Trout Magazine Scam

[Maurice]

Recently many if not all TU members received subscription renewals from a third party company, Platinum Publishing. The cost was $79/year for Trout Magazine which as you know is part of the membership to Trout Unlimited.

This is not a legitimate service and should be ignored and reported to TU. Apparently they somehow got ahold of the mailing lists from a third party.

It is being investigated by TU and they have sent out emails to disregard the notice. But incase you hadn't heard, this is a scam. Don't pay it.

That is all.

 

[bigslackwater]

Wow! Here I was kinda mad at TU for going to subscription. $80 for 4 magazines!? I'm relieved that it wasn't TUs intentions.

 

[salmonoid]

Given the influx of membership requests that I began receiving from other organizations, after joining TU, it should hardly come as a surprise that a scam like this would surface. It seems TU is talking out of both sides of their mouth - it's ok for them to generate revenue this way, apparently.

From TU's Privacy Policy:

MEMBERSHIP DATA
On occasion, Trout Unlimited may rent certain member data, limited to name and physical address. This member data may be rented to other companies that we believe offer value-added services to our members.

Trout Unlimited may also occasionally rents or exchanges physical mailing lists in order to:

raise significant unrestricted revenue to help support our conservation initiatives;
dramatically reduce the cost of obtaining mailing lists for our own direct mail efforts; and/or
ensure access to other fly fishing mailing list.
Information of children under 13 will not be rented to other companies. If you do not want your name shared with other companies, please see the choice/opt-out section below.

I'm not saying that the third-party trying to scam users into paying for Trout is in the right, but TU sells the information in the first place.. And TU has the gall to state in their notification newsletter that they are unsure how the third-party obtained this information... The third-party bought it, potentially directly from TU.

 

[JasonS]

If anyone used a cc to pay your TU dues you better start monitoring your credit/credit card statements. This is a pretty ridiculous thing that TU allowed to happen.

 

[DaveKile]

Good eye Maurice. Here is the notice on the Susquehanna TU site as well.
http://susquehannatu.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/scam-invoices-for-trout-magazine/

 

[krayfish]

Aren't many honest folk left out there.

 

[turkey]

Thanks Mo. I just got that card in the mail. +1 on watching your credit card activity. I've had subscriptions to magazines in the past that would automatically renew unless I stopped them.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

By the way gents...once you hit the 50 year old mark it seams everyone sends you subscription renewal notices.....I always check the last check date to see when it should expire. My parents have even had magazines delivered to their home and than billed later. The idea is that you are forgetful and will go ahead and pay the bill.