Magazine subscription cover prices

Evilm

Question: What is peoples opinions on a magazine that shows the cover price on subscribed issues as more than the retail bought issues?

Its not that much different but part of me thinks basing your "savings by subscribing" on a higher subscription cover price is slightly dishonest.

For reference the company itself claims the extra is to cover postage and packaging which is slightly understandable and subscribers are paying slightly less than buying retail (but not by very much at all).

Opinions?

Azari

Can you give us an example?

Are you saying, for example, that A magazine that retails in shops for £3 would have a £4 price label on subscriptions issues but only be charged at, say, £3.50?

Evilm

Not quite. Following the amounts in your example above:

Available in shops: £3.00
Cover price on subscription copy (posted): £3.25
Subscription works out to paying: £2.85


The bit I don't really agree with is that the website quotes that a year subscription at £148.20 saves you £20.80 because the yearly cost they show you is £169.00. In actual fact it only saves you £7.80 because the cost of buying it retail is only £156.

Azari

Evilm wrote: »

Not quite. Following the amounts in your example above:

Available in shops: £3.00
Cover price on subscription copy (posted): £3.25
Subscription works out to paying: £2.85


The bit I don't really agree with is that the website quotes that a year subscription at £148.20 saves you £20.80 because the yearly cost they show you is £169.00. In actual fact it only saves you £7.80 because the cost of buying it retail is only £156.

That's downright dishonest.

It would be enough to make me cancel a mag if I found someone doing that.

Can you give us an example? (Name and Shame)

nomoneytoday

Wouldn't worry me. If I was happy to pay the sub price and receive the product the a price sticker doesn't change it IMHO

Evilm

I'm halfway between No Money Today's response and Azari's response mainly because of the amount of money involved.

The other factor is that the prices we are talking about are approximately half of the example above being £1.40 subscription cover price, £1.25 actually paying and £1.30 retail price.

Its a TV mag and the only reason I'm not considering canceling (although I may if any more issues are late) is because it seems to be the only one that works for us in the format layout etc. Here is the link and the year prices quoted work out at £1.40 an issue (and £2.80 for the Christmas double) which is the cover price on the copies received through the post.

http://www.magazinesdirect.com/az-magazines/t/6846/tv-and-satellite-week.thtml.

Because we are no longer a new customer we pay £16.29 a Quarter which works out at £1.25 per issue so we are still saving over Retail cost.

Azari

Evilm wrote: »

I'm halfway between No Money Today's response and Azari's response mainly because of the amount of money involved.

The other factor is that the prices we are talking about are approximately half of the example above being £1.40 subscription cover price, £1.25 actually paying and £1.30 retail price.

Its a TV mag and the only reason I'm not considering canceling (although I may if any more issues are late) is because it seems to be the only one that works for us in the format layout etc. Here is the link and the year prices quoted work out at £1.40 an issue (and £2.80 for the Christmas double) which is the cover price on the copies received through the post.

http://www.magazinesdirect.com/az-magazines/t/6846/tv-and-satellite-week.thtml.

Because we are no longer a new customer we pay £16.29 a Quarter which works out at £1.25 per issue so we are still saving over Retail cost.

Have you tried DigiGuide?

I've used it for years and wouldn't be without it. You get full listings for all channels at all times. Much cheaper than any paper listing mag.

No mac version, though.

geordieracer

have you thought that the cover price on your subscription includes the postage? Or is that extra?

Evilm

geordieracer wrote: »

have you thought that the cover price on your subscription includes the postage? Or is that extra?

I don't mind that they "charge" extra for the subscription version as such. What I don't like is that their comparison for showing the savings against buying it retail every week uses the subscription version price so its not a true comparison.

Evilm

Azari wrote: »

Have you tried DigiGuide?

I've used it for years and wouldn't be without it. You get full listings for all channels at all times. Much cheaper than any paper listing mag.

No mac version, though.

I'm not sure I can convince hubby to change to an online product but I will point him to it and see.

Thank you

paddyrg

How bizarre - I can't believe it is cost-effective to reprint/bind the magazine with 2 different covers for the sake of pennies - are we sure it's not just a balls up?