November 12, 2014

Kids Selling Magazine Subscriptions - Should We Worry?

Passed along without comment:
Hi Editors,
I was wondering if you had had any reports of a door to door magazine sales scam going around? A young man from an organization called PS Circulation rang our door bell today and the scenario was this: a well dressed young man (with a tie on) rings your bell, he asks you about your hobbies, your interests, tells you he is working on his people skills, he eventually tells you he is selling magazines and he gets "points" for each sale - and that part of this is a fundraiser for the Third St. Children's Center In Mission Bay. Next thing, he asks you for a drink of water (and some people have invited them in!) and eventually convinces you to buy some magazines and give him a check.

Just curious if anyone else had written in about concerns with this organization because it seems like a scam from what I read online.

Thanks!
**** (Noe Valley resident for 36 years)
What say you, Noe Valley?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Try contacting the organization that they say they represent and see if it is legit
3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic
1728 Bancroft Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94124
Tel: 415-822-1707
TDD:
Fax: 415-822-1723

Anonymous said...

They have come around my Glen Park home a few times over the past 5 years or so, and I didn't think they were legit but couldn't really figure out what the angle was. I never investigated but I have a feeling they're not a total scam. That said, I never gave them $$ and would not now.

Anonymous said...

I've had these guys ring my doorbell three times in the last two days. Tonight they came after dark when my sitter and daughters were here alone. It's actually making me very uncomfortable that they keep coming back and that there is a different man each time. No one else randomly comes and rings on my door because I live in a house situated off the main street.

Anonymous said...

I live at the bottom of the hill in the Mission on 25th and Alabama and a young man stopped by my house tonight. He was very friendly, spoke very quickly and said he was working on his people skills/public speaking. He also mentioned that he wont take cash but then showed me a wad of about $500 cash. When I said I was not interested he took off running without saying anything else. Just figured I would chime in.

Anonymous said...

First off, I want to believe these guys are for real, but it just seems really shady.

FYI - They are back on Hill Street again today (2nd time in a week).

Not sure what the story is with the legitimacy of the business, PS Circulation, they seem to be representing, but I did find this article from December 2014 on SF Gate.

http://www.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2014/12/05/magazine-solicitors-attempt-to-scam-richmond-district-neighborhood

Be careful out there.

Anonymous said...

They're hitting up Day street tonight around 8:30pm. I filed a complaint with the police department and they sent out a patrol car...

Anonymous said...

Just soliciting 21st street at 7:30pm on a friday.

Anonymous said...

Someone just came to our house at 26th Avenue and Lincoln. The spiel is the same; working on my people skills, have to earn points, eventually getting to the bottom line. The man was perfectly polite, but it seems like a scam.

Unknown said...

Just happened to me on 21st in Noe Valley. Same stories... The sales people are really nice and can't help but to feel bad for them. It seems like a really tough job to sell magazines door to door.

They told me it was tax deductible donation which made it easier to digest but soon realized it was a scam after doing a Google search.

Steve Kubick said...

I actually gave $25 to a woman and wrote it out to PS Circulation, to go to La Casa. My mom's roommate used to work for La Casa and I told her I just didn't need or want any magazines. She was trying to get me to get the business package for $280 - five magazines that normally would cost maybe all of $100 total. She said, "you realize I'm only taking 40% commission" - i.e. on the $280 - so let's say $112 of the $280. I would not call it a scam per se, as she seemed to genuinely be doing this door-to-door to make money. But neighbors were looking at me like don't give her money, and I was like, fuck you. I'm giving her $25.

Unknown said...

It's a scam. Don't be afraid to tell people to leave and call the police. It happened too many times to count when we lived in Seattle. Now I live in Marin, in Mill Valley, and the same issue is happening here. Life is crazy, and I wish things were different. But do look out for yourselves and your family.

Anonymous said...

December 2017 and these people are back -- this time in the West Portal area....and again with the evening visits, and reported hostility; as one neighbor reported, he asked the man to go away and take them off their "list."After he closed the door, the sales rep banged on the door, spat on the door, and kicked their porch pumpkin into the street. I would say they sound like a dangerous bunch.