Magazine Subscription

Overview

For many people, reading magazines in their spare time is a truly enjoyable leisure activity. During this time, magazine readers can finally get a chance to rest a little bit, put their feet up, have a nice drink and unwind from the daily stresses of life.

General and niche print periodical publications offer a great platform for keeping up-to-date on the topics you care about or love, reading in-depth articles, fascinating interviews, editorials, and columns, usually supported by colorful hi-res pictures. All of this delivers the ultimate pleasurable experience to any magazine lover.

This medium covers so many fields of interest, from news, business, technology, and health to finance, parenting, gardening and dozens of others.

Online subscription websites offer the ability to take advantage of discount prices, attractive BOGO deals, and tempting introductory offers which are a great way to avoid paying full retail prices that can put a strain on your wallet.

In addition, it’s far more convenient, since there’s no need to go outside to the closest newsstand in order to buy each issue separately, as every new edition is delivered straight to the subscriber’s mailbox on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, saving you a lot of unnecessary hassle.

Consumer Tips: How to Subscribe Safely and Avoid Magazine Scams Online

Just like any other sector that involves buyers, sellers, and money that switches hands, the magazine subscription industry also has its fair share of scammers, fraudsters and cybercriminals that operate online and look for potential victims.

Scammers use a variety of illegal, unethical and deceptive ways to trick unsuspecting consumers into signing up for subscriptions.
Dishonest, fraudulent, or totally fake sites may charge people for periodicals that they have never subscribed to.
Others do not send magazines that were ordered, ignore legitimate cancelation requests, make false claims, or provide inferior customer service.

Some fraudsters send fake official-looking renewal notices by email, often disguised as communication from real publishers.
Others may promise “free magazines” in return for paying only a shipping and handling fee, while in reality, the consumers who would fall for the scam could pay hundreds of dollars in subscription fees – and sometimes even more.

Taking the following steps will help you find credible and reliable services, completing your purchase in a safe, secure, and satisfactory manner:

Optional Auto-Renewals

Avoid sites that force automatic renewals.
Use a service that lets the user choose between automatic and manual renewal.

Are There Easy Cancellations & Refunds?

Before using a certain service, make sure it offers a convenient and easy way to cancel the subscription and get a refund for all unsent issues.
If the website does not offer a money-back guarantee at least within the first 90 days of the plan – skip it and go elsewhere.

Do They Offer a Risk-Free Trial?

Some vendors offer a free trial issue (or several of them) with no strings attached.
This is a great risk-free way to experiment with a new magazine.

Investigate the Subscription Service’s BBB Record

Check the company’s record on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
This information will help you evaluate whether it’s a legitimate business that deserves your money and trust or if you need to look elsewhere.

Look for current BBB rating, customer reviews, complaints, warnings and alerts on their business profile.
In addition, learn how long it has been in business – a potential indicator of experience and reputation.

If the business is not even listed with the BBB, this is a very bad sign.
On the other hand, if the magazine service is certified as a BBB Accredited Business, it’s an important positive signal.

Pay Close Attention to Red Flags

Learn how to better protect yourself when ordering goods and services on the internet, in order to avoid scammers and keep safe in general.
Knowing how to check if a website is legitimate or not is the first line of defense.