A young women came to my door selling subscriptions. She showed me her licence and said it was for something that seemed worthwhile. It's been 4 months. I have yet to recieve my magazine. I called the phone number and it's been disconnected.

A young woman came to my door , telling me that she is part of a program called Paragon which helps young black men and women get education and training so they don't end up in gangs and helps them be productive citizens. On the form it said in big letter, "NO DONATION". She then showed me a page, like a survey, where I was to sign my name and hopefully give her positive comments about her presentation, etc. She said that if I did this she would get "points" toward receiving $1,000 to be used for her education. I did not sign and lifted the page on the clipboard and saw a long list of magazines. I then asked her if she was selling magazines. She said she was but that anything I bought would give her "points." I said I didn't need any magazines. She said I could buy them and donate them to the program to be used by others in the program. This is the same as the complaint from the woman who said she was told they would be sent to the tent city in Louisiana. I refused to buy, she was rather insistent, I still refused. I told her I never give to or buy from any charity unless I check them out. I did check with the Attorney General of MN and there is no Paragon program listed with them. She wanted to know if she could come back later. I told her a day the following week that I might be home. It will be interesting if she will come back. I will inform her of the complaints against her company and I will not buy!

On November 7th, a woman came to my door selling magazines for Midwest Clearing Inc. I told her I had too many magazines already and didn't need anymore. She told me that I could buy 3 magazines for a special deal and send them to the tent cities in New Orleans and make someones Christmas. I listened to her - that was a big mistake. So in December, I started receiving 3 magazines, magazines I have no interest in but magazines that I believed the people of New Orleans would have an interest in. One is on Computer games (I hate computer games), second is raising children (I don't have any) and the third is family life. (I don't have one)

I called them, informed them of their mistake, asked them to right it, they haven't called me back and I have just now recieved another magazine from them today. I just filed fraud with the BBB in Chicago Illinois, and I am now writing this. I plan on documenting this on the web as many places as possible. And because of this fraud, I have posted a NO Soliciting sign on my door, I am tired of this kind of crap, it is plain and simple FRAUD. And Fraud not just for me who has lost $140.00 but also the people I was trying to help in New Orleans.

I want my money back, period. I do not believe that they will at this point make it right and send it where it needs to go. I even questioned the gal multiple times at the door and told her "are you sure you can do this" and she just kept saying oh yeah (Under the address of where to send the magazines, she wrote something about the tent city in New Orleans etc..- I am sure this company has taught their contractors to lie to get the sale. She even told me it is tax deductible, which was untrue. This type of behavior gives magazine sales people the same type of reputations as used car saleman and frankly they have now wrecked it for further people.

January 11th, update, called Family Fun - one of the magazines to tell them about the fraud. Plan on doing that with all three of them. Was told that they said that the magazine subscription came from National Publisher Exchange in Florida - and gave me a phone number. She says they sell these things all the time. So I call the number - it is disconnected. I look it up on the web, it has been shut down. I do a google search and there are several complaints about this company. Frustration continues.