Same as pretty much everyone else that's filed complaints against this company, except mine has a new twist in it. Like everyone else who was contacted by this company I was called by the fast-talking telemarketer, who knew my name and said they worked with my bank/card company. I was told that I was entered in the sweepstakes, I was told I would get a free diamond watch, I was told that I would get 60 months of magazine subscriptions at cheap prices, four magazines for $4.49 a month. Like many other people I continually told the woman no, and like everyone else whose had to deal with theses people I found out that words like "no" and "cancellation" were not in their vocabulary. And like everyone else I gave away my card information. Now this call didn't set off any warning bells with me as I had gotten similar calls to this one with people claiming to be with my card since I first opened a bank account several years ago, the only thing saving me from ever getting tangled up in this before was their first survey question, the one where they ask you what age group your in, what saved me before was that I was not the lowest age that they offered, 18. Now with the call that landed me in this mess I was no longer under 18.
Now after going through the whole phone dance and being told that I was going to be charged $68.28 for the first 13 months to make payments easier. I was told I had three days to cancel if I changed my mind and was given two numbers to call: 1-877-406-3195 and 1-866-328-3795 and I was told I could call either one to cancel my account, she then thanked me for working with United Benefit Advantage. After the phone call my brain went "Hold up. If they work with my bank and card company shouldn't they already have all that information?" So I went to my bank account and sure enough $68.28 was pending out of my account, but not from United Benefit Advantage the money was pending to Magazine INC Virginia in Virginia Beach instead. I immediately called my bank to cancel my active card. I then called the first number I was given and was told that I had to wait one to two days before I would show up in their systems, the company claimed itself as United Benefit Advantage every time I called them that day and the subsequent other times I had to call them. I called the second number as the telemarketer said I could call either number to cancel my account with them. All I got from that number was an answering machine that said I needed to enter my account number, one which I was not given or was related to me too fast to comprehend by the telemarketer.
The next day I called the first number again and this time I showed up in UBA's system, I cancelled with them. But i would have to call back a few more times. The money that was pending went back in my account as available funds the next day, but was completely removed by Magazine INC four days later. I called UBA again and they said the account was still canceled and that they did not charge the high amount that I said was missing from my account. When I asked them for physical conformation of this they said that they could not give me any but that they could give me my cancellation number. Oh, also when I asked them they said that they did not work with any company called Magazine INC.
Well I got busy with other things, but I called another number I found linked to them listed as a customer service number, needless to say that didn't work either. It was another answering machine telling me that all of the representatives were busy and what their hours were and to leave a message. I left them a message explaining everything up to that point and told them that if they didn't put back my money or contact me that I would take legal action. They never did call me or give me my money back. So one week after my money was completely removed form my account by Magazine INC. I went to go and dispute the charge with my bank . When I went to the bank my representative had me call the phone number that was associated with the transaction. I wasn't even aware of the phone number as it just looked like the rest of the code on the transaction. This was neither of the phone numbers they gave me to cancel or the one listed as their contact number on several different websites including the BBB's. Basically both women I talked to said I never cancelled my account with them, when I answered that I did they just tried to haggle with first by lowering my monthly payments to $40 then to $30. When ever I told them no I wanted the account cancelled, it already was cancelled I don't want their services, they said I would have to pay in full which was $1, 028. I told them no, the account was cancelled give me back my money, and if you can't do that then cancel my account with you and stay away from the rest of my money. Well they tried lowering the prices with me again, first to a full payment of $500, then $300. At this time my bank representative told me to hang up the phone with them since they were just talking me in circles for about 15-20 minutes. I filed the dispute form with my bank and then went home.
I am now filing complaints with the attorney generals office in my state of residence and with the one in Virginia. I'm also filing with the BBB and probably a few other Gov't organizations about this fraud. Here's a quick review of how it's fraud for anyone that wants to defend this company:
1. I was contacted on a private number (my cellphone) with a local number that I could not call back(It leads to another answering machine that tells me all of the lines are in use)
2. I was told I was getting services from one company (United Benefit Advantage) but was being charged by a company they claimed they didn't work with (Magazine INC)
3. I was given two numbers to cancel with and was told I could call either one within three days and I wouldn't be charged
4. I called within the three day window and the account was cancelled
5. My money was taken anyway after I had cancelled the account
6. 1-5 are all accounts of them giving me false and misleading information

Anyone else that has been ripped off by these people and the statue of limitation for your ability to sue them hasn't passed yet feel free to contact me on this site. If enough people go after them and can bring the attention of the mass media into it then these guys may want to think twice before giving people false information and badgering them into buying products they say they don't want.

I was contacted by a company claiming the exact same thing for an unpaid magazine subs balance of over $1000 from 2002. Being a worrisome person that I am about debt I allowed a charge of $50 as a first installment to clear this debt and I am to be charged another $200 at the end of April. I viewed my bank statement after everything just seemed too fishy to me; they called me on a number that I have no affiliation with since the phone they called me on belongs to my mother, and they had a bit too much information on me. I questioned them on how they could possibly know this stuff about me they assured me that it was not random and that they have investigators to get current phone numbers for people in bad debt. ??????????? Anyhow, my bank statement has the $50 pending charge, as I expected, but what I didn't expect is that the company charging me is Magazines Inc and not the "debt collector". Luckily I have already spoken with my claims department at my bank, I have been assured that as soon as the charge has completely cleared that they will reimburse me the $50 and launch an investigation of their own. This sort of thing happens way too often and I can't believe I allowed myself to become a victim. I urge everyone to pay attention to red flags, any red flag!!! Never admit to any bad debt and tell whomever is trying to collect from you to send you something in the mail, then take that mail to your bank because personal bankers are trained to spot abnormalities in these sort of things. Now keep in mind that sometimes these phone calls can be legit. For instance about 2 years ago I received a call from a debt collector for overdue medical bills. I did ask the right questions and the woman I was speaking to had the correct answers. Never deal with someone that cannot give you answers that make sense or sound like they are reading from a script: RED FLAG!!! I had at that time received the correct documentation such as email confirmation as well as confirmation and information in the mail. That woman however worked in the hospital as a claims adjuster who's responsibility is to collect, and the money I owed wasn't from too long before she called me. This one this time I should have paid much more attention to...I mean who, after a decade, starts trying to collect on a bad debt account...especially one that I had canceled years ago because that was originally a scam. I became scared because they used words like "further action will be taken" and "If you don't settle this now then you will be responsible for the full amount". Please be smarter than I was. Luckily I don't have to pay for it and everything will be handled by Tuesday this coming up week, but I should not have let it happen in the first place.