Magazine subscriptions on Amazon.com

[disneysteve]

File this under "The Internet never ceases to amaze me as a savings tool."

We subscribe to TIME magazine. Our current subscription expires in June so we've been getting nearly weekly renewal notices for the past few months which I've ignored until today. I finally opened one of the mailing from them to find this offer. Renew for 1 year at $1.29/issue, 2 years at $1.19/issue or 3 years at $1.09/issue, a "76% savings."

So I went to Amazon.com to see what they had to offer. Their deal was 1 year or 2 years at $0.54/issue - half of TIME's best offer.

I renewed for 2 years for $60 instead of using the renewal notice which would have cost me $133, a savings of $73. That's a lot of money and a big percentage discount. The moral of the story is to always check online before ordering any magazine subscriptions.

[elessar78]

I'll give my counterpoint...

Wife got me a subscription from Amazon and it's been a nightmare. The first year was at the sweetheart price but every year since has been more expensive, not newsstand prices, but not the intro price either.

We're having a heck of a time stopping it either 3 years later. Just make sure to read the fine print.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by elessar78

I'll give my counterpoint...

Wife got me a subscription from Amazon and it's been a nightmare. The first year was at the sweetheart price but every year since has been more expensive, not newsstand prices, but not the intro price either.

We're having a heck of a time stopping it either 3 years later. Just make sure to read the fine print.

There was an option of an automatically renewing subscription or just a fixed term. I chose the fixed term to hopefully avoid just such an issue.

[marvholly]

Especially since I have been unemployed I have found offers for a BUNCH of FREE magazines including Newsweek, Semi-Homemade, More, Womens Day, Rogue. Good thing they are free because I only like 2 of them-Newsweek & Womens day. Would be VERY upset if I actually paid for others.

The 1 yr subscription to Cooking Light the kids gave me 5/09 is STILL coming. Periodically I have gotten Vegetarian Times free-2x in the last 5-6 years..

[kork13]

My parents got me a bunch of magazine subscriptions for Christmas last year (honestly, too many to keep up with... beyond 1 or 2, it's too much. They got me 5--YIKES), and the magazines are already starting to send me subscription renewals only 4 months in (desperate?). A couple appear to be the automatic renewal ones, which I'm going to have to deal with later...

I'm actually interested in keeping 2 of those subscriptions, so I just checked Amazon. At least right now, Amazon has one of them for just $.50/issue, the other for $1/issue. However, it looks like they rotate sale prices of various magazines throughout the year. So what I may do is buy an extension to the one subscription now, and wait for a later sale on the other if possible... hmmmmmm.....

[jpg7n16]

I actually use the Amazon.com "new and used offers" to do tons of comparison shopping.

The Amazon.com app on my iPhone has a barcode scanner, so I can compare just how good a "deal" truly is. Factor in shipping costs, and then you know if you're in the ballpark for a good deal or not.

I also use RedLaser, which checks other sites than Amazon.


The internet is awesome! Thanks Al Gore!!

[Coronet]

I subscribe to Marie Claire, a popular female magazine. On Amazon's website a year's subscription was $5! That's $0.42 an issue. I do love Amazon.

[shanecurran]

My favorite magazine is the economist. The articles are fascinating but the price is steep.