Why do they do it? This special offer is good for renewing subscribers only! Renew today at this special low price! Sound familiar? Save!
I did save. By visiting the website of the magazine in question. There I could get two years of Name Redacted Journal for $10 less than I could by accepting the special low offer extended only to renewing subscribers.
If I didn’t like the magazine so much I would have just let it lapse. Why make such an offer to a good customer and have an easily verifiable deal that is over 30% lower in cost?
In fairness, not all magazine marketing staffs are idiots. Many years ago one magazine offered a special deal “100 issues for 100 bucks”. If you believed the thing was going to stay in print for eight years it was a good deal. It still is for that matter. New subscriptions go for twice that amount. I don’t get the stream of letters urging re-subscribing, always an annoyance when they start one third of the way through your subscription term. I’m not sure when my 100th issue will be delivered. I am sure I’ll renew my subscription.
People write …