Pacific Magazine Billing Inc

Pacific Magazine Billing Inc. is a scam company that sends out "look like statement" billing for a magazine you may or my not subscribe to. it looks like a past due notice and is very deceptive. If you dont read VERY CAREFULLY an elderly person would pay it no questions asked. My wife has been sucked in by companies like this in the past. It needs to clearly state on it "This is not a bill" My first clue was it was not a magazine we would ever be interested in. Even if you want o subscribe to the magazine shop with the publisher you will get a better price.

This company, or variants of it, have been chased from coast to coast for the last twenty+ years. Used to be in FL, TX, and CA. They send out what appear to be legitimate magazine renewal notices with inflated prices. On top of that they use official looking government envelopes. Total sm.

As for the inflated prices, the subscription they offered me was $69.95 for two years, but quick of the legitimate magazine website showed it should only have been $44. AVOID!!

Trickery and gimmicks are used by the representative who calls. The price offered is often double the advertised price. Is only when you refuse or recall the lower price that they will drop their price. I'll also receive calls from different representatives from the same company who won't acknowledge who they are. This can be directed at senior citizens who love the magazine being offered but get confused in the offering. I have refused to renew my subscription for the magazines offered.

Review: I paid for [redacted] subscription thru this company as they contacted me regarding renewing my subscription. I mailed them a check for $69.95 and they cash the check on 1/27/16. The check was deposited in the [redacted] Acct. I have not received any issues of [redacted] and have left four messages with the answering machine to contact me. No return phone calls.

I am concerned that I have been scammed out of my money.Desired Settlement: Refund my money.

The company is absolutely deceitful. They send out a mailer which is intended to look like a bill. They add to that a line that says, "Thank you! Your prompt Attention is Appreciated."

It's not until you look at that back of the bill that you learn that this is an offer and not a bill or invoice. The magazines they represent should also be ashamed to be connected to a company using such despicable tactics. Perhaps they (Forbes?) are desperate, too.

This is a scam!

I received an invoice from them, asking for $99.95!

Review: On 10/15/2015 I paid this company $79.95 for a subscription to [redacted]... under control number [redacted]... I did not get the magazine at all. Then recently I received another "notice of continuation/new order for the same exact publication under control #[redacted].

I called them and got a voice mail and left a message to stop double invoices... then I went and looked them up on the Revdex.com site and on the internet... It appears they just send the bills and don't really coordinate getting the publication to me and just keep the money for nothing.. Not to mention that the publication can be gotten directly from the publisher for $19.95...Desired Settlement: send me a refund check and take me off the mailing list.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Dear Revdex.comThe business did not refund the money as promised. I closed the complaint based on the assurance they would refund, which was forwarded by the business to Revdex.com and then forwarded to me. Complaint ID [redacted], Pacific Magazine Billing. Please make sure that the compliant gets marked unresolved on your records and the details are recorded on your website so that everyone can see. This business sends out things that look like bills for magazines, then says the customer should decline to pay. They take the money and don’t promise you’ll get the magazine, then they say they’ll issue a refund but never do. Thank you[redacted]

Dear Revdex.comThe business did not refund the money as promised. I closed the complaint based on the assurance they would refund, which was forwarded by the business to Revdex.com and then forwarded to me. Complaint ID [redacted], Pacific Magazine Billing. Please make sure that the compliant gets marked unresolved on your records and the details are recorded on your website so that everyone can see. This business sends out things that look like bills for magazines, then says the customer should decline to pay. They take the money and don’t promise you’ll get the magazine, then they say they’ll issue a refund but never do. Thank youGeorge J Fortunato

Review: I ordered a subscription to Sports Illustrated through Pacific Magazine Billing, Inc back in December, 2014. The check was cleared on January 22, 2015, but I have not received a magazine yet and it is March 18th now. They don't return my phone calls and there is no website or e-mail to contact them at.Desired Settlement: I would like to start receiving my Sports Illustrated or get my money back.

