Model Railroader Magazine subscription scam

[ebtbob]

SMAM ALERT!!!! - If you get something in your snail mail from National Magazine Serivices in Reno,  Nevada telling you that you have a renewal notice and they can offer the best subscription price,  TRASH IT!!   It is a SCAM!!     I got one of these notices yesterday and today I called Kalmbach Publishing,  home of Model Railroader Magazine and Jenny told me it is a scam and not to send any money.   She then checked my account and assured me that I am paid up for almost a year yet.

[richg]

I have seen this Scam notice in the Model Railroader forum also.
Some of you might want to join that forum also. There is a wide cross section of model train information available. The Bachmann forums are good but it is like having only a couple books in a library. Limited knowledge.
Ok I over do it according to some. I belong to about twenty MRR forums.

Rich

[Doneldon]

Just to be fair (more than they deserve), the subscriptions actually are real.  The problems are that Natl Mag Svcs sends out notices which imply that a renewal is due and that the quoted price is a good one.  Some folks might actually be at renewal time, though I got one of these with nearly two years remaining on my subscription, but the prices are very high compared to what the publishers charge.

I'm  not sure where NMS gets their information on who subscribes to what.  I've received renewal solicitations on four or five magazines to which I subscribe but none to magazines to which I don't subscribe.  This is pretty accurate mailing. 

I hate to say it, but I can't help wondering if our magazines are selling their subscriber lists.  That way, they still have the subscriber but perhaps get more money than what they offer for a direct renewal.  Wouldn't that be a kick in the head?

          --D

[RAM]

By phone or internet.  Do not give out any information unless you made the call or contact on the internet. 

[CNE Runner]

Talk about a topical thread...'got one of those notices in the mail today. The dummies apparently weren't aware that my subscription to MR run through 2012.

Ray

[johnTom]

 I have a good collection of MR magazines ,which dates from September 1968 to present. Also I have a collection of RMC magazines which dates from April 1975 to present !

Besides this, I received several of these offers from nms -national mag services- in the past ,via the USPS. I received one of those last week (this past Friday May 7,2010) and then I received one again in yesterday's (Tuesday May 11,2010) USPS  mailing ,I treated it just like junk mail ! - I circular filed it - ..  Before that I cut out the important information -my mailing address - ,then threw out the rest ...

[NarrowMinded]

Junk mail brings out the evil in me, anything that comes to me with return postage paid by the sender I remove all my info then put it in the mail so they are charged for it.

NM
oh to keep this thread train related I love bachmann trains all scale

[Doneldon]

Narrow-

I'm with you.  I figure that we subsidize junk mail by paying more for first class than it costs so they can pay for the return cards.  I don't send the whole mess back anymore because it takes my time to restuff, the mailings are only an ounce or less anyway, and I recycle the leftovers which may or may not happen when I return the whole package.  I also return all subscription cards over one in any magazine.  So far I have resisted the urge to glue postage return card to a brick. 

          --D

[Jim Banner]

So far I have resisted the urge to glue postage return card to a brick. 

How about sharing the wealth?  Use those return envelopes to send the credit card company an offer for some nice trinkets, send the trinket company an offer for magazines, and send the publishing company a credit card application.  Just because you don't need this stuff, maybe they do.

Or be like the guy who got on as many lists as he could, even getting multiple offers from some of the companies.  Bags full of offers.  Never opened a one.  Straight into the furnace to heat his house.

Jim

[Doneldon]

Jim-

You know, by the end of the winter a load of junk mail in the furnace every day might make a real dent in a heating bill.  like you, i live in the northland, Minnesota, and we pay a lot to stay warm.  Plus, of course, the heating season is a long one at our latitudes.

          --D

[NarrowMinded]

being born and raised, and spoiled by southern California weather I don't have much need for cheap furn as fuel but that is a great idea, I do remember helping my cousins in northern Michigan roll old news paper tightly into logs so they would burn like natural logs, if I end up retiring to Washington state I may switch to the heating fuel idea for junk mail.

NM