NFB: A completely hypothetical ethical question for you guys.....

[Dave M]

This question is, of course, completely hypothetical and has no relation to me or anyone I know. What would you guys do if you were receiving a magazine you didn't pay for. Let's say it's a weekly magazine, about cars even. Something you'd like to get but at the moment your disposable income wouldn't allow you to subscribe. It's not that high of a priority. Now let's say you received a gift subscription to this magazine for a year. the year was up and you got the renewel notices.. didn't reply.... you got the issue that says "This is you last issue".... didn't reply, you weren't going to continue the subscription. But low and behold, the subscription continues.... 4 weeks after the "last" issue and you're still receiving weekly issues. You even recenty received a letter in the mail confirming your subscription has expired and again asked you to renew. Now just for kicks, let's say your wife is in the same boat. She received the exact same gift subscription at the same time, and is now also receiving these extra issues. What would you guys do? Tell the company? Just take it and not say a word? Again, this is an utterly and completely hypothetical situation.

I'm kinda curious how long it'll last... if it was happening to me, of course.... which it isn't.

[wolfdogs]

This question is, of course, completely hypothetical and has no relation to me or anyone I know. What would you guys do if you were receiving a magazine you didn't pay for. Let's say it's a weekly magazine, about cars even. Something you'd like to get but at the moment your disposable income wouldn't allow you to subscribe. It's not that high of a priority. Now let's say you received a gift subscription to this magazine for a year. the year was up and you got the renewel notices.. didn't reply.... you got the issue that says "This is you last issue".... didn't reply, you weren't going to continue the subscription. But low and behold, the subscription continues.... 4 weeks after the "last" issue and you're still receiving weekly issues. You even recenty received a letter in the mail confirming your subscription has expired and again asked you to renew. Now just for kicks, let's say your wife is in the same boat. She received the exact same gift subscription at the same time, and is now also receiving these extra issues. What would you guys do? Tell the company? Just take it and not say a word? Again, this is an utterly and completely hypothetical situation.

I'm kinda curious how long it'll last... if it was happening to me, of course.... which it isn't.

keep your mouth shut and read on. and when they come after you to pay up...you give em the details, because.. you are not responsible.

oh...i...mean..tell your'e friend...or whomever it is ....to do that...

[Kevin - Blown 95 TA]

The publishing companies will do almost ANYTHING to get you to stay on as a subscriber. Even send you 3 or 4 issues after the sub expires. They will also try to get you to renew a half a year before the sub expires. However, the price to re-subscribe is almost always (much) higher than the original subscription, and the longer you wait, the lower the price gets. I either wait until it gets down to $9 or $10 or else I let it expire and use one of those cards that falls out of the magazine with the low prices. I never re-up with anybody over the phone no matter what. I have also found out that the car, bike, camera, muscle magazines are somewhat repetitive for the most part, and you can miss a year without knowing the difference, except for the articles related to new models and new aftermarket parts.

[Steel2686]

Agreed. I received several months of Motor Trend a couple years back long after I never renewed. They were just trying to get me to renew. I did, but not through them. I re-subscribed through a local charity and got it $15 cheaper than MT wanted to charge me.

[ONLNTM5]

They will sometimes keep sending magazines and will keep sending you a bill for a renewed subscription. Eventually, they will probably stop sending the magazines though, but will keep sending a bill to reinstate the subscription

[Dave M]

Never had that happen before with any subscription, but that's probably it, then.

[xxRillixx]

id say something... but im sure there is a reason behind the madness. Just be careful they dont actually bill you... Sports illistrated tried to do that... they suck anyways!

[97LT1Z28]

It's not uncommon for magazine companies to throw out a few free subsciptions IF thier paid subscriptions are down. Why? Magazines exist to sell advertising - that's how they make their money. They must guarantee their advertisers a minimum "distribution" for their advertising dollars or they can be sued.

I got a free two year subscription to "Stuff" magazine. After it expired, I didn't renew it. So they suddenly gave me a free two year subscription to their sister magazine "FHM." And yes, I love this magazine! This month's cover is Pamela Anderson - explaining how she thinks of her breasts as "props" . . . . . . wow, a chick that thinks like a guy!