Business

Response:

April 30, 2015[redacted]Revdex.com4747 Viewridge AvenueSan Diego, CA 92123858.496.2141Complaint No. [redacted]I am writing in response to the complaint filed by [redacted]. We are sorry themagazine was never received. We were never notified by the clearing house that theorder could not be filled. Nevertheless, we have issued a full refund and the check willarrive directly from the bank within five to fourteen business days.The mail piece received is just a subscription offer for a magazine. It is not a bill orrenewal bill, it is simply an offer and can be discarded if the recipient does not wish tosubscribe. We offer new subscriptions and extensions to current subscriptions only formagazines that allow independent agent sales through various magazine clearinghouses.The back of the offer explains the offer and that we are an independent magazineclearinghouse agent. The mail piece states that because we are an independent agent, wedo not necessarily have a direct relationship with the publishers or publications that weoffer. We have a relationship with the clearinghouses that process our orders. The couponalso states that the offer received is a magazine subscription offer not a bill or invoice,that the recipient is under no obligation to either buy a magazine or renew one and thereis also a box to check "No Thank You", ifthe recipient does not wish to participate.We have removed the name from our database. Our customers' concerns and yours arerespected.Thank You,Customer ServicePacific Magazine Billing

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted]. I appreciate their good gesture, but I finally started receiving the Sports Illustrated magazine about 3 weeks ago. I am not sure why it took so long, but it took them 3 1/2 months from the time I paid until the time the magazine started arriving. They don't need to refund the money now because I am getting the magazine.Thank you for your help!

Regards,

They charge 3 times the price of buying directly from the magazine company. Sure they get you your magazines, but they pocket 2/3's of what you are paying them. It is a scam! And that is not all, they send out the same offer each month after that, when you pay for one of their subscription services. I have been trying to get unsubscribed from their mailing list to no avail.

I received a notice from Pacific Magazine Billing that looked exactly like an invoice with a due date and control number. It was in the amount of $179.95 and stated it was for People magazine and saved 15% off the cover price. In red print at the bottom it stated that this was an offer and not a bill. The problem with this mailout is that it was intentionally designed to look like an invoice and tempt someone into paying it. There are some people who hurriedly pay their bills and do not look carefully at them. This was a blatant attempt to deceive and mislead the recipient. While it may not be illegal, it is certainly disreputable and send a message to beware of this business.

Deceptive practice of making offer look like invoice for renewal. Prices much higher than regular renewals. Targets seniors.

I have just received through U.S. mail, material from Pacific Magazine Billing that at first, appears to be a bill. It is for a magazine subscription to National Geographic. The 3.75" x 8.5" paper is deceiving, and although not an actual bill, it is obvious that the company has made the concerted effort to graphically design the magazine offer as a bill seeking payment. After close examination, there is clarification with the following statement at the bottom: "PLEASE KEEP THIS PORTION IF RESPONDING TO THIS INDEPENDENT AGENTS OFFER NOT A BILL"; however, this statement contains poor sentence structure and is grammatically incorrect.

I got a bill from this company for readers digest I did not order! I am sure many consumers get these bills for magazines they do order and pay. This company is scamming (spaming) people because if I had a subscription I would of payed them and then got billed from my regular company. This is how I ended up with two Guidepost subscriptions! This company's advertising practice should be illegal! It says payment is due in 30 days for something I never even ordered. Were I not here my Husband would of just paid it! Someone should close this company down! I imagine all the seniors are getting scammed and that is how they make money!

Review: [redacted]was sent an invoice for [redacted] magazine from San Marcos, California. Previously it came from Florida. I sent 2 checks for $79.95 for my subscription to PMG. B.O. Box 1985, San Marcos CA 92075. Both checks were cashed at [redacted] - account [redacted]. Upon investigating, I found notices from former subscribers who paid this amount, but never did receive the magazines. I wrote a letter to the company for a full refund which was stated on the back side of the subscription as guaranteed if not satisfied. I wrote them a letter asking for the refund. The phone number is 760-688-0666 and all you hear is a recording and can't talk to anyone since it was set up that way.Desired Settlement: I would like a full Refund of $159.90. I am years old and on a pension. I cant afford to throw this kind of money away. Can you help Me? D[redacted], Monroeville, PA 15146 - [redacted] - [redacted]

If needed I can send you copies of the cancelled checks and the subscription papers.

I received a notice the same as those mentioned in this review. They are tricksters in the way they try to trick people into paying an unsolicited bill.

We received a renewal notice for Cycle World for 3 years at $66.95. I had renewed it in 2014 for 3 years which it would end in September 2017, I made copies of the renewal in 2014 and the form that came the other day did not look at all like the one from 2014. Plus the 3 year price was $32.97 so that's when I started questioning this. It is a scam, don't send Pacific Magazine Billing any money. I called the number on the form [redacted] twice and it is a recording and they give a different address to send complaints to than the one on the envelope that came with the bill. SCAM