NSS Magazine unauthorized charges, fraudulent billing, deceptive advertising Connecticut

I signed up for a 6-month trial subscription for 3 different magazines at once. I was supposed to receieve 6 months of each magazine for FREE (key word!), and get billed if and only if I decided to keep the subscription after 6 months.

A month later I notice a charge of $6 on my credit card statement from this company. At this point, I had only receieved one issue of one of the three magazines I had ordered. I contacted my credit card company - who were very UNhelpful, by the way - and theytold me to contact NSS directly. I did so, and reached a woman named Jaqueline, who was a complete b*tch.

I told her that the charge was unauthorized, as the subscriptions were supposed to be FREE for the first six months. She responded that there was a $2 "PROCESSING FEE" for each magazine, for a total of $6. When I argued that the site said nothing of a processing fee (it didn't, or else I wouldn't have ordered the magazines!), she lied to me and said that it did. She then became very condescending, and said (and I quote), "You didn't expect to get anything for free, did you?". I was so pissed that I just wanted to reach through the phone line and choke the life out of her.

Anyway, I demanded that she refund the money and cancel the subscriptions, and she said she would, but that was 5 minutes ago, so it remains to be seen whether this matter is resolved or not. Since the company's ad did say that the subscriptions were free (depsite the fact that they charge a $2 processing fee, which would make the offer NOT FREE), I plan on reporting NSS's deceptive advertising to the state's attorney general's ofiice (not like they'll care, but whatever).

Bottom line: avoid this company at all costs, and DO NOT pay the fee simply b/c it's easier than fighting it. It's only $2 a magazine, sure, but they no doubt do this the hundreds of thousands of people. $2 x 500,000 = $1,000,000....plenty of incentive for them to keep RIPPING PEOPLE OFF!

Kelly
Rochester, New York