Reader's Digest / Trusted Media Brands review: prize money 108

Yea. I won a surprise gift. That is what the card read that came with my latest copy of Readers Digest. I hurried to my computer. Free surprise OPPORTUNITY reads the screen. What a sneaky way to solicit for the CD Club. Two free CD's and then one every 6-8 weeks that I can purchase. SNEAKY SNEAKY SNEAKY. I am disappointed with the sneaky tactics to get someone to join a CD or book club.

I received a card in the mail to enter to win a Lexus Sedan worth $60,000. I tried to find a place to enter my access code number but cannot find one.

For the first time I actually logged on to a site offering a free prize. I picked Readers Digest because I have always felt that this was an honest upfront company. Boy was I wrong!
I logged on as a "preferred subscriber" as directed to claim my "free surprise". Well it only took 15 seconds to discover that the surprise was that there was NO SURPRISE!

This will be the last time I log into one of these sites, and as for Readers Digest, their reputation has just taken a major nosedive in my books.
In addition I'll be spreading this "good news".

Signed
A formerly happy subscriber

I have received a card to go online for a chance to win a 16 GB ipod touch from Readers Digest and I cannot find a contest on this website to enter my pin# This is so frustrating and dissapointing.I was thourghly hoping to win this ipod., but was very dissapointed

I have been trying unsuccessfully for several months to be reimbursed for a Reader's Digest order debited from my bank account without authorization, but with no success. Now a few days ago they hit my account for 27.00 for a magazine called Money also not ordered or authorized. Calling the number that shows up on the bank account is just a machine no help at all. The Reader's Digest charge was for 24.99. I would really appreciate any help in getting this straitened out, & the money returned to my bank account. I even had posted a message with my bank NOT to allow this company to help themselves to my money, but that didn't help much because they still allowed the last charge for Money.

Why are there so many people complaining about this there is no place on site to enter this zi - pod contest, my entry # is 65976. Hope this is not a way to give my personal info to anyother web site

It's funny that the comments are all the same and this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened to me. Hey Carol Brennen---my winning number 65976 the same as yours! If we win do you want odd or even days when we have to share...The way this "Contest" is run is totally unacceptable in my opinion. A scam it may be...

Every contest readers' Digest comes out with, that has to be entered on computer - there is no such entry site. I have even write a letter to them to complain. Here is another one: go online to www.rd.ca/ipodtouch. No such place. What a rip off. Don't issue contests if they don't exist - turns people off your magazine.

no such site

Sorry RD but putting out chances to win online but having no such site is misleading and discouraging to your faithful customers. We have more to do than following red tape that leads nowhere.

Worst customer service, i hv ever seen. No one is picking up the call, tried thousand times on diff. numbers provided on RD website, even the no. given for Erick D'Souza (Nation head), no one is responding. E-mailed more than a dozen times on all the Id's available on the website with the same result, no response... Rcvd the 2008 dairy, but no rcvd a single copy of RD yet.

This is the worst customer service...

plz let me know a single way to contact the ### RD customer service.

if the gift is free why do i have to subscribe to get more books first i do not want to subscribe to any other but
reader's digest

This is the second contest I've tried to enter through R.D and could not connect to either one. To me this is poor advertising and a waste of my time. I'm losing faith in R.D. and their contests quickly.

I rec'd a card in the mail to enter a code for a chance to win money and the web. site that it states on the card is not found. What is readers digest doing sending these cards out with no place on the internet to enter said code.

I had a subscription, bought and paid for, THEN, because of my own recklessness, when one of the things for entering your contest came, (if I ordered a subscription) thinking my subscription must have been nearly over, (don't keep track of those things very well knowing you will remind me, I ordered, to get into the draw. THEN, I started to get 2 subscriptions at once. I found the phone # somewhere and spoke to a very nice young man who understood perfectly, AND, he just added the newest subscription to the one I was already recieving.
NOW, a few days ago, I recieved the 2 duplicate magazines again. I contacted someone by e-mail and asked them to once again SORT IT OUT. Yesterday, Friday 15th, I recieved a message on my answering service that there had been some mistake and one of my subscriptions had been cancelled. I could not hear very well, my answering machine is cheap and doesn't work very well, HENCE, I keep following thru with the contests to try to win. Now, it just so happens when I recieved the last message, I was sitting at the kitchen table going thru the lastest contest, AND, LOW AND BEHOLD, I could enter if I placed another order. HELP ME

Don't bother to log on your computer to claim your free surprise gift - it will be to subscribe to a book club (which I'm sure we all can't wait to do) and for just 24.99 + 6.99 (s&h) you can get another book every 2 months! Just more junk mail! No thanks!

