Trusted Media Brands, Inc.

Review: Received advertisement for an early renewal and Free Gift subscription in the amount of $19.98 for both. Sent a ck. to cover cost. My gift has never been delivered to the person I ask for it to be given. I contacted Reminisce Magazine and they informed me an early renewal for ME had been received....but not a gift subscription. They further stated I should deal with Magazine Discount Center at their New York address. I mailed a letter along with a copy of the original advertisement to them. The letter came back "undeliverable...unable to forward." So I contacted the NY State Atty. Office. They answered me saying it appeared the company named had ceased doing business, therefore they could not mediate my complaint. Also enclosed with their letter was Location Information suggesting I contact Revdex.com.Desired Settlement: Would like either my money refunded OR the free gift subscription honored.

Business

Response:

Dear Customer,

We apologize. MagazineDiscountCenter.com only accepts orders placed online with a credit card. If you have sent a money order or check, please note they are sent directly to the publisher and NOT to us.

Any payments sent by mail to our facility (address below) is returned to the sender. Please contact the publisher of your magazine to check on the status of your order if you have placed your order through mail. Most magazine numbers can be found on: www.magazine800.com.

Regards,

Customer Service

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint was forwarded to my attention.

Review: Several months ago I used a post card that came in the mail to request a free copy of Reminisce magazine. If I wanted to subscribe, I could do so after receiving the copy. I did not want to subscribe and did not subscribe. So far I have received two invoices wanting payment for my subscription. Cannot access customer service from their website without putting in account number, which I don't want to do since I should not have an account. I searched for consumer complaints online and found many, some identical to mine. Can you please help me make them stop sending bills? Thank you![redacted]

Product_Or_Service: free issue of Reminisce magazineDesired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

Stop billing me for the subscription I did not take.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’ recent complaint regarding the subscription for the Reminisce magazine was forwarded here for my attention. Please accept my apology on behalf of Reminisce for any concern or inconvenience she may have been caused.

Review: I used to subscribe to Taste of Home magazine, several years ago. I stopped. This summer, I received two cookbooks in the mail. I didn't ask for them. I didn't want them. I didn't keep them.I mailed the cookbooks back within the 30 day period noted on the letter that came with them. I then started receiving requests for payment for those cookbooks. Repeatedly. I ignored them. I finally opened a request for payment that stated they were going to submit it to a collection agency. I wrote them a letter and told them to check their records as not only did I not ask for these two books, but I actually returned them in their original packaging.I have received another letter, asking me to "be a good customer" and pay my bills. I owe this company nothing. They stated in this letter that the next letter I will receive will be from North Shore Agency, Inc., a collections agency.I am tired of being harassed by a company I don't do business with. I will never do business with them again. When you send an unsolicited gift, you can't expect payment. I was kind enough to return both gifts. The harassment needs to stop. Immediately.Desired Settlement: I would like Taste of Home Books to stop the harassment and the intimidation and the threatening letters. I owe them nothing. They owe me an apology.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s recent inquiry concerning the books 2013 Best of Country Cooking Annual, 2013 Healthy Cooking Annual, and the 2014 Taste of Home Annual has been received and forwarded to my attention. I would like to start by apologizing for the disappointments she has encountered with our company.

Review: Unsolicited mailing for entry to a sweepstakes along with offer to start book club membership. Mailer clearly stated "Check the appropriate box if accepting this offer". I did NOT check the box, which was the explicit instruction on how to enter without purchase/membership (have photo of submitted document). They signed me up anyway, as I received a book several weeks later along with a bill of $10 for that book. Had to call to deactivate books on approval membership and also send the book back.Desired Settlement: This was a substantial waste of my time due to their actions. At best, they are willfully negligent in processing their forms, but I believe much more likely it is a knowing scheme to get more people enrolled into their program.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint regarding the book Reminisce Life in the Fantastic 40’s was forwarded to my attention.

