MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced an enforcement lawsuit Monday against the Florida-based Publishers Marketing Service Inc. for allegedly violating the state's no call and direct marketing laws.
Publishers Marketing, a company that sells magazine subscription renewals by telephone solicitation, allegedly made numerous calls to Wisconsin residents without registering as a telephone solicitor. Publishers Marketing also allegedly made multiple calls to numbers listed on the state's no call registry.
Publishers Marketing also allegedly made misrepresentations when selling magazine subscriptions. In some instances, company representatives allegedly told customers that the price of a subscription was about to go up to induce a sale, when the publisher was not actually planning to increase rates. Publishers Marketing also allegedly failed to deliver some subscriptions or refunds within a delivery period or extended delivery period.
In one alleged instance, a consumer was charged for a renewal but the defendant failed to provide the renewal or a refund. The consumer only allegedly received a refund after making 17 requests to the defendant.
Van Hollen's lawsuit seeks to enjoin Publishers Marketing from further state law violations, including enjoining the company from making future telephone solicitations to state residents. The lawsuit also seeks to impose forfeitures of at least $100 per violation, attorney and court costs and other relief as deemed necessary.
Wisconsin AG files lawsuit against Florida-based company for alleged no call, marketing violations
