On Thu, 26 May 2005 16:53:04 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:
SNIP
I did learn something. Don't trust the first offer from a publisher. As I
stated, I did not intend to bother with anything, but the opportunity to
learn about it came up. So, why not learn? Is knowing the standard
practice a bad thing? Is knowing how to save money for the same
product/service a bad thing? Is sharing that information in a newsgroup a
bad thing?

I am curious to know if this is a standard industry practice or something
that recently happened to reduce prices. Why do you feel I'm wrong in
wanting to know that? Airlines sell tickets to the same destination on the
same plane at different rates at different times. I just want to know if
magazines do that.


I have had more than one magazine where I noticed that the renewal
price offered to me was more than the New Subscriber price being
offered in various mailings. In those cases, assuming I wanted the
magazine renewal in the first place, I have subscribed my wife or son.
The next year I am somehow magically a new subscriber so the next
subscription goes into my name again. Is all that BS worth the $4
saved - well yeah, 'cause it is a game. I have also noted that the
renewal price does appear to go down the closer to the renewal point
you get or if you let the subscription lapse for a couple of days.
What I don't understand is where those marketing directors were when
they taught in Marketing 101 that it is much less expensive to keep a
customer than to generate a new customer. This is important because
usually when I see these kinds of silliness I just don't renew under
any name at all.

Dave Hall