SAGA Magazine lifetime subscription - compulsory shift to digital format

Aylesbury_Duck

Balovale said:

I joined in 1998 when there was no digital magazine and so expect to continue to receive the printed version as promised.  It is not as if they are not still producing the printed version.  It is not my fault that their costs have risen.  They should have thought about this when they offered the subscription. I do not want to lose the magazine, nor do i want to pay again and I certainly cannot read it on a digital device.

This is shoddy service.  Why can’t the CEO give up some of his annual ‘compensation’ of £2+ million if they are struggling to honour their commitment to their loyal followers?

Surely this is illegal?  How do we take the case further?  

 

SAGA seem to be digging in on this, and unless it gains significant media attention, it's going to need someone to challenge it legally for them to change tack.  A non-legal option might be one of the newspaper financial people - the Telegraph has one, and let's face it, it's the target audience these days, eve though it's become a ridiculous shadow of a proper newspaper.

Otherwise, as powerful_Rogue says, small claims action is the way forward.  Supply the evidence you believe you have that this is illegal (or at least is a breach of contract) and let the court decide.  You'll have to assign a nominal value to the remaining years of your subscription (which would simply be the original cost times the fraction of years left over years purchased), pay the appropriate court fee and await SAGA's defence.

born_again

Aylesbury_Duck said:

SAGA seem to be digging in on this, and unless it gains significant media attention, it's going to need someone to challenge it legally for them to change tack.  A non-legal option might be one of the newspaper financial people - the Telegraph has one, and let's face it, it's the target audience these days, eve though it's become a ridiculous shadow of a proper newspaper.

Otherwise, as powerful_Rogue says, small claims action is the way forward.  Supply the evidence you believe you have that this is illegal (or at least is a breach of contract) and let the court decide.  You'll have to assign a nominal value to the remaining years of your subscription (which would simply be the original cost times the fraction of years left over years purchased), pay the appropriate court fee and await SAGA's defence.

Given  they have cited costs as the reason, odds on they will not back down. Or if they do. Then expect them to recover these costs from elsewhere.

No one as yet has provided any proof from T/C that "Paper" was ever mentioned in the agreement. So would be a interesting court case. As well as how much would they be claiming?

No one that has complained, has said they still have insurance, or purchase anything from them. While a kind of side point. Will have a effect on how Saga view their complaints.
No product = No loss to them.

Sad to also see many people citing age as a reason while they can not go digital. Very ageist.

Alderbank

born_again said:

Sad to also see many people citing age as a reason while they can not go digital. Very ageist.

Indeed.
I wonder where they buy their printed paper copies of MSE Forum?

It is fair to say though that some older people have impaired vision. I know some. All the ones I know struggle with printed text and appreciate digital alternatives which they can read with their special display software or even text-to-speech software. Many say that printed text is often in difficult colour combinations and just being able to convert to black and white is liberating.

Aylesbury_Duck

born_again said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

SAGA seem to be digging in on this, and unless it gains significant media attention, it's going to need someone to challenge it legally for them to change tack.  A non-legal option might be one of the newspaper financial people - the Telegraph has one, and let's face it, it's the target audience these days, eve though it's become a ridiculous shadow of a proper newspaper.

Otherwise, as powerful_Rogue says, small claims action is the way forward.  Supply the evidence you believe you have that this is illegal (or at least is a breach of contract) and let the court decide.  You'll have to assign a nominal value to the remaining years of your subscription (which would simply be the original cost times the fraction of years left over years purchased), pay the appropriate court fee and await SAGA's defence.

Given  they have cited costs as the reason, odds on they will not back down. Or if they do. Then expect them to recover these costs from elsewhere.

No one as yet has provided any proof from T/C that "Paper" was ever mentioned in the agreement. So would be a interesting court case. As well as how much would they be claiming?

No one that has complained, has said they still have insurance, or purchase anything from them. While a kind of side point. Will have a effect on how Saga view their complaints.
No product = No loss to them.

Sad to also see many people citing age as a reason while they can not go digital. Very ageist.

Agreed.  I said in an earlier post that one possible outcome here is that SAGA relent, fulfil their commitment to a physical magazine with what would amount to an advertising pamphlet with more content behind a paywall.

And yes, that's why I ask about anyone actually doing anything themselves, rather than trying to drum up numbers.  The court case would be an interesting one.

Mariamia

I mentioned in an earlier post that l have my original letter from Saga that says "12 issues of Saga magazine every year, delivered direct to your home address ". And my membership is "LIFE". Saga cannot deliver a digital only magazine to my home address. It is appalling that they are changing the format for lifetime subscriptions. 

powerful_Rogue

I can imagine they will just drop the magazine, especially if they are losing money on it.

mr_stripey

Nothing is forever. If the printed magazine is not generating profit then surely it is only a matter of time before it is completely withdrawn and digital will be the only option.
Until then though, they should still send the physical copy to lifetime subscribers

Doc_N

Mariamia said:

I mentioned in an earlier post that l have my original letter from Saga that says "12 issues of Saga magazine every year, delivered direct to your home address ". And my membership is "LIFE". Saga cannot deliver a digital only magazine to my home address. It is appalling that they are changing the format for lifetime subscriptions. 

Is that the actual wording? Those particular words do not always seem to have been used in the confirmation letters.

eskbanker

Mariamia said:

I mentioned in an earlier post that l have my original letter from Saga that says "12 issues of Saga magazine every year, delivered direct to your home address ". And my membership is "LIFE". Saga cannot deliver a digital only magazine to my home address.

Why not?  Obviously sending an email with a link, or however it's done, isn't identical to the process of physically pushing a magazine through a letterbox, but it would certainly be a credible argument that the former is compliant and compatible with the stated wording, so I'm not sure that it's as cut and dried as some might see it, but who knows how a court might interpret it....

mr_stripey

eskbanker said:

Mariamia said:

I mentioned in an earlier post that l have my original letter from Saga that says "12 issues of Saga magazine every year, delivered direct to your home address ". And my membership is "LIFE". Saga cannot deliver a digital only magazine to my home address.

Why not?  Obviously sending an email with a link, or however it's done, isn't identical to the process of physically pushing a magazine through a letterbox, but it would certainly be a credible argument that the former is compliant and compatible with the stated wording, so I'm not sure that it's as cut and dried as some might see it, but who knows how a court might interpret it....

Yes I agree. I think a digital delivery would fulfil their obligations in "supplying" the magazine. I think the red herring here is that whilst the printed copy is still being produced then that should be an option for subscribers to receive.

When the printed copy gets canned it will be a lot more clear cut