Unethical Business Practices

[TrooperChuck]

I am so tired of businesses taking advantage of us.

For a few years I had a subscription to a magazine called Men's Health. I decided to cancel the subscription because I no longer found the magazine interesting. I've been married to the same woman for 28 years, and intend to stay that way, so I didn't need tips on dating. I'm NEVER going to buy a pair of $120 blue jeans, so I didn't need their fashion advice. Except for this dinosaur of a computer, I'm not into techno-gadgets, so I ignored their reviews of the latest, hottest mobile communication devices.

So, last November I cancelled that subscription.

Then, in January, I received a new copy of the magazine in the mail. When we checked our credit card account we found we had been charged for a yearly subscription.

A call was placed to Men's Health. They admitted they had started up a new subscription for us, using the credit card information they had on file. The customer service guy said, "We always do that because lots of people, when they get the magazine, change their minds and decide to keep the new subscription."

GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

You know, where I come from, if someone tells you, "No thanks", but you go ahead and charge something to their credit card anyway we call that THEFT! But, apparently, it's a routine practice in the magazine business.

Men's Health agreed to RE-cancel their danged subscription, and, they replaced the charges they made on our credit card. But, I'm wondering how many other folks have experienced something like this?

[Des804]

More times then I can count... There was one place I could Subscribe to but didnt have a way to unsubscribe didnt have a way of contacting the place either. I just blocked them from being able to pull from my card and then I got a call from them I told them I didn't want the subscription and that they didnt have a way for me to unsubscribe. From what i heard later on I wasn't the only one that had that problem with this place.

[ArtS]

Isn't that illegal? How can they do that? They shouldn't even be keeping that info on file!!!

Man I can imagine how mad you got, I'm furious just reading your post!

Art

Edited March 8, 2009 by ArtS

[rhallskid]

I have had them send me a collection notice--legal like...after I had cancelled a year before in good standing. I wrote them a scathing email, to which I got an appropriate response but I was SO mad. I don't buy ANY of their publications at all now, won't do it!

It is infuriating they get away with it--but I think it is like fishing, you put it out there enough and you are gonna catch something! They make enough on people not following up or not paying attention to warrant them giving it a whirl.

[Jordan]

I think it may be a common business practice. There are enough people that do not pay any attention to their billing notices making it profitable for them, when caught they are able to say oops sorry for the mistake and restore the charge, meanwhile they have received and used the cash from the card company. It may just be my cynical nature, but obviously all those unethical business people from Enron and other such debacles did not simply disappear, they were absorbed by businesses throughout the spectrum. And since they suffered no real consequences and walked away with millions, they are certainly continuing their ways. There will undoubtedly be many more cases of this type of thievery as the financial system continues to spiral downwards and the unethical and dishonest find newer ways to make the fast buck and to heck with any long term ramifications. They all know the goverment will just throw money at them if they get in trouble anyway. It is probably all (babyboomers) our fault for raising and educating a generation of lazy pukes that think it is beneath them to engage in an honest days work for an honest days pay. There I said it, and if I offended anyone sorrybout that. But everyone can't be the CEO on their 1st day on the job.

Generally having a bad day, ticked off at the world as you have probably surmized by my rant. I will be better I promise!

[BubbleDragon]

Magazines seem to be notorious for this.

There is a certain store I know of that consistently gets complaints that they use the mailing address and credit card you use to purchase items and sell it to magazine companies. Apparently by signing the slip, you're "giving them permission" to sell you a subscription as well.

[HorsehairBraider]

Unbelievable. What a bunch of thieves. I have a merchant account but according to the rules, I'm not allowed to store ANY credit card numbers. AT ALL. This sometimes makes people mad at me when they decide to buy something else from me and have to give me their number all over again, but I fly by the rules - if it says don't store numbers, I don't store them.

Maybe the rules are different when you are a huge business. Or maybe everyone else with a merchant account just figures I'm a sucker for obeying the rules...

