Ordered 6/23...Checked with mags 7/28...2 of 3 ok.
Written: Jul 28 '05
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I am a grad student at University of Virginia. I did some surfing to see if I could find the best student discount price on 3 magazines (The New Yorker, Architectural Digest, and Bon Appetit). MagsOntheNet.com won out...and never even asked me if I was a student. I paid for 3 subscriptions on June 23, 2005 via credit card.
As the weeks have passed, the idea that it could take up to 12 weeks for a subscription to begin seemed a bit strange to me. [I have also heard (*although I'm not sure if it is true*) that after 2 months it is harder to contest a charge with credit card companies.]
I decided to look MagsOntheNet up on Epinions today (July 28th). After reading all of the negative reviews about the company, I called the subscription departments of each magazine. Since all 3 were CondeNast-owned, it was a one-step process.
One magazine (Bon Appetit) received my subscription on July 25th (!), one (Arch Digest) on July 18, and the third (New Yorker) has not been received.
The person I spoke to at CondeNast acknowledged that 3rd party subscriptions DO take a long time to "go through the system." She also confirmed that the whole process can take "up to 12 weeks." She also said that it is impossible to know whether the holdup is coming from the subscription service OR the magazine's department.
So: Did MagsOntheNet submit my subscriptions within 7 days of receiving the order (as they say they do)? I don't know. Will I be getting my magazines in a timely manner? For 2 of the 3, the answer is yes...the subscriptions will start in August. For the 3rd, it remains to be seen.
In summary: MagsOntheNet did offer the best subscription rate for all 3 magazines. Now that I know that at least 2 of the subscriptions were submitted, I feel like I stop worrying that I was somehow scammed. I will follow up on the NY-er subscription to make sure it is ok.
I should also note that I did question customer service (via email) last week about why it would ever take 12 weeks for a subscription to start. Their answer was not very helpful (a copy & past of their FAQ about the topic), but I did receive it within 7 days.
IF anyone from MagsOntheNet should read this: Why not create a policy whereby the customer is alerted via email: a) when the subscription has been submitted to the magazine, and b) when the subscription is fully entered in the magazine's subscription base? Waiting is not the problem--that is, I suppose, a trade-off for getting heavily discounted subscriptions. But waiting...with NO information...and NO control over the process IS a problem.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? magazine subscription
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Epinions.com ID:
uva_guy
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