[Resolved]  Reader's Digest — Non-receipt of monthly issues and illegal deductions from Credit Card.

Address:

Howrah, West Bengal

I had been a subscriber to Reader’s Digest since many years now and have been receiving the Magazine by post every month. They have stopped sending the magazines to me from July, 2012, although I have paid the annual Subscription for issues upto February, 2013. They send some junks in the name of SWEEP STAKES asking you to buy some of their products and saying that you are the only one in Bengal, 1 among 30 in India to enter the contest, additional prize for quick reply within 7 days / 14 days and so on if you are the winner through computer selection etc. The junk never reaches you with in the stipulated time. It is being stamped at a particular predate and hands over to the Post office concerned. The Junk reaches you after a quick 25 days if you are lucky, or else even after 3 months. When they send letter to you demanding any money due, the letter reaches you in 3 days. This evidently shows that they are only marketing their products and not interested in any Sweep Stakes. They send 2 envelopes for “YES” reply and for “NO” reply. Yes reply shall go to an address at Fort, Mumbai and No reply one goes to Panvel. The Pity is that for NO reply you have to affix Postage Stamps at your cost and it is quite likely that you are not included in the month’s special award if any, because you have not bought their product. Sometimes they fail to attach NO reply envelope intentionally so that you are forced send the reply in the YES envelope. Then you will be the sucker and pay for some product which shall not be wanted in your family. Unknowingly if you receive it pay the Penalty and increase the burden on your floor. Surely I have bought many valuable products in this way worth more than Rs. 50K. But sometimes they send you many unwanted products without any demand. For one such case, I have received one such book which I ALREADY HAVE, HAVING BEEN BOUGHT FROM THEM. To my utter surprise they have unauthorisedly debited something to my Credit Card and as a proof I have shown below my letter to my Bank. This deduction today is a punishment to a septuagenarian against the complaint made to them in writing a few days ago about no receipt of periodicals and unreasonable deduction of Rs. 80/- and forcibly sending unwanted product. My mail to the Bank is shown below.

Today I received a SMS from you stating that Rs. 80/- has been paid to Reader's Digest against my Credit Card No. [protected]. This is illegal demand of the Reader's Digest. Similarly Rs. 80/- was debited to my card by them in March, 2012. For no fault of mine I am being victimised. I request ICICI Bank NOT TO PAY ANY AMOUNT TO READER'S DIGEST FROM MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER MENTIONED ABOVE. If at all any amount is auto debited to me unless I authorise through my security code, it will be illegal. Kindly Inform all your Staff concerned with the payment to Reader's Digest. Since R.D. has stopped sending my monthly issues of the magazine from July, 2012 although I have paid Annual subscriptions for the period upto February, 2013, I am going to stop further subscriptions.
Thanks,
S. Balasubramanian.