HandyMan Club of America / Scout.com
Reviews and Complaints

Some years ago I purchased a "LIFETIME" subscription to Handy Man Clubs of America Magazine and the supposed benefits that were to come with that... Apparently I'm dead because the lifetime magazine subscription ended... No word nothing, it just quit coming. I finally realized it had been several months since I had received an issue so I found the on the web and they are now some kind of fantasy sports club. Or at least that seems to be their focus. Everything on the site is pushing Scout.com.. I'm not interested in that.. did they get bought out by some other company who has a different focus or what? I contacted them and the last message I had from them was a form letter in April saying they discontinued the magazine but added a lot of other benefits.. ha! not one thing I'm interested in.. I want the magazine not discount tickets to a football game.

my name is jennifer rizer i have moved from 1271 fm 2047 n., baird, tx 79504 and my new address is 101 w. broadway, jourdanton 78026 and havent seen any of my magazines and also my hunter club of america magazines eather i am a life time member please fix thank you for your time

My husband joined the Handyman Club. He became a 'lifetime member'. They promised tools, trials, contests...all sorts of things. What we didn't realize is that we'd pay dues to them for a year and receive nothing!...Oh wait, he got a belt buckle or something ridiculous.

Then recently, they posted a contest for do-it-yourselfers called "Cabin Fever Cures." My husband built me a beautiful mahogany table and chairs for the kitchen, which he entered. They claimed that he was in the top 20 out of over 1500 entries! We were so excited! While the prize wasn't large, it would have been a wonderful boost in confidence. Well, he lead for the first day. All of a suddent, a guy with a shop vac stand came from behind. It was neck and neck for a day or so. Then one morning, we woke up and he got about 170 votes in a one hour period! Then we started finding out that the friends that had been voting for him, no longer could! Not only that, one of my friends said it would let her vote for the shop vac guy but not my husband!

This contest was a scam. In my opinion, it was a way for them to get people to view their website. They had no intention of paying out on this prize! We believe this because we complained about how it was being handled and all we got in return was, "Thank you for being a member. We're sorry you're disappointed." They couldn't have cared less. Not once did they try to fix this.

Please don't waste your money on these monthly dues! Please! They are not an honest company!

I have been dealing with these people for quite a few years and was collecting some of the books. Over time I have asked them to stop sending the books and each time I talk to them they said they will. I have returned many books on 2-18-14 and again on 2-28-14. I continue to get billed for these books. I know it sometimes takes a while to get them credited to the account when I send them back so I waited until September and never saw them being credited to my account. On 9-12-14 I talked to Scott (They won't give you their last name) and he said he would stop the books and send me some return address labels for other books that they continued to send. What he actually told me was "If you don't have the return labels in two weeks you can keep the books." I ultimately received the labels about three weeks later and sent those books back also. This week I was out of town on business and lo and behold I got another book along with three dunning notices from them for the books returned in October. I called today 11-7-14 and talked to Robert (again, no last name) and he said he saw the information in my file that I was not to receive any more books but could not explain why I received one again and why my account has not been credited for the other books returned earlier. I am just fed up with this company even though I am a lifetime member and they keep sending me stuff I don't need. Can anyone help?
Gary Behling [protected]@garybehling.com

I am a lifetime member of this front organization for corporate America and still enjoy its sharing via a magazine which was the incentive for my joining this company. But its incessant mailing of China made products without prior approval and their incompetent following of refused and returned products is appalling! They continue to send dunning bills for products returned or not received and after numerous written notices to that affect they still continue harassment. Since they ignore all communications I find it futile to ask them to discontinue my membership, but I would recommend that any craftsman stay away from this organization.

I put that I would take out the membership and immediately I received a membership number [protected] and bill.
I wrote to cancel the membership due to illness, now each month I get a bill and, I put on each bill to cancel the subscription. I have never received anything but bills and each time I tell them that I canceled this subscription. I paid for the membership which is different membership for their magazine which is paid for, so the magazine is not included. How is the Club membership canceled because there is no phone number.

I've been in P.A. for awhile. I asked my to send my magazines to me. She said I haven't gotten in awhile. I'm a life member #[protected] 7. I would like you to start sending to this address Keith Ohnmeiss. 132 Clees dr. Montoursville, PA 17754. So check your records and start sending. I would like all the back issues that I have missed also

On 10/1/2013 I returned the a book back via US Mail. Name of book: HOME WIRING. Also I mailed the billing statement, & made the payment for another year's membership. I included in writing on the billing statement that I had just mailed back the Home Wiring book. Also, I called & told them I had just mailed back the book & payment due.
Towards the middle of the month, they mailed me a past due statement for the book I had mailed back 2 weeks prior. I returned the statement back to them, stating I had all ready mailed back the book in question 2 weeks ago.
Now I received another billing statement for the samething. PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE BACK THIS BOOK OVER A MONTH AGO.
I'm still waiting to receive my free gift for signing up a year ago. A Bucket Organized Covet, and drills.

