The letter I sent to this company is below it tells all of what happened. I will say that today when I checked my bank account this company had returned my $19.95 payment that was made in Dec. 2009. So should get a letter regarding this saying that I have successfully canceled my subscription. I am printing off the deposit and keeping it with my other paperwork on this company. I hope this helps everyone out there that is dealing with a company like this. You can also be placed on the Do Not Call list that past this year 2010. Here is the number 1-888-382-1222 (I am now on it). Do your homework and make sure to always get the names of who you talked to and write down as much information as you can when talking companies like this.

Here is the letter:

March 9, 2010

RELIABLE READERS' SERVICE
PO BOX 771747
LAKEWOOD OH 44107-0067

Account number: UB821009322

To Whom It May Concern:

On December 16, 2009, I received a call from [1-888-369-7326] Reliable Readers’ Services’ representative named Camille. She proceeded to tell me that I would be put in a drawing for a cruise with your company. The next thing I knew, we were talking about how I would receive 5 magazines at such a great price. I was told by the supervisor named Tammy when your company called that I would be able to change my magazines at any time and that I could cancel my subscription at any time - no questions asked.
On December 18, 2009 I tried calling 1-888-369-7326 the number Tammy said was a working number to call if I wanted to cancel. The number only gave me an option to select 1 to have a text message sent to my phone and the number wasn’t a working number.

When I received the bill around February 23 I tried emailing your company at [email protected] to let you know that I would not be able to keep this subscription but the email bounced back to me. I tried calling 1-888-369-7323 the number found on your website and was told I would not be able to cancel my subscription. I asked to speak with a supervisor and the lady would not put me through to a supervisor and when I asked her name she refused to tell me. She told me that I should have receive something in the mail that told me that I would only have had 10 days to cancel my subscription but I did not receive anything (not even the free watch) from your company the only thing I received was the bill for the March 1 payment.

There is only one place on your website that talks about canceling anything and that would be this quote: “Q- What is your Cancellation Policy? A- Orders may be canceled within 72 hours of the time they are placed. We will not cancel any order after it has been sent to a publisher.” You would have to change publishers to change magazines from one to the other so this could not be talking about canceling the magazine subscription, also 72 hours isn’t 10 days, so again this couldn’t be talking about canceling the subscription. No where on your website does it say you can not cancel and/or that you have 10 days to do so? If this is the policy then this should have been told to me on the phone and/or placed on your website in writing.

After careful investigation I found that your company is in fact operating under many different names. United Readers’ Services is one with the exact same website as Reliable Readers’ Services. They both have the same contact information and they both have this quote: “A Quality Magazine Service for Home and Business since 1972” with the exception of “since 1972” missing from the Reliable Readers’ Services site. Attached you will see the two websites with their contact information.

The Telemarketing Sales Rule, effective Dec. 31, 1995, requires telemarketers offering a prize promotion to provide clearly and conspicuously to consumers, before payment, several items of information, including the fact that no purchase is necessary to enter, how consumers who do not wish to make a purchase may enter the prize promotion, and the odds of receiving the prize where there are several prizes. The rule also specifically prohibits others from providing substantial assistance to telemarketers whom they know or consciously avoid knowing are violating key provisions of the rule.

"Project Jackpot, " a joint effort between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the state Attorneys General and the U.S. Postal Service, targeted firms that fraudulently offered purportedly valuable prizes to consumers to induce them to purchase products.

I feel that you have violated my rights as a consumer and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule by: failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose that no purchase was necessary to win a prize; misrepresenting the value of the prizes; and failing to disclose material limitations and conditions of the prizes. Also by sponsoring the promotion; claiming to send confirmation letters, prizes and bonus items to consumers; taking customer service calls from consumers; and billing consumers' credit cards; misrepresentation of cancelation by a supervisor and non-documentation regarding the time frame of cancelation of the subscription.

Cancel my subscription and do not send me anymore magazines. I will not pay any invoices billed to me for any of the 5 magazines as I have told you in writing that I am canceling this subscription. If the magazines continue to come I will assume that these are a free gift to me as I told you that I do not want them. I DO however want in writing within thirty (30) days, a letter to me confirming this has been canceled and resolved. A copy of this letter and other information pertaining to your company(s) is being retained for future references.

Thank you,

Mandy Johnson

Attachment(s)

cc: Federal Trade Commission
National Fraud Information Center
Better Business Bureau
U.S. Postal Service
Mr. Robert Anthony, President, United Readers Services
Mr. Hal Landers, Vice President, United Readers Services