Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
American Express has been sending me hard-bound cookbooks which, admittedly, are very nice. I received my second one last month ("25 Best-Of Recipes"). However, each time they are sending the book, they automatically charge about $35.00 to my card if I keep the book for a period longer than two weeks. There is an included slip which says that if I don't want the book, I can return it by calling a number and shipping the book back.
I'm positive that American Express' legal team researched into this practice before they executed this strategy. However, isn't this "opt-out" program sorta on the cusp of being illegal? I had never given them any consent, and even though I am given the option to return the book,
Doesn't this lead to a bad predicament for those who are close to maxing out their cards? Luckily, I am not in that situation but can't imagine someone who can't afford a random $35 charge.
I also surmise that a good number of folks end up keeping the book out of laziness. The act of calling Customer Service and mailing back the book will eat up at least half an hour of one's time.
I'm going to have to do the same thing with Southern Living. They keep sending us cookbooks as well, even though we only ordered ONE from them. On the packaging, it says something to the effect of, "Take a look at this book, and if you don't fall in love with it, send it back within 30 days and there will be no charge!"
Well, I don't WANT to have to package it up and go down to the post office and send it back. It's easier just to pay the $19 and keep the book - and of course that's what they're counting on. But after receiving three cookbooks in one year from them, I don't need any more and the next one that comes, I'm canceling this "service" that we never signed up for to begin with. It's ridiculous!
This sort of thing really should be illegal.
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 09-03-2013 at 09:39 AM..
Location: 23.7 million to 162 million miles North of Venus
23,615 posts, read 12,543,921 times
Reputation: 10480
I don't know which "opt out" you're talking about, whether its the prescreen opt out or a division of the company opt out - and if it's a division of the company opt out, is it the right division of that company.
American Express Publishing Corp is under the same AMEX umbrella but it's not the same division as the credit card division. It's doubtful that the credit card division has the power to stop this anymore than the publishing division has the power to give you an increase on your credit card.
It will probably take more time than the half hour that you mentioned it's taking you now, but contact the publishing division and ask to speak to someone about stopping sending the books to you. Ask the person, that you are giving that request to, for their name and address then follow your verbal request up with a written request. To make sure you're covered, so you can file complaints if they continue to send the books after you request that they stop, you might send it registered mail. Then go to the USPS site and track the letter, when the USPS shows the letter had reached it's destination then print that info and put it in your files, along with a copy of the letter you had sent.
If you still have the contact info to return the book then call that number to talk to them. If you don't then you can find the number on the AMEX publishing contact page .. American Express Publishing - Contact Us
American Express has been sending me hard-bound cookbooks which, admittedly, are very nice. I received my second one last month ("25 Best-Of Recipes"). However, each time they are sending the book, they automatically charge about $35.00 to my card if I keep the book for a period longer than two weeks. There is an included slip which says that if I don't want the book, I can return it by calling a number and shipping the book back.
I'm positive that American Express' legal team researched into this practice before they executed this strategy. However, isn't this "opt-out" program sorta on the cusp of being illegal? I had never given them any consent, and even though I am given the option to return the book,
Doesn't this lead to a bad predicament for those who are close to maxing out their cards? Luckily, I am not in that situation but can't imagine someone who can't afford a random $35 charge.
I also surmise that a good number of folks end up keeping the book out of laziness. The act of calling Customer Service and mailing back the book will eat up at least half an hour of one's time.
Interesting. I'd ask them to show me the document that says I agreed to purchase said books. When they can produce that, then I'll pay.
The other thing is that sometimes mail gets lost....can they prove it was delivered into your hands?
The other thing is that sometimes mail gets lost....can they prove it was delivered into your hands?
Mailers "tag" all packages like that with delivery Conformation costs them few cents per item, When down in larger volume, data set to USPS electronically. So they "know" it was delivered.
Interesting. I'd ask them to show me the document that says I agreed to purchase said books. When they can produce that, then I'll pay.
Odds are somewhere in the Fine Print on the website where you bought something else you opt'ed into it. And to opt out have to notitify them .....
Odds are somewhere in the Fine Print on the website where you bought something else you opt'ed into it. And to opt out have to notitify them .....
Exactly. Companies don't just arbitrarily mail out unsolicited mercandise. And the reason they don't do this as a marketing tool is that federal regulations state that if you receive unsolicited merchandise, you are free to keep it. Not only is there no requirement for you to pay for such merchandise, there is no requirement for you to mail it back either. In fact, you don't even have to tell the company that you received it and you are keeping it (although the FTC recommends that you do).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
