Beware Guns & Ammo E-mail

rgates · November 2, 2007, 10:24 PM

I got an e-mail today that at first I thought was from Guns&Ammo(in other words I didn't look closely enough) telling me my subscription was expired. It of course offered a link to renew but thankfully my brain had kicked in and realized it was not from gunsandammomag.com. It was from gunsammo.web which comes from palmcoastd.com. I closed it and went to the real Guns & Ammo web site and confirmed my subscription doesn't expire till Jan., 08.
I've seen scams before where if you click on the link you'll get a spyware bug or virus. Beware ! This could be and probably is one of those.

**Bud Helms** · November 3, 2007, 06:49 AM

Thanks for the heads up, rgates.

HankL · November 3, 2007, 09:02 AM

Isn't Palm Coast Data the company that handles the renewals for G&A ?

It is November of 07, It would be reasonable to renew a wanted subscription that expires after 2 months.

rgates · November 3, 2007, 09:18 AM

It may be. I've e-mailed G&A about it, but no response yet. This e-mail stated my subscription was already expired. They do appear to be a magazine marketing company so it may be perfectly innocent but I've received e-mails in the past direct from G&A notifying me of this. As I stated in my e-mail to G&A, it may be legit but it sure looks suspicious and I don't like it. I got one similar to this years ago with my first new computer, about 8 weeks old. Fried it. Required a complete erase and reformat of the hard drive. What a nightmare. That taught me to be a little suspicious and maybe even borderline paranoid. I will post G&A response if I get one so folks won't be deleting these e-mails needlessly if it is on the up and up.

HankL · November 3, 2007, 09:34 AM

I don't blame you for being cautious.

jfrey123 · November 3, 2007, 10:43 PM

It's a good lesson. Never, ever link to a company from the e-mail they send you. That's something that happened to my mom when she got a "confirmation" email from "wellsfargo.net." The ghost screen she linked to asked for her SSN, log in information, etc. All the good stuff. Chaos ensued...

Always go directly to a company's website by typing the website into your browser. Even your favorites list can get jacked.

dbsoundguy · November 4, 2007, 07:22 AM

Quote:

It's a good lesson. Never, ever link to a company from the e-mail they send you......Always go directly to a company's website by typing the website into your browser.

...

jfrey123.....

Wow did not know that.....thank you so much

OJ · November 4, 2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

It may be. I've e-mailed G&A about it, but no response yet. This e-mail stated my subscription was already expired. They do appear to be a magazine marketing company so it may be perfectly innocent but I've received e-mails in the past direct from G&A notifying me of this. As I stated in my e-mail to G&A, it may be legit but it sure looks suspicious and I don't like it. I got one similar to this years ago with my first new computer, about 8 weeks old. Fried it. Required a complete erase and reformat of the hard drive. What a nightmare. That taught me to be a little suspicious and maybe even borderline paranoid. I will post G&A response if I get one so folks won't be deleting these e-mails needlessly if it is on the up and up.

The outfit that handles G&A subscriptions is a giant PITA!! I've cancelled my subscription twice - the second time is permanent - because they persisted in calling me by phone to renew - usually at supper time - we're in a "no-call" state but businesses you deal with are excepted.

I advised them numerous times I would cancel if they didn't quit calling me but they persisted. I contacted the publisher and the editors of G&A but they apparently were less concerned about a customer's convenience than their company handling renewals so they can do without my business. The main reason I subscribed was for Cooper's Corner anyway and it's gone. I don't need them at all and resent the treatment I got from them!!

DesertDawg · November 4, 2007, 11:47 AM

I get "snail mail" renewal notices quite often, from a publishing house that is supposedly contracted by several publishing firms. The notices read "Renewal or subscription" at the top, and they all get "round filed". It's merely a ploy for you to subscribe to whatever publication is typed in.

One of the worst and most aggressive gun publications that I've ever seen was "Gun Tests". They advertised in several gun publications that you could receive a "free copy" of their magazine by sending in the attached card. I sent it in, and got the "free copy"....then another one the following month....then another....then another! After 6 months, they sent me a bill for the "subscription"! I had NEVER subscribed! Following that original bill was another bill for the supposed un-paid subscription! A third bill was more like a "threat", that if I didn't fulfill my obligation to pay for the subscription that I had "requested", they would take legal action! Those "threat" letters kept on coming!

I finally fired off a "challenge" letter to them, clearly stating that I had never signed for a subscription, and if they persisted in the "accusatory" letters, I would file a lawsuit against them (I had my next-door neighbor write that "challenge" letter, for he is a Superior Court Judge....and he added all kinds of "legalese" wording). As an after-thought, I bundled all of the "free" copies of "Gun Tests", and sent them back to them.....POSTAGE DUE! Between the "challenge" and the bundle of publications they got back, their "threats" came to a halt.

rgates · November 6, 2007, 07:19 PM

I got an e-mail response from G&A. They said Palm Coast does do their subscription renewals but they have been getting a lot of complaints and are working on a way to improve the situation. I'm still not going through the Palm Coast link. I'll go directly to G&A site. If it directs me to Palm Coast, then I won't renew. I'm not going to start dealing with a magazine mass marketer.

