Seniors promised 'free' books, then hit with surprise bills, NY attorney general says

A Georgia bookseller that targets seniors with self-help books will refund New York customers of the misleading "free" book trial and pay $23,500 in penalties, state officials announced.

The Office of the Attorney General Letitia James found that Frank W. Cawood & Associates, Inc. deceived seniors and their caregivers by billing them for books customers thought were free, according to a Wednesday news release about the settlement. FC&A sent thousands of mailers to New Yorkers claiming consumers could preview a book for free, while obscuring the terms of the trial program, officials said.

 "Free Trial" and "No Risk" appear in large print on FC&A's mail advertisements. Customers who request a trial receive an invoice for their order that lists the book's cost plus shipping and handling charges, bringing the price of a $36 hardcover book to $49.68. The company does not provide any instructions on how a customer can exit the trial without payment, according to the OAG.

The bookseller primarily targets seniors with books offering wellness and financial advice, with titles like "Simple Home Remedies for Seniors." The OAG found that FC&A received 650 calls between 2018 and 2024 from the caregivers of customers who did not understand the bookseller's terms and received bills for products they did not remember ordering. 

"We're pleased to have resolved this matter with the New York Attorney General's office," a spokesperson for FC&A wrote to Newsday. 

The settlement provides full refunds to New Yorkers misled by the promotion. Customers eligible for a refund include New Yorkers who placed an order with FC&A in the past six years.

The company will review its internal records to identify eligible New Yorkers who previously requested a refund from the bookseller but did not receive one, as well as customers who contacted the bookseller saying they do not remember requesting the free trial or did not understand the bill, according to the news release. New Yorkers who request restitution by April 23, 2027, are eligible for a refund.

"New Yorkers were led to believe they were receiving a free book but were instead met with a bait-and-switch that led to confusing bills," James wrote in the news release. "FC&A tricked vulnerable seniors and their caregivers into paying for products they neither ordered nor wanted."