Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!umich!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!mips!abbott!seiter
From: seiter@mips.COM (Dave Seiter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: MacWorld's Phony Offers
Keywords: MacWorld
Message-ID: <34335@mips.mips.COM>
Date: 10 Jan 90 19:41:28 GMT
References: <2505@manta.cme.nbs.gov>
Sender: news@mips.COM
Distribution: na
Lines: 42

In article <2505@manta.cme.nbs.gov>, proctor@cme.nbs.gov (Fred Proctor) writes:
> Several months ago, my colleagues and I each received an offer from
> MacWorld magazine for a free mouse pad and trial issue.  We all said
> "Sure, why not?"  What a mistake.  After receiving several harassing
> letters from MacWorld (to which we responded with queries abour our
> mosue pads and requests for cancellations), we've been put on the
> delinquency list of the North Shore collection agency.  After filling
> out an unsolicited bulk-mailed freebie card!  What a bunch of slimeballs.
> 
> I'm now certain of several things:
> 
> 1)	MacWorld uses the sleaziest marketing tactics I've ever
> 	heard of;
> 
> 2)	I'm never EVER going to buy an issue of that ad-rag;
> 
> 3)	I still need a new mouse pad.
> 
> I'd add more, but the collection agency just asked me to power down
> the Mac so they can cart it away.  Beware!

I had the same thing happen to me last year!  I was getting the one free
copy and then canceling every time they sent me a trial offer. (slightly
unethical I suppose, but it's hard to turn down anything free)  They ignored
the cancelation notices this time and said that I had to pay for 2-3 issues.
I decided that I wasn't going to waste any more postage on them.  Then the
agency started sending me their trash... I actually called them to clear things
up (but NOT pay), and their fancy answering machine died in the middle of call.
 
At that point I decided to ignore the agency, Macworld and anyone connected 
with either.

Did I ever get the mouse pad, you ask??
As a matter of fact yes; the piece of junk came about 5 months later.  Cheap
fabric top, "decorations" that impeaded mouse tracking and the edges were
curled.  You get what you pay for.....

I have discovered since then that my Mac and I are very happy and aware of
what is current *without* Macworld.   Yeah! I'm free....
                                                        ......
								.....
Dave Seiter