My father is 88 years old and has been getting PILES of junk mail, some with free ha ha ha gifts that make him feel obligated to send money back for. In the past year he has been duped out of hundreds of dollars. He lives on a fixed income and can no way afford to be giving to all these non profit and charity's. So we had his mail forwarded to me, the post office will not forward junk mail. Everything went along fine, no junk for over 2 months. Then I made the mistake to have one of his magazines that he has paid for forwarded to my address, so I could take it to him. Little did I know by doing that, my mail box is now flooded with the junk mail too. I get 6 to 10 per day now, and never had gotten 1 before . The magazine I had changed his address on was Country Extra, now owned by Reader Digest. I found Dad had paid for it by going through his check book, along with the rest he had been conned into buying from the company. If I would of known they were selling my address to all these con places I would never had given the address to them, now I have to pay to have all of it taken away every week to a landfill to be disposed of. What a waste of my time and money because of the company's greed to sell my address. I contacted them and ask for a refund of all three of the magazines Dad had paid for, and to remove my mailing address from all the junk mail lists, but I have heard nothing back. I think it terrible these place take advantage of old people making them feel guilty if they don't send them $ every time they send a box of cards or trinkets to send in a donation. Do you have any idea's how now I can get the junk mail stopped??i

Today my 91 year old father received renewal notice for his Large Print Reader's Digest subscription, which came with a free gift subscription. The frustrating part of this notice is that his subscription still has over 2 years left on it, and that was not plainly noted anywhere on the renewal notice form. Since Large Print issues are typically designed for the elderly, it is particularly disturbing that this marketing ploy is being used. How many elderly immediately renew because they think this means their subscription is about to end? How many years' subscriptions are typically left over after they have died? I am pleased, however, that when I called Reader's Digest, they offered to stop sending those promotions to him in the future. Let's hope they do! Other than this one problem, I am very happy with their product.

Review: I used to subscribe to Taste of Home magazine, several years ago. I stopped. This summer, I received two cookbooks in the mail. I didn't ask for them. I didn't want them. I didn't keep them.I mailed the cookbooks back within the 30 day period noted on the letter that came with them. I then started receiving requests for payment for those cookbooks. Repeatedly. I ignored them. I finally opened a request for payment that stated they were going to submit it to a collection agency. I wrote them a letter and told them to check their records as not only did I not ask for these two books, but I actually returned them in their original packaging.I have received another letter, asking me to "be a good customer" and pay my bills. I owe this company nothing. They stated in this letter that the next letter I will receive will be from [redacted] a collections agency.I am tired of being harassed by a company I don't do business with. I will never do business with them again. When you send an unsolicited gift, you can't expect payment. I was kind enough to return both gifts. The harassment needs to stop. Immediately.Desired Settlement: I would like Taste of Home Books to stop the harassment and the intimidation and the threatening letters. I owe them nothing. They owe me an apology.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint was forwarded to my attention. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Review: April 3, 2013, I sent a check for $14.95 (ck #[redacted]) to Shop Taste of Home, for a advertised bird book on special! I waited and waited-no book-finally I contacted them thur email-first to be told they have no record of my order-finally to be told a refund was issued weeks ago, case id ####### as for some reason they couldnt send me the bird book!

I have contacted them 5 times, finally telling them I was going to file a complaint with the Revdex.com-they still ignore sending me either the book of the refund-the last time I received a email, it was from a [redacted], Customer Care at ###-###-#### on Aug 1, 2013 and Still no refund!Desired Settlement: I would like the book, but if not I want my $14.95 refunded back to me!

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint was forwarded here for my attention. Please accept my apology, on behalf of Shop Taste of Home for any concern or inconvenience she may have been caused

Review: Delivery is terrible, customer service even worse.

I have had missing issues or delivered last day of month. I had subscribed to Country and Country Extra. I had been a Birds & Blooms customer for years. Name, subscription dates, etc. are all correct, as per both our checks. Told issues would be mailed or added on to the end. I was told to contact the post office to see what was going on. I have sent numerous unanswered emails to both Reiman and Reader's Digest. Cancelled the 2 accounts, got a DEBIT card, after asking twice for the refund. Not sure if I got what's due. I sort of doubt it, since one went into the year 2015. Debit card had to be "authorized" first by calling a 1-800 #. A check would have been easier than I could just deposit it. I am just plain irritated.Desired Settlement: Want my correct refund on BOTH magazines

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint regarding her Country and Country Extra magazine subscriptions was forwarded to my attention. I apologize for any inconvenience she has experience with her magazine subscriptions.

Review: I placed an order for the Reader's Digest Diet Book/Cookbook/Dining Guide on June 30, 2013. It has been 4 months. The only item I received was the bill. I have contacted Reader's Digest through email and phone call. I received a response that my books shipped September 9th and would arrive in 7-9 days. It is now October 19th. I called and was told my items were shipped and I will receive them soon. I am very frustrated with this company. My last email to them was around October 9th and I have not received a response from them. I did make a partial payment of $24.24 when the bill arrived thinking my books were being shipped. (They cashed my check)Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of my partial payment of $24.24. I do not want the books or have anything else to do with Reader's Digest.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s recent complaint regarding her order for the Digest Diet books was forwarded to my attention. Please accept my apology, on behalf of Reader’s Digest, for any concern or inconvenience she may have been caused.

