Biiiiiiig problem with Free magazine deals

gamemasterjd

gamemasterjd

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Ok, i signed up for a many free magazines. So far so good. last i checked i have egm well into 2007. A while ago i got a bill from PC Gamer. THey tried to bill me for the 2 mags they sent me. I responded canceled. Then about a month later, i got another. Again i replied cancel. Now i have a frickin bill collector letter in my pocket. I'm beginning to think that theey want their 20 dolars for the two magazines...any sugestions before i contact the collector?
 
If they're going through that much trouble, I'd just give them the $20. Or call the bill collector and tell him your story.
 
No, just send an angry message to both publisher and bill collector. Same thing happened to me for Men's Health. I just threatened them with legal actions and the bill was dropped.
 
i got 3 of these so far. I seems most of these so called FREE offers are fake. SO far im stuck with paying for 1 of them and trying to get out of the other 2.
 
I just signed up for an EGM free trial, hopefully they don't try to charge me for it. A while ago, EGM sent like 3 magazines to my house to a person who didn't exist. It took 3 attempted cancellations and a phone call to get it fixed up.
 
I've signed up for EGM 2 or 3 times and all I ever get is the online version that I never bother to read.
I did get my first 2 issues of FHM today. My wife saw the cover of the December 04 issue and wanted to know when I signed up for porn.
 
Still... I don't see how a mag can initiate collections without your social, which could end up with repricussions on your credit report. Is the letter from an actual collections agency, or from the magazine itself?
 
[quote name='fragmanslayer']The moral of the story is...

NOTHING is free, except maybe, er, they fine you for that so thats not free either.[/quote]
NOT TRUE I get PC mag for free no strigns attached, the free magazines work
 
[quote name='alongx']If they're going through that much trouble, I'd just give them the $20. Or call the bill collector and tell him your story.[/quote]
THey will send u a few of those and give up don't pay them, they just do that to intimidate u and it looks like it almost worked. I have had several of those collection agencies trying to get money of me. They are really just to scare u
 
I also have a similar problem. I signed up for the free trial of Computer Games monthly or some magazine like that. After my free trial was up they decided to renew my subscription anyway. They keep sending me issues, but I haven't paid anything. Their fault, not mine. I even sent in one of the bills and wrote CANCEL across it. Apparently they didn't get it.
 
you guys/girls should never use your legal name when signing up for that free stuff. use a nick name, something that doesn't reflect your legal name and you shouldn't run into those kind of troubles. if an email addr is needed, use the extension "@dodgeit.com". dodgeit.com is perfectly fine for those kinds of things. check it out.
 
PC Gamer...

Neither 6669 nor myself have ever posted a completely free deal for that. You must have gotten it in an advertisement on your own.

PC Gamer does not offer full 12-month subscriptions. They do, however, offer a free 1 ISSUE trial magazine; if you don't want any more, you cancel after it. Otherwise, they WILL send more and charge you for it.

I'm sorry to hear you've had such bad luck.
 
as soon as i joined this site, i signed up for like 5 free magazine deals..

a few days later i got a bill from EGM before i even got any magazines...

i then got on the internet, went to their website, and sent an email saying that i signed up for a free subscription, and that if i wasnt gonna get the magazine for free then i wanted to cancel..

i still get EGM, but i havent gotten a bill since from them

i also signed up for a free subscription to SYNC and they sent me a bill before i got any issues, and i told my parents to send it back saying cancel, and i also send an email to them.


then i went ahead an cancelled all of the magazines that i dont really want/need so i dont get a bill for shit i dont even want.
 
[quote name='gamemasterjd']Ok, i signed up for a many free magazines. So far so good. last i checked i have egm well into 2007. A while ago i got a bill from PC Gamer. THey tried to bill me for the 2 mags they sent me. I responded canceled. Then about a month later, i got another. Again i replied cancel. Now i have a frickin bill collector letter in my pocket. I'm beginning to think that theey want their 20 dolars for the two magazines...any sugestions before i contact the collector?[/quote]

Dude, I'm in the same position as you. I sent 2 cancels to PC Gamer and just yesterday, I recieved a collection notice from North Shore Agency, Inc. demanding 20 bucks...WTF?
 
I have signed up for several free magazines without any problems. PC World, EGM, Spin, Rolling Stone, TV Guide. I always use another email address (Yahoo), and none of them have required a credit card.

There ARE legimate free magazine offers.
But I agree with the above posters --- I have not seen any offers for PC Gamer. You must have signed up for that one by mistake, or it truly was a scam deal.
 
I got free subscriptions to PSM and they only sent me four issues and said it was time for renewal. But never sent me a bill
 
Damn that sucks. Having something go to a bill collector will shaq-fu up your credit. Either pay it or work it out with the mag company to get it dropped as soon as you can. In other words I'd actually call up the magazine and try to talk to someone.
 
I get a crapload of free magazines. I'll only sign up for the free ones, not the "X free issues" (except for the no-strings attached 2 free issues to playboy :) )

My wife gets pissed off because I get us on so many mailing lists.. but hey, I like free mags :)
 
I've never had to pay for a FREE sub yet. I have SOOO many it's crazy.

I think I have STUFF until like 2017

Let's see, all the mags I have/had:
Maxim
Stuff
Men's Health
USA Today
TV Guide
Rolling Stone
Blender
Budget Living
Organic Living
GIANT
Razor
EGM
GamePro
XBOX Nation
Seventeen ;) (done now....darn...hahaha)

I'm sure there are more.....cannot think. So, these deals are LEGIT....unless you come across some crazy ass site that wanted a CC.
 
As was stated, do not use your name, use any made up name you want, this will avoid any and all bill collection problems.

If you get a bill, writing cancel on it and returning should clear up the majority of problems

If you receive a letter from a collecion agency do not automatically flip out. Yes there is a chance it could land on your credit rating (which would be VERY bad), but oftentimes companies merely just send a list of delinquent subscribers to an agency and they send out form letters. You can write a polite, but firm response to this agency insisting you have never signed up for said magazine, you have no desire for said magazine and whatever bills they have previously sent either never arrived to you or you have expressed a desire to cancel an incorrect subscription.

You cold also roll the dice and do nothing, and maybe it will all go away, but write the letter to set your mind at ease and explain either it was supposed to be free, or you have not signed up for any magazine, nor have your recieved any magazine or desire as such.
 
[quote name='trustcompany1013']so...you can sign up anyone for a free magazine and get them in trouble with bill collectors?[/quote]

Not really... I had a friend do this to me in college. I told the company that I never signed up and they went away. Since you do not sign an agreement and you do not provide your social security number they have little recourse.
 
[quote name='blevesque']Dude, I'm in the same position as you. I sent 2 cancels to PC Gamer and just yesterday, I recieved a collection notice from North Shore Agency, Inc. demanding 20 bucks...WTF?[/quote]

Yep this is exactly what i got. I'll try callin some people inc the agency. thanks for your advice everyone. ill let you know how it turns out.
 
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