Big Sky Periodicials

Kate of Spring Arbor MI (03/10/08)
I got a call from this magazine company today. They seemed friendly enough and were offering a magazine subscription. I actually thought they were PCH, since I had just (stupidly) decided to enter in their contest. The whole thing sounded fishy after a while and I considered hanging up several times, but I didn't. I got off the phone and went to check my credit balance and found that they'd tried to withdraw $49.81. Red flag! I called my card company and they told me they couldn't do anything until the transaction went through, which I guess makes sense. Luckily, my card company will let me refute the claim, but I'm terrified that by the time the transaction goes through, they'll tell me I can't change it or cancel.

I'm a college student and I'm getting married in a year and a half. I do NOT have this kind of money to spend on scams-- or on legal fees.

Wendi of Dale City VA (02/15/08)
I received a phone call about a magazine subscription offer and a free prize that I had won. I knew that my husband was looking for a new magazine to read so I figured I will get him a subscription. I got all this great stuff like a new watch and three other magazines. I asked a few questions and never really got an answer or was told that when the supervisor called me back to verify my info that they could answer my questions...so stupid me gave them my card info and waited for the next call from the supervisor. As I stood in my kitchen and thought about it, I decided that I really didn't want the subscription. Twenty minutes later, not days but minutes, when the supervisor called to verify, I told her that I had changed my mind and that I wanted to cancel. She informed me that I couldn't cancel. In turn I told her that I was. She told me that they had already paid my subscription in full. I said that I was surprised that they had sent the money that quickly and that if she would give me the numbers of the magazines, I would be happy to call them and cancel them immediately and am sure they wouldn't be charged. She wouldn't and couldn't give me the numbers. So as things got heated in our conversation, she decided that she didn't have to speak to me anymore and hung up.

I proceeded to call the credit card company and inform them of what I had done and that I had verbally attempted to cancel and that it wouldn't be accepted. I had looked information up on the internet (this site) and found that it was a scam. They stopped the payment and appointed an investigator to find out what was going on with this company. As I have read some of the stories, I see that they said to some people that they couldn't cancel because the time line to cancel was missed. I hope they aren't going to say that I missed it. I only waited 20 minutes to realize that I had made a mistake.

I am still waiting to see what comes of this.

Hiram of West Memphis AR (12/22/07)
I ordered a credit card. The next day Magazine Source called offering me some magazines. At first everything was going well until I got a strange phone call. My caller i.d. said unknown caller and I answered. They hung up. Next thing I know, I started getting double of the same magazines I ordered from Magazine Source. I later found out that Big Sky Periodicals was charging magazines to my credit card along with Magazine Source. Only difference was Magazine spelled my name slightly differently than Big Sky did.

Access Credit Management, a collection agency from my credit card company, sued me for $1266 for magazines from Big Sky that I did not order. I canceled my credit card to stop them from charging more money.

Warren of Greenville NC (07/11/07)
Absolutely horrible, I advise if you get a call from them to hang up. They called me on numerous occasions at work until I eventually agreed to their subscription for the magazines. While on the phone with one of the people working there, the phone call dropped and shortly afterwards I received a call stating that I had agreed to pay roughly $50 a month for 18 months in order to pay for their stupid magazines. As much as I was not interested and irritated that I had now added yet another pointless bill to be paid, I did not even receive the watch that they initially promised. Instead, I received mail from my bank advertising some magazine subscription and chance to win a free watch...Shady, eh? It took several months for the magazines to even arrive and the selection was piss-poor. When I called later and asked to cancel my subscription, I was notified that I could not do so because they had paid the printing company in advance supposedly and that if I did not continue with the payment plan then my credit would be negatively affected. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to find any information on them at all. Save yourself the trouble, if you get a call from them hang up.

Kay of Martinsburg WV (05/25/07)
I was called saying that I was a valued credit card member and that they were so happy to have reached me. I was told that I would receive a free diamond watch for being such a great customer. I made sure i didn't have to pay anything and she confirmed that i didn't. The call ended with her name and a confirmation number. I then about 5 minutes later got a call stating that it was the girl who called me at firsts supervisor just confirming she had told me everything I needed to know. I said yes and then I was told how I would need to give my debit card over the phone, just for securing the account purposes. I asked if their would be a charge cause it was a new bank account and the card wasn't active yet. She said i would not be charged for anything and proceeded to give her my number to my debit card after I did that she told me about how much I would be charged. I said wait you told me that there would be no charges and she confirmed again that I would be charged. I said immediately at that time that i wished to cancel and didn't want it anymore if it cost anything she said oh no no no you can't cancel now as she was laughing...I said well I want to speak to your supervisor then and she hung up. I then immediately called my new bank and told them what happened. They told me to cut up my card and they would send me a new one. So those people can't get any money from me. I attempted to call them several times with no avail to only hear that the number was out of service.

