Lawsuit Alleges Illegal Debt Collection Practices By North Shore Agency, Inc.

We have received hundreds of complaints from consumers around the country regarding North Shore Agency's collection practices. The law firm of James, Hoyer, Newcomer, and Smiljanich, P.A. has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a Clearwater, Florida woman against North Shore Agency, Inc. via PR-inside.com

[Frank Martelli]

James, Hoyer, Newcomer & Smiljanich is seeking information from former North Shore Agency employees to assist our investigation of unfair debt collection practices. You can help consumers Contact Frank Martelli at 1-800-651-2502

[George Hart]

A letter dtd 5/31/07 alleges that I owe $20 for a non paid subscription to Newsweek, to which I never subscribed. It is interesting to see all the internet info onthis agency

[George Hart]

Received a collection letter from them suggesting legal action if payment was not received for a Newsweek subscription----which I did not request!!!

[Sondra M]

Yes, I received a letter for a debt, a subscription to Prevention Magazine. Interestingly I had subscribed to this magazine for one year, paid my $16.94 on May 4, 2006, and decided not to extend my subscription...tearing up the notices I received from them. Now North Shore has sent me a letter saying I owe $14.97....mmmmmmm, and I haven't even received any magazines, not to mention I did not renew my subscription.
Valencia CA

[Pat K]

I also received a letter from North Shore on 7/25/07 asking for payment of $14.97 for Prevention magazine, which I had not renewed. What do I do now?

[Phil A]

Our company received a North Shore Agency "fishing" letter regarding a FedEx invoice that was "past due".
I determined this "fishing letter" was bogus and did not respond.
The next letter we receive from them, I will forward to our legal department and let them play with the "big boys" in legal!!

[Enid]

I have received three letters from NSA this summer for collection of a $15 subscription to House & Garden magazine. I have been a long time subscriber of this magazine and have never allowed the subscription to lapse. Contacted magazine directly and they said no problem with my account. They had no knowledge of any collection proceedings with North Shore. I hope this hasn't tarnished my credit.

[Shannan]

I keep receiving letters from NSA for collection of $24.44 for a magazine that my daughter had ordered through school. I had already paid for this magazine and I even sent them the information from my bank that showed they had cashed my check and they still continue to send me collection notices. I don't know what else to do since there is no phone number for these idiots!!! If they put this on my credit report I wonder if I have a lawsuit?

[Dan]

I receive a collection notice from North Shore Agence for $14.07 for Prevention Magazine. It stated that I had received several notices from Prevention and magazines were sent without me paying. I did subscribe to Prevention but did not renew mu subscription and I can verify with a cancelled check. What should I do now?

[DennisG]

I have been Phished as well. Just received a "Collection Alert" letter demanding that we pay $57.40 for a "past-due" Undersea University Scholastic payment. I remember sending in my daughter's order with a check, and to my knowledge the check didn't bounce.
Let me know how I can help nail these scum.

[William B]

I just received a bogus demand from "North Shore Agency, Inc." demanding $14.95 for a non-existent subscription to Prevention Magazine. It was mailed from Farmingdale, NY on September 27, 2007.
Where in hell are the New York consumer affairs authorities? Don't you losers realize that New York's reputation is bad enough as is?

[Ron_C]

I have got promotion for men's health magazine to get 2 issues free + a supplement or something like that with an option to cancel if not satisfy.
I think I sent the invoice back with Cancel marked on it, now I get letters from North Shore Agency.
I tried to call them but I was not able to reach a live person. I decided to pay online, I kept the record but nothing was withdrawn from my account, that was 3 weeks ago. I thought the payment did not go thru so I paid again via telephone automatic payment and I have the confirmation number, that charge also was not withdrawn from my account.
After I finished the phone payment I have got a new phone number I will supposedly able to reach North Shore customer service , I tried to call that number but again I was not able to reach a live person.
I am afraid they will charge me twice but I am more afraid they will mess up my credit.
Rodale is the publisher of Men's Health, Prevention, Women's Health, Runner's World, Best Life, Bicycling, Running Times, Mountain Bike, and Organic Gardening, and is also the largest independent book publisher in America with a collection of international titles, including The South Beach Diet and The Abs Diet franchises, and Al Gore's New York Times bestseller An Inconvenient Truth.
Visit the Web site at www.Rodale.com http://www.rodale.com/ .

Rodale Customer Service:

http://www.rodale.com/1,6597,10,00.html

[Laura_O]

I recieved a subscription and a bill for Prevention magazine. I never signed up for any subscription from them and was surprised to recieve this. I've emailed them several times with no response. How do you get in touch with these thieves? What's the next step? I'm not going to pay for something I never asked for!

[Bernard]

House & Garden is sending customers invoices for magazine subscriptions for which customers have never subscribed for.

[RS San Diego]

I have been receiving past due notices for a Newsweek subscription I never subscribe to. I send a letter after the 3rd notification asking for my signature showing I subscribed and the next thing I new I received a North Shore Agency Inc from Westbury NY Collections Letter. I have written a letter to my attorney, Newsweek and this agency.

[Jenny - Seattle]

I have received two notifications from these clowns stating that I owe $16 for a Vogue subscription I never signed up for. How do we stop them from reporting this supposed debt to the credit agencies? Engaging an attorney seems a bit extreme for $16 - it seems easier to just pay them and make them go away. Suggestions?

[Chris TN]

They keep sending me notices for Revolver magazine, subscribed directly through Revolver and paid on time. I have sent copy of money order and 5 months later still getting nasty
letters from NSA

[andrea]

I'm so happy I'm not alone. I've been dealing with this since the summer. It all started with Lucky magazine. I have spoken to Lucy numerous times and they say i don't owe anything yet I keep getting these letters from NSA. I can't get anyone live on the phone which is so annoying. The last letter was that my check bounced yet I have proof that they cashed it. I sent this to them and yet again I received another letter to pay them again. Lucky said they are an in-house collection agency and don't report anything. Who are these people?

[Dave H]

I just got one of those bills from Prevention myself. I never asked for the magazine, but I do think I have received a few issues - which I promptly threw in the trash because I thought they were some promotion I didn't want. Regardless, I never actually subscribed.

I was able to talk to customer service at the magazine, and they backed down so quickly and completely, I had to believe there was something funny going on. I'm still quite annoyed I had to pay for a toll call to do this, however. They had my address and email, and the girl I spoke to said something like "Oh, it must have been something we got on the internet 'by mistake.'"

I'm pretty careful about phishing attempts, and find it hard to believe one got past me; I think they bought some mailing list and just started sending people magazines, then billing after, hoping they would just pay without asking questions.

[Austin S]

I have been fooled into paying $25 once by this fraud, and I am angry at NEWSWEEK for apparently supporting/hiring this company to rip people off. Today another 'collection' notice arrived for another magazine, this time for $73! I look forward to the law suit shine a blinding light on these scam artists and a serious dressing down of any publisher who uses these tactics to take advantage of people.