Another Scam Alert for Magazines
 

I received an email about another magazine scam. This one was for a woodcarving magazine but others have had the same "bill" for other magazines. The bill in not from the magazine but from MBS, Magazine Billing Services. It asks for renewal at $89.95 for two years which is eight issues. Do the math! That comes out to $11.24 per issue! This for a magazine that costs $6.99 at the newsstands. The subscriber called the toll free number listed in the magazine to ask them about this. They had renewed their subscription with them last month for about $20 for the year. The magazine said that MBS is an organization the sends out bogus bills at exorbitant prices expecting that some people will just automatically pay the bill, whereupon MBS will keep the $30 extra fee for the yearly renewal.

You get your magazine but it costs you 21/2 times the regular subscription price. There is another company out of Palm Coast, Fla. that is doing the same thing. The magazine has tried to stop this practice but they are not doing anything illegal.

If MBS is doing this with this magazine, they are probably doing it with other monthly magazines as well. BEWARE! And be aware!!

Check all your bills when they come in.

Thanks for the information.....again someone is reaching into your (our) pockets is what I tell my DH..........calla

I avoid all subscriptions. If I want a magazine, I will just buy it at the store. I have more quilt patterns than I could ever make. I also just make up patterns to use up my scraps or to use the colors I want.

Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks for the heads up. My pet peeve is when you pay for a subscription. You get a renewal notice before the first magazine arrives!

I got tired of that so I no longer renew certain magazine subscriptions I have.

What do you know of the one out of Palm Coast? I had an e-mail from McCalls for a special rate and free first issue of the quilting magazine, so completed it on line. I still have not seen the first issue, but have received the invoice in the mail. It looks official from McCalls Quilting, but it IS from Palm Coast, FL-a PO box. I won't pay the invoice until I receive the freebie, even though I have had the magazine before and know what I would be getting. It's the principal. They tell you that you can decide after you receive the freebie...Should I drop it all together??

I get these "offers" all the time. I just tear them up. They must think people are stupid to think those super high prices are a good deal.

The stupid thing is that most of the billings are for magazines you have never subscribed to! They are usually something similar to your interests like other craft publications. Wonder how they get our names and what we do subscribe to.

Another legitimate scam is the automatic renewal charged to your credit card. I've had this done several times. The trick is that when subscribing at an introductory price, the fine print says it will be automatically renewed. I am now paying by check.

Laurafet, I don't know the name of the one in Palm Coast. I know I've had several bills from there but so far they were all legit. Hope this helps.