? I just think its odd that they would write a reference letter instead of letting your credit report speak for yourself through them. They won't send me any paperwork on what I still owe or if I still owe them, and I need that to be able to put it into my bankruptcy filing (last thing I wanted to do, but we did make some financial mistakes and had several bad and good things happen at once). Thanks Frostbitetwice.

There is no such thing as a "good reference" being sent to credit agencies!!! I would send them a certified letter stating your needs. In that letter tell them about what you think you own. Also, tell them that you are on a deadline and they must response within an appropriate time line. If they fail to duly respond, then the courts will more than likely honor your figures..GL, DScully...

[xSuperDaveX]

I can't believe all of this fuss started by some clown. Do a google search on long distance companies and you will find several. But did you know there are only 3 companies that have wired the country? All of the other companies are resellers. They buy thousands or millions of minutes each month and then resell them under their company name. Because they buy so many, they get them for next to nothing. They then resell them to us, usually less than we can get them from the big 3. Area Circulation and other companies do the same for magazine subscriptions. They buy several thousand (I'm guessing) subscriptions from various publishers and then resell them to us. If they were truly a scam, do you believe that any publisher would work with them?

Telemarketing has a bad rep, and there have been some shady companies (along with illegal ones) but that doesn't mean that all telemarketing is shady.

[concretelife]

alright, this is more than a little amusing. the cries of "scam! scam!" are fairly inflated here, so allow me to clean this up. until about 3 weeks ago, i worked for area circulation, in the quality assurance department which means that i listened to these recorded conversations all day to 'grade' the salespeople/verifiers and make sure that they were complying with the applicable laws on the phone and such.

first of all, all they do is fast talk you. like the other guy mentioned above, you NEVER enter a contract, and they DO tell you this, right up front. just like they tell you up front that you're being recorded. they are REQUIRED to have the customer state both the NUMBER of payments AND the amount of each payment that the customer is to complete. unless you are mindlessly babbling and not paying any attention at all (which is a bit reckless if you have just given this person your credit card number), you are made fully aware of what kind of money you will be spending. what they do is take advantage of the goons who don't pay any attention to them on the telephone. they throw a lot of numbers at you, hoping you get bored of it and just say whatever you need to say to get them off the phone. well like i said, you already gave them your credit card number, so you should be attentive to what is being discussed.

secondly, everything is finalized in a 'verification' call, which means that you speak with at least two people. so it's not like you are getting steamrolled into this. they call you and pitch the sale, and if you agree, then they enter you into the system and a verifier calls you back to confirm that you understand everything. so you're talking about a good 15 to 20 minutes of telephone time before you are ever in a position to have your card charged.
they do have a $1,000,000 dollar sweepstakes drawing once a year. at the very end of the phone call is where they really try to get you: they offer you a "1 dollar trial membership" in the Universal Buying Club, which is basically a bunch of coupons sent to you each month in the mail for all kinds of different stuff. they tell you that it's only 1 dollar to try for 1 month, and if you call back and cancel before that month is up, you won't be charged further. if you do NOT call them, they charge you like 95 dollars or something. most people don't pay any attention to this, agree to the 1 dollar trial, and then wonder what this 90 dollar charge is a month later.

bottom line, don't give your credit card number how to companies who have telemarketed you. in this day and age you should know better than this, and to turn around and make these kinds of complaints and exaggerations is quite silly.

as i said, you never enter a contract, only a verbal agreement. if you call them back to cancel your magazine subscription, they IMPLY that you are under contract by saying over and over that you promised to pay. because they are reading from a script, they are required to go through ALL The motions which means they will insist 3 or 4 times when you say "i just want to cancel" that you have already promised to pay. after a few times of your insisting you want to cancel, they will simply say nice and cheerily that they have canceled your account and will not bill further. if you stay firm and keep on them, they will refund your money no question (assuming you have only made the first payment). legally, you never enter a contract with them, and so there is NO obligation. period.

EDIT: i should probably mention that they absolutely do NOT report to ANY credit agencies WHATSOEVER. i worked briefly in collections for this company as well, and it is explicitly understood that we do not do any credit reporting. if customers on the phone with our collectors ask if we do, as with everything else, they are to IMPLY that they do or might, but they cannot ever say yes. you have absolutely nothing to worry about regarding your credit. call their customer service number and demand your refund. just insist to them that you were told it was NOT a contract, and therefore you know that you can legally cancel. they will still insist probably, but that's just them going through the motions since they are recorded and audited to ensure they use ALL the rebuttals available.

[nomaxim]

Originally Posted by concretelife

as i said, you never enter a contract, only a verbal agreement. if you call them back to cancel your magazine subscription, they IMPLY that you are under contract by saying over and over that you promised to pay. because they are reading from a script, they are required to go through ALL The motions which means they will insist 3 or 4 times when you say "i just want to cancel" that you have already promised to pay. after a few times of your insisting you want to cancel, they will simply say nice and cheerily that they have canceled your account and will not bill further. if you stay firm and keep on them, they will refund your money no question (assuming you have only made the first payment). legally, you never enter a contract with them, and so there is NO obligation. period.

Why does AOL keep popping into my head when I read that?

[frostbitetwice]

Originally Posted by nomaxim

Why does AOL keep popping into my head when I read that?