I read loads of magazines every month, most of which I subscribe to. Sure, the delivery mechanism is so . . . yesterday, but I find the experience richer and the format much easier to manage than the online version of the same information which, of course, is not even always available.
Because I have so many subscriptions, I’m inevitably renewing one or another every month. And, I’m simply shocked how many publishers won’t allow me to renew online. I can create a new subscription online almost always but, for some reason, I frequently can’t renew. What’s up with that? This pisses me off so much that once in a while I don’t renew just to show them who’s boss. When I stop receiving a magazine I like, though, I realize that they’re my daddy and I actually have no power at all.
I just got a renewal reminder – although they have my email address, they sent it via the postal service – and followed up by hitting their web site. On their site, I can enter a new subscription, but there’s no place for a renewal. I briefly considered just letting my old subscription run out and getting an entirely new one so I could do it online, but I’d miss a copy or two and I’d have to think about it twice – just dumb. Here’s the really wacky part – the hardcopy renewal they sent me has only one option – renew for one year. If I subscribe online, though, I can sign up for three years. Why wouldn’t they want to hook me up for a three year tour of magazine duty with their mailer?
I just don’t get it. Am I missing something?