Consolidated Media Services

I was contacted by Ms. Walker stating I had frauded the magazine company. She told me I had entered into a verbal contract with this magazine company and they were taking me to court for non-payment. She told me I could settle the debt for $300 or be taken to court and forced to pay $1400 plus attorney fees.

I paid the $300, not wanting to go to court. She was supposed to send me something stating my account was cleared. I have yet to receive that information.

I have just received a phone call from Michelle at Luebke Baker and Associates stating that I owe $340.00 to consolidated Media Services for a magazine subscription from 2002 that I would have never agreed to. She told me that they were offering me a settlement for a mere 85.00 and that there was nothing that I could do to contact that company itself. She said that this debt had been in collections since 2005, yet this was the first time that I have ever heard of it.

I am really unsure of what to do about this and what my first step would be to resolve this ridiculous situation. I am positive that I have never agreed to this and have never been interested in the magazines that this company offers.

I am unsure about my credit reports and am going to look into getting one this afternoon to make sure that this isn't and will not effect my good credit that I've worked so hard for.

I received a call from an attorneys office, Luebke Baker and Associates stating I am in collection and owe Consolidated Media Services, (magazing company) $209 from 2001. They are harrassing me and said they will take a settlement of $145 for this collection balance. I have never purchased anything through Consolidated Media Service. Am I in a scam or what? I do not want this falsity on my credit report.

Consolidated Media Service has use the services of luebke Baker & Associated, Inc to collect an outstanding debt. They stated that i have made a order of magazine of $733.15 and would settle for $183.29 The problem here is that i never order magazine from them or anyone for that matter. When i ask for prof of this order either Luebke Baker & Associated, Inc. or consolidated media services had any . I had reported Luekbe Baker & Associated,Inc to BBB in Illinios Twice. and settled the matter there but Consolodated Media Services has call me a few times trying to collect on this debt that i never made

They state my husband owes them money from a magazine subscription from the year 2000. He does not owe them any money, but they keep calling at all times during the day, from multiple phone numbers, usually hanging up before I answer.

I work an off shift and I don't get home until well after midnight. They start start calling at 8 AM.

I received a call from Leubke Baker Associates regarding owing $438.80 for magazines I subscribed to in 2002. I told the lady I didn't subscribe to the magazines and she stated they were calling on behalf of Consolidated Media Services. She said that if I didn't agree to settle with them they would put this on my credit report.

I told her I wanted a phone number to Consolidated Media and she said she couldn't give me that information. She stated that once I decline the settlement statement they will contact me because the account will go back to CMS.

I never received magazines and would never even agree to this. I believe this is a scam and will dispute this once they hit my credit report with this charge.

I had a subscription with this company and either canceled or did not renew it. But they kept billing me. Someone just called and told me that I owed them over $50.00 which is a false claim.

This company is causing me to look over my shoulder, to make sure no damage is done by them to my credit report.

In 2001 they said that they would do a magazine subscription for me, I paid $50, never got the magazines, filed Chapter 7, and now 7 years later they are saying I owe $400. I will not pay, and I am going to raise a ruckus.

Received phone call that I owed money on a subscription to receive 5 magazines monthly. The mailing address they gave me is one I have never even lived at. I was told it was ordered in 1998 and I owe $640.00 but they would settle for $122. I told them to get lost, this was fraudulent and never contact me again or they can talk to my lawyer.

I was warned that this collection would be placed on my credit report.

I was contacted by the collection agency Leubke Baker Associates after numerous hang-up calls from the same telephone number. They claimed to be working on behalf of Consolidated Media Services to collect a debt of over $600.00 worth of magazines! I was called by a telemarketer (CMS) back in 2001. I started receiving numerous magazines that I had not ordered. Apparently, my attempts to cancel any involvement with this company back in 2001 did not work. I had not thought about this in seven years, and suddenly a collection agency calls to say that my credit rating will be effected if I don't pay off this debt. (They were able to get the payment down to around $230.00, though. Lucky me.)

I have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. I filed one for Consolidated Media Services. I also filed one for Leubke Baker Associates who are either in on the scam or see an obvious scam and don't care. I encourage anyone else who is going through this ordeal, to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission. This will continue until the F.T.C. gets enough complaints to warrant an investigation.

I received a phone call stating that I owed money for a magazine subscription. It was for almost $700. I have never subscribed for any magazines, never received any magazines. What should I do? This guy I spoke with couldn't even give me the phone number for the Consolidated Media Services. He was with Luebke Baker and Associates. The account number he gave me is AK481847. Thank you.

