Magazine subscriptions

[matt819]

I'm interested in hearing stories, if there are any, of people entering Kafka-esque worlds when it comes to magazine subscriptions. For example, getting roped into subscribing via some agency service, thinking you're subscribing directly from the publication, and then ending up paying many times the proper subscription price. Or getting collection notices for magazines you haven't paid for - and that you haven't received. That's my particular favorite. Or the Night of the Living Dead subscription, where no matter what you do to cancel a publication, it keeps being sent.

In particular, I'm interested to hear if you've had these problems with progressive publications.

And, yes, I've had problems. So, am I the only one? Do I not know how to subscribe (only been doing it for forty years, but you never know)? Is it an inherently dirty business?

[gmoney]

1. Various scams are available

I think the simplest way is to subscribe directly from the magazine, so you know what you're getting and who you're giving your name and payment information to. A lot of them now offer online subscription management, where you enter a few codes and your address from the label and you can do a few things, like change of address, complain about lost/damaged issues, etc.

There are wholesalers (such as Publisher's Clearing House) who can offer even greater discounts. They exist mainly because magazines want subscriber numbers as high as possible, since that's what determines ad rates. And since PCH or whoever is paying to do the marketing and advertising of the magazines, the publisher can provide the magazine basically for the printing cost.

Now other wholesalers are in the game, including on eBay, where you can get ridiculously low prices on some magazines -- beware that some now add money for shipping, however.

Another thing they try is, go into a bookstore, and when you check out, chances are you'll be offered a "free" subscription to several mainstream magazines... usually 2 or 3 months. Then, if you don't cancel, your subscription is extended for a year at a possibly inflated price, and you're billed.

Some of these services also re-sell consumer information to advertisers... but then again, even the post office and hospitals re-sell consumer information to advertisers. Pick a random magazine unrelated to your usual interests, say gardening. If you subscribe to Garden Monthly or whatever, soon you'll start getting junk mail from other gardening magazines, seed companies, garden tool companies, etc. Often, the publisher can make more money selling the names of subscribers than they make selling the magazine to the subscriber. When you subscribe to some magazines, you may be given the option to "opt-out" of receiving mail from "trusted partners and related businesses" but it's usually in pretty small print. Then again, if you enjoy gardening, you may WANT to get catalogs and magazine offers for related stuff.

Why did I just write all this out instead of doing any actual work? Pro-crastination!

[AirmensMom]

2. Well, OK.

I don't know if this counts ... but my mom subscribes to Readers Digest. I can't stand that magazine. Anyway, they offered her a free one year gift subscription, which she sent to me. I didn't have the heart to tell her that they went to the recycle bin unread. (Tried to give them away to doctor's offices, etc., but no one would take them.) After a few months, they sent her a bill. My mom, who is normally not outspoken, called them up and gave them what for. Schooled them in what a "free gift" was. Of course, they told her they couldn't send me any more magazines, which she called me and apologized for. :rofl:

[Silver Swan]

3. I keep getting phone calls

pretending to be asking about magazine delivery for a magazine I do not subscribe to. I always say, I am not a subscriber, and hang up before they can do their whole spiel.

But the worst problem I had was many years ago when a publisher of several magazines I received decided that they would have delivery services deliver my magazines instead of the post office. The delivery service was terrible, so I finally asked what I had to do to have post office delivery again. They changed it right away.