Subscription renewal sillyness

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

My subscription (digital) is due for renewal soon. I’ve had some emails about it from Mortons. This indicated it was going to cost me £56 to renew by debit card. This was a surprise because there was an advert in the magazine saying consideraly less. I queried this. After a couple of weeks I got a  reply it was a print price. Why send a print renewal price to a digital subscriber?
The other question is why is a debit card payment (digital only 12 months) costs £41 and a direct debit £37? I know that its probably because you are less likely to fail to renew a DD and a card payment costs more for the vendor.

However As far a I can tell this is illegal under THE CONSUMER RIGHTS (PAYMENT SURCHARGES) REGULATIONS 2012.
See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b2d09bae5274a55bb5790cb/payment-surcharges-guidance-update.pdf

What do others think.

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

They will try anything just hoping there isn’t someone like you to spot it

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I think the first part of the summary is where you are getting it wrong Robert.

They are not applying a “hidden” surcharge. They are advertising a different price so you know what you are paying.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

The only difference beween the two items is the means of payment. So it’s a surcharge. Saying Direct debit is discounted isn’t a way out. The law says the consumer should pay the same regardless of the means of payment. They started out with a law that they could not charge more than the fees incurred but the retailers still over charged so it was banned completly.
The situation is explictily covered by the guidance. They can charge more for monthly ratha than annual but not for differernt paynment means:

13.4 Some sectors may offer discounts on the basis of payment in instalments or one-off
payments. Such discounts would not fall within the scope of the prohibition to the
extent that they do not create an effective surcharge on a particular means of payment.
For example, it would be acceptable for a monthly magazine subscription to cost more
over a year if paid for by monthly payments rather than a single annual payment, but
any difference in such monthly payments on the basis of the payment method used
would need to comply with the criteria described above.

Robert.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Robert, a single issue in print and digital is the same price, all other prices in both are discounted prices of the single issue price. However, digital prices don’t incur printing costs by a third party, so should cost less than a printed copy. That’s the way I see it, but I might be wrong,

Regards Nick.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Are we quibbling over whether it’s worth 1.1p per day for our own choice to not have a DD?

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Nick,
The issue isn’t the difference between print and digital it’s between paying by direct debit or card (debit or credit, Mortons seem to use paypal).

Diogenes,
That reply is manipulation by statistics 🙂 It’s 33p an issue or 10.8 %. PayPal charge less than 3% That adds up over thousands of subscrptions. The point is that it is illegal.
Just to be clear I have renewed my subscription at the card rate.

Robert.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Robert, well I cannot answer your question, and all I can say is if you have a concern, report it to the appropriate authority, or Rip Off Britain, maybe, but in the “About this guidance” it says; (please note that the site displays the Regulations as originally made and does not include amendments made since then).

Regards Nick.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

It has been so for many years, like Robert I don’t like it either ! As A loyal and not always happy reader of over 30 years I remember the ” free ” gifts offered to NEW subscribers but not to renewals, you can guess what I did every year ! I have spoke to the various publishers , but never got anywhere, my only choice was to let my sub lapse.

Side slip ! The paper quality now used is unsuitable for colour printing – Look at the pictures of MMEX 25 in 4771-why bother with a good camera. Ah well. Noel.

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

I believe Robert is correct — there should be no disparity in price regardless of payment method.

A question about digital subscription — if you use this does it give you access to only those published forwards of your digital subs date or do you have full access to all the historical digital copies ?

John

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You get all MEW and ME back to about 2000 for the duration of your digital subscription.

[Nicholas Farr]

On Nicholas Farr Said:

Hi Robert, well I cannot answer your question, and all I can say is if you have a concern, report it to the appropriate authority, or Rip Off Britain, maybe, but in the “About this guidance” it says; (please note that the site displays the Regulations as originally made and does not include amendments made since then).

Regards Nick.

Hi Nick,

It also says the guidance is based on the current version. The legislation website allows you to see the latest version at the click of a button:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/3110

In the end only a court can make the determination but it certainly breaks the intent of the law if not the letter. I’m not a lawer but I am trained and authorised to interpret technical legislation.

Robert.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Seems several publishers including the one that owns Mortons apply the same pricing policy so I would have thought they have a legal team and know what they are doing.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Still no response from Mortons. I gave them a nudge today.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I have to agree with Noel about the print quality for images I do far better than that at home with a c**p printer

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

This is one of the reasons why I stopped my sub and switched to Readly for £12.99 a month, win win for me!

 

Jimb

[Colin Bishop 2Participant @colinbishop2]

Side slip ! The paper quality now used is unsuitable for colour printing – Look at the pictures of MMEX 25 in 4771-why bother with a good camera. Ah well. Noel.

It is the same with Model Boats – poor quality paper.

 

[Author]

Posts