Subscribe to Time? BEWARE!

I subscribed to Time a little over a year ago. Yesterday, I looked at my bank account online to see what my balance was and I was overdrawn by $108!!! Apparently what happened was that Time magazine has a new program called automatic renewl for their "valued customers." Well it seems they had my debit card information stored somewhere and they renewed me without my approval! Of course there was a snowball effect because I had other payments out and they all came in the same day as Time's UNAUTHORIZED withdrawl. Pissed me right off!! And that's putting it mildly. I emailed them and gave them a piece of my mind and they emailed me back saying they would credit the money back into my account. I'm thinking, WHATEVER!! You're paying MORE! So I emailed them back again and told them they were covering my bank charges. I can't believe they did that! Isn't Time supposed to be a reputable company? God, you can't trust anyone anymore!

Originally Posted by hissy

It is probably in small print somewhere on a form that you signed up for. Good luck getting more money from them to cover the NSF's.

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It wasn't even in small print. This is a brand new program that started just in the last couple months (from what they say). So it started a year after my subscription.

Already got them to cover the NSF's! Just got another email from them. Jerks.

If you don't want it , I would try to get my money back and cansel on them .

You might be able to get some help from your bank in the situation if Time is unwilling to pay the NSF's. Especially if they used a VISA debit card #. It's worth a try. If it's any help I am sorry it happened, I know you must be fuming right now

I don't want it. That's why I told them to put my money back and cover the NSF fees.

Squirtle, I already tried my bank. They said it isn't bank error so they won't do anything. But I've already heard back from Time and they're going to pay. Thank God.

Good to hear, and good for you for fighting them. I wonder how many other people are going to be surprised during bank statement time?

Thanks for the "heads up". I've been subscribing to TIME for about 22 years, and haven't had any trouble, but I usually renew for three years and transfer the amount. That's really aggravating, but I know most of the magazine subscriptions here work that way.

Along the same lines, at some retail stores they offer "8 Free Issues" of Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, People, or other mags. DON'T DO IT! What they do is take your credit card info, often FROM your purchase, and automatically start charging your account for the subscription. And those weekly magazines aren't $29.99 (or whatever) per year, that's per QUARTER (which they don't tell you....) and they just take the money whenever they feel like it with no advanced notice.

We made the mistake of signing up for one once, and luckily caught it immediately and called and they credited the account. A friend of mine DID NOT sign up, but just started getting the mags, and then had the payment taken out! Apparently the cashier signed her up without her consent!!!

I subscribe to Newsweek and Reader's Digest . They bill me and I send them a check. I don't use my debit card, for anything renewable.