can they do this? Magazine subscriber

[sajeh]

What is the name of your state? Florida

Can a magazine subscription company affect your credit? I got an offer to renew my subscription to a magazine and I did tell them that I wanted to do that and that they should bill me, however I changed my mind after they had already sent one issue of the magazine and did not mail them a check and they stopped sending me the magazines. Now they are sending me letters that says that I am on their Bad Credit list and so on. Does this really affect my credit?

 

[racer72]

Legitimate debts can be reported to the credit reporting agencies. This appears to be a legitimate debt. So the answer to your question is yes.

 

[Vote4Pedro]

I disagree

If they don't have your social security number, I am pretty sure they can't report to a credit reporting agency.

I would write a letter to a decision maker at the magazine and tell them that you cancelled the subscription after one issue. Tell him/her that you're more than willing to pay for the one issue, but not for the subsequent issues that you never received. Let them know that you aren't someone who has bad debts, but at the same time, you don't want to pay for something you didn't receive. Ask them to correct your account and send a revised bill (it shouldn't be more than a few dollars). Ask them to please put you back on their "good credit" list as this was a misunderstanding.

I'm sure for a few dollars, they won't fight too hard unless you have a history of being a problem customer.

When you send the letter, I suggest sending it certified mail and keep copies of everything. It also couldn't hurt to call their customer service line and explain the situation to them.

Good luck,
HT

 

[cmorris]

They don't have to have your SSN to report to the credit bureaus.

 

[cyana24]

They don't have to have your SSN to report to the credit bureaus.

Yep...all they need is your name and address. I'd really try to work something out with them as the debt for one magazine is too small to have a negative put on your credit report.