I got a call at about 7 last night from this collection company Leubke Baker Associates allegedly acting on behalf of Consolidated Media Services and stated that I owe CMS close to $700 and that my account was sent to collections where they will settle for $160. Apparently the charges were from 1999, I have no memory of this ever occurring. Apparently I agreed to charges of $58 a month for 12 months and I have memory of this. I pointed out that I had never received anything from the Collection Agency and/or CMS referring to these charges. When I asked for background account numbers, a way to contact CMS, I was told that they would provide everything once I paid the settlement. Then I thought maybe it was a scam and I said I would follow up with them. I decided to do research this morning and after reading all this I grew even more concerned and followed up with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency and the local State Protection Agency. I filed a formal complaint with the FTC and learned that unless others also file complaints these companies may get away with what they are doing because the FTC does not monitor ConsumerAffairs.com I would like to encourage everyone to use the FTC site and file a formal complaint to push the FTC to action against them for this nonsense.

I was contacted by Terry Linwood at Leubke Baker Associates in regards to Consolidated Media Services. They said I owed them over $600, and it was going onto my credit score. I argued and told them that I canceled and did not receive any magazines. He told me that I have to argue that with the company. He then took my payment down to just over $200, and because I am trying to keep my credit good I paid it. I then called them ,and they gave me a a number to call that went to a voicemail. The number is 1-877-388-0369. I called them back to make sure I got the right number, and they gave me the same number.

I didn't know about the problems people have been having with this company. If anyone can give me insight on what they did, it would be greatly appreciated. I have been on disability for over a year, and putting out money to protect my credit score is upsetting--and just to find out that this is a scam.

I got a call from Consolidated Media Services stating that back in 1999 I had a magazine subscription that I still owed $96 on. I don't ever remember having this subscription. They gave me an address that I lived in right after high school. They said that it was not my fault, that the credit card I used expiration date had expired with 3 payments left. I would not have gotten into a magazine subscription for $400-$500. What do I do? I refuse to pay and asked for proof, but they could not give me any and gave me a phone number to Consolidated Media that went into some voicemail that was not part of the company.

Something needs to be done about this. I have worked hard to keep a good credit history--and now for this to mess it up.... Also, she said they had a second debt of mine from an address in Paterson, NJ. When I said I had never lived in Paterson, NJ, she said, "Oh, then this one is not you, but the first one is." Crazy!

This is just upsetting and scares me. I own a home and hope to move and buy a bigger home. I don't need stuff on my report messing up my credit.

In 1998 a magazine company contacted me selling subscriptions to different magazines. Only being 19 yrs. old I thought it sure sounds like a good deal. After giving them my checking account info and also a credit card number, the magazines start rolling in. My parents told me I needed to cancel the subscriptions. From then on I returned to sender all magazines sent to me and called Consolidated Media to cancel the account. I was told that the subscription was canceled and everything was done. The magazines continued rolling in, my checking account was overdrawn by them, and then my credit card was hit--ultimately resulting in that card being overdrawn. Being a kid I was freaking out, no money, and my credit being trashed.

After contacting Consolidated Media, I was then told of the cancellation fee which was somehow the total of what they sold me the subscriptions for in the first place, except instead of being spread out over 24 months it was one lump sum.

When I got married I paid everything off on my credit reports. Fast forward to November 2007: my mother gets a call from Luebke Baker and Associates about a debt that I owe. After calling them back and telling them that this was settled 10 years ago by charging my bank account and credit card, they tell me they will settle for $104. I say I'm not paying anything over the phone, first of all; and second, until I see something in writing I'm definitely not paying. I don't give them any current information and tell them to send it to my parents' address that they already have. Two months later my mom gets another call from the same company. Once again I call them back and tell them they never sent what they said they were, and I'm not paying. They threaten to put it on my credit report; I've heard it all before.

I checked online, and the statute of limitations has expired for this. After calling them and telling them this, they clam up and will only ask me if I want them to status my account as uncooperative, not paying. What should I do? Our whole lives are based off our credit scores. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had it to do over, but as we all know that can't happen, so I will take the life experience. This company destroyed my credit as a young man, resulting in my now paying higher interest rates, insurance--everything.

I agreed to receive magazines for a period of 24 months. After 24 months they are still trying to bill me for magazines that the subscription has run out on and constantly calling my home demanding payment. I never signed anything for these books and I have requested that they be canceled and they will not comply with the request.

