Is everyone out looking to scam you?

[starwood]

For the past year we have been receiving a magazine put out by our local newspaper. We never ordered it but it just started showing up. Last week DH (the subscription to the paper is in his name) got a bill for this magazine. I called this morning and told them we never ordered this. She said it was free for a year but now you need to pay for it.

I could see it if the bill said would you like to order this but it said amount due. So of course I told her to cancel it. How many people will just see this bill and pay it?????

 

[disneygirl 17]

I wouldn't have paid it. I don't pay anything without question.

 

[starwood]

There are so many elderly people who see a bill and think they must owe it and just pay without question. I just think this is terrible and should be illegal.

 

[horseshowmom]

There are so many elderly people who see a bill and think they must owe it and just pay without question. I just think this is terrible and should be illegal.

I agree with this completely. While I would be like the OP and recognize that something fishy was going on, there are many people who would just pay the bill. I definitely think that should be illegal.

Regarding the title of the post, sometimes it seems that way. My daughter lived in another city for a year in connection with her education. She paid a $500 pet deposit that was to be half refunded if there were no issues (there weren't).

She moved out the end of May. Over the summer, she's called the manager 3 times. Each time, they assured her that they would get to work on it. She's in rotations now and is not available during their office hours, so she asked me to call them.

They immediately knew what I was talking about and acknowledged that they owed her $250. The manager said that she would start the process and that it would take 6 to 8 weeks to get the check from corporate. I asked her to call me back when it had been submitted (since she had told DD every time that she would submit it), and she agreed.

Two weeks and I didn't hear anything so I called back and told them that my patience was about gone. She said she would get to it that afternoon. I asked her for the phone number for corporate so I could encourage them to expedite this refund since it has now been almost 4 months.

At that point, she told me that wouldn't be necessary and that she would take the money out of petty cash and send DD a money order immediately (either that afternoon or the next morning). DD did receive the money orders (it was split into two money orders for some reason) in the next few days.

The whole thing made me wonder how often they string people along until the people either forget or just drop it. I also wondered a little bit about whether the manager might be finding a way to pocket the refunded deposits.

 

[ssawka]

To some degree it is illegal, not for them to send you a bill, but to charge you for something you did not order. This goes for anything. If you receive a product through the mail, addressed to you, you are under no obligation to pay for or return the product. I know that is different, but it is related. You just need to be aware of what you order and what you do not. I also will not sign up for deals that are "free trials", but you have to give your billing information and accept that you will automatically be billed after the trial period.

 

[Green Tea]

If any of you have teen girls, you are probably familiar with Forever 21. They engage in a web practice I think should be illegal:

With an order, you see a note that your order automatically includes a subscription to a magazine. If you do not want the magazine you have to print a form right there before you order, fill it out with tons of information, including item numbers and descriptions of what is ordered, include a copy of the receipt and mail it in for a $10 refund. But, they will only refund one time a year. So if you order a few times a year, you are forced to pay for a $10 magazine subscription that you have no control over.

 

[Juliegirl1]

I have to agree with the bills and elderly people. My dad has Parkison's and I finally had to take over paying his bills because he was constantly doing that. He would also cash every "check" that came in the mail - you know the ones - cash a $15 check for a $65 service that is automatically charged to your credit card or debited from your checking account because you "authorized" it by cashing the check. Ugh!

 

[mistysue]

There is a local newspaper that did this to me three times within 6 months! They had both my home and work addresses. They sent me a Sunday paper (to a business that is closed Sundays) for four weeks, then sent a bill for the papers they had sent plus for the following month.

All three times I told them I don't want their paper and they threw out the invoice, but by the third time I told them next time i was just going to let them keep delivering and it was their own problem if they kept giving me free stuff because it was a waste of everybody's time. I never received that paper again.

 

[MomToOne]

I would call or email a few of the local television stations to see if they want to do a story on this. I don't know if the TV stations would be interested in bashing the local paper, but the practice is shameful for the reasons brought up by you and PP. I expect things like this out of certain online companies, but I hold companies like the local paper to a higher standard. (Maybe that's not fair of me, but my elderly mother isn't going to be shopping online but she does get the local paper.) They should be made to answer for such a shady practice.

