Cheaper Radio Times Subscription

Majinate

I was horrified to find my elderly, web-unconnected Mum was paying £128 every 6 months for a Radio Times print subscription, when the standard price on their web site is £65, or £55 if bought as a gift. So I attempted to cancel on the web site and was offered a retention price of £27.50, which I decided to accept. Unfortunately, the system recorded this as £55, so I challenged it with the Subscriptions Team, who were unable to help and said to contact the Support Team. Their response was that the online offer isn't available to existing customers and that the system was set to charge £128 on the renewal date and I should wait and go through the challenge process with the Retentions Team then.
I've cancelled and will decide whether to re-subscribe at the £55 rate later. But I'm posting to highlight that if anyone is paying more than £55, you should reconsider, becase this is price gouging for inertia at a scale I've not seen before.

Has anyone else succeeded in getting the retention rate, or is that just a cynical deferral tactic from Radio Times?

danny13579

Is this Immediate Media by any chance?

danco

I was surprised to get an email saying the my subscription had expired without having had a previous email to warn me to renew.

I phoned up to say I wanted to renew, and got an even better price than you quote. £95 for a full year

Majinate

Yes, that's them

Majinate

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981474#Comment_81981474

Useful info. I will aim for the £27.50 target but it sounds like a phone call would be more successful than using their web site.

danny13579

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981572#Comment_81981572

I stopped using them after multiple problems with them. Usually issues of my magazine not arriving and having to regularly chase them up. I then decided to end my subscription, partly due to the issues with Immediate Media, but also because I can read my magazine for free in my local library every month, I can also borrow a digital copy in the Libby app.

After I cancelled my subscription, without my permission or knowledge Immediate Media set up a brand new direct debit in my name for the full price of a year's magazine subscription! I only discovered this when the payment was taken and the account went into overdraft. As it was NatWest, the direct debit they set up wasn't visible to me until the first payment was taken.

I got NatWest to immediately reverse the direct debit and cancelled it with both them and Immediate Media.

I would never use Immediate Media again and would rather pay a bit extra to buy a magazine from a newsagent or even better, get it for free from my local library.

pseudodox

I subscribed in January for 6 months at £59. They have just quoted me for renewal from July at £84. Told them there's zilch chance I will renew at any price as already several issues have not arrived until 3 or 4 days into the viewing week! In future will stick with the digital edition - free - from my library. Strikes me as any subscription price is totally random. And reviews on Trustpilot show a very high complaint level.

Majinate

It seems to me that they aren't catering for someone like my Mum who isn't able to use a smartphone or screen. If you can use those access methods then the digital-only subscription is 99p every 6 months. The cover price is artificially inflated to allow them both to fleece people at the newsagent and say they are offering a discount for subscribers.

Their TrustPilot score really is abysmal. I shall check to make sure the direct debit is properly cancelled.

danny13579

Majinate

I shall check to make sure the direct debit is properly cancelled.

I made sure mine was properly cancelled, they started a new one from scratch.

For your mum it may be just easier to buy her her magazine every month in Tesco or a newsagent's. Yes, it will be a little more expensive, but it's a lot less hassle for you.

pseudodox

After reading Trustpilot reviews I shall certainly be watching for them trying to take renewal payment in July even though I have cancelled any further subscription agreement & have an email acknowledgement from them already as evidence.

sausage_time

I can read Radio Times for free through Press Reader via my local library. (Not that I do! I read some newspapers though).