Popular Woodworking Subscription Practices

[dennis thompson]

My Popular Woodworking subscription had expired, I like the magazine so when an offer came I planned to subscribe again. I looked at the rate-$15.95 for 2 years, seemed OK to me but I noticed an asterisk & in small print it said "plus $2.00 shipping & handling" I find the way they handled this very annoying. If they had said $17.95 for 2 years I would have had no problem with it, it's just the deception that bothers me. Am I just a grinch ? What do you think?
Dennis

[Ken Werner]

I'd be annoyed at the deception too, but I have to say that $17.95 for two years still seems like a very good deal, considering the quality of the mag.

Actually, I just went to the pop wood website. $19.96 for one year. Are you sure about the price above being for 2 years?

[dennis thompson]

Ken
I checked,it's $15.95 + $2.00 shipping for 2 years. I agree that it's a good price. They said I was getting a "market research discount" whatever that is. They also said they wanted to attract "various demographic profiles"...I guess I'm in the "Grinch profile " & they need more of them. I'll probably still subscribe but the way they added the $2.00 still is deceptive & annoying to me. Again just tell me it's $17.95 for 2 years & be done with it.
Dennis
PS If they see this they'll probably withdraw the offer to me.

[Dave Schreib]

My pet peeve is the renewal notices that I get every 6 mos even though I have over a year on the subscription. They always say something like "last chance" which makes you think the thing is about to expire.

Seems most magazines use that trick.

[Mark Maleski]

Ken
I checked,it's $15.95 + $2.00 shipping for 2 years. I agree that it's a good price. They said I was getting a "market research discount" whatever that is. They also said they wanted to attract "various demographic profiles"...I guess I'm in the "Grinch profile " & they need more of them.

That makes me wonder whether the offer is from PW or from a third party. Either way, great mag, great price. I'd gripe too about the $2 asterisk, but I'm naturally grouchy (makes me happy to have something to complain about).

Mark

[Matt Meiser]

I get another magazine from a completely different publishing company that had the same fee tacked on over the boldly advertised subscription price. While I chose to pay, it definitely felt deceiving to me and could be easy to overlook. I imagine we'll be seeing more of this as the print publishers try any tactic to stay in business. I'd guess automatic renewals unless you cancel on time are next.

[John Townsend]

Seems many mags use these same tricks. I used to subscribe to Wood and would pay for two subscriptions at a time (two years) and they would still send notices every 6 months "saying Last Chance - your subscription is about to expire.". Finally about four years ago they "lost" my payment so I never had anything to do with them since.:rolleyes:
Any more I just buy the issues I really want of FWW, ShopNotes Woodsmith, and PW right off the newsstand rack and don't bother with subscriptions. It costs me more per issue but in the long run I only have to keep those issues that are important and don't have to store the rest. Plus I get to see the whole issue (and read it right there, to make sure!) before I buy it.
I think that it's the marketing departments that carry out these schemes (who are not woodworkers and don't care) - meaning if it were up to the Editor of the magazine, this sort wankering probably would be a lot less.

[Matt Meiser]

Another tactic they (publishing companies, not PWW in particular) are increasingly using is telephone solicitation, even when the number is on the do-not-call list. Yeah, legal, but despicable IMHO.

[Dave Johnson29]

"plus $2.00 shipping & handling"

Do they mean $2.00 per issue shipping and handling.

17.95 / 24 = $0.75 per issue + $2.00 = $2.75

$2.75 x 24 = $66.00

[dennis thompson]

I'm pretty sure they mean total shipping cost is $2 & total cost with shipping is $17.95 for the 2 years
Dennis

[Brian Ashton]

When a person (company) deliberately and knowingly withholds information from me in an attempt to get me hooked in, I treat them as if they're out right liars and will not do business with them.

[Mark Maleski]

Any more I just buy the issues I really want of FWW, ShopNotes Woodsmith, and PW right off the newsstand rack and don't bother with subscriptions. It costs me more per issue but in the long run I only have to keep those issues that are important and don't have to store the rest. Plus I get to see the whole issue (and read it right there, to make sure!) before I buy it.

I get the idea that magazines stay afloat through advertising (F+W Media's 'Woodworking' magazine is perhaps the only exception), and advertising rates are based mostly on number of subscribers. If you really like a magazine, you may want to support it with a subscription, or else you might find that it disappears (e.g., 'Woodwork,' an excellent mag which is on life support).

[Pat Germain]

Most magazines do make their money from advertising. There are exceptions which include publications like Shop Notes and Woodworking which have no ads. Woodworker's Journal is the magazine for Rockler so it also serves to promote Rockler's products.

Many people have stopped reading magazines over the years and circulations have dwindled, dwindled and dwindled some more. As the circulation numbers fall, so do the rates the publishers can charge for advertising. Many a magazine has gone belly-up over the past ten years.

When the economy started to really tank last year, many companies reduced their spending on advertising or stopped advertising altogether. This put even more strain on magazines. Thus we can expect to see more magazines (as well as newspapers) fold.

If we want to support a publication we really like, I would expect the best way to do so would be to subscribe. The magazine can then use the subscription numbers to boost advertising rates and stay afloat. When we buy a mag off the rack, I suspect the extra money we spend goes to the retailer and distributor and not the publisher.

[Leo Vogel]

I just got back from my monthly trip to Hastings. I go once a month, read all the woodworking magazines for free, and buy one if I find a need to. I can buy a lot of wood for the money I save. I'm just cheap I guess.

[Kevin Gregoire]

yeah, i got that letter last weekend too and sent off a check but it is pretty damn dumb having the *$2 S&H
what if i didnt pay attention to that and just sent off the $15.95? would they send check back or what? that really was stupid, should have just put $17.95 and been done with it, awesome price i couldnt pass up. i just dredd getting the renewal notice in the next couple months!

[Pat Germain]

I didn't renew my Woodworker's Journal sub because they sent me that stupid book I didn't ask for. I got a call from a sales rep offering me a renewal for practically nothing. I said, "No way" and told her why.

And yesterday I got a stupid DVD I didn't ask for. :rolleyes: