Publisher Penalized; Billed People for Phony Subscriptions

WASHINGTON — McCall Publishing Co. has agreed to pay a $400,000 civil penalty to settle charges that it billed people for magazine subscriptions they did not order, the Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday.

According to a complaint filed by the FTC, McCall sent sweepstakes entry forms to consumers nationwide, then mailed a sample magazine and entered a subscription for everyone who sent in an entry. The subscriptions were begun regardless of whether the consumer had checked a box on the form agreeing to the sample magazine, the commission said.