Nature Coast Publishers’ Service Telephone Scam
May 28, 2008
Filed under People
Called via (352)684-1826, (352)684-1280, (352)684-1826, (352)688-3611, (352)688-3613, (352)200-4760, (352)200-4761
General Story: Some random company calls saying that because of your visa/mc or your magazine subscriptions, you’re eligble for a 00 online shopping spree & some “discounted” magazines (that are actually more than a regular subscription). If you’re so foolish as to get all the way through and give them your credit card information, you’ll find yourself being charged some crazy random fee.
In my case, I didn’t give them anything, but I had been receiving calls from this number for at least a week, but when I call back, it sends me straight to a tone. This time, I answered and was told that because of my relationship with “the publishers,” I was eligble for a 00 online shopping gift certificate and 60 issue subscriptions to 5 national magazines (two of which, I alreay subscribe to, so they clearly weren’t in league with the actual publishers). They told me that 3 were free, and 2 would be at a discounted fee of .83 a week, to be billed monthly. But their behavior and questions seemed very off. They were clearly in possession of my full name, my phone number, and my address.
The first person, Danielle, failed to adequately answer my questions, claiming she was new. She said she couldn’t give me a company name better than NCP, although she started to say Nature Coast, and then corrected herself. She asked what I do for a living and my age, in order to help the publishers better target consumers. I was very skeptical, but she said there were no automatic payments and that some information would come in the mail. Then she told me her supervisor would call back to confirm some information. She said that the order had already been put through and that my order number was…. 1221.
When the gentleman, Nathan, called back momentarily, he repeated the profession and age I gave the first person and asked what the name of my company was and what year I had been born. When I told him that I wanted more information from them before I was willing to give him the information, he said “This is just for the records. I could care less. For all I care, you can make something up.” When I continued to question him, he screamed “Ya’ know what? We don’t need your business,” and hung up on me. This is clearly and evidently not normal.
This post was submitted by Lauren Jones.
I have worked for this company! The people on the phones calling you are innocent and dont have enough details to know they are scamming you, (actually, they arent they are offering this to you), The company doesnt tell us that the Shipping and Handeling fee is over well over $300. They also scam us, and designate closed and verified comissionable sales to whomever listens to theyre rediculous, big headed orders, they try to keep us in the blind and feed us bullsh-t, like mushrooms, they told one employee that they would be taken care of because they were indeed not conversating while inbetween calls, and indeed they did. they also suspended a few of there heavy-hitters, because they were to my knowledge, finding out too much. They are ripping off their employees as they are you. They have 2 closers for dayshift, Nathan, and Mark, The owners are named, Mark & Barbara Johnson. They also have a company called MRJ Construction or something like that, (tax Freud, I’m sure). That name will also appear on caller id. Nathan(cherry picker) is known for screaming at many of the people that he calls for credit card info, when they get skepticle. He is know to have used an agent (without her knowledge), her name is Elaina. He was heard yellin at a potential customer, “Oh so your saying she(Elaina) is lying, so I should go fire her then, right? I should go out there right now and fire that mother of 3 children because your saying she didnt tell you about the fee, You want me to fire her because you wont pay the $49.50 (or whatever it is)”. Come on, how low is that. They pay these people the minimum to put up with their ongoing contradicting orders, with hopes of making commission, when in fact almost every employee probably does hit commission, but has no way of knowing unless they, (the SUPERvisors,) designate it on a board. I am very sure, 100% sure, that they dont even announce all the closed and verified sales, so that they do not have to pay more, just 1-3 employees a week, barely makes a commission to keep everyone hoping, I am posting scripts and rebuttals as well as the mag lists. I will also contact labor laws and the IRS, as well as the BBB. Their business resides in Spring Hill, FL. In a place called cass circle off of Spring Hill Drive. They are continuously threatening to fire everyone. So this will definately be their excuse for that. Please make calls to the Attorney General of this said place also to the chamber of commerce in Spring Hill, FL. Stay Tuned for more. You will not qualify if you are under 18, over 75, or have no incoming income whatsoever. PS yes your order number is 1221, Have a nice week. ****Please remember, that the people on the phone with you the first time are innocent and are also being scammed by the owners and closers***
I need to know if this is something i should be worried about? I spoke with a rebecca and she was very nice but never once did i tell her yes. because i’ve dealt with these numbers before, but then she gave me the order number of 1221. Nathan or nate whatever, calls back and I tell him no, he said well you told rebecca yes, did not let me get the chance to speak and quickly said its going to affect your credit not ours and thanks for wasting our time and hung up. I never once agreed to any of this and does anyone what exactly are these people doing? Will my credit be affected? if so I need to know if I need to contact my lawyer.
Thanks!
Has your credit card been charged? If so, you can dispute the charges through your credit card company. Let them know it’s an unauthorized transaction and they’ll process the dispute.
I recieved this phone call today from a Ruby stating that she grew up around our area and even named a few towns by where I currently live. Even had the odasity to root for the hometown football team and shortly after hanging up I too got a call right back from another lady also reviewing the info with me, my age, name, and even address. She then asked me to give her the expiration date on my credit card. i told her that I didn’t have any credit cards on me. She asked me again if I was sure that I didn’t have one on me and I repeated to her that no I didn’t and no sooner did I say that went she hung up. I instantly went online and googled for possible Publisher Service Scams and came up with this site. The first caller gave me the same line as the ones above mentioned the 1221 confirmation number and the whole money won for shopping spree even the line about being a new employee line was exactly the same. Don’t fall for it. I am so thankful that I didn’t.
