New York Attorney General Bars Publisher's 'Free No-Risk Preview' Book Mailers and Orders Refunds; Findings Say 4 Million Offers Reached New Yorkers

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Oct. 28 announced a settlement that permanently bars a Georgia publisher of self-help books for seniors from running its "free no-risk preview" mail program in New York, and requires the company to refund eligible customers and pay $23,500 in penalties.

The company, Frank W. Cawood & Associates, Inc., known as FC&A Publishing, signed an Assurance of Discontinuance with the attorney general's Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection. The agreement, No. 26-055, took effect Oct. 23. FC&A neither admits nor denies the office's findings, according to the document. In a statement to The Digital Free Press, FC&A said: "We're pleased to have resolved this matter with the New York Attorney General's office."

What the Attorney General Found

According to the findings in the 29-page agreement, FC&A sent more than 4 million mailers to New York residents between 2021 and 2024 across more than 1,500 mailing campaigns, and over 26 million mailers nationwide in 2023 and 2024. In 2024 it mailed about 10,000 individual New Yorkers, drawing in part on third-party lists of consumers "age 60+" or "age 65+," the agreement says.

The mailers offered a "free trial book" that consumers could "try without any obligation," with a pre-checked box and a "Free Gift Offer" booklet, according to the findings. The attorney general's office said the "Free Trial" and "FREE NO-RISK" wording appeared in large bold print, while the payment terms were in small type.

Customers who sent back the certificate received the book with an invoice. A typical invoice listed $36 for the book, $10 for shipping and handling and $3.68 in New York taxes, for a total of $49.68, the agreement says. Customers who wanted to return a book had to pay the return shipping, and the package did not include a return label, the findings state.

If no payment or return arrived, the company sent further invoices. Starting with the third, they were marked "Overdue Account" and "PAST DUE!" and added a late fee, according to the agreement. The findings say FC&A represented that it never sent accounts to outside collection agencies and stopped after a twelfth communication.

The agreement also says FC&A knew some recipients may suffer from memory loss or dementia. An internal "Alert ClassMED" tag, used to stop mailings after a customer or caregiver reported such a condition, appears on more than 650 phone logs involving New Yorkers from 2018 to 2024. One log excerpt quoted in the document reads: "caretaker called - cust is 91 and has dementia . . ."

The office concluded that the practices violated New York Executive Law Section 63(12) and General Business Law Section 349, which prohibits deceptive business practices.

What the FC&A Publishing Settlement Requires

Under the agreement, FC&A may not mail or redeem preview offer cards or seek payment through the program from New York consumers after the effective date.

The company must refund 100% of what eligible New Yorkers paid, including shipping and late fees, for products first mailed on a preview or trial basis within the last six years. Eligible customers include those who previously asked for a refund and did not get one, those who told the company they did not understand or remember ordering, and anyone who requests a refund within six months. The attorney general's office said consumers who believe they qualify should contact FC&A before April 23, 2027.

FC&A must pay refunds by paper check and send the attorney general a compliance letter within a year listing the refunds paid. The agreement also bars the company from publicly denying the findings.

"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 said in the release.

The agreement covers New York only. It does not address FC&A's mailings in other states.

Sources: New York Attorney General, press release, "Attorney General James Secures Refunds for Seniors Misled by Free Book Scheme," Oct. 28, 2026: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-refunds-seniors-misled-free-book-scheme ; Assurance of Discontinuance No. 26-055, In the Matter of FC&A Publishing (PDF): https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/settlements-agreements/frank-w-cawood-associates-inc-assurance-of-discontinuance-2026.pdf ; Cover photo: 28 Liberty Street, New York, home of the attorney general's Manhattan office (Kidfly182, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)