One after the other, magazines he didn’t order kept coming in the mail for David Moyers.

We, People, Ebony. I don’t read any of those magazines,” Moyers said.

At first, getting unsolicited magazines was just a nuisance and frustrating waste of time.

“I started calling the magazines to cancel, ” he said.

The companies would not stop sending them. And then, they sent him a bill. That crossed the line.

“It’s extremely frustrating. I’m positive I didn’t order those magazines,” he said defiantly. “I was mad. I wrote to the Better Business. I sent a letter to the attorney general.”

Trying to trick you

Getting a bunch of magazines is one thing, but the real problem comes when the company sends you a bill, falsely claiming you subscribed and saying you owe money to them for something you did not order.

For example, a recent letter sent to a consumer for Sports Illustrated said, “Thank you for subscribing to Sports Illustrated. We’re happy to have you as part of the S.I. team.”

At the bottom of the Sports Illustrated welcome letter was an invoice for $39.

It made it sound like the person had ordered the magazine, but she did not. This type of misleading letter and bill are actually a marketing solicitation, trying to trick you into subscribing.

The Better Business Bureau offers weary people some advice.

“They cannot bill you for it and if they bill you for it and send you dunning notices, that’s actually against the law according the U.S. Postal Inspector,” explained Byran Oglesby, Public Relations director for the Better Business Bureau of West Florida.

Consider it a gift

As for the merchandise, you have no obligation to return it, if you choose not to pay for it.

“Just keep it. It’s a free gift for you,” Oglesby said.

Mailing lists

So, how does this happen? How do you, all of a sudden, start getting things you didn’t order in the mail? It could be an innocent purchase or donation you’ve made in the past that got you onto a mailing list.

“When give to a charity or you sign up for something, especially online, some companies will sell your information to third party marketers who try to sell you other products and services,” Oglesby said.

To protect yourself, be sure to carefully read the company’s or charity’s Terms and Conditions.

“When you do business with any company, you want to understand their privacy policy,” Oglesby explained. “Whether you do business online or contact a company by telephone, (ask) ‘What is their privacy policy when you give them your information, your credit card number? What are they going to do with that information?’”

The Florida Attorney General also says to be wary of signing up for free merchandise or free trials You might unwittingly agree to allow your information to be sold, through a checked box at the bottom, that you didn’t notice.

Don’t fall for it

Luckily, Moyers didn’t fall for it, but he worries about others who might feel intimidated by such an official looking invoice.

“People sometimes get frightened and they do whatever is asked, so they don’t have a problem. They just pay it,” Moyers said, shaking his head. “If someone is trying to trick me, I don’t want it.”

Next time you get a magazine you didn’t order in the mail, consider it a gift. You can read it or just throw it in trash, but whatever you do, don’t feel compelled to pay for it.

“They’re just trying to scam people. They need to knock it off!” Moyers said, summing up how he feels about the companies that do this.

Where to complain

Click here for more information from the U.S. Postal Inspector on what to do about unsolicited merchandise. And click here to file a complaint.