Atlas Editions : How to cancel? Please help a pensioner...

tincat

Hi all,

My mother signed up for Atlast Editions a few months ago, and after the 1st lot of atlas cards came she sent off a cheque for 99p. She also agreed to receive the next offer. They so far have sent her 10 ish parcels, and the invoice has gone up to around £12 per month incl postage! I'm not sure when she signed up as she didn't date her cheque stubs.

I've only found out now as she wants me to write a letter for her to cancel. She wrote to them a month ago to ask how many more deliveries there would be and they've just written back to say 34 more deliveries are coming!!!!!

I've just done some googling on them, and the results are awful - scam alert! It also seems like it's very hard to cancel. Apparently she likes the cards, but she has to cancel. She's a pensioner and never uses the internet. She wrote off for the initial offer from an ad in the paper.

Can anyone advise the best way to cancel and to remain cancelled? I was thinking of sending them an email to say that any future orders must be cancelled, and that no deliveries posted within 2 weeks (or 1 month?) of the email will be paid for.

Will this do? Or is there something else I should do?

whitewing

Oh, I'm going to bump this for you... I saw the 99p cards on a flyer in the Reader's Digest Dec package.

Try calling Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. They may be able to advise.

whitewing

Hello, am bumping this for the morning crew......

hollydays

I cant offer any advice other than contact Consumer Direct. Also warn her she may get other similar mail-check if she has subscribed to anything else at all she has not told you about. She has agreed to receive stuff though.-hasnt she-otherwise she wouldnt have accepted the third lot. Iwould say she didnt wat to recieve any more from the date of the letter-otherwise they might send you whole lot at once.They are a French Company, so I am not sure how UK law applies here.Search this site for other postings about them-none seem too negative.

Mrs_Thrify

Pop a letter in the post, write it on the computer and get your mum to sign at the bottom as the contract is with her - so SHE needs to do the canceling. Keep a duplicat letter and date both clearly.
Best of luck... Julie

hollydays

Send it recorded delivery

tincat

Hi all,

Thank you very much for your replies. It seems I was overreacting a bit. I sent an email to their email address requesting them to cancel last night, without giving a reason, just including my mothers customer number (with her permission of course). We then printed out the email and posted it this morning.

We have already received an email back from customer services confirming that we've cancelled. They did coach their email in language to persuade her to carry on, but they have confirmed that unless she contacts them to get more stuff or to continue, no further shipments will be made.

Thanks all:j

And I should apologise to Atlas Editions for thinking the worst..... Whilst I think that it's not a totally honest business (raising the prices without clear notification - or maybe even no notification as I haven't seen the correspondence), at least they do seem to act when you ask.

tanith

I am glad that you managed to sort it so easily.... I have a similar problem and wonder if anyone can tell me the answer... I have looked on the Readers Digest site but can't really find what I want...

For a christmas pressie and with my Tesco Clubcard vouchers I bought a years subscription to Readers Digest for an elderly housebound lady.. when I told her she was very upset and thinks she will now be inundated with unwanted mail... also that at the end of the years subscription she will be badgered to carry on with the subscription... apparently she subscribed many years ago and ended up with a court summons as they kept sending the damn thing even when she had cancelled... so now I am feeling bad as she is worrying over something that was meant to give her some pleasure...

anyone?

MissEyre

tincat wrote: »

Hi all,

Thank you very much for your replies. It seems I was overreacting a bit. And I should apologise to Atlas Editions for thinking the worst..... Whilst I think that it's not a totally honest business (raising the prices without clear notification - or maybe even no notification as I haven't seen the correspondence), at least they do seem to act when you ask.

I am so glad you got this sorted out, it must be very worrying when you are trying to help someone else with something like this. Just wanted to say thanks to you for posting the update above-it is so rare to hear of anyone actually saying their original problem was resolved, and that the company have been helpful! What a relief for you

Mrs_Thrify

Oh dear Tanith. I think a letter in the post ( folk DO like to see the new instruction in writting) I would say something along the lines as to the lady not wanting the mag and could they now put your address down instead for you to read.
I think by changing the address you may still have the book, but if you cancel you could say goodbye to your money :eek: .

Or Phone in the New Year to explain and see what they say!
Best of Luck...Julie

tanith

Thanks Julie I have asked if they will transfer the membership to myself.... at least that way I haven't thrown my money away...