Alliance Service Company, Inc. - Magazine Scam Has Me Fuming!

[Stevie65]

On December 12, 2002, a very charming young man came to my apartment and told me that he was selling magazine subscriptions to gain points for a trip and if he was able to sell ten magazines he would have enough points to win. He conned his way inside and then conned me into ordering five magazines for a two-year subscription a piece for $218. He said that he only accepted cash, so he and I went to an atm and I withdrew the money and gave it to him. He gave me the receipts and that was that. Later I discovered that the receipts were for only three magazines and only totaled $144. I contacted the customer service manager at Alliance and told her my situation. She told me that the receipts she had received only totaled $72. I told her that was wrong and faxed copies of my receipts to her. She then said that some of the receipts I have are copies and the amounts on them are not to be counted. She was still only going to give back $72. I told her that it wasn't right for what happened. She said that the company is not responsible for the actions of the salespersons. I believe that a company is liable for the actions of their salespersons since the salesperson is representing the company and selling their goods/products. I want this company to be shut down!

[ilesher]

This happened to me today. A young man approached me at my car asked me if I would vote for him for a communications class he was taking. That he needed to sell magazine subscriptions. Ten would be the best but two was alright. I purchased a total of three for 75.00 and later noticed I had wrote the wrong adress tried to call the customer service number and got no answer started to look more closely and noticed I was charged an additional 6 dollars shipping and handling for each magazine. And they were to be two year subscriptions. I know relize what a dumbass I was to fall for that, I called the local police and they are looking into it. The officer found that they are registered with the bbb and have had quite a few complaints. Anyways if you want to know more just ask.
Ilesher

[OrlandoTaxicabs]

Approximately 30 years ago I responded to a Help Wanted advertisement in the local newspaper which offered "Travel All Over the World and make money at the same time!". I was hired at my interview, went home, packed my clothes, and 24 hours later was three states away...I had joined a "Magazine Crew".

These crews are like gypsies. Traveling from city to city, state to state, they stay in one area about one week, pick up stakes, and move on. The "Crew Leaders" house their "sales reps" in motels and require adherence to a strict working and quota schedule.

They wake you up early in the morning and have you meet with the rest of the crew (some crews numbering as high as 50-100 young workers) for a light breakfast. At breakfast, if you did well the previous day (obtained or exceeded your quota for magazine subscriptions), you are praised. Others are humiliated in front of everyone as a "motivational" ploy!

Everyone is then piled into vans and automobiles and individually dropped off in their "area"... the area in which the young worker is to attempt subscription sales. You generally work from 9:00 AM until the sun goes down with a half-hour break for a light lunch.

Few of these "workers" make any money. At the end of the work week, your total "commission" is added up.... and then they subtract your share of the motel bills, meals, crew expenses (gasoline, etc.) and, rarely, is there very much money left to put into your pocket!

If you work a couple of weeks on a crew, but don't sell the number of subscriptions expected, you will find yourself standing on a corner, waiting to be picked up by your Crew Leader... the Crew Leader never shows! The crew has packed up and moved on, and you are left stranded in a strange town with no money and all of your personal belongings are gone.

Now, three decades later, these crews are still operating! It amazes me that these crews have not been shut down completely! Local authorities have problems in attacking the problem because these crews operate under Interstate Commerce regulations which tie the hands of local authorities.

The next time a young person approaches you with this so-called points system of obtaining a scholarship, trip, or whatever, have pity on him or her.... but DON'T BUY ANYTHING! If you want a magazine subscription, subscribe from the publisher!

~Lee~
www.TaxicabReservations.com

[dickn52]

I used to be a police officer in Indianapolis. When these gypsy teams swarmed the area every summer, we would pick them up as vagrants, less than $50.00 in their pockets with no means of support, return them to their hotel rooms, pack them up and escort them to Trailways for a ride home. Then the team leader was confronted and offered a trip elsewhere as well. No conversation allowed, get in, get out of town. See you again, get in, go to jail for whatever I could tag them with.

BTW. After they come to your house, and you do say no. Look on your door sill or door near the peep hole for pencil marks. They code the doors for future sales people.