 

[Swimalie]

Another one that is getting me lately are the letters coming (unsolicited) that say "Signature required" on the outside of the envelope and yet they are for something like life insurance or a magazine renewal. Someone who isn't paying attention might just sign what is inside and sign up for something they don't need or want. I can't stand companies that try to rip people off like that.

 

[PrincessMama605]

I have gotten something similar recently-two bills for two different magazines that I don't subscribe to and have never received an issue of either one. They were both offers to subscribe but each one had "due date-invoice enclosed" on the envelope.

That just makes me so irritated, I wouldn't have subscribed even if I did want the magazine!

 

[tripplanner2]

Mine is a little different but still the same premise. We have dental insurance. Not the best but still dental insurance. For the kids we pay 20% out of pocket for cleanings and fillings, basically all work. So we go for our 6 month checkup and after our cleanings they say I owe $250. I said, "for what!!!" They said my insurance only pays for one flouride treatment per year and they did a second treatment so I have to pay 100%. With 3 kids that is $120 of the bill and the balance was the 20% from cleanings. I am still furious and not sure how to proceed. I did not pay for the flouride but I know they want that money. We need to go back and I am putting it off and thinking of switching dentists. Anyone else have this type of experience at the dentist?

 

[PatMcDuck]

We think we have to take over my Dad's bills soon. I was pulling his car insurance info, because he had a minor car accident (he is done driving forever!) I found he still had my MOM on the policy, she passed 14 years ago. Ok, that was his fault......

Anyway, I was disturbed by all the charity mail I found, he is on 100s of lists I fear. The evidence also is there, all the little junky "gifts" around his apartment, and all those address labels and note pads..... I know they have confused him in the past. and these are charities I never heard of, lots of disabled veteran things, various diseases. (NOT stuff like American Cancer Society, or Red Cross, or American Heart Assoc.)

I hate to get to get too involved, I think he actually LIKES getting mail in a way.

 

[Abbie]

We think we have to take over my Dad's bills soon. I was pulling his car insurance info, because he had a minor car accident (he is done driving forever!) I found he still had my MOM on the policy, she passed 14 years ago. Ok, that was his fault......

Anyway, I was disturbed by all the charity mail I found, he is on 100s of lists I fear. The evidence also is there, all the little junky "gifts" around his apartment, and all those address labels and note pads..... I know they have confused him in the past. and these are charities I never heard of, lots of disabled veteran things, various diseases. (NOT stuff like American Cancer Society, or Red Cross, or American Heart Assoc.)

I hate to get to get too involved, I think he actually LIKES getting mail in a way.

Mom is in a similar situation (only I have taken over all bills and everything else completely). Maybe your dad would be okay with you taking over if you don't change anything about his mail, but after he opens it have him put it in a basket for you to go through every week or so. Then you can take it home and do whatever needs to be done (i.e. throw away the junk!) My mother has enough address labels to paper her apartment!

 

[cm8]

There are so many elderly people who see a bill and think they must owe it and just pay without question. I just think this is terrible and should be illegal.

, I think that is why they do it!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I hate to get to get too involved, I think he actually LIKES getting mail in a way.

So, write to him. If you have kids or siblings, have them drop him notes from time to time as well

 

[curious3069]

Here's my magazine pet peeve...when they send you a bill stating "subscription is running out, renew now!", yet you've got 6 months left on the subscription. Let's just say my dad will be receiving Golf Digest for about 3 more years. Of course I should be keeping track of that, but I really don't have the time or inclination to keep track of magazine subscriptions.

 

[Lovin' Disney]

I thought the same thing when every month, I would get a renewal card with my Reader's Digest magazine. This would happen literally every month (still does), including the month after I had sent in a payment to renew it. I think that they are one of the leading offenders for this practice.

 

[auroralark]

I've been dealing with the magazine renewals too. Some of these subscriptions I have almost a full year left on! And they're still pretending I owe them money. Seems to me this is a newer practice. I don't remember this happening a few years ago.

 

[Swimalie]

Here's one - I got a renewal recently for a magazine that I was planning on not renewing. On the outside once it said "Past due". No it's not. I don't plan on renewing. Nothing I have it past due! Another time it said something like "final notice". Don't make it look like I "owe" something. It's a renewal notice - not a real bill.