Review: Never intentionally ordered magazine. Stop sending magazine, stop billing. Remove bill

[redacted]Desired Settlement: Never intentionally ordered magazine. Stop sending magazine, stop billing. Remove bill

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s recent complaint regarding the subscription for the Family Handyman magazine was forwarded here for my attention. Please accept my apology, on behalf of Family Handyman, for any concern or inconvenience he may have been caused.

Review: Responded to advertisement for subscription for Birds & Bloom magazine for free magazine and was to pay invoice if interested, I was not interested so never paid, kept getting invoices, but no other magazine, the 4th invoice I wrote on front of invoice,"see other side" and hi-lighted this, on the back I wrote "I only received the free copy and as this all about American gardens it is of little interest to me, therefore I did not subscribe to this magazine and no need for me to pay anything."Now I received a 5th invoice stating that my account has been forwarded from Credit and Collection to the Auditing Department. It also states since I did not write "CANCEL" on the invoice, so therefore I did not cancel the subscription.I just wonder how I can get rid of this problem.[redacted]

Product_Or_Service: Birds & Blooms magazine

Account_Number: [redacted]Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Other (requires explanation)

Don't want this to affect my credit rating. And do not want any more invoices.I will send the 5th invoice to them with a copy of the 4th invoice and the note, and will let them know that I've filed a complaint with the "Revdex.com".

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s recent complaint regarding the subscription for the Birds & Blooms magazine was forwarded here for my attention. Please accept my apology, on behalf of Birds & Blooms, for any concern or inconvenience she may have been caused.

Review: Our family subscribes to Taste of Home magazine. We received a "free" book titled as a gift with an invoice showing $0.00 as the cost of the book and a shipping/handling fee of approximately $5.00. Although slightly odd to have to pay S/H for the "free" gift we sent in the $5.00. Unbeknownst to us sending in the S/H fee signed us up for a book club. I do not understand how sending in a check in response to a clearly labeled invoice indicating a S/H fee signed us up for a book club. We then received the next book and a bill for approximately $30.00. We could return it if we did not want it. I did not want to take time to return something I did not affirmatively sign up for. When I called to inquire about this I was repeatedly told to just return the book. I insisted on having some sort of verification of where I affirmatively signed up for this book and authorized such billing. None was provided to me because it did not exist. I was indebted to this corporation based on a S/H fee I paid, deceptive gifts, and otherwise devious business practices.Desired Settlement: I can return the book to the post office but would like to be reimbursed for one hour's worth of my time, $40.00. I would also strongly suggest Taste of Home discontinue their deceptive marketing and "promotional" practices.

Business

Response:

Review: As a currant subscriber to your Family Handyman magazine I was shocked when I received a notice that I was delinquent and action would be taken against my credit rating. Upon my call to the book marketing service I found out that I had been placed on a automatic shipment list for books. There was no intent on my part to subscribe to anything other than your magazine and the fact that I did not take an affirmative action NOT to subscribe to this book service is a telling sign of what I consider a deceptive business practice.Desired Settlement: Call and explain to me why you consider this good business.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s recent inquiry concerning the book 2012 Family Handyman Annual has been received and forwarded to my attention. I would like to start by apologizing for the disappointments he has encountered with our company.

Review: I can now say I made a mistake by subscribing to Family Handyman magazine that Reader's Digest is offering by listing a sweepstakes notice. Although this magazine may offer helpful information, I find it agonizing to deal with them as I am bombarded with bills. I let them know by phone or e-mail that I already paid for a full year, so far they are not listening. I have received several notices to pay up. I am now at my wit's end and need these dishonest people to stop their fraudulent practice.Desired Settlement: They must cease immediately to send me bills and never contact me again. Better yet, I want them to cancel my subscription and refund my money now.

Business

Response:

Review: In the center of County Woman was a card so you can subscribe to Country Women. I filled it out. There was no work about Midwest Living but thats what they sent me. I called a number I found in Midwest Living. I talked to Joudi, she hanged up on me. I mailed back Midwest Living an told them I don't want there magazine.Desired Settlement: Send me Country Women. Thats what I subed to.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’ complaint was forwarded to my attention. Midwest Living is not one of our family of magazines, and a card to subscribe to Country Woman would not have resulted in a magazine subscription to Midwest Living. We do not have access to Midwest Living databases or subscription files.