Life is an exciting time for these kids. Simply tell them to wait, call the local Police Department and have an officer respond. They know the teams and have dealt with them before. You might even save one of them from a pretty bad time if they get thrown off the team.

[makenoise]

I was approached at the mall, in plain daylight by a person looking to take a trip by getting points for subscriptions. There was a team, a guy and a gal, both young. I was with the guy, the gal with was with another person. I have a reciept, but I tried to call the number on it and they said "due to heavy volume of phone calls, they couldn't accept my call" I want to cancel my order, but I can't get through. Any suggestions? And for whatever reason - the cost of the actual magazine was 18 for two years. Yet my total was 26.

[nozzz4dawicked]

OMG!!!! I'm amazed...I never guessed there were other people that got scammed by the same people that I did. I was at the mall and this guy came up and talked about the point system and winning a trip to london...I'm on the verge of tears here, because after reading all of your posts, I now KNOW there is no way for me to get my money back...I gave over 200 dollars for magazines *I was with friends and they were going to pay me back after they got their magazines*...omg...is there a number to contact this place??? anything that I can do??? PLEASE HELP!!! thanks in advance-Heather

[coffeebean]

Yep I just got conned a few hours ago. There were 2 sweet girls who seemed genuine enough, who said this was for $15,000 worth of points for their college. I took their word for it but noticed there was a certain awkwardness & a pinch of aggressiveness towards the end when they took my money & when I complained about the 90 days wait.

I did some research online & 1st I discovered the so-called "travelling sales crew" & now this forum and what you guys said sounds very familiar to me. So here we are, I think I just lost 100 bucks...

[Fast351]

Yep, same old scam. I was just approached about an hour ago outside of a Target store. Two girls in their late teens early 20s that were "earning points" to go on a trip to Jaimaica, Paris, or some other place. All I had to do is "vote" for them. I don't remember the exact schpiel, but they somehow turned the conversation into selling magazines. I picked one for a two year subscription, and she pulled out the Alliance receipt book, and something clicked in my head. I had seen this exact scam on the news a few months ago. They wanted cash or check of course, neither of which I carry. Then they tried to get me to go to the ATM, and politely refused.

Any magazine which can't bill me after I receive the first issue is a scam as far as I'm concerned.

Almost scammed, glad I remembered that news report.

-Mike

[lisacapo]

I was visiting my mom's house yesterday and while she was out walking my daughter the door bell rang. There was a young man there who said that he was earning points for a college scholarship and that he had to visit 5 states in 10 weeks and the amount of his scholarship depended on how many points he earned by magazine sales.

He gave me a laminated card that had his picture and some kind of official looking award certificate that briefly stated how he could earn his scholarship money. I thought it was kind of unprofessional since the card was curled at the corners. He then hands me a tri-fold brochure with titles such as childrens or health/fitness, etc and the names of magazines listed below each title. This brochure was also wrinked and curled at the edges and looked like something anyone could make on their computer. There also were no prices or descriptions of the magazines. Just the names.

Although I was wary, I told him I would buy one of the children's magazines and asked for the price. He pulled out his receipt book and showed me that the price was $24 t but he just needed cash or a check for $12 now and I would be billed for the rest later. I filled out the form and asked if I should make the check out to MagsRUs which was the company printed on the receipt. (Not Alliance) He showed me some fine print that said to make the check out for cash. He explained that they got burned in the Brooklyn area last year because of people writing bad checks and that by making them out for cash they could check the account to make sure it was a good check. That made no sense to me and so I just told him I wasn't comfortable with that and that I was no longer interested.

While surfing the net today, I thought I try to see if my instincts were right and when I did a search for MagsRUs, I found no company by that name. Next, I did a search for magazine selling scams and came across a link for this site.

Also, as part of his selling technique he tried to get sympathy by telling me about how tired he was because he had been walking since 10 am. It was 4 pm. He also told me how kind the neighbors were and pointed out four houses on the block who bought from him.

I'm glad I followed my gut instinct on this one!

