Fake magazine debt is sadly a thriving subset of fraudulent debt collection. It doesn't matter if they think "they have a recording" to prove your liability. Federal law says you are still owed a prompt dunning letter and a chance to dispute the claim on paper. They can't just try to wrangle a bogus "settlement" without that due process.
Just over a year ago the FTC obliterated a different agency for hostile pursuit of magazine debts which it knew were bogus, handing the crooks a real bill for a record-bending $3.1 million.
Debt Collectors Settle with FTC, Agree to Stop Deceiving and Abusing Consumers
Consumers Were Subjected to Collection Efforts for Magazine Subscription Debts They Did Not Owe, FTC Alleges
http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/05/luebkenr.shtm
".... defendants allegedly collected on debts for magazine subscriptions despite the fact that the FTC had successfully sued the company that originally sold the magazine subscriptions for deceptive marketing. ...."
I would hope that you don't wait for a federal rescue and that you mount your own FDCPA lawsuit, assuming the creeps are domestic.
Official-type material on US federal collection law:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.shtm
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/search ... bt%20Collection
This number called 5 times. I answered the first time. they asked for me I told them it was me. they hung up. they called a few other times I ignored the number. I got a call today 5/31/13. I asked who was calling she said her name and then i told her please do no call me. she proceeded to go on talking about how I didnt know why she was calling. she tried to act like she was my long lost buddy. I told her again please do not call this number again and hung up since she was still going on. She proceeded to call me back and ask me did you hang up on me? I said yes and I told you not to call here again because i don't know who the hell she is. she then called me a "witch" so I hung up on her. No call back so far.
This number called, asked for me, and identified themselves as "Rearders Choice Awards". They asked me if I got my rebate for magazines they had been sending me. I told them that they had the wrong address and that I didn't order any magazines. If they were sending them, they needed to cancel. They proceeded to tell me that they have been sending me 3 magazines and they want payment for it. They were magazines, I would not have ordered. I asked for a manager, who was very rude right off the bat. She said her name was Jessica and gave me an ID # 80886, she said they have a "recording" of my authorization to send the magazines back in 2011. What a load of crap. I asked for the address and she would not give it to me, she kept saying, "we'll send it to you, please provide us with your address". Very Rude