Ronnie C
Otto,#2Consumer Comment
Tue, May 19, 2009
Got the same thing, did not buy the mag. the guy got upset, and hung up on me. There is another phone number (954) 229-3113. If you can try to rember what the salemans name is.
Oakland
Petersburg,#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, July 17, 2008
I am sorry you and everyone else had to be victimized by this company. Sadly, speaking to customer service is a wasted effort. When you try to cancel, they will say you cannot. In Illinois, a contract has to be in writing. It is not to say a verbal agreement cannot be enforced, but it most cases it is not. Not knowing the laws in Florida where this company has its location,they also have a customer service office in Peoria, Illinois. Conveniently they are not listed under #411. Their mail is sent out as Customer Care, and it also is not listed. This may be because on some of their invoices it will display "Peoria Heights or East Peoria," Your best solution, in most cases you may be out the money, however, you need to go to the Florida Better Business Bureau (BBB). Simply type in the search engine Florida Better Business Bureau. Select the South East Office and then select "file complaint," You should have their address and phone number to provide. Fill out your complaint. Explain what you want as a solution. You also need to do the same for Illinois, and also call the Illinois State Attorney Generals Office for a complaint to be mailed to you. I suggest in this complaint you print off othe complaints from a web search of "Blue Whale Publications Magazine Scams. " Print off some of the complaints and send it with your complaint. The Attorney Generals Office will file legal action as "People of the State of Illinois" if there is any actions by this company which violate the consumer laws/ I would also suggets you file one with the Florida Attorney Generals Office. There are laws in which I have been told that regulate recordings. There are certain statements a company has to say including asking your permission. They may have a recording, but if it wasn't done in accordance with the law, it violates the eavesdropping statute in Illinois, but there may be another law that is applicable because the initial contact may have originated in Florida. This may the FTC's (Federal Trade Commision) jurisdiction, but I could be wrong. I had consulted an attorney about the alleged recorded verbal contract. He advised me that it was most likely unenforceable, due to a legal aspect known "unconscionable or unconscionability." The company did not allow customers to ask questions during the time the "Closer" or incorrectly known as a manager comes on the line to close the deal. I looked up case law on previous trials in which this was a normal part of another magazine scam's protocol. Blue Whale also said you may have signed a contract, but they may have never sent one. What I would like too see people do is tell them that they will not pay and call their bluff, and tell them you know about their scam and you are taking that you "filed" a complaint with the Attorney Generals Office. I believe they are cowards. They look for people who will pay and when you tell them your not, it will be interesting what will happen if one does not and refuses to, along with not answering the phone or responding to invoices. Also check the invoice, it may have something to the effect that this is not a contract. Don't quote me, though. I have a hard time believing they will try to go through a collections agency for payment and then through court knowing their actions could be deemed illiegal through their own ignorant revelations. If any company calls on the phone you should never deal with them let alone speak with them. If a company has to use a phone to gain customers, then that in itself should raise a red flag. Why? Well, if you cannot gain customers in your own community, it obviously says alot about the company. In the meantime, file a report with those agencies, because the more compalints they receive, the more likely they will investigate it further. I also suggest you speak with an attorney who will provide you a relatively inexpensive consultation, in order to find out what your rights are and how to get this company to stop calling.billing and harrassing you. So, file with both Illinois and Florida BBB, and also file with the Attorney General Office in Florida and Illinois. I hope this will be of some help, because calling customer service will be a complate waste of time.
Cat
Hendersonville,#4Consumer Suggestion
Tue, April 15, 2008
You have your card. Please call the customer nuimber on the back of it and double check it has been closed. Something does not smell right. Your card has been pirated no doubt and this was a set up I saw less than a month ago on a news tv show. I think you need to double check it has been closed. Also, with your card being stolen you are not reponsible for any charges, so do not let the bank try and tell you otherwise! Then.... Call ALL 3 credit reporting agencies and put a fraud report immediatly on your report. This will put them on high alert that it was stolen and possibly used. Check out the following info. I hope it helps. Cat Equifax P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374 (800)-685-1111 Web site: www.equifax.com Experian PO Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013 (888) 397-3742 Web site: www.experian.com TransUnion LLC P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022 (800) 888-4213 Web site: www.transunion.com