SI Gimmick

[Tracy Ringolsby]

I opened the credit card today and glance at the billings and see a $39 charge for a subscritpion to Sports illustrated. I called to inquire and was told that it was a subscription I had been offered and the offer said it would bill my credit card if I did not respond and inform Sports Illustrated that I didn't want the subscription. My bad. I guess it's important to not just throw away junk mail because now magazines are taking the approach they are going to bill you unless you tell them you don't want to subscribe. Maybe I'm overreacting but there is something about that approach that iritates me. Am I out of line?

 

[Singapore Slim]

I think this might be more of a clerical oversight on your part than a duplicitous move on SI's part.

Just me.

 

[Overrated]

You still haven't responded to the e-mail I sent asking if you wanted to sponsor me for the price of several hundred cups of coffee per day. Expect to see substantial funds deducted from your checking account.

 

[JakeandElwood]

I opened the credit card today and glance at the billings and see a $39 charge for a subscritpion to Sports illustrated. I called to inquire and was told that it was a subscription I had been offered and the offer said it would bill my credit card if I did not respond and inform Sports Illustrated that I didn't want the subscription. My bad. I guess it's important to not just throw away junk mail because now magazines are taking the approach they are going to bill you unless you tell them you don't want to subscribe. Maybe I'm overreacting but there is something about that approach that iritates me. Am I out of line?

Was this a renewel thing? A lot of magazines do it automatically. Also, if you got a free offer (I know they do this at Best Buy) where you got a few free issues, that comes with a subscription if you don't cancel it.

 

[broadway joe]

I opened the credit card today and glance at the billings and see a $39 charge for a subscritpion to Sports illustrated. I called to inquire and was told that it was a subscription I had been offered and the offer said it would bill my credit card if I did not respond and inform Sports Illustrated that I didn't want the subscription. My bad. I guess it's important to not just throw away junk mail because now magazines are taking the approach they are going to bill you unless you tell them you don't want to subscribe. Maybe I'm overreacting but there is something about that approach that iritates me. Am I out of line?

Was this a renewel thing? A lot of magazines do it automatically. Also, if you got a free offer (I know they do this at Best Buy) where you got a few free issues, that comes with a subscription if you don't cancel it.

I would bet that it's something along those lines. I don't see how they could just charge you for a subscription out of the blue. At some point you must have given SI your credit card information, no?

 

[imjustagirl]

Plus if you call as soon as you notice the charge, they'll generally cancel it and refund the money.

 

[Angola!]

I opened the credit card today and glance at the billings and see a $39 charge for a subscritpion to Sports illustrated. I called to inquire and was told that it was a subscription I had been offered and the offer said it would bill my credit card if I did not respond and inform Sports Illustrated that I didn't want the subscription. My bad. I guess it's important to not just throw away junk mail because now magazines are taking the approach they are going to bill you unless you tell them you don't want to subscribe. Maybe I'm overreacting but there is something about that approach that iritates me. Am I out of line?

You are not overreacting.

Netflix got into a lot of trouble for offering a 1-month trial thingy and then just signing people up for a year.

About 3 years after I quit Netflix I got a check in the mail that they were forced to send to anyone that they did that to.

I'd fight for your money.

 

[Tracy Ringolsby]

No, I did not give Sports Illustrated my credit card number. I don't subscribe to sports magazines of travel. By the time I get home that can be three to five weeks old. If I want to read them I pick them up at a newstand. When I called the number on the credit card we didn't get far because Samuel and I spoke a different strand of English. When I went to the website and got hold of customer service the woman quickly said she would remove it from my charge. I just don't see why I should have to call some place to question why they are putting charges on my credit card for a subscription I did not order.

 

[imjustagirl]

Tracy, there is no way they can get your credit card number if you didn't give it to them...unless someone's using the number too.

Might want to double-check your account.

 

[Tracy Ringolsby]

I think this might be more of a clerical oversight on your part than a duplicitous move on SI's part.

Just me.

I don't know how it would be a clerical error when I never had a subscritpion to begin with.