I have had money taken out of my account after calling in and requesting that the subscription stop and then I have had items returned due to the fact that the monies was still taken out of my account.

I was first contacted by LB&A and told that I owed $186 for a magazine subscription from an address that I had lived at more than 10 years ago. They said they would take care of it for me before it went to collections. I said I would not give them my information because I did not know them. They hung up abruptly. They called again about a week later and I spoke to Deshaun. He said they had gotten the bill down to $100 now and that I could pay that. I told him the same thing as before. He would give me his info but if I wanted the info for the company that I supposedly owed money to, then I would have to submit it in writing. I then spoke to his supervisor who was rude and she also said she could not give me consolidated media services info. If I owe I'll pay it, and that's what I told them. I think this is a scam.

I purchased a series of magazines from Consolidated Media and then canceled my subscription during the first year in 2003. At the end of that year the magazines stopped, and I thought that was the end of that experience.I paid much more money for the subscriptions than I expected to. I recently got a phone call from a collection bureau requesting that I pay a balance of $32.00. They were not able to tell me what exactly it was for. I refuse to pay because I really feel like they are tying to rip me off. To tell me I owe money 4+ years later and give me no supporting information--there is no integrity there.

I got a call from LB&A stating that I owed over $500 to CMS, but GOOD NEWS! He could settle it today for $200! I asked again what this was about. Still not ringing any bells I asked when it was from, he said 1997.

My reaction was "Are you kidding me?!" I said for all I knew he could be anybody claiming I owed money since I had no record or recollection of this debt.

He said I subscribed to magazines through CMS and canceled but not in the allotted time frame. I said if I did I haven't received anything from them in a decade and IF I owed this debt I would be happy to pay it. I asked for documentation and he said they had a recording, and then badgered me about not remembering receiving Red Book.

He finally gave up and said he would see what he could do about getting some record of my debt and hung up on me.

I looked up debt collector laws. They state: Within five days after you are first contacted, the collector must send you a written notice telling you the amount of money you owe; the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money; and what action to take if you believe you do not owe the money.

Over a year ago I was receiving issues of a magazine that I did not order. I called the magazine company and they did not have record of me ever subscribing. Later, my credit card was being billed, without my knowledge, by consolidated media. I contacted them, canceled all subscriptions and was told that I did not owe any other money.

Now, a year later, I am getting calls from LBA debt collection agency. They are saying that I have to pay over $180 that I owe Consolidated Media. They also said that they could not give me any contact information for CM.

I find it interesting that I have not received any bills, not heard a word from these people in over a year and then they are trying to send me to collections!

A women from LUP Baker & Associates called me to say there was an outstanding balance and my account was heading into collections. She referenced a magazine subscription and an address from almost 10 years ago. I told her I had no recollection of what she is referring to.

She was VERY rude and there was so much noise in the background it was hard to hear, as if a party was going on. This just does not seem to add up!

In 2004 my husband got a letter from Luebke Baker & Associates while he was away in the Army. He told me that CMS was a company that he had bought a magazine subscription from, but that he paid when signed up. He said LBA had contacted him before and he paid it. I asked for paid receipt or canceled check but he said that he didn't have one.

So, I called LBA and they said that he owed $150.96 and that if I paid it that day that they would knock it down to $80 with a $2 processing fee. I paid it.

It's three years later and I was getting hang up calls. My Caller ID said "Settlement Dept" After about the 5th one I called it back. I got some guy that said he was with LB&A. I said, "You are kidding me. We paid that years ago". I told him that we got something in the mail and that I paid if over the phone. He said they don't mail anything out and we just got this account this year.

He asked for a paid receipt or canceled check. They said fax us a copy and we will get it taken care of. I said that is what they said to me before, how do I know that it will be taken care of?

They called my brothers house and ask for me. When he told me I called them back and they said that I ordered magazines from them back in 1998, and that I made a payment of 49.99 and I own them 199.99 in colectors debt and if I did not pay today I will have to pay them $540 later. He said They will find me. He told me that I ordered their services for five years and the address he gave me was my old school address where I have not lived for over six years. I never received any magazines.

I received a phone call from Luecke Baker & Assoc(LBA) stating I owe $276.20 to Consolidated Media Services for four magazines I supposedly ordered in October 1997.