Not able to get gift-----SURPRISE-----

Check No. 6371 for 17.97 for renewal and 6 subscriptions has been cashed by you and cleared by BB&T. No word from you about the start of thse subscriptions. Was this a gimmick?

I ordered the initial subscription of Best Health promoted by Readers Digest and RBC Visa. The offer also included a free "Weather Station" which was never received although I telephone the company at least twice and have forwarded 3 letters advising of my dis-satisfaction and that I did not wish to renew the subscription, upon the first subscription running out. My letters have been ignored, they continue to send invoices for payment for renewal, (which by the way the first subscription ends in May 2009. Their invoices state that I have accepted renewal when in fact I do have the written correspondence clearly instructing the company that I do not wish to renew. I am sure that RBC Visa will not wish to be associated with this group once I notify of the false advertising.

With this experience, I will not subscribe to or purchase any further products from Readers Digest, who used to have a credible reputation.

C. Leite
cleiteprof@shaw.ca

It is incredible how people like me pay $52.99 for magazine subscription and company like Magazinepit get the money use the method ( you have to wait 12 week) to receives the the magazine and NOTHING.
Wow my daughter waiting too.

Amado Viera

It's pretty incredible that people are still too stupid to avoid magazine subscription services.

Unfortunately, your daughter was raised by an idiot, and likely will be on the pole soon.

I am a police officer in california and an elderly woman brought in the same letter and check for $5400.00 to the police department today 05-20-09. The envelope stamp was from canada. Seems like a scam...

My wife received on today 5/20/09 with everything the same. We live in California as wellThat's why I was checking to see if it was for real. I new nothing come along like that for no reason. It seems when times are bad the scammer work harder to cheat out of the money you don't have now. Same on the people who don't check out these scams before they invest their hard earn money.

I got one to and i'm also in California. Has anyone tried calling the number to see what happens or what they say about it. I wonder what would happen if someone cashed the check?

My mom, also received one of these letter and we have tried to call the number and the gentleman is always from his desk. We called readers digest and they said they have no such promotion. Mom could use the money but I am afraid this is a scam. Has anyone tried to cash the check? Or gotten in touch with the guy on the front to call?

I just received the same letter with a check also for the amount of $5400.00. I have been trying to figure out what it is and for what but have no such luck. If anyone finds out any information of this please let us all know. Cause if it was real I would be so happy but something is just not right. Thanks

Friday 29 May 2009 - I received one of these "You have won $1M letters with a canadian .98 stamp and a "from anywhere to anyone" cancelation stamp. The return address reads "Pepsi ... Chicago IL". My check was for $4980 - very impressive with a gold square chip embedded in the check.

I never entered a Pepsi contest and the Reader's Digest/Pepsi seemed like an unlikely partnership.

If the previous Posters have been unable to reach the guy you're supposed to contact before cashing the check WHAT EXACTLY IS TRANSPIRING? IS this a terrorist attack? Is the Gold square in the check some kind of GPS locator? Does the letter contain a Plague virus?

This is SCARY! Please advise. My husband says to take it to the CSI!

Santa Barbara CA

My Mother in law recieved the same thing.. with different names and numbers but same ext# as most of you; ext# 1 This is obviously a total scam and there's really no purpose to it as well. We have called the number but there's no answer just an answering machine. My sister in law also called the company that supposedly issued the check and they informed her that a few people had called them as well with the same issue. They told her that they already had made a police report and that they had nothing to do with such check/sweepstakes. There is also no ABA number anywhere on the check. Which is very awkward and the endorsment/signature box in the back is right in the middle of the check horizontally... normally it's on the right or left side vertically... and it's in french (endossement - ou estampille) Be careful.. I would advise you take all documents/check to the police right away so that they may take appropriate measures and catch whomever is doing this. Seems kinda creepy to me and we all need to be very careful...

