You know, I've never called for a boycott in my entire life. I normally get two magazines. One is O, the Opr@ h one, and another is Redb00k. Both are parent corped by Hearst Mag@ zines. They are PISSING ME OFF. Seriously.
I got one in June and another July. Then why have I been getting 'renewal' requests since January? Hello? Anyone? I um JUST got the magazine six months ago. I am PAID UP through June on one and July on the other. It even says so on their fabulous little stickers on the front of the label that comes to my door. The renewal/requests for payment get nastier each month. Yes, I've been getting one each month for each magazine for almost half a year now for a magazine that is paid up until midsummer. Way back when, I remember getting one when I had about 2 months to go, and then one the month that it was due. I paid it when it was on the last month. Does their excessive waste of paper piss me off? Why yes it does. What's wrong with going green people?
First of all, no one needs that many reminders to update their subscription. Either it comes in the mail or it doesnt, if it doesnt, gee you find out you didnt pay it and you resubscribe, or not. Second of all, have you noticed this little 'caveat' that they 'sign' you up for? It's called 'preferred renewal' or some such garbage. Basically, without telling you, they sign you up for this program that will 'continue' your 'service' without the 'hassle' of resubscribing. Umm, bite me. I get bills all the time and I pay them on time. It's not a hassle to me. On the nasty letter they send, it says 'you SIGNED up for this service, so you've agreed to pay etc' and I'm thinking what, 6 months in advance? You can UNSUBSCRIBE to the 'preferred renewal' or whatever it's called, if you go online (nary a phone number to be found to call them on any notice I've ever received) and enter your code from your label and they take you out of the 'service' --- does this stop the monthly and now twice a month bills? NO! As soon as you do that, they start sending you emails as well as the paper things, which they now call invoices.
Basically all these things are saying is your payment is now due, you've been getting your subscription and its time you paid for it. And I'm thinking, yeah you jerk wad, I did, 6 months ago. NO, I will NOT pay you a second time for the first year, nor will I pay you 6 months in advance for a magazine I'm not sure I want to continue getting. I really may boycott these magazines, heck I may boycott all magazines. It's ridiculous, and of course they charge more to renew than your entry rate. Something which I dont tolerate. If I can get it online by going to your website and pay $10, would I pay $21 under your 'preferred subscriber' plan? Heck no!
Get a life, Hearst magazines, forget this 'preferred subscriber' plan of yours, it's a bunch of bunk, you're pissing honest people like me off, and you're liable to start LOSING customers. Oh and your stupidity is polluting our environment.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Boycotting Magazines...
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I just unsubbed from a magazine for that very reason! "Your payment of $$ is now due!" Um...no. It's not. Bite me.
I don't know who they think they're kidding! I bet they trick a lot of people who don't really pay attention, that way!
I'll get in on this. I stopped magazines a long time ago because of that very reason. I only buy them now when I have nothing good to read or I see something that catches my eye while waiting in line at the grocery store. I might buy one every other month.
OH. MY. GOD.
I HATE those things. I started getting them and was totally confused why--I literally double checked my subscription expiration date multiple times to make sure I was remembering it correctly. I get at least one a week now. I don't want to renew until I have to!!!
I can TOTALLY see why you'd be pissed off about this, it would drive me nuts too.
I, on the other hand, have somehow managed to stretch a two year "introductory" subscription to a magazine (that shall remain nameless) for a cheap cheap price, into 5 years, with no renewals and no new payments. I'm not really sure how they have me in their system, but I have never paid another dime and still get the magazine every month. Hey, no complaints from me!
By the way, I finished Jericho this weekend.
I have always hated it when magazines do that!
I was going to subscribe to a magazine this weekend. I could find NO way to do it without opting in to the automatic renewal. I didn't subscribe. Do they not know that this technique drives away some subscribers? I guess the number that they get that don't take the time to unsubscribe makes up for that loss.
I called a magazine a few years ago and asked them about this practice. The woman I spoke to on the telephone said she could make the computer send only one notice, a couple months before the subscription expired.
They did that for awhile.
Now we're back to every month.
::sigh::
I know EXACTLY what you are talking about!
I hate these, too.
I just went to get a subscription for a friend for a baby shower. Splashed across the front of the subscription section online was an advertised price of getting three years for the price of one. Nowhere to put a different mailing address and billing address.
Clicked on place to give a gift subscription, and it was only two years for price of one. Nowhere to contact customer service by phone. I sent in an email request (which required registering--free!--which means I'll get ten billion spam), got a canned response that amazingly provided phone numbers (for about fifteen different magazines all under the same publisher), and finally got a person, who was able to do what I wanted (give a gift of three years for price of one).
Price on blow-in card in actual magazine was twice as high as online, and for only one year.
Magazine people are sneaky. mk
I have to agree with you on this one...they are sneaky!!! I have my favorites...which I usually buy at BJ's for 20% off cover...
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