"Magazine Payment Services" - a scam??

[iflyboats]

I have recieved a notice in the mail from a company called "MAGAZINE PAYMENT SERVICES" indicating that I need to pay $87.99 by November 28 to renew my T&FN subscription for two years. Is this a scam?

[MJD]

Probably-it has been covered in a couple of other threads.

[tafnut]

Yup

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/discus ... light=scam

[BillVol]

Man lands on moon

Pearl Harbor bombed by Japanese.

:wink:

[iflyboats]

To be honest the name "MAGAZINE PAYMENT SERVICES" gives it away and I wasn't buying it for 2/3 of a second, but I wanted to post about it anyway because it pisses me off. Isn't this illegal?

[Law dude]

To be honest the name "MAGAZINE PAYMENT SERVICES" gives it away and I wasn't buying it for 2/3 of a second, but I wanted to post about it anyway because it pisses me off. Isn't this illegal?

Yes.

Next question?

[iflyboats]

how's this for a next question. WHERE DID THEY GET MY INFORMATION??

and why does this shit continue if it is illegal?

[lonewolf49]

I was feeling left out because I did not get one of those scam renewals last week. but it is oK now, I got two this week.

[dukehjsteve]

I still think that any and all of us that get this illegal and contemptible trash in the mail should CALL THEM, keep them on the phone as long as possible, then close it by telling the person on the other end that THEY ARE WORKING FOR CROOKS and should be ashamed. And/or, politely ask to "speak to your manager" and do it again. Can't hurt, might help, and will make each of us feel better.

But I too am puzzled as to how they continually stay in business, as I know the various athorities have been repeatedly advised of their illegal operation.

[EPelle]

Re: "Magazine Payment Services" - a scam??

I have recieved a notice in the mail from a company called "MAGAZINE PAYMENT SERVICES" indicating that I need to pay $87.99 by November 28 to renew my T&FN subscription for two years. Is this a scam?

Here is another site affected by the b.s.

[Law dude]

why does this shit continue if it is illegal?

Probably for reasons similar to those that explain how the genocide in Darfur continues. There are relatively few people or entities with the capacity to do anything about it, and they have other priorities that they think are more urgent or important.

[Kevin Richardson]

If it helps soften the blow any for the hardcore fans on here, they are hitting Runners' World subscribers, also.

[gh]

how's this for a next question. WHERE DID THEY GET MY INFORMATION??

If you have a mailing list you make money selling it. But you license it for one-time usage, and sell it only to reputable people. Somebody--we'll never know who--who was "reputable" turned out not to be so much and resold the list to these people. Or some other nefarious method. Point is that they came into possession of a mailing list whenthey shouldn't have and have been abusing it. (And obviously we haven't been able to stop them.)

As a result, we quit selling our mailing list several years ago now, so the only subscribers who are getting these solicitations are those who were on the rolls back then. And they'll continue to troll as long as they get results. So the sad bottom line is that this is likely to continue for some time to come.

[dukehjsteve]

For curiosity's sake only, are these people complete thieves ? Does everyone and anyone that sends these people money get nothing in return , or do some renewals actually wend there way back to T & F N ?

[guru]

how's this for a next question. WHERE DID THEY GET MY INFORMATION??

If you have a mailing list you make money selling it. But you license it for one-time usage, and sell it only to reputable people. Somebody--we'll never know who--who was "reputable" turned out not to be so much and resold the list to these people. Or some other nefarious method. Point is that they came into possession of a mailing list whenthey shouldn't have and have been abusing it. (And obviously we haven't been able to stop them.)

As a result, we quit selling our mailing list several years ago now, so the only subscribers who are getting these solicitations are those who were on the rolls back then. And they'll continue to troll as long as they get results. So the sad bottom line is that this is likely to continue for some time to come.

No, the REAL bottom line is you have no one to blame but yourselves, and the decent thing to do when an unsuspecting subscriber(this thread proves, despite your warnings, they're still out there) sends money to these companies is to honor the renewal with a FUTURE warning sent INDIVIDUALLY to that person. You guys decided to sleep with dogs when you sold your mailing list, a reprehensible business move. YOU should deal with the fleas.