JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Better Business Bureau is issuing a warning about a new scam targeting newspaper and magazine subscribers.
According to the BBB, an Oregon-based company, Publisher's Payment Processing, which has gone by many different names, is sending renewal notices to people saying that they need to pay to continue their subscriptions. In some cases, the person receiving the notice didn't even subscribe to those publications.
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In most of the cases, the listed renewal cost was much greater than the actual cost of the publication.
When contacted, some of the publications said that they have no involvement with the company seeking the money.
"The best way to handle it is to check with the actual publisher of the magazine and see if they work with the company that's doing the billing. If they do, find out if the price is the same. If the price is not the same, obviously, work directly with the publisher," said Tom Stephens (pictured), president of the Northeast Florida BBB. "The chances are they're not even working with the company. It's completely bogus billing, and they're just hoping you'll pay, and then they've got your money, and you'll never get it back."
The company has an F rating from the BBB, which has received hundreds of complaints about the company.
The BBB said that in many cases publishers will send you a notice with your publication that it is time to renew. They said that if you have any questions about the status of your subscription, you can always contact the publisher directly.