Wood Magazine "Market Test"

[Michael Burton]

I just got an offer in the mail today from Wood Magazine. It says I will get 2 years free if I subscribe to their magazine for 1 year. Well, this sounds great until I read, in the fine print, that the 3 years total consists of 21 issues. OK...since when does 36 months worth of subscription equal 21 issues in a monthly published magazine?! I guess the "market test" is to determine how many idiots exist in their subscriber base. Even if I misread the ad and the 21 magazines are the "free" part, it should still be 24 issues for the "free" 2 years. So they are trying to screw us out of at least 3 if I read the ad wrong, but more probably 15 issues with this steaming pile of BS offer. I was thinking of getting a subscription to "Wood" before I got this offer. Now that I think about it, Fine Woodworking, Shop Notes, Woodsmith are plenty. I can at least trust them to not try to take advantage of me with slick worded ad copy. Anybody know anything about why the mag. would try to do this? Did they hire the Clinton's?

[Gary Milliorn]

Er, Michael,

Wood is only published seven times a year. You can check in the back page of an issue for the publishers statement. Haven't seen the mailer, maybe they need to make it clearer.

Regards, Gary

[Doug Miller]

"Monthly published magazine" equals mistaken assumption on your part.

Wood publishes seven times a year.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

[Leon]

What the big deal????? You do realize that Woodsmith and ShopNotes are published less often that Wood magazine don't you. A 3 year subscription to ShopNotes and Woodsmith are only 18 issues and you get no years free. I guess the test market found an idiot.

[firstjois]

This offer is part of a "market test" and when it was mailed several other offers were mailed at the same time. The original poster has pointed out a poorly worded section of the offer that may have spoiled the test results and the publishers may never know why the response was so poor. Tests like this are pretty expensive and forwarding the original post to the publishers might be very helpful to them.

Josie

[MaxEN]

If you want to subscribe, subscribe with confidence, they are not screwing anybody, I am a subscriber for 4 years now and have no problem with them. And yes, they do not have 12 issue a Year, but 7 only. Maxen

[Leon]

Maybe, but the OP indicated that a 3 year subscription should have 36 issues. No so. 2 of the publications that he already subscribes to, per his comment, only offer 6 issues per year. He should not have been ignorant to the fact not all magazines have 12 issues per year. And as per his explanation, the offer was with 1 paid year you get 2 years free. No indication that he would get 24 issues free. He basically is passing up an opportunity to buy a 3 year subscription for a 1 year price. Had he subscribed at the regular 1 year price he would still only get 7 issues per year. I saw nothing poorly worded in his explanation of the offer.

[Gary]

Oh yeah, definitely some BS, but me thinks it's on you! Oh Lord, it's hard, to be humble........

Whatcha say Michael? :) Don't you hate it when this happens?

G

[chefbob]

[Phisherman]

[Gary]

subscription

I skimmed though the mailer yesterday morning. I thought, I've seen Wood magazine, I recall liking their articles, Sure, sounds like a good deal to me so I placed the subscription in the mail. 21 issues at the newstand price of 3.95 (I think); thats about $80 worth of magazine. I didn't like how they added $4 shipping and handling but subscribed anyway. I guess they hooked at least one "idiot".

Gary

[Michael Burton]

Gary Milliorn wrote in news:qoK8d.39756$ [e-mail]:

OH, Well that changes everything then. :-) Now I think it is a good deal. Hah! Somewhere I got the mistaken idea that Wood Magazine was a monthly Mag. Cool

[Michael Burton]

Leon wrote in news:AiV8d.1562$ [e-mail]:

Leon, I know tha Shop Notes and Woodsmith are only published 6 times a year. I knew that before I subscribed a few years ago. The poor wording was in the offer. Not in my explanation of the offer. Anyway..I found out that Wood is only published seven times a year. Sort of a strange number. Must be a special tools issue or something.

[Michael Burton]

Gary wrote in news:%3_8d.1768$% [e-mail]:

AAARRRRGGGHH!! Yes Gary, I hate it whan that happens. Oh well, anybody got any ketchup for the foot in my mouth? ;-) I sent off the subscription offer by the way. I like wood magazine & have been buying it at the newsstand off and on. 7 mags a year just seemed like a strange number of issues per year.

[Leon]

I See.. As for a Special Tools edition, no, there are simply 7 regular issues. Actually several years ago there were 8 issues per year but the content IMHO is better now.

[David Hall]

"SNIP

SNIP

OK, what is the price being offered? I just got the last "Wood" of my subscription. The re-up offer is one year at $28 or 2 years at $44 (including their silly "shipping and handling" charge). Are they offering non-subscribers a better price than re-upping current subscribers?

Dave Hall

[Hoyt Weathers]

I just recently round-filed the re-up subscription offer of "Wood." Not enough in it of useable interest for me. I am sticking with FWW. Hoyt W.

[patriarch]

[e-mail] (David Hall) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

This is not particularly unusual in the magazine business...

Not particularly 'user-friendly', but not unusual.

Patriarch, who doesn't read "Wood"

[Mark & Juanita]

Just got my "3 years for the price of 1" offer today. 21 issues for $24. Yep, you're getting screwed if you are a subscriber.

FWIW, the combined drill press speed chart and wood screw reference chart included in the advertising package looks like a keeper. The rest of the ad package went into the circular file.

[Greg Vaughn]

That's the same thing I did! :-)