Popular Woodworking subscription scam?

[Bob Glenn]

I received a mail solicitation notice of renewal of my Popular Woodworking subscription. When I saw the price, 7 issues, one year, for $42 or 14 issues, 2 years for 84 dollars, I couldn't believe how expensive it had become. So, I checked my latest issue and found the off the shelf price is $5.99, cheaper than the subscription. I also noticed the mailing label said FEB15 above my name.

The soliciting company was listed as CBS.

What gives? Anyone else had a similar experience?

[george wilson]

That's only a few cents more than 7 X $5.99 ($41.93) Have you included mailing charges?

Otherwise here we go again!!!:)

I HAVE noticed that every magazine I subscribe to always tries to sucker me into renewing my subscription several months early. Consumer Guide,FWW,all of them seem to do that. I know Consumer Guide is desperate for money,even asking for donations to stay afloat.

[Chris Griggs]

$5.99 I count as $6. 6x7= 42, 6*14=84. Maybe a scam or maybe this particular offer just was not discounted at all. Perhaps the price will be going up soon, and if nothing else this will lock in the $6 price?

I think Megan reads this forum. Perhaps she will chime in with some clarification. I've actually been wanting to get a digital subscription to PWW lately. Usually I just by them at the bookstore when I see one of particular interest, but they've had some interesting projects lately, and I would enjoy getting it regularly. Glenn Huey has been doing some really neat stuff - he's got a really cool cellarette on the latest issue.

[george wilson]

I really can't fault PWW for this price. It costs a lot to mail these days. I just mailed a little piece of wood,and it was over $8.00,not even priority. By the way,Priority does NOT guarantee your package will get there any sooner. I am failing to see its use. Anyone correct me??? Years ago I sent off a check for something I had bought. It took many days to get there. I called the Post Office,and was told this. Why did I pay extra for the mailing???

[Matt Meiser]

I got the CBS letter too. I just assumed it was a scam even without looking at the price because PWW's incessant renewal letters always have their logos and this one didn't.

What I'd really, really like to know is how these companies are getting subscriber lists. Seems like a privacy violation. Or it should be.

[David Weaver]

I seriously doubt the person or company trying to slam subscriptions has anything to do with PWW. They're only trying to get you to sign up through them instead of directly with PWW because they can make a huge margin. They ought to be required right up front to tell you that they're a third party seller and not affiliated with the magazine.

The last time I got an offer directly from PWW to subscribe, it was at a small fraction of the cover price.

If the letterhead isn't from PWW and the envelope wasn't from PWW, then it's probably not them.

[george wilson]

Actually,that is true,David.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

That is NOT from us. All renewal notices from us will indeed have our logo, and the return address will be Palm Coast, FL, 32142 (not sure of the PO box number). While I am personally worth more than $42 per year, well, I'm almost certain our current magazine subscription rate is less than $20 ;-)

If anyone who received that mailing has access to a scanner, and wouldn't mind sending me a copy to megan.fitzpatrick at fwmedia.com, that'd be swell. I can pass it along to the folks who look into this kind of thing.

Thanks for letting us know.
megan

[Matt Meiser]

Megan, just sent a scan of the one I got--it was in my recycling still. I think all they sent was a 1/3 sheet notice and an envelope which scanned too for the address.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Thanks Matt!

[Adam Petersen]

I received a subscription renewal request for two years for something like $25 the other day. It's nice that an associate of the magazine quickly responded. Thank you Megan. It is unfortunate all the scams in place today. Makes one think the world is full of thieves or something....

[Bob Glenn]

Thanks for your involvement Megan. Love your magazine and you're right it is worth more. Before I retired, I was an H.R. manager in charge of charitable give for our company. I would receive many solicitations to "renew" our non discrimination or other statement, in their upcoming publication. We never gave to any of these nor have I ever seen any of their publications.

You gotta be careful out there!

[Dan Hintz]

I HAVE noticed that every magazine I subscribe to always tries to sucker me into renewing my subscription several months early.

LOL... I have a subscription to Wood, if for nothing other than light bathroom reading (about once a year they put in a project that holds my interest)... they bug me years in advance. Because I could get the subscription for about $4/yr, I'm good until some time in 2016. Yet I still get a letter every few months telling me my subscription is about to run out. Between that kind of nagging and the "free" crap they send me (via selling my info to those junk tool suppliers... router bit of the month club, anyone?), I'll likely let the subscription lapse.

[Jason Coen]

Jason, that's hilarious!

Interestingly enough, Megan is actually a word processor with a human interface attachment. :p

[Mike Holbrook]

I just got a subscription offer that says it is from Popular Woodworing. It says save 60%, looks like a Popular Woodworking document. The address of mailer at bottom of page is:
F+W 10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA

I don't care for routers either, although I can understand how power guys lean on them so heavily at times. The dust they put in the air rivals a table saw. So I bought chisels, a plow plane, a router plane dovetail saw...Now all I have to do is figure out how to make joints with the hand tools instead.

I bought this DVD "Cheating at Hand-cut Dovetails" with Glen D Huey. A Popular Woodworking Shop Class video. Turns out Glen starts out showing hand work but the video is more on how to do it faster with machines.

[Tom Vanzant]

I received a similar renewal notice several years ago...different mag. I knew my subscription was about to expire, so...for a certain amount of money I would renew and also receive another mag. Done, by check and snail mail. For a couple of months, I received two issues of the original mag and the new mag, then nothing. A call to the publisher cleared it up...I had not renewed; I had been scammed! Lesson learned...I renew ONLY with the magazine, no third parties.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

That's really us. Carver is our corporate office. (And I'm sorry you weren't 100% satisfied with the DT video - Rob Cosman's videos show them cut entirely by hand, and for hand tool joinery in general, you might take a look at David Charlesworth's videos on the subject)