Questionable digital magazine subscription tactics online
Posted By RichC on January 7, 2023
The saying that “if something sounds to good to be true, it probably is” came to mind as I re-subscribed to a WSJ.com and Barronsonline.com for a FIVE-year subscription? Part of me wants to believe magazine resellers are legitimately selling the digital versions for less than going directly to Dow Jones, but the other part of me wonders what happens when the subscription expires and the seller is no longer around – see below (I have used Apple and Amazon to subscribe before so who knows)?
I still question the 5-year offer but since I absolutely HATE the way Dow Jones markets their newspaper subscriptions, I’ll give it a go. They use low intro prices and VERY high automatic renewals. The last couple go-arounds I’ve had to claw back my subscription and charges after an automatic renewal … and then having my ID not eligible for special renewal rates until I’ve been unsubscribed for a while is a real pain.
So we’ll give it a go with an expiring virtual credit card number and then try dispute the charge with my credit card company if something doesn’t go as expected or seem quite right (already my call to Dow Jones has me questioning the sale since they do not sell any 5-year subscription plans … no matter the price).
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