Door-To-Door Magazine Sales Scam: Titan Sales Inc.

A few years ago, a young man came to the door and said that he was in a contest. That he was in a group of young people who were selling magazines for a scholarship. He was well spoken and very nice. I am the type of person to listen to just about anyone who comes to my door. I may not buy something, but its very possible that I will at least sit down with you and listen. Most of the time, its during the summer when these door-to-door people come around. Its hot and they are usually on foot. At least from what I can tell.

That time, I agreed to buy a subscription to OK! magazine, with the intention of canceling the subscription. Apparently, he just needed the points, but I didn't really have to let my check be cashed. I am a flighty woman and in most cases, I forget things pretty easily. In those days, I basically had no bills to pay, so money wasn't exactly an issue. Long story short - I forgot I agreed to this and didn't cancel the subscription.

When I noticed my check had been cashed, it was well beyond the date that he told me it would be cashed. So I felt he held his end of the bargain, allowing me the time to stop the check. It was my own fault for not stopping the check. I can't really remember how much it was I spent, probably around $30.00 because I don't usually just buy magazine subscriptions.

In a few weeks, I started getting a weekly mailing of the magazine. Satisfied customer. They started coming and they stopped after the allotted year. I had a very satisfying experience with the transactions, and I was able to read all about the juicy details of celebrity lives.

I have since moved from that residence into my own apartment with my partner. We had a door-to-door magazine participant at the door once since we have been in this complex and I had to turn them down. They came in a pair  of young college age boys. They smoozed me and they tried their very best, and when I shut the door, I did feel bad. Unfortunately, my partner is not as easily sold by these tactics as I am, and she insisted that I say no.

Last April, a few years after this last encounter, I had another knock at my door. A man about late 20s, early 30s saying that he was raising money for his special needs daughter and working on his public speaking skills. He wanted to sell me a magazine. At the time, of course, my partner was at work, so I was free to listen to all his stories and his sales pitch. Of course, he got me.

He asked if he could come in and commented on my Xbox and used that as a way to get into my house for further conversation. I am a naive woman. I really am. I am easily impressed and flattered. He filled out the receipt and I signed it. He gave me the same speech about how I had so many days to cancel the subscription, that I didn't actually have to receive them. Again, I forgot all about it.

This time however, I had originally thought to buy the subscription for my partner. Game Informer. He told me that it was the best gamer magazine out there and he would get more points if I made it a gift to someone else. I was sold. Sure, why not. However, three months later, I just realized, I haven't seen a single magazine.

I do remember the check being cashed and again, thinking how ridiculous I was for not remembering to cancel it. Perhaps I need to get my memory checked out! While, I am not exactly pressed for cash, I don't really like that I wasted $39.00 on a magazine subscription I likely wasn't even going to read. It wasn't for me, so I didn't have a lot invested into.

I decided to call the customer service number on my receipt (receipt I usually would have thrown away by now) and I got a very nice lady on the phone. She asked for the receipt number and read off to me the information - all of which were correct. So I know that they did have a record of my subscription.

The representative assured me that this was a publisher issue and she would call them and see if they have the same address information and such. She would ensure that they sent me the missing copies and call me back. I am not quick to judge yet, I haven't had a bad transaction with the magazine door-to-door sales, but it is starting to feel a little fishy to me.

I went on Swagbucks, my new search engine, and did a little digging. I found more complaints and scam items than I did satisfied customers. Now, I work in customer service, I know that you see more bad than you do good. I have yet to hear back from this representative, but I admit, it was only about 30 minutes ago, when I got the phone with her. However, with all the information I have found on the supposed door-to-door magazine sales scams, I am hoping that I am not one that has been duped.

I will wait and see, but like the video I posted above, my story is very similar to a lot of the people out there who have had these young people coming to their door. I did get the subscription I ordered the first time around, so I can't rule out the possibility that this will all get sorted out. I have to wonder how many people who have been 'scammed' called the customer service line on their receipt like I have. You can't really call something a scam until they refuse to give you the product or your money back.

So the jury is out on this one. But its a good bet that we should be more careful about buying things from people who come to our door. Just a word of warning to those who might be thinking that these magazine sales are likely a scam. While I had a good experience with them once, whose to say I will this time?

The customer service representative did not call me back and give me any resolution, but a week later I had the magazine in my mailbox. We have since had regular shipments of the magazine every month.

This turned out to be alright. I was not out my money. I would suggest people use caution when faced with a door-to-door salesman, but if you don't get your subscription, call the customer service number. Keep the receipt until you get your subscription. All is okay from this customer, besides the promised followup with me that didn't happen, I am a happy girl.