AirForceShooter · November 7, 2007, 03:34 PM

I just got a snail mail from the NRA that my membership was due to expire.
That's a great trick as I'm not a member.

AFS

Gaffer · November 7, 2007, 04:12 PM

This is a great scam by Guns & Ammo. They have been doing this for years. If one does not pay attention they can extend their subscription well beyond their death.

I do not see why the publisher allows this and it would serve them right if all their subscribers quit in protest.

November 2, 2007, 10:24 PM	#1
rgates Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2006 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 473	Beware Guns & Ammo E-mail I got an e-mail today that at first I thought was from Guns&Ammo(in other words I didn't look closely enough) telling me my subscription was expired. It of course offered a link to renew but thankfully my brain had kicked in and realized it was not from gunsandammomag.com. It was from gunsammo.web which comes from palmcoastd.com. I closed it and went to the real Guns & Ammo web site and confirmed my subscription doesn't expire till Jan., 08. I've seen scams before where if you click on the link you'll get a spyware bug or virus. Beware ! This could be and probably is one of those.

November 3, 2007, 09:02 AM	#3
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	Isn't Palm Coast Data the company that handles the renewals for G&A ? It is November of 07, It would be reasonable to renew a wanted subscription that expires after 2 months. __________________ Check 6

November 3, 2007, 09:34 AM	#5
HankL Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: The Sunny South Posts: 2,174	I don't blame you for being cautious. __________________ Check 6

November 3, 2007, 10:43 PM	#6
jfrey123 Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2006 Location: Reno, NV. Posts: 1,026	It's a good lesson. Never, ever link to a company from the e-mail they send you. That's something that happened to my mom when she got a "confirmation" email from "wellsfargo.net." The ghost screen she linked to asked for her SSN, log in information, etc. All the good stuff. Chaos ensued... Always go directly to a company's website by typing the website into your browser. Even your favorites list can get jacked. __________________ Rock out with your Glock out!

November 6, 2007, 07:19 PM	#10
rgates Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2006 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 473	Update I got an e-mail response from G&A. They said Palm Coast does do their subscription renewals but they have been getting a lot of complaints and are working on a way to improve the situation. I'm still not going through the Palm Coast link. I'll go directly to G&A site. If it directs me to Palm Coast, then I won't renew. I'm not going to start dealing with a magazine mass marketer.

November 3, 2007, 06:49 AM	#2
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	Thanks for the heads up, rgates.

November 3, 2007, 09:18 AM	#4
rgates Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2006 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 473	It may be. I've e-mailed G&A about it, but no response yet. This e-mail stated my subscription was already expired. They do appear to be a magazine marketing company so it may be perfectly innocent but I've received e-mails in the past direct from G&A notifying me of this. As I stated in my e-mail to G&A, it may be legit but it sure looks suspicious and I don't like it. I got one similar to this years ago with my first new computer, about 8 weeks old. Fried it. Required a complete erase and reformat of the hard drive. What a nightmare. That taught me to be a little suspicious and maybe even borderline paranoid. I will post G&A response if I get one so folks won't be deleting these e-mails needlessly if it is on the up and up.

November 4, 2007, 11:47 AM	#9
DesertDawg Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2007 Location: So Cal Posts: 158	I get "snail mail" renewal notices quite often, from a publishing house that is supposedly contracted by several publishing firms. The notices read "Renewal or subscription" at the top, and they all get "round filed". It's merely a ploy for you to subscribe to whatever publication is typed in. One of the worst and most aggressive gun publications that I've ever seen was "Gun Tests". They advertised in several gun publications that you could receive a "free copy" of their magazine by sending in the attached card. I sent it in, and got the "free copy"....then another one the following month....then another....then another! After 6 months, they sent me a bill for the "subscription"! I had NEVER subscribed! Following that original bill was another bill for the supposed un-paid subscription! A third bill was more like a "threat", that if I didn't fulfill my obligation to pay for the subscription that I had "requested", they would take legal action! Those "threat" letters kept on coming! I finally fired off a "challenge" letter to them, clearly stating that I had never signed for a subscription, and if they persisted in the "accusatory" letters, I would file a lawsuit against them (I had my next-door neighbor write that "challenge" letter, for he is a Superior Court Judge....and he added all kinds of "legalese" wording). As an after-thought, I bundled all of the "free" copies of "Gun Tests", and sent them back to them.....POSTAGE DUE! Between the "challenge" and the bundle of publications they got back, their "threats" came to a halt.

November 7, 2007, 03:34 PM	#11
AirForceShooter Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2005 Location: Sarasota (sort of) Florida Posts: 1,296	I just got a snail mail from the NRA that my membership was due to expire. That's a great trick as I'm not a member. AFS

November 7, 2007, 04:12 PM	#12
Gaffer Junior Member Join Date: April 11, 2007 Location: maine Posts: 14	This is a great scam by Guns & Ammo. They have been doing this for years. If one does not pay attention they can extend their subscription well beyond their death. I do not see why the publisher allows this and it would serve them right if all their subscribers quit in protest.