I've never dealt with this company and never received any magazines. I explained I felt this was a scam, but the response I got was to write to LBA at their address in Peoria, Il.

I started to research the address and found this web site. I was glad to see that my suspicions were correct. Thank you in advance.

I was contacted my a Miss Glenn of LBA who said I owed $240.30 to Consolidated Media Services. I was told that I had subscribed to magazines that included a Polo magazine back in 1998. I have no interest or no experience in polo nor would I subscribe to any such magazine.

I also find it very interesting that a collection company would have a listing of magazines that I had supposedly subscribed to. LBA would not give me an address or phone number for Consolidated Media Services. LBA wouldn't even let me confront CMS. Why not?

Luebke Baker & Associates calls my home at least twice daily saying my husband owes money for a magazine subscription. The time they are claiming this to havce happened was when my husband and I were moving to Germany for 3 years (we were both in the Army. We would not have subscribed to magazines when we knew we would be out of the country for 3 years. I have asked for the contact information of Consolidated Media Services but I have been told I need a written request for that. I have asked for the bank account information that was used for this supposed purchase but have been provided none.

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My name and address are being used without my knowledge or consent by CMS public space verified who sold it to Automobile magazine. The first time I started finding the undesired magazine in my personal mailbox at my home I called the subscriber dept. at the magazine and removed my name. Then I started getting it again. I complained again and they said We did stop the magazine but the agency keeps putting it back on. When I asked what agency? they said: CMS public space verified. Automobile magazine says they have removed my name again but that I now have to contact the agency in order for them not to put me back on the subscriber list. I looked up CMS which has a long list of complaints against it and previous FTC rulings.

I set up a subscription with Consolidated Media Services three years ago. They told me I had a month trial and would recieve a vacation. I was set up to pay $80 a month but could cancel within the first month after looking over the paperwork they were suppost to send me. Well I never recieved the paperwork and started recieving magazines that I didn't even order. I got my first bill from them and sent it back stating that I would like to cancel. They called me up a few weeks later and told me I had to pay for the month I used so I paid them $80. They then told me that I was cancelled and would not hear from them again.

I stopped recieving magazines up until this month I recieved a Better Homes and Garden and I'm sure it had to come from them. Then I just recieved a phone call Luebke Baker and Associates stating I owed more than a thousand dollars but could settle for $399.99. I told him that I had cancelled and they told me to pay the $80 and I would be done. The gentleman told me that yes I did cancel with Consolidate media services but because they prepaid the magazine companies I owed the full amount but it was okay to settle for a lesser amount.

I received a call from Consumer affairs yesterday (10/1/2007) stating that I owed $230, but he was willing to settle for $179 for a magazine subscription that I never received. I asked for the contact info for Consolidated Media Services, as he stated that he was calling as a collector in their behalf. He would provide me with no such information. Follow that with a second and third attempt to get me to pay him the said owed monies. Very frustrating. As I just logged on to the internet to do a search for the contact info for this, Consolidated Media Services, I am alarmed at the number of others that are being pursued as well. Where to go from here?

They said it was a free magazine offer and i was suckered in and now they are haunting me for money for magazines i didn't order. i paid some of the money cause i just started repairing my credit. now today sept.27.2007 I got 5 phone calls saying that it went to a collection agency .Now my credit is in jeopardy for this .I paid them 200.00 something a year or two ago and told them to cancel it but evidently they didn't.

I remember like it was yesterday, my credit card being charged 100's of dollars on statements 2 months in a row, I contacted my credit card co. for info on the co. taking this money, i then tried contacting them after several attempts, they said they were a magazine business, i assured them them we had not received any magazine subscriptions. my credit card co. worked with me and denied payment for fraud and unauthorization, we never heard anothe word until today 9-27-2007, 10 years have passed and the nightmare is back!

I received a phone call from CMS stating they are going to start billing me next month for a magazine subscribition that was paid in full in 2003.

After paying over $300 in 2003, they billed my debit card once again, which forced me to close my bank account so I wouldn't be overcharged again.

I have not heard from these people since 2004 when I cancelled the subscribtion. Now they want to bill me $66 a month for 24 more months, for magazines which I no longer receive.

I received a phone call today from Luekbe Baker and Associates, a collection agency. An account had been reported to them stating I owe %588 for a magazine subscription going back to the year 2000.

I remember several years ago I had a problem with a magazine company taking money from a credit card of mine for a magazine subscription. I had to fight with them back then to stop the billing and discontinue sending me anything in the mail. I never received any magazines and now seven years later I can not recall what the outcome of the dispute was.

