FWW online subscription...am I the only one this irritates?

[Peter Quinn]

So back around August or so I renewed my FWW online subscription. Price is fair enough, you can access lots of old articles in PDF, read most of the current issue in digital, works for me. So I'm searching for an old article on something or other tonight...go to the FWW site, log in....search engine basically takes me nowhere. So I'm flipping through the pull down tabs.......archives is now a separate service that costs $60/yr extra for current members and more for newbies? Am I missing something? That feature is the ONLY reason I signed up for a year of the online membership, did they change the terms mid stream? Is this a temporary break in the site they are about to fix....or do I need to follow the instructions for canceling that memberships and getting a prorated refund....because I sure am not paying the asking for the functionality that is left.

[Bruce Page]

Give FWW a call. They have always played fair with me.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Peter, I would call FWW as suggested by Bruce,

However, as a subscriber I had to buy the DVD of previous issues and did so. Then for a small annual amount I could have access to the online archive.

[Peter Quinn]

Oh, they will certainly hear from me. They seem way to eager to find ways to keep charging over and over for the same content. I'm not entirely happy with the direction they seem to be headed, less content from active furniture professionals, more basic pieces from their own in house editors. I wide they could work out a price just for content by Michael Fortune.....its almost all I really read from them anymore. But where did all the content go? I was just there a few days ago, did a search, found what I wanted....where did the content go?

[Jerry Wright]

Is the OP looking for full archived issues, or searched articles? I have never had problems retieving specific articles.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Peter, you may be on to something. I noticed one of their video series is now available for an extra fee. It was on the site as "members only" content just a while ago. I also noticed an older series that has been changed to additional fee. I think this is being done in the guise of "online training" a la the PopWoodworking Shop Class. If that's the case and there has been no communication to those with online subscriptions (I haven't seen any) then it's a pretty underhanded way to do business. Let us know what you find out.

[Mark Carlson]

Haven't noticed any changes. I just renewed and seem to be able to see everything. I don't get the hard copy anymore. You do need to be logged in to see most of the content.

[John Leake]

I cancelled my subscription to FWW when the publisher split the publication into several magazines which I see they have now reversed. The publisher had the audacity to charge the same price for the three magazines as for the FWW subscription I had for many years which included the "new magazines". I occasionally see an article of interest, when I find the magazine where our daughter works but I recall the publisher and put the issue back on the shelf.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Before we start a bonfire or find a tree with a rope in hand, I suggest that Peter contact FWW tomorrow. I just happen to have the "Tools and Shop" edition sitting on my kitchen table. Just inside the cover it states "Online members have access to over 40 years of articles" which should be the archives I believe.


With Keiths announcement concerning rants:

Before You Rant Read This December 20th, 2010

"It is the intent of SMC to permit the airing of concerns regarding the suitability of a particular product, or the quality or sufficiency of customer service provided by a vendor in any particular instance provided there is not a breach of contract component involved.

However, these threads often deteriorate into a "piling on" and develop a very negative tone. That doesn't assist other viewers in assessing the overall advisability of whether to buy this particular product, nor to assess the overall customer service provided by that manufacturer/vendor.

In order to be fair to the many vendors that provide woodworking products, the following policies will be in force:
The original poster must have first contacted the manufacturer/vendor and have attempted a solution PRIOR to posting the thread.
The original poster should provide factual details of the problem, and details of efforts that have been made with the manufacturer/vendor to rectify the problem.
Subsequent posts must be limited to suggestions to the original poster to assist in rectifying the problem - not to pile on because you had similar problems.

SMC is a woodworking forum. The intended purpose is to provide a community in which useful information may be shared among the members. Threads that do not achieve that purpose will be locked, or removed if necessary." SawMill Creek is not a Court of Law and we are not in a position to judge a breach of contract case here, therefore SawMill Creek will not become a stage or a courtroom for a legal dispute between two or more parties, it just isn't our mission."

This thread violates that as Peter hasn't contacted the publisher yet. Therefore I am going to close this thread.