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  • "Quilt" magazine and their strongarm renewal tactics

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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:28 PM
      #1  
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    I subscribed to "Quilt" magazine back in January 2010 for one year, and decided to let the subscription lapse when it came up for renewal. They sent several reminders to renew, etc., all of which I ignored.

    Today, I get this in the mail from them:

    UNPAID ACCOUNT

    WE HAVE SENT YOU FOUR INVOICES AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU YET.

    EITHER:
    (1) PAY YOUR BILL OR
    (2) CALL US AT #800-866-2886 TO TELL US WHY YOU HAVE NOT PAID.

    OR WE WILL PLACE YOUR NAME ON OUR BAD PAY FILE.

    P.S. If you have sent payment within the last two weeks, please disregard this notice.
    This makes my blood boil when I see companies use threats and intimidation like this, simply because someone choose not to renew their subscription. GRRRRRRR!!!!
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:31 PM
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    np3
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    Did one of the notices ask you to mark No thanks if you didn't want to renew? Most subscriptions automatically renew if you don't send in a cancellation notice. And from their point of view, you owe it per the original agreement. It is annoying which is why I seldom order magazines.
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:31 PM
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    DITTO!!! :twisted:
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:32 PM
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    OMG!!! Why in the world would they ever send something like that?!?!? That is an unacceptable way of doing business.
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:32 PM
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    I think I would contact them. However, I wouldn't use the phone number listed on that form. Somehow this just doesn't look right.
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:33 PM
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    I believe it was Andy Rooney who said that if you get this kind of mail. any junk mail for that matter and it has a paid return envelop with it, just bundle up all the paper including the original envelope and send it back to the company. They way they have to pay return postage. I have done it and it ended the junk mail.
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:43 PM
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    I called them just now and gave them an earful of what I thought of it. They apologized, said it was a form letter, blah, blah, blah. I told them to cancel me and to never contact me again.
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:43 PM
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    Originally Posted by Eddie
    I subscribed to "Quilt" magazine back in January 2010 for one year, and decided to let the subscription lapse when it came up for renewal. They sent several reminders to renew, etc., all of which I ignored.

    Today, I get this in the mail from them:

    UNPAID ACCOUNT

    WE HAVE SENT YOU FOUR INVOICES AND HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU YET.

    EITHER:
    (1) PAY YOUR BILL OR
    (2) CALL US AT #800-866-2886 TO TELL US WHY YOU HAVE NOT PAID.

    OR WE WILL PLACE YOUR NAME ON OUR BAD PAY FILE.

    P.S. If you have sent payment within the last two weeks, please disregard this notice.
    This makes my blood boil when I see companies use threats and intimidation like this, simply because someone choose not to renew their subscription. GRRRRRRR!!!!
    I had the same problem with Prevention magazine. They did an automatic renewal even though I sent them notices to cancel. They kept sending those threatening notices. So, I renewed another year. I was finally able to write them and tell them I am refusing any issues they have sent at the end of the last issue and if they continue to harrass me, I shall turn them into the Better Business Bureau and notify each news media of their tactics. They stopped and never heard from them again.
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:43 PM
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    I also had a subscription to the same magazine. Over a year ago I also decided to let the subscription lapse and got the same notices. Here we are over a year after the original subscription lapsed and every three months or so I still get the same "unpaid notice". Guess they think senility will catch up and I will start to pay!!
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    Old 01-21-2011, 01:44 PM
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    Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This post will show up in the big search engines, too. I'm sure you're not alone.

    Things seem to have gotten universally worse in the last few years. They're many aggressive ones out there.

    I know why they think these poor business models are okay. Many of my favorite magazines have gone under in the last seven years. But I gotta tell you, nothing makes me less likely to purchase from in the future than a company who behaves like a con artist.

    I had to call an automated line to "cancel" a magazine (meaning tell them not to automatically renew) and the automated responses were intentionally worded to get you to accidentally renew. I'm glad I looked it up online first. The internet complaints saved me the hassle of dealing with the magazine again later.

    It's not just magazines who've gone down the toilet. Many of my definitely legitimate dealings in the last two years have felt like a con. Two of my banks are a mess.

    Good luck to you, Eddie.
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