I just received a phone call from a collection agency saying that I owe Consolidated Media Services $500 for a magazine subscription.

I remember when the person from the company called me in 2003. They told me I would get a diamond watch if I ordered. The first string of magazines came in and not one of them was the magazine that I wanted. I also never received the watch that they promised so I called and cancelled. I basically paid $199 for 4 magazines which I didn't even want.

Now this collection agency says that I owe $500ish. When I told the collection agent that I would like to contact my lawyer she said, she would "lower it to $199, which was less than paying a lawyer." I told her I would pay the $199 but I wanted all of the magazines that they never delivered, as well as my diamond watch. She said they do not have to do that.

I purchase investment properties and see my credit report every month or so. I will keep an eye on it.

I received a collection letter stating that I owe $133.30 to Consolidated Media Services. I have never heard of these people nor have I ever received any correspondence from them.

After investigating them on the internet I find that they are involved in magazine subscriptions. I have never subscribed to any magazines.

We attempted to call this company and you are left on hold for an extended period of time, 25 minutes and no one comes back on the line. If you go to their website they only give you options on how to make a payment, nothing about the bill itself.

I received a collection letter from Luebke Baker & Assoc on behalf of Consolidated Media Services for the amount of $220, which they say they are generously reducing from the $542.08 I owe!!!!

I remember this magazine scam from a few years ago and I didn't fall for it then either. I never received a single magazine and never asked for any in the first place nor did I ever pay them any money.

In 2000, my husband agreed via phone to subscribe to several magazines through Consolidated Media Services. He misunderstood the offer, and ended up purchasing many more magazines than he intended, many of them for a period of 5+ years. He spent more than a year paying the commitment off - more than $700.

Fast forward to 2005 – We get a call from a collection agency telling us we are being sent to collection for $438.88 owed for those magazines ordered back in 2000. We had not heard from Consolidated Media Services since late 2001/early 2002 when we received what we believed was our final statement. They claimed my husband has been “unresponsive” and have therefore sent him to a collection agency – Lubke Baker & Associates.

We’ve not received ANY bills from them in years. They claim bills to us have been returned as undeliverable-even though we’ve updated our addresses with all of the magazines and had our mail forwarded after we moved in 2003. My husband is a public employee so he is very easy to find.

Per the advice of an attorney friend, we sent a letter to L,B & Assoc. requesting proof in writing of the money they claimed we owed them. We have not ever gotten a response. Our attorney friend said that they can not continue to contact us for payment until providing proof of money owed. The calls stopped – until about a month ago. Now we are getting 3-5 calls PER DAY from Lubke, Baker & Associates with the same demands for hundreds of dollars – including even more late fees that have accumulated this past year since we’ve been “unresponsive.”

We’ve filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau of Georgia a year ago and have filed them again this week but we are at our wits end with this harassment. We just want it to stop.

In 2003 I was contacted by Consolidated Media Services to ask if I wanted some magazines. I agreed. I never received the free gift they sent out and called and canceled. I did receive a few magazines, but after cancelling they stopped coming. I was contacted today by LBA, their collection department. I was treated like crud by some little girl on the phone and her manager was no better. They wanted me to pay $269.91! For the magazines! I said NO, then they offered to lower it to $155.97. I said I wanted to get some legal adivce and was then told that if I wanted to do that then would turn my account back over and it would go on my credit. They would not give me the chance to get legal advice first! The manager, Shannon then knocked the settlement down to $121.97. I was never given the chance to ask my lawyer for advice on this matter. I offered to pay for what I did receive, around 9 magazines and I figured they were around $5 each at the news stand. That is no where near the $121.97 they wanted. I was told if I did not pay it was going on my credit, so I paid them.

My credit was in jeparody over this. I was denined the right to talk to my lawyer prior to paying this debt. She said my lawyer would charge me more then my debt was. Then she said she wanted all my lawyer's information so she could contact him. I refused to give her that information and was then told to either pay or not... Since we are refinancing our current home I could not risk this collection showing up on my credit report...

I only remember ordering a subscription to People magazine, but the next thing I knew they were calling trying to collect $500 for my magazine subscription. I told them they were wrong and they said I could pay $160 to call it even and they would go away.

I just recently starting getting calls from a collection agency trying to collect the money that was supposed to be written off years ago. Story is the same as all the others, only they call with different numbers and different names.