It’s that time of the year. My wife asked me the great unanswerable; what would I like for Christmas ? As it’s been a while since I last bought or, was bought a subscription I answered in support, as well as one for our son who, tho’ not a flier, has a well entrenched belief in the therapeutic value of bits of rusty metal and corroded aluminium.
£41. 99 for 12 issues of Flypast. What a bargain! Except that it wasn’t I didn’t bother with the small print; and was it small! I phoned and spoke to a charming and informative lady person who told me that 12 monthly issues would cost me, ahem my wife, £41. 99. But, no ‘free’ gift worth £14. 99. I would get that only if I paid by Direct Debit in which event the price of £41. 99. applied.
If I paid up front in entirety with no DD, there would be no ‘gift’ and the subscription would cost £48. 99. Can the wise heads on this forum make sense of this ? I cannot. What is so magical about a Direct Debit that it requires a penalty if you don’t use it ? Are the publishers relying on an automatic renewal of the Debit when it expires thus selling another 12 months subscription and so on ad infinitum ?
I’m suspicious.
By: MFowler - 26th December 2020 at 15:21
Businesses loveeeeeeeeeeeeee Direct Deposit because they rely on people’s innate inability to keep track of things long term.
Which means that, yes, you’ll keep paying for it until you notice you don’t want it anymore. Which can be years. That’s also why businesses loveeeeeeeeeeeeee autorenewal. They can sponge off you for months or years because the money gets sucked out of your bank account automatically, no human hand involved.
By: Trolley Aux - 23rd December 2020 at 20:57
And less news on this forum could mean more news in flypast, so yes John is right in keeping up with it
By: John Green - 23rd December 2020 at 16:31
Well, if its continuing popularity mirrors that of this forum it remains a possibility ! I do like Flypast. It is well presented and keeps me in touch with historic aircraft news items that I might otherwise miss.
By: Zac Yates - 23rd December 2020 at 00:16
I saw the title and was worried the magazine had ceased publication!
By: John Green - 21st December 2020 at 16:18
Bruce yes, much as I thought. I’m not that much amazed by contemporary business practice even if it does sometimes seem topsy-turvy
It is nice to hear from you and know that you’re well and fully operational !
By: Bruce - 21st December 2020 at 11:55
DD tends to continue ad infinitum unless cancelled – I have a couple of magazines paid for in such fashion. Its fine as long as you stay interested in the subject!
Incidentally, good to see you back John.
Bruce
By: John Green - 18th December 2020 at 16:29
“You’ve been had………..” Nearly, but not quite ! I did not complete the transaction. The suspicion that almost peeled my skin like a WW1 attack of mustard gas, was of a deliberate assault by a suggestion of Orwellian doublespeak. “More means less.” “Less means more.” “Better means worse.”
Still can’t get my head around it. I’m left with – and others here have thought the same – that the inducement to pay by DD is an attempt to continue with a DD past it’s normal expiry time. I’d guess that most would not get too excited about continuing to spend a rather small sum in pursuit of some of their favourite reading material and given natural indolence would simply carry on year to year.
As for being charged more for paying the entire 12 months upfront, what a revelation ! What an idea!
By: viscount - 18th December 2020 at 14:50
You’ve been had. I paid ‘pocketmags.com’ during their recent ‘Black Friday’ promotion a few weeks ago £21.99STG for 12 issues of Flypast e-mag by debit card as an internet purchase. Very quick, no hassle. Only disadvantage is that I’m not eligible to join Key’s forums as it is not a direct purchase from them. I had let my direct ‘paper mag’ sub lapse a few years back on a move to Spain – do find being able to pick and put down a ‘paper’ mag so much more convenient and ‘user friendly’ than using a screen in a hard case.
By: Trolley Aux - 18th December 2020 at 08:01
All utility companies, mobile phone companies and hundreds and thousands of others push for DD
Al of the above you can just pay by going into your online bank and pay on invoice, they tell you you cannot but you can
I pay, mobile, landlines, council tax and many more by just logging on and paying them, I feel its better for me to control finances things like car tax, insurance I pay in one lump and get a discount for doing so.
By: Peter - 18th December 2020 at 01:34
that sounds a bit suspicious
By: trumper - 17th December 2020 at 15:33
D/D I think are probably self subscribing each year unless you remember to cancel it and i guess alot of the admin work is taken out of the company so saves employee costs.Other than that unless they are charged bank charges ,not sure.
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December 17, 2020 at 3:13 pm