Publishers Business Service Publishers Direct Services Magsubs.com Harrassment during work hours, refusing to conatct me @ home for this persoanl matter, etc. Ripoff Altamonte Springs Florida

Prior to my first day of work I came across this website and these complaints. It made me very leary about working for this company but I figured I would go through the first week and see what was really going on.

First off, I can assure everyone that this is not exactly the "scam" you all make it out to be. It's really all about LISTENING. The sales representatives have a script in which they are required to stick with. The first portion of the script is the survey which qualifies you for the free magazines. The second part is getting your address in which you would like them sent to (if you want them at all). The third part is informing YOU, the customer, that although the magazines have already been paid for by the Publishers...the shipping & handling has not and thus we ask that you pay $3.45 a week. Immediately after this statement you are told that we do not collect the $3.45 each week because it would be a nuisance and that instead we will send you self addressed envelopes and allow you to send in the payment monthly rather than weekly (should you agree). After this, you are asked if you have a better number to contact you on rather than contacting you back at work. The fourth part is letting you know that we will send you 2 more magazines at no extra charge just for taking our offer. It is at this point that you are then passed to a supervisor (BY YOUR OWN CHOICE) to verify your address and confirm that you understand that we bill monthly...the supervisor explains every detail of the costs involved...including the fact that it comes to 29.95 for the first 30 months (because we ask that you pay two months at a time).

If you have gotten to the point of verifying your information with a supervisor then you have acknowledge over 3 different times that you understand. So really, who is to blame for the lack of understanding other than yourself. You don't have to take them... The supervisors ask you if you have any questions...And if you say you aren't interested in them after we confirm you address than we do not process it. Should you decline with the supervisor the first thing out of their mouth is "okay it was just an offer".  You HAVE to be passed to a supervisor and confirm that you understand everything and that you don't have any other questions before your order is ever sent to verification for processing. And even once it is sent to verification you STILL have another opportunity to "opt out".

I'd also like you all to know that we have a renewal department that renews company and individuals subscriptions on a daily basis. We DO have many satisfied customers who actually LISTEN before they agree and because of this, they continue to use our services for their discounted subscriptions. So, with that said....please listen more carefully when you are called, even if you're busy...if you don't have the time to listen than just politely decline.

I worked at Publishers Direct Services for 5 months before i figured out what they where doing.

i worked in the collections department, my job was to call customers and get them to make there payments.

it wasnt untill i noticed that most of the customers had the same reason for not paying... "I never ordered these" that i became suspicious

i started asking more questions about the "Sales Pitch" and was getting little answers, collections reps were not allowed in the "Sales Floor"

i started taking breaks around the same time the sales reps did so i could ask them questions...

i found my answers,

what happens is this

you get a call, about a survey while your swamped at work. you being nice, answer the survey questions, then they tell you there will be a gift of "free magazine issues" and that you will recieve a call later, later a second rep calls you to "confirm" your order, except now there not free, they cost over $800 (or if this happened to you about 6 months ago it was $760) and your signing into a 5 year contract, they record this call and have you agree on recording, now those who are paying attention during this second call realize this and quickly hang up, but those busy at work arent so lucky,

now the biggest scam happens in the collections floor, the first time these collecters call you (several may call), its a friendly call, in which they claim to save you money by giving you a percentage off if you consolidate your payments this account is called a "prepay".
the second call you get is after your first payment is due, in which they try to set up payment arrangements,
they third call is when they start threating to send you to collections, which is funny because your already in "collections"
now after your three months behind, they start to talk about a man named "james lawrence" whom...DOES NOT EXIST.. he is a fake lawyer they use to threaten you, they have a few different ones, i dont remember the other names they use, i did not work those accounts. there is nothing they can do to you, except call you constantly, which they will. they do not have your social security number so they can not affect your credit, and they have no legal basis for law suit.

once i found out this information i quit immediately, i am willing to testify against this company