Magazine Renewal Scams; Beware and Save

Watch out! You may pay more than you should for a renewal of one of your magazine subscriptions. You may also end up paying more money than necessary for a new subscription. There are both mailing and phoning scams going on all the time.

Mailers can buy mailing lists and then flood people with what looks like a legitimate renewal notice from your magazine but which is actually at a much higher rate than the magazine would offer you directly. Companies like Publishers Processing Service, Inc, Crown Marketing, and Publisher’s Periodical Services are not really services. They are out to make money and operate without the approval of the magazine publishers. For example, Harper’s magazine will renew a subscription for two years at a cost of $26.97, but through a mailing from a renewal service it would cost you as much as $69.95.

What can you do to avoid mail scamming?

• Always check the mailing label on your subscription to see when your subscription actually ends. Don’t’ renew before that date.
• Be in touch with the publisher of the magazine directly, either by phone or on their website.
• Read any mailed renewal notices carefully. Although they may look like legitimate bills from you subscription’s publisher, you can see signs of a problem if there are disclaimers like “No obligation to buy or renew.” You may also notice phrases that ask you to “…authorize us to process or clear you order with the publisher directly.”

Phoners will also charge more for magazines, mostly for first-time subscribers. Be careful not to make even a verbal agreement to buy if you are not getting a total cost for your purchase from the phoner. Also be aware that free periodicals come with a processing free that might be higher than the purchase price.

What can you do to avoid a phone scamming?

• Make sure to ask callers that do not identify themselves to place you on their Do Not Call List.
• Compare prices before buying on the phone.

Finally, when you’ve been scammed by mail or phone, you can cancel your subscription. Usually the worst is you pay a cancellation fee of around $20. You can also look for cancellation information on your bill or write a cancellation notice yourself and send it to the service. Then call your bank or credit card institution and tell them not to make any unauthorized payments. It is true the cancellation time may run out and you may be stuck, but not paying will affect your credit score, so sometimes you have to live and learn.

In general, subscribe to only the magazine(s) you want, buy directly from magazine publishers, and renew only two weeks before your subscription ends.

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