Warning about Good Housekeeping Sweepstake
Now of course, I didn't give Good Housekeeping my credit card number when I entered the sweepstake, but I've heard horror stories where people have had their credit reports damaged by magazines trying to collect on subscriptions that they never ordered, so I am far from happy with this development. I canceled the "subscription" through their online site and sent them a complaint in an email. Automatically signing me up for a subscription that I did not agree to receive is a pretty clear violation of the no consideration aspect of sweepstakes laws. I have asked Good Housekeeping for an explanation, but so far I've only received a form letter in response.
I'll let you know if I receive a more thorough response from Good Housekeeping. However, you should be on alert for subscription emails if you register for this sweepstake, and be sure to unsubscribe if you don't want to receive the magazine.
Comments
Hi, I entered too for this $250K sweep and will see. I checked no, no and no so any bill would clearly be wrong. I will let you know.
Robin
Thank you! I really hope it’s just me, so I’m looking forward to hearing whether you got the same email.
I had the same problem. I actually contacted The BBB and sent a complaint through them.
I had the same experience when I entered a sweepstakes sponsored by Real Simple magazine. I thought at the time I had just made a mistake and clicked on the wrong box, but maybe not…
Eve, I’m glad you contacted the BBB. I think I am going to as well. They finally emailed me today and said that they would cancel the order (after telling me twice I’d have to wait until next week to do it!), but what if I had overlooked the email? I’d hate to think of other people falling into this trap, and this is really not the way that they should be profiting from their sweep.
Lucy, I would have thought that, too, if I hadn’t just written up the sweepstakes for this site. As it was, I was absolutely sure about the link and that I opted out, which made receiving the email that I’d subscribed even more frustrating!
the same thing happened to me when I entered for the “FREE” things that Redbook offers every month. I had to call them to tell them I just entered the sweeps and did not order the magazine. I was told I probably clicked on the wrong button. Now I will not enter any of their sweeps any more. I wll also contact the BBB—Karin
Karin, I’m sorry to hear about your bad experience with Redbook! I’ve been entering their sweeps for years, and so far no bad experiences (I’ll cross my fingers that that won’t change now!).
Now I know how I ended up with an e-mail confirmation for a Reader’s Digest subscription that I did not request. So far, I’ve received two bills and have sent both back with a big NO THANKS written on them. Someone gives me a yearly subscription every Christmas, I have no reason to ever purchase a subscription for myself. If I get another bill, I will contact Readers Digest again (I contacted them when I got the first e-mail) and tell them I’m ready to go the BBB route also.
the problem here is hearst magazines. they have no ethics. they are liars. there are other sweeps they run in which they pull these tricks.
I have had the same thing happen and with many magazines in recent months. You check the box for the contest only but they try to scam us and then if you don’t pay they send you a letter from their in house collection dept making you think it will go into your credit history if you don’t pay.
I also got duped by this magazine today with their phoney sweeptake. I got so fed up!
Please help me! I entered a Good Housekeeping Sweepstakes and need to know how to Unsubscribe because I forgot to check that box!
You need to contact their customer service department to cancel. I contacted the email address in the “subscription confirmation” and just kept sending emails until they responded.
By the way, you shouldn’t have to uncheck a box if you entered from the link I provided. It’s very frustrating that this problem is still continuing…
I had this same thing happen after entering a Redbook contest. I had to go to their website and cancel my “subscription.”
Good house keeping is still signing people up if they enter the contest.
I received my subscription confirmation yesterday in a email.
I signed up for a GHK sweepstakes in December 2007. I was thrilled, as my husband is unemployed, and the kitchen could sure use a re-model – in the event we need to sell in a depressed market, and housepayments are becoming a financial stretch. Much to my dismay, in less than 24 hours I had an email saying thanks for ordering GHK, which I didn’t order, as I already had a subscription. Why would I want 2? Regardless, I emailed and cancelled the 2nd subscription. I am seriously considering not renewing – I am questioning the unethical marketing practices. Shame on GHK.
Jackie, that is so frustrating. I was contacted by someone at Good Housekeeping a few months ago who promised to look into the problem, but apparently they haven’t done so. I agree, shame on them for trying to trick people into subscriptions they don’t really want – or at least, for not taking the problem seriously when reported.
I got a bill from US Weekly for $64.00!!! I had accidentially clicked the “get 4 issues free-trial subscription” box in their sweepstakes during one entry. I got them to cancel, but not before I got an online 2nd notice on the heels of the snailmail invoice. What a shame they will ruin the fun of entering contests at best, and at worst, ruin someone’s credit.
This happens to me all the time. I know to check for a box for a subscription but for some reason I will start receiving the magazines. Maybe the BBB isnt such a bad idea.
I also entered the contest and rec’vd a bill saying I owed. I returned the invoice saying I did not order. Days later I rec’vd a magazine that I did not read!!!!
So, if you enter and do not want the free trial magazine are you still eligible for the prize????????
Yes, you should be able to registers for the contest without signing up for the free trial.
I have received the same problem. I have requested that they remove my name from there subscription list. During hard times I am unable to afford there subscription. Thanks for the info.
I just registered for multiple Sweepstakes through the Good Housekeeping website. Shortly after I went to my email and found I was registered for 4 subscriptions. I am absolutely sure I did not check to subscribe for any subscriptions, so Good Housekeeping is definitely trying to scam. Be aware and think twice before participating in their sweepstakes. I even went back and verified it states “No Purchase Necessary TO Participate,” I have written a complaint to their Customer Service and stated that I will not be paying for the subscriptions so they should not send any magazines. We’ll see…
Same thing happened when i entered no, no, no and now i have two invoices one for $8 and another for $10. but now when i try and log in to cancel i always get an error page.
I was very surprized today to find an e-mail from Good Housekeeping telling me about the money I owed them for a magazine subscription. All I ever did was enter their contest. I was very careful NOT to check the box indicating that I was interested in their publication because I’m not. They’ll not get a penny from me.
Wow, I thought it was just me. lol I am throwing away and paying for 2 magazine subscriptions I know I never ordered but didn’t know what to do and when I contacted the companies they would not help me…so of course I eventually paid for them. UGHHHHHH!!!
I entered the Cosmoplitan contest then I get an email telling me my magazine subscription is on it’s way but all I did was enter the contest. So I will stay away from them.
Wow I wondered why I had recieved bills from them knowing I always check “NO”. I guess I will stay away from their sweeps. Thanks for the info
I finally got my subscription cancelled! I knew that I clicked on the link that enabled me to enter the sweeps without ordering from G.H. I wrote a letter to the editor and also tried to cancel on-line. When I got the bill, I wrote cancel on the bill and sent it back. I let the editor know that I thought this was an unscroupulous practice and it was not right. They have had many different sweeps called by different names….Pay-off your debt, fantasy fund etc………I don’t know if their sweeps are legimate.
I had the same thing happen with redbook. They made me wait a week to cancel it online and then sent me the magazine anyway.