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Area Circulation what a SCAM. If you ever get a call saying that your entered into a million dollar drawing just for ordering a few of your favorite mags, for a great low monthly bill. Tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine and hang up immediately.
They got me a couple of summers ago when I was out of town on a long job, in the evening fo course when I was tired and worn out from a hard days work, and on my cell phone no less. Anyway the deal sounded good and I figured that I would take the mags to my office for employee's to enjoy, etc. So I signed up for 12 payments of $ 54.00 and that would be all for a nice assortment of mags. Well before that was up they called to see how it was going and if I wanted to change any, I did want to change a few, now I have 2 new accounts and the first was paid off a few months ago. I called them and they said that I had agreed to different mags on another account, I even listened to the voice recording and it sounded just like the first phone call.
I never agreed to two other accounts, I am getting double magazines, and some that I personally would never have ordered. This company needs to be put out of business. I can only imagine that if they somehow got me swindled without me realizing what had happened and I am an educated business owner, what they are doing to thousands if not millions of elderly, poor, etc unsuspecting individuals who can't afford to be ripped off by these ###.
I just talked to them a few days ago about this and they told me that I still had one open account, I agreed to pay this off since I was stupid enough to get caught into this scam, Tonight I got 5 letters from them 2 are invoices and now I have 3 more accounts, how the hell did that happen. I will fight this to the end and I will win.
If you have any information or have had this happen to you please help with any ideas.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
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I'm a former employee of Area Circulation Inc., also known as Media Communications. It's absolutely true that they're scamming people. To hook people in they offered a free$400 gas card after payment, but there is no gas card and the customers never receive it.
The company won't allow customers to cancel unless you pay off the entire balance. But there is an easy way to cancel...
Threaten them by saying that you will contact your LAWYER or contact the FCC and the collection agent will instantly quiet down and the manager will call you back asap and allow you to cancel. Or say the magic words 'DO NOT CALL' and by law they are legally not allowed to call you again, as per FCC law and they will be fined, if you report them to the FCC which I would recommend doing if they contact you again.
They DO NOT report to any major credit agency because they are not allowed to do so by law, so not paying the balance will not affect your credit score . It will only affect your credit with ACI which is insignificant since you want nothing to do with them.
Theres no need stressing over ACI because they know they're scamming and they prey on people who don't know any better. Once you wise onto them they back off.
At the very least, either threaten them with a lawyer or say 'DO NOT CALL' and they will leave you alone.
How can they legally get away with charging people like they do and suddenly "adding accounts" and putting you into collections or not reporting to the credit bureau?
actually i feel so stupid. At this very moment i am on the phone trying to cancel and i been on hold for like 20 min. I thank god that i misplaced my paperwork and tried to look up the website online and came across all of these complaints and seen that it was a scam. The first issue i had was that my credit card was getting billed for things i knew nothing about from two different magazines and my bank acctually turned my attention to it. i canceled my credit card and got a new credit card. i thought that would end my money from being taken out from the other magazine company. come to find out i "supposedly " order more magazines from another state and wansn't paying. I got a letter from an attourneys office saying that they were trying to get in contact with me about paying for the magazines off. so yes my credit is being ruined by this. The also had the issue with the gas card. i was supposed to get a $400 gas card with the opening of a new account because i just finished paying off my old one. i agreed and have never saw it, as well as the 4 day 3 night trip to disney land and the $400 shopping voucher. i just got off the phone right in the middle of this letter with area circulation about canceling only after i mentioned the " Lawyer" thing. they had no argument there and said nothing further after that but it did take me a good 45 mintues back and fourth telling them i did not want the magazines and that i wanted to cancel. i had to hold my tongue a few times cuz they wouldn't take no i do not want these magazines anymore for an answer.
why would you spend 45 minutes going back and forth with them. AS I STATED --ALL ANYONE NEEDS TO DO IS THREATEN THEM WITH "I'M GOING TO HAVE MY LAWYER CONTACT YOU." They fear lawsuits because they know they're scamming you and don't want to get sued--again.
Bring up lawyer complaint and immediately they will back off and cancel the magazines. I worked there . I know how they operate and saw it first hand. ANyone else being hassled by Area C, do yourself a favor and just follow the lawyer line. If you don't you will be billed and harassed as often as they like.
I just got a phone call from a collection agency and I can't even begin to explain how a HUGE nightmare from 7 years ago is coming back to haunt me. 7 years ago..I received a phone call from area circulation offering a cruise, jewelry as prizes...If i didn't win I would still get these stupid magazines. I was young and stupid and went along with the agreement. As soon as i received my first batch of magazines I called up to cancel. They supposedly cancelled my account... months passed and i started receiving ridiculous bills for 53.00 to 169.00. Later on the debt collectors called. my mother made a settlement with them to pay 89.00 and they would leave us alone. Now 7 years later I receive a phone call stating i owe them 3 payments of 169, 15. WTF? I just area circulation ...and I talked to 4 different people and told them to i'd call my lawyer. As soon as I hung up I received a phone call from a guy named "Rob"...who is supposedly the manager...he tried to scam me again. I lost my patience and told him to stop calling and that I was going to contact FCC and he hung up.
This is crazy... I have hung out with the owner of this Place, Thomas Johnson. I always wondered what he did to be young, have a beachfront condo and drive a Bentley...Now I know..He is ripping people off. Its a shame that we work so hard for what we have and people like him feel at liberty to just take it