Subscription Agents
Pacific Renewal ServiceFind BBB Accredited Businesses in Subscription Agents.
Information and Alerts
Alert Details
This business has 1 alert.
Government Actions
US Attorney Press Release
According to information from the US Attorney's office:
"United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the guilty plea of BRIAN JAMES WILLIAMS, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. WILLIAMS, who was indicted on October 27, 2020, entered his guilty plea today before Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was the first guilty plea following the October 27, 2020, indictment of 60 individuals for their involvement in fraudulent magazine sales.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, WILLIAMS owned and operated several companies involved in fraudulent magazine sales, including Readers Club Home Office, Pacific Renewal Service, and Tropical Readers in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Pacific Beach Readers Club in San Diego, California. WILLIAMS’ companies operated telemarketing call centers in both St. Paul and San Diego at which telemarketers used deceptive sales scripts designed to defraud victim-consumers—many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable—by tricking them into signing up for expensive magazine subscription packages. WILLIAMS conspired with and participated in this scheme with many others, including with company owners, lead brokers, and telemarketers located across the country. In total, WILLIAMS and his companies defrauded thousands of victims out of more than $29 million.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed with the court, WILLIAMS agreed to pay $29,262,249 in restitution to victims of his fraud conspiracy. WILLIAMS faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison."
More information is available by clicking here.
Important Information
Believed to be out of business
According to information in BBB files, it appears that this business is no longer in business.
Additional Info
BBB has attempted to contact this business to clarify their location but has not had a response to our requests for additional information.
Reason for Rating - Not Rated
This business has no rating because BBB has information indicating it is out of business.
BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.