I am a 61 year old woman and I am on disability, if they were to go into my account and take any money from me which hopefully they cant now I would be destitute and I would have to move to a homeless shelter because I live poor now and can barely pay my rent. Also I couldn't stop crying they were so rude, even going to the extent of when I tried to tell them to cancel to speak to me condescending and laugh in my hear saying oh no no no...you can't cancel now, and then hung up. I felt SO betrayed and mislead. I am already on valium for my anxiety and now I am completely stressed and anxious all the time. Every time i answer the phone I ask the other person who they are and if I don't believe them I hang up. Which has lead to some embarrassing situations. I feel paranoid all the time now. I don't need any more depression or stress then I already have...these people have taken the only thing I thought I had left which was my rational thinking. they made to feel crazy.

Theresia of Grand Rapids MI (03/12/07)
I was called this morining around 8:30am on March 12, 2007 by Big Sky Periodicals saying that since I was a Visa card holder I was eligible to win a 1 million dollar prize and that my chances of win would depend on how many people entered. Then Wendy the sales represenative went on to say that I would receive a diamond watch and that I would recieve magazine subscriptions all for FREE. I was like sure why not. She then asked for my permission to place my free order of the magazines and the diamond watch and I unfortunately said yes. She then said that a customer representative will call me to thank me. A couple minutes later a man by the name of Keith telling me Thank-You. Then he then proceded to say Thank-you for the order I placed in. I was like order, I did not place an order. He acted shocked and surprise as I did not know, eventhough he knew what was going on. I prodeded to cancel my order but he said I could not since the order has been placed. I kept on saying I did not want the subscriptions anymore then we got into an arguement in which during that period I asked the company name which he said was Big Sky Periodicals. I asked how come I have nevered heard of them and he said that was strange because they have been in business for over 22 years (how ironic).Then he said I had no choice that since my order has been processsed that I was going to pay the asking price of $17.00 every month which I personally think its ludacris because I know I can find better deals out there for that asking price I wouldn't be surprised to find 10 magazine subscritions for a year for that price. Then I asked if I could look up the company on the internet during which that time Keith hung up the phone on me during mid-sentence.Anyways I did go on the internet and the very first thing that popped on my google search page was this website that is dealing with their complaints. I will work with my local BBB to get rid of these people and not have to pay this ludacris amount they are charging even if they take me to court. I will be willing to work with a lawyer if they gurantee I don't have to pay till they win my case.

Kristina of Mt. Pleasant, MI, writes:
First, I received a postcard in the mail from Pieco. It stated nothing about magazine subscriptions, or a prize or contest. It just said that they were "going nuts" trying to reach me, and that it was real important that I called them, and they gave me a toll-free number to call.

I went ahead and called them, and they told me that because I was a valued credit card customer, I would receive free subscriptions, a free watch, and a chance to win a prize in a contest. That was all I heard in the first phone conversation. The salesman's supervisor called me back later on and asked if he had explained everything to me okay ... somehow she sounded kind of seedy to me though. She said that it was good that he explained everything to me, so she wouldn't have to take him out back and beat him with a stick. Was she joking?

Anyway, I received a third call about a week later from Big Sky Periodicals confirming my order. I had given my credit card number during the second phone call but was still unsure about the whole thing. Still, I agreed to the terms that the guy from Big Sky periodicals gave me, even though I was rather busy at the time he called me and was only half listening to what he was saying. I remember he mentioned something about the agreement being non-cancelable.

Later, I decided that I didn't really want four-year subscriptions to magazines, since I am a college student and I change my address every year, so it would be a hassle to just have one more address change to make every year. So I called them before I got anything in the mail and asked if I could still possibly cancel. They told me I couldn't, so I made up a story about how it was an emergency -- that I needed the money for plane tickets to fly to Georgia for a funeral. I also asked if I could at least have the subscription reduced, and they said all they could do was reduce it to a three-year subscription and extend my payments over the next two years.

I will have to use student loan money to pay this company they money they want -- student loan money that needs to go towards my tuition, books and rent for my apartment for the rest of the year. I will be cheated out of $500 worth of college education because of this scam. I'm convinced they won't send the watch that they promised. They only seem to care about making money for themselves.

I work in the retail industry myself, but in a much different situation. I sell children's clothes, and my biggest goal is not to make huge sales, but to make sure the customers are happy and have what they need at the best price. Obviously this company does not practice that same kind of rule that should be practiced everywhere, and they should take a hint from other companies that have satisfied customers. This was also my very first credit card that they scammed me on, and I feel rather guilty and humiliated because I should have been more wary of things like that.

