Beware of MR mag. billing scam

 Watch out for bogus "bills" being sent to subscribers to MR. I just got one from a firm called PBA, 1350 E Flamingo Rd  #749, Las Vegas, NV 89119 phone 1-888-301-3483. They sent me what looks like a bill for MR for 39.95, wanting response by 8/31/2009.  My real subscription doesn't expire until 2012. In fine print at the bottom of the bill it says Not a Bill. What a scam. Fore-warned is fore-armed.

 I'm wondering how they knew you had a subscription with MR and how they got your name and address?

Jim

 i had a similar occurance a while back and Kalmbach admitted to me that they had sold mailing lists to others and some of them were shady operators.  they went on to say that they were working with state's attorney's offices around the country to get the abuse stopped.

 another example of our changing times. the bean counters run everything.  i doubt if Al Kalmbach would have compromised the integrity of his organization for a few pennies per name.  then again, who knows?

 it's all b.s. anyway.  these outfits preach security and privacy etc. blah blah blah and then when you try to deal with them, they want to know what color sox you are wearing.

grizlump (grumpy german)

 Carstens Publications has been warning subscribers to Railroad Model Craftsman about this company and several others that are scams, with half page notices for several months now.

It's certainly no secret that magazine publishers sell subscriber lists to anyone who waves dollars in their face.

What's even worse are these store "savings cards" that many of them want you to sign up for.  They sell your personal information to all sorts of shady businesses that will start pestering you unmercifully.  The biggest problem with these people is, once you sign up for one of their cards and reveal your telephone number, everyone they sell your identity to can ignore the "no caller" list because you have "voluntarily" given out your number and have agreed to accept telephone solicitations.  That's one of the provisions in the tiny, tiny, legal mumbo jumbo on the card agreement.

dieselsmoke:

 I'm wondering how they knew you had a subscription with MR and how they got your name and address?

Jim

Jim,Getting information is easy..Keeping things private is much harder.

Darn! Got me two years in a row!

grizlump9:

 then when you try to deal with them, they want to know what color sox you are wearing.

grizlump (grumpy german)

 Tell them: Litigious Lime!

 It's not just subscribers getting this. I got that email and deleted it as I've not subscribed to MR since the 80's.

jeffrey-wimberly:

 It's not just subscribers getting this. I got that email and deleted it as I've not subscribed to MR since the 80's.

Jeffrey,

The "bill" the OP was referring to was via U.S. Postal Service I believe, but e-mail addresses are sold, too.

I pulled up a satellite view of the address.  It's in a large shopping mall just north of the UNV Las Vegas campus.  I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's one of those, "Mailboxes R Us," storefronts.  There aren't any seven story buildings anywhere near it.

So far, I've flown under their radar - or else my spam blocker ate their e-mail.

Chuck (Las Vegas resident modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

Guys- ths was not an e-mail.  It was a letter that very much looked like a bill. Date due and amount due, and stated it was for MR Magazine.

I received one of these on Saturday.  I plan on call ing Kalmbach this afternoon.  Hopefully, no one else sends their money to this group.

Nice.  And yes, Google maps says there is a UPS Store (what used to be Mailboxes, etc) at that address.  But even more rich is that Google goes out of their way to invade the privacy of residental addresses with the street view camera car, but they don't have this business area photographed....

I’d like to clear up some of the misconceptions regarding these subscription scams.  I am the Group Circulation Manager for Model Railroader and five other Kalmbach magazines.

Kalmbach and many other publishers have been battling these unauthorized companies for a number of years. We do not use any agents to renew subscriptions. Your renewal notices and bills will always come directly from Kalmbach.

Kalmbach does allow other companies to mail to our subscriber list from time to time, but these companies are researched and offer products or services that are related to the hobbies we serve. We have not rented the list to anyone known or suspected as a shady operator.  Also, we never release your e-mail address to a third party.

Kalmbach has joined with other publishers in an attempt to identify and fight the group or groups conducting these scams. We appreciate you letting us know if you receive one of these notices.

Cathy Daniels

 Cathy:

 Just came from the mailbox, where I got one of these scam notices.  This came from an outfit called Publishers Billing Exchange, Inc, P O Box 7004, La Habra, CA 90632.

Offering a one year renewal for $39.95, in two monthly installments if you wish at $19.98 per month.  (Which adds to $39.96, which is interesting.)  They also ask for your telephone number (for "processing purposes,") which I assume they will sell to another list.

Chuck