866-494-3117

This is something that needs to be reported to the magazine distributor. BAM is not responsible for the charges to your account as they are not the ones charging you.

OK, I see what is going on here. In short, Books A Million is in effect misleading everyone here, including their employees/salespeople. Here is how the magazine industry works: most publications are made up months in advance and only make so many copies for their subscribers at that point in time. If you were to subscribe today, 4/4/09, your very first copy could be showing up as late as August. Actually they are not really misleading, they are specifically leaving out information that would result in a "no sale". How would a consumer even know to ask when exactly does the trial begin? Upon sign-up or after the magazines are received? Books A Million is betting on you waiting too long to cancel, meanwhile they know the industry is well behind the waiting period to begin with. Do not blame the salespeople for this, they do not know any of this either! Books A Million is not telling them as well. If you really want to subscribe to a magazine, with the best prices and terms (and they disclose to you what I just wrote), then go to the following link, I have no benefit whatsover by you going there:
http://www.magazinepricesearch.com/cat/travelvacations3.html
I am just so sick and fed up with companies ripping honest people off!

Dude, you are going to have silent helicopters hovering over your house and strange white vans driving by with men dressed in black wearing very dark sunglasses... slowly.

You are now on double secret probation.

My mother got a card saying that she had received a free "people" subscription from Books A Million.  She had never been offered the subscription.  They did it totally on her own from the information in the computer.  They're scamming people who don't agree to the magazines as well.

Books-a-million offered a 3 month trial of People and told me to cancel it if I was uninterested.  Before I could cancel it I was charged for a subscription.  I called the number suggested in this thread and they quickly and politely removed the credit to my account and cancelled my subscription, no questions asked.  No big deal.

I would like too, because I canceled this before they charged me. And they ended up charging me several months later, as if I wouldn't catch it! I am furious. I do not think that books a million should be allowed to offer these things to where the customers end up being victims of these magazine scam artist (Bamm Ent.). Books a million fails to tell you that you will be charged after a certain time. I think the lawsuit should be against books a million also. Because they don't tell you this will happen, it shows up on your receipt after the fact. The thing is I sent in cancel in the mail and they still charged me. So I am up for a lawsuit against these people

This is ridiculous. Just call the number.

They were VERY courtious and agreed to refund the charges, no problem what so ever.......I was hit with $29.95 for Sports Ill. & $39.95 for People!!!!!

I called Amanda at 1-866-464-3117 TWX*BAMM6, she has informed me that my credit card charge of $69.90 will be taken off the card, within 7-10 days. She is sending me a confermation that the magazines have been cancelled. I will keep an eye out for Books-a-Million's scam to lure customer's into this magazine scam. Thank you Julie.  I am not one to read very fine print on my receipt because companies, such as Books-a-Million should be honest up front.  Thank all of you for your comments.

Yeah...called this number...and the lady was wonderful!  Couldn't ask for a more professional woman on the other end of the line...Canceling and getting my money refunded in less than 3 minutes...THAT is how customer service is supposed to work!!

Thanks alot! I called and they are going to refund my money. Books a million said it was free then they hit me for 29.95. Everyone please be careful. Guess the old saying is right.... Nothing is free!!!!

I work for Books-A-Million and I can assure you that this isn't a scam.  Nobody from BAM is secretly rubbing their hands together and trying to steal your money, and the same goes for TIME Publications.  It is an OFFER.  You have to choose to accept it.  The full details of the offer are printed on your receipt.  You can cancel it at any time, and even if it charges and you decide you don't want it, you can call the publisher and they will reverse the charge and cancel the subscription.

Yes, it is something we're forced to try to give you; BAM and TIME Publications (People, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated and TIME) hammered out some stupid deal that forces us to ask everyone with a credit card if they want to sign up.  Yes, we're tracked and we're reprimanded if we don't meet quotas.  No, it is not possible to scam you.  You're in a bookstore, we already know that you know how to read.  Read the receipt next time.  If you'd bothered to read the thing you were signing, you wouldn't have felt "scammed".

I also wanted to express my frustration with BAM and this "free" subscription...I purchased a book and used my mother's millionaire card...I renewed the card for her while I was there and the cashier told me that for signing up for the card I would receive "two free magazines for 8 weeks"...nothing else...of course since the purchase was not for myself...I threw the receipt in the bag and delivered the book to my mom...Just received my bank statement and was charged over $70 for Sports Illustrated and People...which I never received

Are you out of your mind...!!!???   I, like many others, I assume, was 'gifted' a 'free' magazine with my club membership.  It was only after I was in the parking lot headed to my car that I looked in my 'free' new Books a Million club bag and realized there was no magazine in it.  I returned to the store and asked for the magazine I was to receive. The cashier then told me that my subscriptions would begin in 6 weeks.  WHAT???!!!!  I never knew I subscribed to a magazine!

This is serious deception on Book a Million's part!  I'm just as anxious as others to put an end to this - through litigation if necessary.

My wife used a debit card not a credit card and was never asked to try a subscription.  Two chargers totaling 96.90 have shown up on our debit card, and I have repeatedly try to get the money credited with no success.  Furthermore I have yet to receive a magazine.

I will have to disagree...this is a scam.

I should not have to read any fine print to by a book...only check to ensure the amount is correct.

BAM lost a family of readers for being sneaky and greedy.

I work at BAM and currently got charged from TIME for all this.  Yes it does say on the reciept to call and cancel or you will be charged, but it also says 8 free issues before the charge.  I only recieved 5 issues of one magazine and 6 of the other when they charged me.  My account was over drafted and i had the bank call me saying they were going to close my account.  I plan on trying to follow up with these time people but reading all everyone's experiences and not seeing anyone get their money back seems depressing.  The system it self is not a scam.  Time just needs to stick to what it says.

I just had this issue too. Woke up with $29.95 charged to my bank account. Not recognizing the number and knowing that I'd not spent 29.95 on anything, I called and spoke to a very respectful and kind lady who canceled my subscription and refunded my money within a 2 minute phone conversation. Granted, I won't receive my money back for a few days, it's still nice that they were able to help me so quickly and without question.

Same here :l


I didn't ask for anything, and they charged me for a "free" subscription.

I had the same thing happen!  I couldn't imagine what BAMM was, well thanks to google, I found this site!  I'll be calling tomorrow to cancel for sure.

I had the same experience with just about every other poster where my wife agreed to a free trial subscription to People and was eventually charged $39.95 on her VISA card after the trial period.  I called the number 866-494-3117 to cancel.  The woman on the other end of the call was professional and agreed to refund the money in 8-10 business days on the VISA card.  I guess I'll update this posting if the refund does not appear.  Trial subscriptions schemes like this are a real hassle and should be banned.