San Bernardin, CA

Mother just got one today 6-1-09 and the check was in the amount of $5850.00. Tells us to contact a Mr. Phil Rizutto at [protected] Ext#1. Put it this way, i've never entered my mother and she's never entered for anything of the sort. So I believe that this is a scam. I advise people not to cash it, deposit it, or call the number and give any information out about yourselves. I just want to know, how they got my mothers name and why her? Did all these people who got letters have something in common?

Another one received - Santa Cruz, California - to my mother-in-law. The enclosed check is from "Headspin Technologies" through Rural American Bank-Braham; no routing #, $5, 850. Call David Bennett at [protected]. I'm just gonna turn it over to our DA's consumer affairs office.

I got a letter in the mail with a check for 5800 and when I took it to the bank to have it checked they said it was from a company that is using fleet bank which is a part of bank of america. my bank said the check was no good

Seems like this scam is only targeting women...

Got one for my mom, $5850 and contact Mrs. Olivia Bradshaw at [protected] ext 1. I call it and an answering macnine seems to pick up but then hangs up. I checked the routing number and it is real but the company name is Brazilgranite out of north hollywood with a check from indiana and a cancelled stamp from Canada; Return address of Pepsi in ChicagoAlso the Check appears to be canadian as the back warnings are all in French. This seems to be fraufulant but dam it is a good looking one!

http://cr.pepsi.com/usen/pepsiusen.cfm?date=20090608

My Neighbor's Mom also an older single woman received the same Reader's Digest/Pepsi with enclosed $5, 850.00 for covering "fees" and told she also won
a MILLION dollars : ) :0
so I work at the post office and she came to me. then we found this site...
THANK YOU so MUCH for all your information.. we appreciate it. It's trash for sure.

I got the same letter on 6-8-2009 saying that I won One million dollar Giveaway and plus got check 5850.00 never cash it . I should contact Mr.Andy Pearlman at [protected] Ext #1 and A claim number too. The nerve of these people rip off other people who work hard for there money and turn around scamming them. Someone need to put a stop to this.

Plus I thought I was bless for the money and I really really need that money.

Crying

I take care of an elderly lady here in California who also recieved a check along with the same letter. It sucks that it's a scam she could of used the money. The person should find something better to do then scam the elderly.

This is too much. I am so glad that i found this site because i too was supposed to call Olivia Bradshaw, I recieved the same check for 5, 800 only my check is from a bank in Tennessee. It's always a different bank, WTF! I get stacks and stacks of fake swepestakes. It messed with my head dor a while, and though I know those are scams this one really does look legit, to a degree. I called the number for like a week. We could all use this money seems like they target monetarily less fortunate women. It's just not right. What can the local police really do? if anyone knows please post a responce.

targeted

My sister received the same letter with a check about a month ago, she called & was asked to wire money for taxes so that they can process her $1 million winning. THIS IS A SCAM! we're in the finance business & just wanted to see what will happen and she told the man that the check must clear in her account prior to her sending the money & questioned him about sending the tax fee without receiving the winning prize...he said, well this is why you have our check (THIS WILL DEFINITELY BOUNCE! -IT MAY CLEAR DEPENDING ON YOU ACCOUNT STATUS WITH YOUR BANK BUT IT WILL COME BACK IN WEEKS & THERE'S NO WAY OF TRACING IT OR GOING AFTER THEM) she closed the conversation by telling him that she's not stupit & that this is a SCAM! The guy hung up the phone. NOW MY MOM JUST CAME TO US WITH THE SAME CHECK & LETTER! not knowing that my sister have received the same letter & ck called the number & she said it's an answering manchine with Pepsi co/rep. asking to leave a message with her information. Make your family & friends aware of this SCAM..spread the words! with the economy the way it is, there will be people that may be tempted & fall for this trash!

This also happened to my deceased mother. The check does look very authentic! When taking it to the bank, they assured me that this is a fraud and took the check for further investigating.
Stop scamming others and get a real job!