Thank you,
Grace Lizarraga
Member # [protected]
Billing # LVNN5058

My name is Dennis Moody my Membership no.is [protected] two months ago I called Handymand club and asked why I am not getting my Magazines and was told that they was stopped because they could not proof my mailing address was good so some fool stopped my Magazines the last one I did get is Dated April/May 2011 and now it is August 10, 2012 I am told that the Past Magazines is no longer available to mail out I am sorry but I am tired of being LIED to about this problem I am hopping that someone will get off there BACKSIDE and call me before 9:00am Monday morning when I will be leaving home to go make a Complaint with the State AG. against Handyman club of America. My Phone number is [protected] or [protected]
Thank You
Dennis Moody

My magazine subscription was suddenly halted having a Life Member status. I sent three e-mails to the publisher over a 30 day period and received no response. I would suggest the following action(s) to be taken for others in similar situations:

1) File a complaint through the BBB at the following address -
BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota
WWW: http://minnesota.bbb.org
Email: [protected]@thefirstbbb.org
Phone: [protected]
Fax: [protected]
220 S. River Ridge Circle
Burnsville MN 55337

2) Failing a resolution there, the final alternative would be to also file a complaint through the Minnesota Attorney General at the following address:
Lori Swanson
1400 Bremer Tower
445 Minnesota Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
[protected]
[protected]

The publisher reinstated my subscription, along with the missing back issues in response to my BBB complaint. Their reasoning was that they had sent me an e-mail requesting my address be verified (sent to me 4 MONTHS AFTER THE SUBSCRIPTION HAD BEEN HALTED!). Pretty lame in my humble opinion.

I may still file a complaint through the Minnesota AG for the record.

Sent Check to them on 01-26-2012. They had no problem cashing it, but they keep sending more bills inpling that they didn't get any monies yet. They were to send a FREE Bucket Organizer + 3-piece screw extractor set. Nothing has showed up.
I have tried all E.Mail addresses & haven't been able to connect with them.
If you can help us we would appriciate the help.
Contact; [protected]@mchsi.com

I have been a mamber for nearly 2 years. I never received the bucket organizer promised with my membership and even sent them a mail, still no response or organizer. I started receiving the books. I kept the 1st few and decided to cancel any further shipments of books. They continued to send them and I continued to return the to sender. Now, all of a sudden, I get these threatening letters tellin me if I do not pay for the book plus late charges, the are going to make it a BAD DEBT and send it to a collections agency. Checking their website and my account, their own website shows the book in question returned. Man did I fire off a letter from hell to them explaining their own info shows it returned and if the have reported any negative info to any credit reporting agency...I will sue them. Also told them to cancel my membership. What a bunch of Jack Wagons...

I accepted the first saw on an offer and paid for it but returned the second saw which was a folding landscape saw which I have several already. I have been billed several times after I wrote on the bill that the saw was returned by mail. I also found the saw that I did purchase did not preform as well as it was advertised. I did like the reverse draw onthe saw but the teeth broke off the blade while cutting relatively soft material. This offer is such a disappointment that I am considering canceling my membership with the club.

This e-mail address is listed on their website in their privacy policy (like they care about your privacy). I haven't used it yet, but will, if they continue to send my husband unsolicited mail. unsolicited mail. [protected]@namginc.com

The Handyman Club of America sent us an unrequested 5 piece Flush Trim Bit set and then said we had to pay for them or send them back. I knew that if something is sent unsolicited that you do NOT have to pay for it OR send it back so I wrote that on the bill. THEN we got another bill. It is nearly impossible to contact them. The phone number just gives you a round robin of prompts but the only way I found to get a real person was to enter our membership number incorrectly several times. I told the person who answered that what they were doing was illegal. She put me on hold and finally came back and said "All right, you arent going to mail it back or pay for it?" When I said that was right, she said to disregard the payment notice.
I am certain this is not the end of this. This company should be out of business. The parent company is North American Outdoor group and I will notify the post office, the Better Business Bureau and any internet site I can to alert people to what a dishonest company this is!