Universal Subscription Agency, INC

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Category: Entertainment

Contact Information
PO BOX 15187, Chesapeake, Virginia, United States

Phone number: 757-818-9497

Universal Subscription Agency, INC Reviews

corn29 January 14, 2010

Dishonest Company

Universal Subscription Agency a/k/a KLMN Readers Services has some serious problems. They want to sell you magazines. They will attempt to do so by targeting well-off neighborhoods with kids who tell sob stories of being in accidents, jail, from broken homes, etc., and selling magazines is the way they can improve their lot in life.

If their story doesn't appeal to the Good Samaritan nature in you, the sales person will call you a racist... as most of their targets are white and the salespeople are not. This is a lame attempt in bating the target into making a purchase.

They'll also start throwing Bible verses at you too. Nothing is wrong with the Bible but I seem to remember a little story about Jesus coming unglued when faced with people making a profit off of God's name. It also reminds me of crooks and politicians who suddenly get all religious when they get busted.

At any rate, having worked my way out of a tough background myself, I could relate and wanted to help the salesperson out. I ordered some magazines. Later that night I realized I was paying double the normal subscription price. In addition to the exorbitant cost, there is a commission for the salesperson ADDED on top of the already doubled cost. Wouldn't one normally expect to receive a discount from someone who says they are tight with the publisher... not paying double plus a fee?

Obviously, I cancelled in writing the next day. I got my refund check 60 days later. I also noticed the refund check is for less than the actual price paid. The back of the order form says I may cancel this transaction without penalty. However, they took another 15% from my refund!

Trying to contact this company other than via snail mail is pointless. They have a telephone but the vox mail box s chronically full. How else can one determine if it as scam... using the government's criteria as a guide, there is not contact information listed on their website, it's hard to contact the company, they have a poor BBB profile, a "F" rating in fact (http://www.bbb.org/norfolk/business-reviews/magazines-sold-door-to-door/universal-subscription-agency-in-chesapeake-va-90009857), and the information contained on the website is full of misspelled words and horrible grammar (http://www.klmnreaders.com/About%20us.htm).

Please do yourself a favor... don't let these salespeople taunt you and call you names -- like "racist". Just politely decline the offer and shut the door. Avoid doing business with Universal Subscription Agency, Inc. a/k/a KLMN Readers Services, Inc.

BJP February 12, 2009

Non-responsive to my inquiries

Watch out people, do NOT have a soft heart for the youth that work for Universal Subscription Agency, INC as you will most likely get taken advantage of as I and many other trusting people have.

Here's some of the details of my regrettable interaction with this company's scam occurring nationwide:

A young man representing Universal Subscription Agency, INC rang my door bell around 8:00PM on Tuesday February 10, 2009. He said his name was Jason Johnson and he was very talkative and said he was part of a youth employment program and would like to show me the program (magazine subscriptions). His smooth “talk” gave the impression that the “program” was legitimate, so I listened and got scammed by the time all was said and done.

Jason Johnson spoke of the company’s point system for sales made and even an extra $100.00 he could earn if he sold magazines totaling 100 points that day. Jason spoke of living a tougher lifestyle a few years before when he lived in Chicago and that he was trying to change his life and was selling the magazines so he could eventually go to Cal-State. Jason Johnson seemed sincere however, I was a bit skeptical once we got through the ordering process and seeing the prices of the magazines that were outrageous compared to other youth/school subscription programs I’ve seen and bought from in the past.

After I wrote my check for four different magazine subscriptions, Jason Johnson explained the cancellation policy, underlined the phone number on the receipt, pointed out that his ID number on the receipt were the last four digits of his social security number, and asked me to call the number listed to give positive feedback as he would receive extra points.

My fiancé had returned home in the middle of the order process and after Jason Johnson had left my home, my fiancé told me a story about an experience he had with a door-to-door subscription company that he ordered from a couple of years prior and stated he never received the magazine he paid for. That got me thinking I was probably just scammed and that I should follow the notice of cancellation directions on the back of the receipt.

I made two calls to (757) 818-9497 on February 12, 2009 (8:05AM and 3:17PM PST). Both calls connected directly to a recorded message requesting callers to leave their name, receipt number, phone number, and the state they were calling from. I left all the requested information each call I made and never received a return call.

I further doubted the legitimacy of Universal Subscription Agency, INC and looked on-line for company information to find numerous links related to this company – specifically - for complaints, rip-offs, Better Business Bureau, and other negative content sites. After reading some of the comments I put a stop order on my check (paid for the magazine subscriptions) at my bank, which cost me $20.00 but was way less than the total for the four subscriptions that I would most likely never receive.

I echo several other complainants that interacted with Universal Subscription Agency, INC and request this company be investigated, held accountable, and not allowed to conduct fraudulent “business” activities.

Sincerely,
Bonnie
Everett, Washington
U.S.A.