In October of 2006, a firm called Magazine Payment Services sent a mailing to our subscribers. The mailing was a subscription solicitation, but it looked deceptively like a renewal notice. It was not authorized by us, the rates quoted were not our usual rates, and it appears that they mailed this solicitation to our entire subscription list (including people with lifetime subscriptions, who we thank for notifying us promptly).

This firm is not connected with our magazine and as we go to press with this issue, we have no evidence that payments sent to them will be forwarded to us.

If you sent a payment to them, please check with us to see if we have received it. (We can be reached via our Website or write us at PO Box 3447, Hoboken, NJ 07030.) The company that sent these solicitations is Magazine Payment Services, PO Box 1296, Sausalito, CA 94966. Their listed phone number is (866) 221-8585 but we have not been able to reach them through this number.

For future reference, please remember that subscriptions can always be sent to us directly. If you choose to use a subscription agency, there are many reliable ones such as EBSCO and QSP with whom we have done business for years. But unfortunately rogue agencies seem to be proliferating. If you encounter an agency that leaves you with any doubts, check them out first with the Better Business Bureau.

You can find a sample image of one of these deceptive notices, along with the latest news, on our message board.