Call it aggressive marketing if you want.

We prefer a different word: Lying.

Recently, we’ve found that the circulation drives of some national magazines have gone from persistent to downright threatening and misleading.

A case in point: An elderly woman – the mother of a member of the editorial page staff – received a threatening letter from the House of White Birches, a publisher of arts and crafts-related material.

“Please clear your account with us regarding your subscription to PaperWorks by sending us payment immediately,” the letter intoned.

“Because we have not heard from you after numerous notices, we have no choice but to mark your name and put it in our problem file,” it continued.

“PAST DUE” and “URGENT NOTICE” were plastered all over the invoice. A call to the publisher cleared things up.

No money was owed. The person had just failed to resubscribe to the magazine. Her account was not overdue.

The New Yorker and Time magazine use the same tactic, as we’re sure do other publishers.

Threats and misleading letters don’t make for good marketing. They turn people off when they find out the truth, but they must work. A good strategy: If you get a bill that says you owe money, but you’re not sure, take a few minutes to pick up the phone and sort out the truth. It might save some money and anxiety.