Groups »
Forums »
Answers »

Featured Groups

  • Bare Conductive
  • Drawing and Art
  • Sustainability
  • 123D
  • Fenix Intl, Ready Set Off The Grid
  • Featured Authors
  • 3D Printing

COMMUNITY : MARKETPLACE : SERVICES

New Forum Topic

Ripped off by Hearst Mazines(SCAM company)


I'm wondering if anyone here has ever subscribed to magazines such as Popular Magazines. Four months ago I subscribed through Hearst Magazines paid by credit card, thinking Popular Magazines is a pretty well recognised magazines. First two months I could put up with thinking there might be some error. Writing to the people in Hearst Magazine only resulted in auto-reply messages. Third month there was one reply with a case i.d.  At first I thought I was getting somewhere. Still, nothing happened. I wrote to them again showing some frustration, I asked whether I will be getting my first issue this November or next November. The reply was:

"Thank you for contacting Popular Mechanics.
We have extended your subscription so it will continue through the November 2011 issue.
Thank you,
Popular Mechanics
Andrew

 

Customer's email address: aoandy@yahoo.com
Case id: 12214311

" What does that mean? I have written to Consumer Protection. I doubt any action will come soon enough.

But I am writing here as a warning to anyone and everyone to beware of this scamming organisation.
If you feel the need to rid the world of such people, I encourage you to spread this message.
Thank you all.





We have received your subscription order.
ORDER SUMMARY:
Date: 2010-09-06
Term: 36 Issues
Amount: $61.00
Ordered by: SF Lin
Delivery Address:
   S-F Lin
    67Soi 57 Lardphrao Rd.
   B********,***********
This is an auto-generated email, please do not reply. If any information is incorrect, or if you need to contact customer service for any reason, we ask that you wait at least one week for your order to be processed and your information to appear in our system. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of first issue.
Popular Mechanics is a publication of Hearst Magazines Division, Hearst Communications, Inc. ©2010
Hearst Email Privacy • 300 W. 57th Street • New York, NY 10019
Customer Service | Privacy Policy | Give Popular Mechanics as a Gift | Other Magazine Subscriptions

 





sort by: active | newest | oldest
7
rocketman7 says: Feb 26, 2012. 7:07 PM
Contact your Credit Card Company,
and wait a few months....
1
macmundi (author) says: Dec 17, 2010. 5:40 AM
I'd assume you kids work for Hearst. How did you know I am in Bangkok? The thing is, it didn't take me 1-3 months to make my payment. Then I have to put up with ridiculous comments like "take it up with the credit card company". I paid for the excess distance the delivery was "allow sixty days for the first issue". The bank is only a medium that assures that the fund was safely transferred to Hearst. Or are you saying my payment somehow got lost along the way, that's why my subscription isn,t being delivered?
169
Kiteman in reply to macmundiDec 17, 2010. 11:09 AM
How did you know I am in Bangkok?

Maybe because we are employed by Hearst to stalk the internet looking for random posts on random websites that criticise our employers?

Or maybe because we recognise the scene behind you in your avatar?

Or maybe because we used sophisticated image-analysis software to identify the species of plant in your avatar, and to narrow it down to a specific location?

Or maybe because we read the information you posted on your own profile?

1
macmundi (author) in reply to KitemanDec 17, 2010. 5:29 PM
Ha Ha. very creative. Sorry, I wouldnt have bothered to find out where I lived anyway, it's totally irrelevant. I didn't expect 'next day' delivery but I didn't expect 'on-foot' delivery either.
9
kelseymh in reply to macmundiDec 17, 2010. 10:45 AM
"How did you know I am in Bangkok?" Because you say you are. Were you lying? Or are you suprised that people know how to read information you make publicly available?
16
Lithium Rain in reply to kelseymhDec 17, 2010. 10:57 AM
I MADE THAT COMMENT FIRST. Now the Copyright Monster is after you!
9
kelseymh in reply to Lithium RainDec 17, 2010. 11:27 AM
It's not visible to me. Perhaps your version included some forbidden language, and got stuck in the filters?
16
Lithium Rain in reply to kelseymhDec 17, 2010. 11:33 AM
:-| I don't *think* so. Comment text: ">How did you know I am in Bangkok?