[clizair]

i just got approached by a fast talker named jason. he told me to "vote" for him. shoved a flyer in my face and said choose two. i was just trying to help. Then he started filling out these forms. Part of me told me to say no. But i didn't. I went to the ATM at the gas station where he approached me, gave him 78 bucks, and off he went. I feel so dumb to have not seen it as a hoax. I called the company and told them that i called the police in my town and theirs. Which, i am going to do right now. I am so upset right now i don't know what to do

[Linz]

I was never scammed by alliance, however two years ago I met one of these charming salesmen, bought magazines from him, packed up my life and joined crew with him. I stayed on crew for only a month. These crews consist of guys and gals inbetween the ages of 18-30 years old. Many of them have warrants all over the united states and are running from something. Everyday you sell magazines, get back to the hotel around 9:00pm and the rest of night is spent partying for the most part. Not every salesmen will scam you b/c they have to hit quota for the day otherwise you are humilated the next day in morning meeting. My reason for writing is this: I stayed with my boyfriend the salesmen for about 2 years. Last year at this time I was pregnant with his baby. He left us when our son was only 2 months old. I have phone numbers to several managers of these crews however they will not help me. If anyone has any info about a recent meeting with one of these salesmen please email me at lilcole1027@yahoo.com. I would like to track down my baby's dad. I just need to know the area that they are in and I can find them on my own.

[marus]

Yeah, they just got me too. I got off comparatively well though, paid $50 for 2 magazines for 2 year subscriptions each. Like someone mentioned earlier, I guess she was close to her quota, because she knocked $6 off of the S/H out of the "generosity" in her heart <insert sarcasm here>. I tried to call the CS number on the receipt, it rang twice, then sounded like an answering machine picked up and got a slightly distorted version of the recording you get when you mis-dial a number, you know, like it was recorded or something. Oh well, hopefully they'll get what they deserve for this crap.

EDIT : this happened on Western Kentucky University campus in Bowling Green, KY. She didn't mark my dorm room door, but she insisted on putting a note to other solicitors to "Bug off", which was removed after I led her out of the building (guests in the dorm must be accompanied). Also, she accepted a check, I wouldn't have gotten them if it were cash only.

[robannjez]

okay, so door-to-door magazine salespeople are not always scrupulous people. I mean, who really wants to work a job like that anyhow?

however, this company has a 10-year history with the BBB and a "satisfactory" rating.

all im reading here is complaints about the salespeople, personally -- their agressiveness or their bathing habits or whatnot.

so can anyone tell me that they did't actually get what they paid for? certainly, people must be getting the magazines they order if the Better Business Bureau has a "satisfactory" rating.

if you ordered magazines from them, that means you wanted the magazines right? did you not get the magazines you ordered? what is the main problem with the subscriptions?

by the way, i just ordered 2 subscriptions from one of these "smooth talkers" at a local shopping complex here in Seattle. After reading all this stuff here, I was considering cancelling my check. It was only $50, though, and now I think I might just see what happens.

So, who here actually received what they ordered? are you satified? if not, what was wrong with it?

[ewilliams]

There are three websites that deal with magazine sales person problems. Go to www.travelingsalescrews.info, www.parentwatch.org, or www. magcrew.com.

These websites are helpful to consumers, sales people who have been abused, family who are trying to locate a sales person, and law enforcement.

[middy]

On Saturday I bought a 2 year renewal of a magazine from a salesman with Supreme Community Service, based out of Georgia. They are a member of the National Field Selling Association. The details of the transaction went much like some of the others... tri-fold list of magazines with no prices next to them, only point values.. the man said he had credentials and offered to show them to me and he quickly flashed it in my face. He said we had nice neighbors and the guys next door bought 3 subs.... he needed the points to get the money to go to college and he only needed 50 more... the typical spiel.

The order form says that you can cancel within 3 days by sending a copy of your receipt with your signature on the cancellation clause. Their website, www.supremecommunity.com, is basically nothing but a collection of magazine subscription websites. I found their phone number on a National Field Selling Assoc website and called them up to find out if I would get a refund. The lady told me that all of Saturday's checks had been cashed today, so if that is true I suspect it is too late for me to stop my check. They said I would get a refund, but probably not until next month as they process them only once a month and they won't receive my cancellation in time for this month. Does this sound legit?

Has anyone had any refund experience with this company?

Thanks,
Sarah