 

[Tracy Ringolsby]

Tracy, there is no way they can get your credit card number if you didn't give it to them...unless someone's using the number too.

Might want to double-check your account.

Nobody else uses the account. And I would disagree on the fact there's no way they could get the credit card number. I have had a couple instances where I have had to get credit cards changed because of charges that were not made by me. I asked how they obtained my credit card account and was told the number had been provided to them by a business partner (of SI). The woman, however, would not tell me who the partner was.

 

[Angola!]

Tracy, there is no way they can get your credit card number if you didn't give it to them...unless someone's using the number too.

Might want to double-check your account.

Nobody else uses the account. And I would disagree on the fact there's no way they could get the credit card number. I have had a couple instances where I have had to get credit cards changed because of charges that were not made by me. I asked how they obtained my credit card account and was told the number had been provided to them by a business partner (of SI). The woman, however, would not tell me who the partner was.

Um, it's called identity theft.

Pretty sure that is what IJAG is getting at.

Chill out.

 

[HejiraHenry]

I went through something similar. Amex found in my favor and threw the charges out.

 

[SportsDude]

That's pretty ****ty. I was a subscriber to The Atlantic, but bailed after their "paparazzi" issues with Britney. I let the subscription run out, only to get a new issue in the mail and a new charge on my credit card saying they automatically re-upped me. One call to the customer service desk, they credited my card back and canceled the sub with no problem.

You may also want to sign up for Debix. My state brilliantly let a few laptops get stolen, one of which contained my social security number, so I got a free sign up for a year. If it's identity theft, this would be a huge help. Can't be too careful.

www.debix.com

I would also give a call to the Better Business Bureau over the whole "business partner" thing.

 

[DanOregon]

I remember a few Final Four bracket contests "gave" you a trial subscription that turned into a regular one for SI.

 

[joe_schmoe]

Tracy, there is no way they can get your credit card number if you didn't give it to them...unless someone's using the number too.

Might want to double-check your account.

Nobody else uses the account. And I would disagree on the fact there's no way they could get the credit card number. I have had a couple instances where I have had to get credit cards changed because of charges that were not made by me. I asked how they obtained my credit card account and was told the number had been provided to them by a business partner (of SI). The woman, however, would not tell me who the partner was.

Yeah, that's either identity theft, or somewhere along the line you did sign up (like at Best Buy, which is where it happens a lot. As you check out the clerk innocently may ask if you are interested in SI or magazine offers. In some phrase or another. Or some other mag/service you subscribe too sent you a random piece of mail offering the subscription. You may have just tossed it, not knowing. This actually became a mini scam a few years ago, but a quite legal one) Still, I'd make sure you weren't identity thefted.

 

[SportySpice]

Yeah, I'd guess it's either a mistake or maybe identity theft (though if you're gonna steal a credit card number, why would you use it on something that would go the rightful card owner?).
If not, that has to be an illegal practice or at least highly shady.

 

[hankschu]

Actually, this is legit. I responded to the same offer, and on the form it says that if you agree to this promotional price, you will be renewed automatically when your year is up. I signed up because once you are re-billed you can cancel at any time.

It is a little cheesy, especially since you have to mail in the form rather than order by phone. If you could order by phone, the operator would have to disclose the little catch and a lot of people would probably say no. I accepted the deal because, for one year, you're getting the magazine for about 70 cents an issue.

 

[joe]

And people think I'm paranoid about giving out credit card info over the Internet. I pay for every subscription (Esquire, National Geographi) with a check. When they send the fourth renewal notice for about one-tenth of the news stand rate, I send them another check.

Credit cards will be the downfall of this nation.

 

[Singapore Slim]

What Hank is describing is not what Tracy is dealing with.

It wouldn't be identity theft, because why would the thief send the stolen booty to Tracy's house?

It can't be a Best Buy scenario, because he'd be taking in Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly issues as well.

"a business partner (of SI)" can't just sell your credit card info to SI, and SI wouldn't just bill your credit card. TIME INC is not going to get into fraud just to make another 40 bucks.

It just kind of bugs me that this guy is coming on with the "woe is me" tale when we can see exactly what happened.