The line on your profile that says "Location: Bangkok" was a big hint."

Unless "Bang" is on the list...but then your comment made it through, so I dunno.
9
kelseymh in reply to Lithium RainDec 17, 2010. 3:08 PM
And there it is now!, with a 9:40 am timestamp. At the time I posted, only Lemonie's and TUA's comments were visible.
16
Lithium Rain in reply to kelseymhDec 17, 2010. 3:25 PM
Sigh. I'm beginning to think I got put on the Naughty list...
9
kelseymh in reply to Lithium RainDec 17, 2010. 3:28 PM
Nah, read my bug report. For a while there, I had half a dozen or more comments simply disappear. Not just get held up for a couple of hours, but never, ever materialize. There was one that turns out to have been invisible for over two years!
9
kelseymh in reply to macmundiDec 17, 2010. 10:44 AM
You assume wrong. You post a public rant on some random Website that has nothing to do with your problem, and then you complain when people reply? Go away.
1
macmundi (author) in reply to kelseymhJan 10, 2011. 6:31 PM
complain when people reply? go away? you're in my post!. get a life...! shoo..!
16
Lithium Rain in reply to macmundiDec 17, 2010. 9:40 AM
>How did you know I am in Bangkok?

The line on your profile that says "Location: Bangkok" was a big hint.
49
lemonie in reply to macmundiDec 17, 2010. 9:08 AM

Listen man, acting like a child by "throwing a strop" and calling people names isn't going to help you.
The publisher is massive, it is in their interest to get the magazine to you, even if they are actually failing to do so...

Credit card companies share risk with you when you spend - tell them Hearst has taken your payment and failed to deliver. They are part of the deal, tell them you think you've (both) been defrauded and can you have your money back?

L
1
macmundi (author) in reply to lemonieDec 17, 2010. 5:20 PM
Sorry All,
I have to limit myself to responding to relevant issues. Lemonie, I will ask the bank about that though I'm sure the bank will give me that strange look. Its because once the money is successfully transferred, the bank has completed its duty.
Whether Popular Mechanics is massive or not I don't really care. It's not their fault, but whoever my payment was made to was certainly not keeping to contract. If Hearst Magazines cannot manage intercontinental delivery, perhaps they should keep their services interstate.
49
lemonie in reply to macmundiDec 18, 2010. 12:28 AM

You said credit-card, only if you've bought the subscription with credit might the card company be able to help.
You don't think that it may be going missing at your locality? Maybe someone who handles your post likes Popular Mechanics too...?

L
1
macmundi (author) in reply to lemonieDec 18, 2010. 1:14 AM
I have a credit card that has more credit than I use, so in other words, it acts like a debit card. I dont like 'owing' others. Im sure also that someone might pinch my mail if they knew it contained Pop Mag., but overseas posts always come with non-transparent packaging.
Gosh, Im teaching you alot here.. what the hell, we never stop learning, heh?!
49
lemonie in reply to macmundiDec 18, 2010. 1:30 AM

Yes we never stop learning - if we could learn where your magazines are we'd be done..? I hoe they start turning up for you.

L
69
Tool Using Animal in reply to macmundiDec 17, 2010. 6:42 AM
I clicked your name.
169
Kiteman says: Dec 17, 2010. 9:28 AM
Have you thought of using the first of those links at the bottom of your post?

69
Tool Using Animal says: Dec 17, 2010. 5:06 AM
Oh wait, dude, Chill, you are in Bangkok? Heck, even in America, it takes 1 to 3 months for a magazine subscription to start.
69
Tool Using Animal says: Dec 17, 2010. 5:02 AM
Well, that's infinitely better than some other magazines. i won a magazine subscription through a website, after a year lapsed and I did not renew the subscription, they continued to send it to me anyways.

Then they sent the bill to a collection agency.

49
lemonie says: Dec 17, 2010. 4:07 AM

You are having a problem with a subscription.

That is not the same as Hearst ripping you off, and neither is it grounds to make potentially libelous / defamatory remarks about them.

If you paid by credit card then contact your card company.

L


Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

PDF Downloads
As a Pro member, you will gain access to download any Instructable in the PDF format. You also have the ability to customize your PDF download.

Upgrade to Pro today!