Review: October 1, 2011 I paid for Taste Of Home Best Annual Recipes by Reiman Publ. with no indication of a continuity program, which I would never have agreed to. I received Taste Of Home Best Annual Recipes for the next year. I called and said I did not place an order for the book. The lady asked if I had used the book. I said NO. She said I had to return it and they sent a return label. I did not return the book because I didn't order it. After other billings, on Dec. 13, 2012 at 8:45 AM I called ###-###-#### and spoke with "[redacted]". She confirmed that the first issue was not on a continuity plan and admitted that I was not obligated to pay for what I didn't order. She said that the second book was sent because I ordered the first book and it was assumed that I would surely welcome other books in the same series. However, she still said I should pay the bill. I said I would not pay for anything I didn't order. I continued to receive Past Due notices. On Feb. 4, 2013 I contacted Taste Of Home, P.O. Box 26825 Lehigh Valley, Pa and said to take the amount from my account and stop harassing me. After several more past due notices they now say they are turning me over to a National Collection Agency.Desired Settlement: DELETE THE BILL.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s recent inquiry concerning the book 2013 Taste of Home Annual has been received and forwarded to my attention. I would like to start by apologizing for the disappointments she has encountered with our company.

Review: [redacted] & [redacted] September 24, 2013

RE: Unethical or Illegal Business Pratices

Taste of Home Magazine

Dear Sir or Madam;

The purpose of this letter is report Taste of Home's unethical or illegal marketing practices. I am enclosing copies of two (2) Final Notification billings for books that we never ordered from Taste of Home. These books were sent in October & December, 2012 and thinking a billing would follow, I kept these books (Unopened) until May 2013 when I cleaned my garage for the spring. Having received no billing, I threw the books in the trash.

The only billing we received came as a Final Notice or we would be turned over to a collection agency. We have impeccable credit ratings and not wanting to damage that, I wrote the first check June 18, 2013 for $10.00 and wrote a note on the statement. I wrote yet another check August 7, 2013 for $25.98 and again wrote another note on the statement. The last note is the cause of this letter being written.

My wife kept insisting that she never ordered the books and I now know that she did not order the books. Please refer to the attached letter over the signature of [redacted]. Also refer to the INSTRUCTIONS which require us to"Opt Out" of receiving the next book that they are going to send 10/14/2013. That is entrapment at it's finest! As a senior citizen, if I had to "Opt Out" of every piece of advertisements for magazines, books, insurance coverage, etc., I would be broke because I consider these solicitations as intervene and put a stop to this method of marketing. Thank you.

Sincerely;

[redacted] & [redacted]

Cc: Springfield Revdex.comDesired Settlement: Unspecified

Business

Response:

[redacted] & [redacted]’s recent complaint concerning the books 2012 Taste of Home Christmas and Most Requested Recipes has been received and forwarded to my attention. I would like to start by apologizing for the disappointments they have encountered with our company.

Review: I received a bill from "Taste of Home" magazine threatening me with a collection agency. They said I ordered magazines but I have not.

I received a bill from "Taste of Home" magazine threatening to turn me over to collection agency. I sent them the $10 they were demanding but I did not request a subscription and I have never received the magazine.Desired Settlement: Since I never ordered any magazines and never received any magazines, then I want my $10 returned to me.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint regarding the Taste of Home magazine was forwarded to my attention.

Review: I receive Taste of Home magazine. In the March issue, there was a flyer stating that cookbooks were being sold at a discounted price. So, on April 6, 2013, I put a check in the mail for $9.99 for a Cooking for 2 cookbook along with the required form. My check was cashed on April 25, 2013. I waited all through May and received no cookbook. On May 30, 2013, I called Taste of Home and spoke with someone named [redacted]. He said the cookbook was discontinued and no sign of refund. He put in a request for a refund. Told me 3 to 4 weeks. Never received. Called again June 26, 2013, and spoke with [redacted]. He said I'm due a refund, but it takes a long, long time to receive it. As of July 10, 2013, I have no cookbook or refund.Desired Settlement: I simply want my $9.99 returned. If they didn't have the cookbook, why didn't they just return my check instead of cashing it. If I hadn't called and requested a refund, I may not have even gotten a request filed.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint was forwarded to my attention. We apologize for any inconvenience she has been caused.