I was just called by this except they just called it Publisher’s Service. I was woken up from a nap and someone by the name of Vanda(?) started spewing this information at me and then all of a sudden she’s telling me I’ll get a call from her supervisor making sure that she treated me nicely. So he calls and I ask him to repeat exactly what it is and he say some magazine’s and a shopping spree and that my credit card(which I don’t have) said i could get the magazine’s and shopping spree for free. so i tell him i couldn’t exactly understand in the first conversation and that I don’t want any of it. and so he says “you couldn’t have said that the first time when you talked to her.”
Just got off the phone with a Maria, who was new to the company, offering me a $1,000 shopping spree because I’m a “preferred” account holder with “a credit card company” (which I am not – red flag number 1). I asked her about when I would need to give a credit card number and she said “Ohh I don’t know about that, I’m new with this company so I’m not sure about that.” and told me that I would be receiving my gift card for the online shopping spree in the mail. THEN she decides to tell me about the magazine part for “$3.83/week for 60 months” (I’d end up paying $995.80 during said 60 months). So I figured what the heck, I’ll get the info in the mail and look at it. No sooner than I set my phone down. You guessed. Nathan called. Asking if Maria was polite, which I said yes. Then I told him that I was looking the business up online and told him I didn’t want anything to do with it. This dude has the nerve to ignore me and say “Ok, so, how is your name stated on your credit card? And what is the exp. date?” I just laughed at him and told him that I wasn’t giving him this info and he hung up. Called back again from a different number and hung up, twice. This has happened all within 30 minutes.
He was also very persistent saying that the order was already placed and I was obligated
PS. My confirmation number was 1221 as well.
I was at work at was left a message from Jenna at Publisher’s service saying that I had won a $1000 dollar online shopping spree. She left a 800 number to call her back, but when I tried to call back, it was not even a working number. I in turn called the number that was on my caller ID and hit a busy signal several times until I finally got through. The girl was supposedly on another call and called me right back from an additional number (the two that I recieved calls from were not 800 numbers, they were from Rogersville, TN. She again told me congradultions for winning a shopping spree and then asked me immediatly if I had a bank account number. I told her I did not, she then asked if I had a close family member whos bank account of debit account number I could use. When I told her I did not, she said “Thank you, that is all the questions I have for you today, goodbye”. I thought it was really suspicious in the first place… but she did not mention one thing about me getting my $1000 shopping spree! haha.
I was just called by a Bruce at this company who left a message. He claimed that I had won a $1000 shopping spree, but needed me to call back so I could collect it. I thought it seemed a lil odd since I haven’t done anything to register me to win something, and I haven’t used my credit card in over 2 years. Luckily I looked it up online before calling and saw this site. There is no doubt that it is the same company, I even reverse looked up the number from my caller ID and it was registered to Rogersville, TN (just like the number Alecia was called from). Just so others know from now on, since they seem to be using the same confirmation numbers, I was told my CLAIM number was T711. I will not be calling back, and will be notifying my credit card and debit card companies of this immediately as a precaution.
I called the 1-877 number and got the whole magizen deal and told them I did not want their service. Pam was very nice and told me no problem and let me go. 2 hours later a lady Mandy called and started in with, you won $1000 shopping spree, I told her I called in the morning and told them no. She said to listen to her she was new to this and then decide if I wanted it or not. I kept telling her I did not want a contract and did not want to pay any money. All she would say is that I needed to talk to her supervisor. Well I got a call from a lady named Jennell and she asked me how Many was and I said she was very nice. I told her I could not pay for the magizens and she tried to give me two other deals on them. I said I just could not affored them with being pregnant and having two children. She asked me in a snotty tone if I told this to Mandy, I told her yes but Mandy said to talk to her about the other options in payments. She told me have a nice day in a very cold and bitter tone and hung up. I tell them no over and over and they just don’t listen. I hate when people are snotty and cold over the phone because they don’t get their way.
They are still at it. I just got a call today and I kept asking what the catch was. The first guy who was “new” was reading a script and said no cath, but please let him read the script. He then transferred me to the superviser a female and when she asked for my middle initial on my credit card, I told her I am not comfortable. She tried saying that it will be Ok because I do not have to give the security code. Yeah right! I told her no, I will pass on the shopping spree. She was very nice, but I knew I did not win something after all.
this business just called me 5 minutes ago. I tried to stop the lady before she hung up. Then tried to call the number back, no use. They did not ask for a credit card only my year of birth, marital status, and occupation. I am positive I will not see the voucher for the online shopping spree.
I just got a call today. I didn’t talk to anyone, but a woman left me a message saying she was from Publishers Service a I had won a $250 shopping spree. Before I called them back I had my fiance check them out online. The number started with 1-888 Total scam!
I received a call today from Nathan offering me a shopping spree. I got the same “good news is you won” “bad news is I can’t talk to you!” bit.
This is obviously a scam, and a bad one at that.
Thankfully I work for my state’s attorney general’s office in the office of general counsel.
Thank you Johnny George for providing the information regarding which state this scam originates from. I will contact the Florida Attorney General’s office immediatley.
I just received a phone call with the same scripted cons on the other end claiming to have a promotion from Publisher Services for a prefered status cardholder promotion, except my call came from 866-590-7027. I asked him to explain what the promotion was and told him I was confused and that he should know I wasn’t going to give him any of my personal information or credit card number and he said “well, I guess this isn’t the promotion for you” and hung up. Definitely a scam!!!