Pros: Good value; Readable; Keeps you on top of news, sports, entertainment, education, politics and finance
Cons: Somewhat biased reporting; advertising; less than up front subscription renewal policies
The Bottom Line: Recommended for a good read, but take care to note your subscription renewal! You may find that you've been renewed without your prior knowledge. I'll go to the newsstand instead.
We never received a reply to our last notice, which warned you about your name being placed on Time Inc.'s Bad Debt File. We were forced to pursue this course of action due to nonpayment in the amount of $24.97 for your TIME subscription.
If your payment is not received immediately, steps will be taken to forward your name to a national collection agency.
I strongly urge you to take preventative measures now, by sending payment in full today.
This "notice of overdue payment" is copied word for word from a nice little letter I received in today's mail from my friends at TIME magazine. Nice, huh? I read A LOT of magazines, and carry (and PAY FOR) at least a dozen or so. I receive, almost on a daily basis, an offer from one or another of these magazines to extend my subscription. Do I open these letters and read them? Am I required to read these generous offers? Do I need to do anything more than pay my bill on time? No, no and no again.
When I subscribe to a magazine, including renewals, I either put a check in the envelope or include my CC#. Period. I've never appreciated these "offers" to renew MONTHS in advance, and wait until I've received my second to last issue before sending off a check to renew. (Why should they have my money half a year in advance?)
Needless to say, when I received this letter, I was upset, and immediately called the customer service number which was (to my GREAT surprise!) included on the letter. I was upset for two reasons, and mentioned this to the agent who answered my call. First, I know that I would not have subscribed without paying. I subscribe to so many publications, that I always pay up front so as NOT to forget! Second, I felt that this letter was extremely rude, and smacked of a strong-armed attempt at getting someone to renew a subscription who hadn't intended on doing so!
I have let subscriptions lapse many times before, and when I didn't pay, they simply stop sending the magazines! This, to me, was inexplicable. To TIME's credit, the agent I spoke to was extremely professional and courteous. When I explained the reason for my call, his response was, that TIME had "automatically renewed my subscription for me." I asked if he was joking, but apparently, he was not.
To me this was an unbelievable breach of good customer service, and I asked for my subscription to be cancelled. Interestingly...he called this a "contract" rather than a subscription. I had always thought that a contract required either a verbal or written consent. But, I'm not a lawyer, so I could be wrong :)
In any case, TIME is sending me a confirmation of the cancellation, and I felt I should pass on the warning to other consumers of this practice. In the spirit of fair play I should mention that I will really MISS this subscription! TIME magazine is my favorite news publication, and I will probably just look for it on the newsstand.
What makes TIME one of my favorites? I am a very VISUAL person, and I like the inclusion of graphic material such as photographs, illustrations and graphs that are included with articles. Nothing explains finance better, to me, than a skillfully drawn chart! I also like the article length in TIME. There are many short, breezy articles, as well as more that are in-depth when appropriate. TIME is printed on good paper stock, and is not too light or glossy (which can be very hard on the eyes!)
What are some of the negatives? Well, advertising is always something I’d rather see LESS of in a magazine! It would be nice to get rid of the inserts and “special advertisement sections” that seem to abound.
TIME is a good news publication, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my faith for the time being. I’ve been a subscriber for years, however, and would have to ultimately recommend the publication for general reading, the classroom or for anyone who just likes to stay on top of the news! (Just be careful with your subscription!)
Recommended:
Yes
Primary Reason for Buying: Articles Describe the magazine's political views: It is liberal.
Time magazine is more than just a weekly news summary. Time magazine provides insightful analysis of today's important events, revealing what they mea...More at Magazines.com
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