Do you know what forced continuation is? It is a marketing ploy that is used to catch the unwary and extract their money. It is easy to fall prey to this type of “dirty” marketing.

It happened to me, and I know how it works and usually read the small print. In doing this blog, and having websites related to health and aging, I like to keep up with what else is out there. Prevention magazine is a very popular magazine, so I decided to subscribe to it. I re-subscribed after the first year but then got bored with it, since it is pretty repetitious. So when I got renewal invoices I just ignored them . Yesterday I got a letter from a collection agency telling me I that the client (Prevention magazine) had not received payment for the subscription, and giving me “the opportunity to resolve this matter before it goes any further”.

I had not bothered to read the small print which currently says the following

“Your subscription will be automatically renewed at significant savings off the cover price, unless you tell us to stop. You authorize us to charge your credit card for your renewal subscription before your current subscription expires at the low renewal rate then in effect. If your credit card can’t be charged for any reason, or if you selected the Bill Me Later option, we will bill you directly instead. This service will continue each year until you tell us to stop. If you wish to cancel, call (800) 813-8070 or contact customer service at any time.”

This is known as forced continuation. To stop continually getting the product periodically forever, you have to physically cancel, usually by phone.

The company hopes you don’t notice. Some companies are very sneaky about where they put the small print.

A category of products that are really bad for forced continuation are wrinkle creams. Many of them have a free trial, if you just pay the shipping and handling. However, in the small print you will find that by getting the “free trial” you are agreeing to have the product shipped to you every month and your credit card will be billed every month. Beware of all those fake blogs, that tell you “how I improved my wrinkles” and have amazing before and after pictures.

Caveat emptor. Buyer beware.

small> photo credit: shawncampbell

[tags]forced continuation, prevention magazine, wrinkle cream, small print[/tags]