N.M.E NATIONAL MAGAZINE EXCHANGE NME 1-866-374-9984 I just wanted to cancel my magazines before they even shipped. I received a bill before any magazine. I called again to cancel they just keep reducing my bill. I don't want the magazines. Atlanta Georgia

Folks this really works for a cancelation and refund. The economy is very bad and you worked hard for what little money you have so don't let these magazine sales people take it from you.

Call customer retention and do the following. (call 800-301-6247 or 800-325-3155 or 727-524-3600 or 727-535-0205). If you get someone who isn't helping HANG UP and call again.

The following data came from an employee in the customer retention dept.

We have rules. When someone threatens to call their credit card company and reverse the charge, and call the Better Business Bureau, and the Attorney General, and their lawyer, and the AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION, we CAN NOT try and "save" the account we have to go straight to canceling the account with a full refund. If someone does make a threat and we don't cancel the account we'll get in trouble.

'I'm an employee of the national magazine exchange, I work in the Customer Service department actually called Customer RETENTION because our job is to get customers not to cancel. We get commission based on 'cancel requests' saved. We are scripted and have certain offers we have to make. First we try and spread the payments out then give them 4 years for the price of 3....and so on.

For people turned into a collection agency tell them you cancelled or that you want to cancel. NME uses collection agencies as a bluff but hasn't turned people over to the credit rating bureaus because they do not want the law after them. Try calling back and demanding a refund. That will work and they will leave you alone. If a collection agency calls tell them you cancelled and they will close your account. BE FIRM. In 20 years NME has never reported people to the credit rating bureaus

Also if you waited too long to cancel the first year you can still cancel years 2, 3, and 4. NME DOES NOT pay for those years until the year begins. They can cancel any later year that has not started and if the phone rep says otherwise they are lying.

NME is getting more agressive.  You may need to change your credit card number.  If you gave them your bank account number change it immediately.