# Subs to magazine lapsed. I still get issues, now I'm receiving past-due notices. Affect on credit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165 "2013-01-14T13:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/1 "2013-01-14T13:59:42Z")
Just like the title says: I had a subscription to Fortune magazine which I had let lapse. They still sent issues beyond the ending date, now I’m receiving “past due” notices. Is this just a BS way to market/sell their magazine, or is this an actual past-due notice, possibly affecting my credit score? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/2 "2013-01-14T14:08:18Z")
I don’t think magazine subscription are included in your credit score, and legally, the magazine sent the issues without your permission, which means they are yours to keep. It’s just a way to scare you into resubscribing. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/3 "2013-01-14T14:36:09Z")
But was it without the OP’s permission? There may be a sneaky rider that the subscription is automatically renewed unless you cancel. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/4 "2013-01-14T14:39:16Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > But was it without the OP’s permission? There may be a sneaky rider that the subscription is automatically renewed unless you cancel. I’ve never seen this provision in a magazine subscription request. The overdue notices are a sleazy way to get you to resubscribe. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/5 "2013-01-14T15:26:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I’ve never seen this provision in a magazine subscription request. > > The overdue notices are a sleazy way to get you to resubscribe. Actually I have one magazine that _does_ that. Not Forbes, but a different one. Forbes may well have such a provision. The OP needs to contact Forbes and explicitly _tell_ them to cancel the subscription at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/6 "2013-01-14T15:26:57Z")
Call the subscription department and explain the situation. Tell them that you did not request any extra magazines past your subscription expiration date and will not pay for any sent after that date. Before you do this, however, _carefully_ examine that “past due” notice for disclaimers statingthat this is not a bill(or words to that effect.) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/7 "2013-01-14T15:30:24Z")
Did you by chance subscribe to these through some school or door-to-door program? Or via a credit card offer? Those honey traps can be a real pain in the ass to fix because the subs are loss-leaders intended to sucker as many as possible into continuing subscriptions. They are often NOT managed by the regular magazine service but a division of the credit card company or third-party seller. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/8 "2013-01-14T15:40:12Z")
Everything about the “bill” indicates that it is from Time-Warner/Fortune Magazine. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/9 "2013-01-14T16:51:55Z")
do check with the subscription department. i agree that some magazines do have an automatic renewal option which could either bill to a credit card or send you a bill in the mail. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/10 "2013-01-14T17:18:10Z")
I had one magazine subscription at a lower-than-normal rate specifically because it included an auto-renewal option. Even then, I think I received a postcard a month in advance of the renewal date that I could return if I didn’t want to continue the subscription. But I agree that the OP should contact the magazine and cancel it explicitly. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/11 "2013-01-14T17:36:15Z")
Yeah, I’ve called the subscription service. As noted, it was an automatic renewal checkbox that I did not notice (and yes, I’ve received other notices and ignored them.) So the issue is my fault, of course. I also chatted with an Equifax CSR and, to answer the OP, they said they wouldn’t know if my credit score is impacted until I get reported by Time-Warner/Fortune. The TW CSR said that there wouldn’t be any reporting, and I did offer to pay for any already-received magazines, which he waived. I appreciate the help, everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subs-to-magazine-lapsed-i-still-get-issues-now-im-receiving-past-due-notices-affect-on-credit/647165/12 "2013-01-16T05:24:13Z")
I would call them and give them hell, just for fun. Because of the internet, print magazines (even more than newspapers) are dropping like flies into bankruptcy! There are a couple of websites that post ‘deathwatch’ lists of struggling or soon to be failing titles. I would demand to be canceled immediately just to hear them apologize profusely and try and make you a better & better deal on resubscribing.