I've never had this happen to me but would absolutely come unglued if it did. Although, Qwest tried to pull a similar stunt with me, and I won't do business with them to this day, because in my mind they are known thieves. I'd feel the exact same way about a company that just charged stuff on my card because they felt like it.

[CitizenKate]

This has happened to me on a couple of occasions. Sometimes it's the credit card companies that are involved. I had an unauthorized charge on my AMEX from a hotel I had stayed at 3 months prior. I called AMEX to dispute it and got the money charged back. Then, a few months later, a magazine subscription I had never ordered appeared on my statement. This time, I called AMEX and told them to cancel my card.

"What is your reason for cancelling?"

"The reason is, I've had two unauthorized charges on my card in the last three months, and I think you should be doing more to prevent this sort of thing."

"Ma'am, give us a chance to look into it and resolve whatever issues there may be."

"Okay, but if there is even one more, we're done."

The amount of the subscription was charged back to me, and there were no further incidents. On further investigation, I found this magazine had some kind of partnership affiliation with AMEX, and they were offering it as a benefit of AMEX membership. Some benefit. They knew durn good and well I never authorized it.

So if it happens to you, see what happens if you go after your credit card company.

Kate

[Elliot]

Generally having a bad day, ticked off at the world as you have probably surmized by my rant. I will be better I promise!

Hope many more get very ticked OFF.

Any scam is now ok if you share with a politician.

[TrooperChuck]

Well, I'm both glad and disheartened to see that this kind of stuff has happened to others.

You know, I'm really beginnning to think the real reason for the turmoil in the world today is not because this person is conservative or that person is liberal, not because this person is a member of a church or that person is an atheist, not because this person is one color and that person is a different color... I think the real problem is that somewhere along the line lots of people in our society decided "Anything is okay as long as you can justify it!" Morals and ethics are thrown out the window in the pursuit of more, more, more.

I wish I was smart enough to know how to fix this. Unfortunately, the only idea I've come up with is to try to set a good example for others. And, I suspect someone else already figured that out, so it's not even MY idea!

[Hilly]

Well, I'm both glad and disheartened to see that this kind of stuff has happened to others.

You know, I'm really beginnning to think the real reason for the turmoil in the world today is not because this person is conservative or that person is liberal, not because this person is a member of a church or that person is an atheist, not because this person is one color and that person is a different color... I think the real problem is that somewhere along the line lots of people in our society decided "Anything is okay as long as you can justify it!" Morals and ethics are thrown out the window in the pursuit of more, more, more.

I wish I was smart enough to know how to fix this. Unfortunately, the only idea I've come up with is to try to set a good example for others. And, I suspect someone else already figured that out, so it's not even MY idea!

Trooper Chuck, I don't think setting a good example in this world will get you anywhere, either. Just think of all us who pay our taxes, work every day, take responsibilitiey for our actions, make our house payments on time, pay our debts, and mind our own business. Where is it getting us? It's sad but true.

[kiwidownunder]

Hello there Trooper Chuck.

Would be great if we could fix that problem but as someone else said it does not work that why in this day and age. My experience is that If you do unto others as we wish them to do to you, you will get taken for the biggest ride of your life. I was bought up that why, and have yet to get much in return. It seems if you act, or try to set an example for others the more others will hurt you in the process. Others do not think of anything but how can I get some money , goods, or free work out of you. And if you know that you are being taken, and tell them to stop, you become a B****** or B*******, not them.

I have had those so called cancelled payments go through and ended up in a major pickle. Very hard to fix as most of the time when you call those places they have a computer talking on thier behalf. Or someone you can not understand from China or somewhere.

And you know with the way the gove's making things a lot tougher it will get worse.

Well thats it from me.

Kiwi

[rhallskid]

Trooper Chuck, I don't think setting a good example in this world will get you anywhere, either. Just think of all us who pay our taxes, work every day, take responsibilitiey for our actions, make our house payments on time, pay our debts, and mind our own business. Where is it getting us? It's sad but true.