If Kristina is a minor, she should send a certified, return-receipt-requested letter to Big Sky informing them that she is a minor and thus not able to enter into binding legal agreements. In any event, she should write to the company telling them that she does not want the magazines and will not pay for them. If necessary, she should cancel her credit card to prevent further charges.

Denise of Hollister, NC:
I had received a call from this company about getting magazines. They had offered me the free watch and all. I had agreed to this. When they had called back to confirm this they said that I had agreed to a four-year plan at outrageous prices. I can't even remember how much. I think it was $33 a month. I told them that I didnt want that and they told me that I was told that I could not back out of it. Which I was not and told her so.

When I received the package in the mail to pick out which magazines I wanted I called the 1-888 number and I told her that I didn't want all those magazines. She told all she could do was change it for a one-year subscription at the one-time fee that was already billed to my card. So I said ok since I would not be billed anymore.

It has been 2 months and I have yet to receive a magazine that I had ordered, she had dropped it to one magazine only for 1 year. I tried to call the number that I had called before regarding it and I get a message saying the this number cannot be completed as dialed. I have no way of getting in contact with these people other than there address and I dont believe they will even read it.


Sara of Aliceville, AL:
Received a phone call offering to register me in a contest if I would take a trial subscription to magazines. I thought I was entering a contest, then charges started showing up on my charge card. This happened in the winter of 1999, never received magazines until this summer and now I am getting magazines every day and don't want any of them! They are still trying to charge to my charge card (which I have now cancelled). I wrote and told them to forget it! No magazines were wanted; I must have misunderstood their offer!

They won't leave me alone. I don't want and cannot afford 20 magazine subscriptions for years! And how they got my charge card number I'll never know. They say they have me "on tape" but I don't know about that.

Vickie of Palm Bay, FL, writes:
This company has used my credit card without my authorization. I had received a phone call by a gentleman claiming to be with American Express thanking me for being a valued card member. He explained to me that as a valued card member I was going to be entered in a contest and with my permission would like to send me 3 free subscriptions of my choice as a token of their appreciation along with a release form to receive a free diamond watch. I did agree for the representative to record our conversation verifying my name, home address, and my authorization to send the 3 free magazine subscriptions and release form for the watch to the address verified. These magazines subscriptions were to be "a token of appreciation" as a valued card member.

However, charges started to appear on my American Express card by an unfamiliar company by the name of Big Sky Periodicals. I could not find a listing for such a company nor a phone number to reach them at. Unaware of what the charges were for, I contacted American Express Card Services. They were able to give me a phone number to contact this company. I contacted Big Sky Periodicals on 2/17/00. They informed me as to what the charges were for. I disagreed with the charges and explained to them that I did not want the magazine subscriptions that were being charged to my account and that I was only aware of them being free as explained to me in the phone conversation.

They told me that I could not cancel this 4-year subscription being charged to my account but that I could agree to pay $174.00 for a 1-year subscription instead of the 4-year plan. I would not agree to this because I never ordered magazine subscriptions or authorize them to be charged to my American Express card. They stated there was nothing I could do because they had the phone conversation on record and once they told that to American Express I would be responsible for the charges. I requested to listen to that phone conversation at that time. They proceeded to tell me that the tape would not be ready for me to listen to until early the next morning.

I called 12pm the next day and the tape was still not available for me to listen to. I called back about an hour later and listened to the phone conversation. It was not the conversation I had with the gentleman that day. However even in this phone conversation that they had played for me, at no time at all did I ever give my card number to them. How can they charge my personal credit card when I never gave them my number? Where did they get it?

I demanded that they stop sending me magazines and they refused to do so saying that I could agree to a 1-yr. service at a price of $174.00 (that had already been charged to my account) but that's the best that they could do for me. I tried my best to resolve this issue with them several times but the insist that I agree to the 1 year subscription or they will charge me the whole 12 installments of $58.00. I asked them for a copy of the phone conversation but they refused to send me one. I never received a release form for the diamond watch in which this all seemed to be a big scam. I never received a phone call from a company called Big Sky Periodicals only from "American Express" thanking me for being a valued card member And offering me 3 free subscriptions, a free diamond watch, and a chance to win in a contest.

If this does not get resolved I will get scammed into paying for magazines I can't afford and have no worth to me. My husband and I have two children and are scraping the barrel to get by as well as working with creditors to help get us out of debt. I refuse to be scammed out of money I work hard for. I have humiliated my self by crying over the phone to this company explaining that I did not order magazines and can not afford to pay them but they refuse to stop sending them. They just blew me off and didn't care who they were hurting. I am stressed every day woundering how this could have happened to me and am I going to get scammed into paying for something I did not order or authorize to be charged to my card.

I hate t think thet they do this to everyone, Most people probably just pay the bill and don't worry, but I cant and won't do that.

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Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.