Help! I Think I've Been Scammed!! Urban Success Legit or Not??

Updated on January 20, 2013
D.S. asks from Coppell, TX
9 answers

A couple months ago, my husband purchased a couple magazine subscriptions from a door to door "salesman" from Urban Success, Inc...much to my disapproval and initial skepticism. Well, it's now been almost 120 days and guess what, no magazines. I tried calling the company and the # provided does not appear to be a business. There is also no listing for the company with directory assistance. I'm writing about this for two reasons...one, does anyone know if by any miracle this is actually a legitimate company? And two, I wanted to make you all aware of this scam (if that's what it indeed is). Both my husband & I are always SOOOOO careful with personal information and donations, but this "kid" totally sold us on his cause. They claim to be part of a group of troubled young people that move from city to city to sell magazines to keep them out of the inner city where they were getting into trouble with gangs and the like. I am SOOO mad about this whole situation. You feel like you are helping someone out, only to feel like an idiot in the end. PLEASE share with me any similar stories or let me know if you have any information about this business.

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S.W.

answers from Dallas on

Here's what I've heard about these kids that are selling magazines and other things... The company recruits these children (and they are children) by promising them fast, easy money (most of them are runaways or come from broken homes). They agree to join and the "company" who loads them onto a bus and takes them miles away from their hometown where they don't know anyone. Then, they are told they must stay out "selling" their product until they reach a certain goal. They aren't given any food, no money, no phones, no way to get home. They get so desperate that they'll tell you anything to sell stuff so that they can go home. You may eventually get your order, but you're supporting a company that exploits children.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Dallas on

I personally make it a habit to never buy anything from anyone going door to door, unless it's a neighbor's kid that I personally know. I agree with the suggestion that you should ask for a brochure and you'll follow up later. It took me a while to catch on, but there alot of scams out there and while someone said they eventually got the magazine from the company, you're really not helping those kids, you're helping an opportunistic company make money, along with adults that will do anything for a dollar.

2 moms found this helpful
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R.K.

answers from Dallas on

I bought a mag. subscription from this co. (at least I am pretty sure it was the same one) and it honestly took a full 6 mos. to start getting the magazine. Like you, I hate buying into these things but the kid sold me on it as well. I had even looked over the initial paperwork where I signed up and it said in fine print that it could take up to 6 mos to receive your mags. Hopefully this will be the same for you.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.L.

answers from Dallas on

Get a "no solicitors" sign (we just printed one on a piece of paper, and stick it out. To go door to door in Coppell, you have to be registered with the city. As far as I'm aware, these people are not. I got tired of the "Linda down the street bought some" or the "you can donate them to a hospital" routine so I printed up a sign. You may very well get your magazine, but might consider putting a sign out as well. It will just make your life easier imo.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Dallas on

same as Ronda here. I bought a mag from the guy and it took forever to arrive. We live on single income with two kids so I was freaking out when I thought we had been scammed but it turned out that we did get the magazines.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.P.

answers from Dallas on

At the beginning of this year sometime, a young girl came to my door and started out with "Hi, My name is so-and-so and I live on the other end of Your Avenue. I'm Debra's daughter, and you've probably seen her walking our dog. Anyway, my class is selling magazines to raise money for a trip to London ... these are the magazines I'm selling (and she whips out a brochure."

Now, I have a 78 lb. German Shepherd Dog that goes absolutely nuts when anyone comes to the door, so I open it a tiny crack and explain that I can't open it anymore because of the dog. That being said, I asked the girl if she could leave a brochure with me so that I could look it over and order directly on a website. She said no; I told her I couldn't help her and I wished her good luck on her fundraising.

A few days later, a co-worker of mine tells me that over the weekend, two young ladies came to his door telling me they were selling magazines door-to-door in his neighborhood, raising money to go to a trip to London. WTH?! Same as in my neighborhood?

Apparently, this is completely a scam. They have no license to sell door-to-door, they can't give you their school's name, they want to be invited into your home so they can scope out the goods, etc.

And just recently (like, two weeks ago "recently"), I had a young man come to my door with an accent, claiming he was from Israel, and that he and his friend wanted opinions on their oil paintings. ???????

I told him I'm not interested, wished him good luck, and got right onto Google to see if this was another scam. Yep, sure was.

I don't know anything about the "business" you are asking about, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share my similar experiences with you. I am very cautious about these kids selling door-to-door and will contribute my purchases to people at work whose kids are selling something (cookies, wrapping paper, etc.).

Good luck to you :)

1 mom found this helpful
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R.G.

answers from Dallas on

Hey I lost 75.00' from these idiots. The owner is listed in some sites as Lucius pierce and office manager at Sonia Byrd... It's a social world, bother these clowns are on Facebook and even has a like page ... Spelled "strikly business". If we make this go viral on their Facebook pages then I got my 75.00 bucks worth.....

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J.L.

answers from Houston on

Contact Sonia Byrd at ###-###-#### she is the former Office Manager for SB Magazines/Urban Success Inc. She does have current information on Lucius Pierce. She assisted me in getting a call back from him but I am still awaiting my refund. They are all the same companies SB Magazines, Strictly Business, Strickly Business and Urban Success. They go around the US scamming people out of money soliciting for magazine sales.

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R.A.

answers from Houston on

Contact the office manager Sonia Byrd at ###-###-####. The owner is Lucius Pierce. They are known con artist in TX. They sell magazines take peoples money but never deliver.

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