Isn't that a shame. But at least WE can sleep at night. Even if it is in a tent at some point. I just wasn't brought up this way. I don't get it, I feel like I teach my kids to be honest and caring, and tolerant, so they can have a better world, so OTHERs can have a better world when we are gone. These big corp thieves need to be punished, it is infuriating. If I speed my A.. gets a ticket! Grrrr... ok moving on

[wildrose]

I'm with rhallskid. I know not everyone here believes in the Bible, but I do, and it clearly says that those who do good are going to suffer for it in their present time. After all, look how much Jesus suffered, and He never did anything wrong.

So should we just give up and follow the crowd? NO. Evil will get its reward in the end.

As to the original point: there definitely are unscrupulous business out there to get every last buck they can. It is up to the discerning consumer to not let them get their way.

[JohnBarton]

The idea behind this business model is to milk as much money from people as possible due to the fact that in general we are a busier people and less apt to track all the small charges we are hit with all the time.

This is the same principle with rebates, and store cash cards, they know that a certain percentage of the population WILL not cash in the value or will forget the small balances and then it becomes free money.

I think that if there were a law that allowed a credit card company to charge a merchant DOUBLE when they falsely charge someone then a lot of this nonsense would stop.

However here is the kicker, the credit card companies have NO INCENTIVE to stop these abusive practices. This is because they make money ON BOTH ENDS - they make money off of the card holder through the fact that they license the use of the VISA/MASTERCARD logo. The banks that back the credit cards make money on the interest and fees. And then VISA makes money off of the credit card processors who accept your card.

Why do you think it is that credit cards are so easy to use? No pin number, most of the time no I.D. needed? Because if they make them harder to use, i.e. merchants have to re-authorize through one-time pin #s, more cumbersome authentications, single-user only, sort of stuff then credit card use will decline by a large margin.

There is a new book out called, I think, Nickled and Dimed, which outlines how we are being bled by all the surcharges, hidden fees, opt-out subscriptions, and the like.

The Eskimos figured out that they can kill a polar bear by lacing a knife with blood and the bear will lick it until he himself bleeds to death. Corporate America has figured out that they can bleed the American consumer to death in the same way.

[Windy]

A few years ago there was a smart guy who had a

great idea. He printed a newspaper on his computer

printer. He was the only subscriber. He then got the

local paper and got the addresses of all the businesses

,that ran classified ads,he could and printed the same

ad in his paper. Then he billed the businesses for running

their ad in his paper. Not surprising he made a ton of

money afore someone discovered what he was doing.

Another good one is the company who prints posters

telling employees their rights. They send me a letter

every year telling me how it is illegal not posting this

poster.Fos a small fee they will mail the poster that

brings me up to par with the law that will put me in

the hoosecow if I do not conform.The return address

sounds like it is a state agency. However upon close

inspection one finds it is a private company scamming

all the business people who have limited reading abilities.

By the way I canceled my subscription to Mother Earth

News two years ago. I was informed by mail last week

that they wanted to keep me in good standing by

renewing my subscription by mail afore it expired next

month. They offered a great price , just the

same I was not interested. Dang gone it if the phone

did not ring the next day. Yep you guesses it , it was

the Mother Earth News calling to let me know my

subscription was about to expire and since I was such

a good customer whom they hated to see miss an issue.

They wanted to renew my subscription for , are you ready,

for fifty percent more than the mail offer.

WINDY....... Not really a conspiracy theorist.

[Shorts]

TrooperChuck, we've found that Sports Illustrated employs the same practice of automatically charging credit cards. We've been trying to cancel the subscription for years yet they still show up and we are still charged. We also subscribed to Men's Health but it went the way of trash as far as content goes for our tastes. There was another men's magazine that seemed to show more mature content but that's neight here nor there for the topic.

Being ripped off with no rightfully easy customer recourseis truly sad. It's along the same lines as a good samaritan jumping in to assist in an emergency situation, then getting sued. Gee, I wonder why society has gone downhill