My Mom, Stella Mattheus, who has resided at 1312 South Lee, Lodi, CA for the past several decades is now 87 and I recently moved her into a nursing home close to me in AZ. As her daughter I've been paying her bills. The most frequent mail she's getting is from various Reader's Digest/Publisher's Clearing House scams. The address for Reader's Digest on this statment is Pleasantville, NY 10570, but the envelope to send payment goes to PO Box 80010, Prescott, AZ 86304-8010. Mom is receiving bills for products of things that she, a diabetic, who has vision problems, has no use for...a woman who a few years ago would have recognized what's going on here. The bills they send and brochures for special purchases have no customer service number...only a number to "pay by credit card". My mom has been getting more confused for the past few years and I'm more than upset that companies prey on these lonely, gullible old folks who can be led down some lane that's not good for them by some friendly marketeer. They will receive nothing more from my mom who has subsided on a meager $14, 000 annual income for years. I've discovered that she's been signed up for three years of magazines that she claims she didn't order (although they have her credit card number), that she has boxes of "gifts" from publisher's clearing house for things she has no use for...my sister in law said she just opened a box containing a beautifully wrapped calendar/planner for 2008 that probably was sent last year. They can ruin her credit if they choose to...she won't be using it anyway...but there's NO way they'll get another cent from my mom so long as I'm paying her bills. Also, their name/reputation is now MUD to anyone I talk with!
Sincerely,
Margaret Wilson
623-444-4275