Golf Monthly mag subscriptions - can I get your thoughts please!

[Rlburnside]

Haha, I subscribed on that offer back in November. Still have not seen hide nor hair of the promised balls, and there was no response when I emailed them about it. I have to say, as much as I like the magazine, I have been left feeling rather...underwhelmed by the whole experience, and will not be renewing!

Maybe saved myself some hassle then?

Bit surprising to have such poor customer service even with the pandemic at the moment.

Also I’ve not received any reply to my post in this thread which was asking about views on subscription.

Shame as it’s a good forum otherwise.

 

[Imurg]

Maybe saved myself some hassle then?

Bit surprising to have such poor customer service even with the pandemic at the moment.

Also I’ve not received any reply to my post in this thread which was asking about views on subscription.

Shame as it’s a good forum otherwise.

As this thread is nearly 2/3 months old the GM team are probably not looking at it much.
Might be an idea to email MikeH direct with any concerns or issues.
His email is in his signature on post 1

 

[NedPizza]

As this thread is nearly 2/3 months old the GM team are probably not looking at it much.
Might be an idea to email MikeH direct with any concerns or issues.
His email is in his signature on post 1

But surely when someone posts here, the thread moves up, or do the GM team not see that!

 

[Rlburnside]

As this thread is nearly 2/3 months old the GM team are probably not looking at it much.
Might be an idea to email MikeH direct with any concerns or issues.
His email is in his signature on post 1

I realize this is a oldish thread but at the time I first posted it wasn’t 2/3 months ago,

I’m not that bothered that I would send anyone a e-mail.

As it was the editor that asked for feedback on subscriptions and you can see new posts that come up I would have thought it would have been sense for somebody to have a glance on the forum now and again.

As it is that’s 3 potential customers that have been lost, customer service is key. ?

 

[Imurg]

But surely when someone posts here, the thread moves up, or do the GM team not see that!

They may if they're looking for it but Mike probably got enough feedback last year so isn't monitoring the thread anymore.
He doesn't come on here that often so probably hasn't seen it.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Mike,

I've just had a letter about my subscription advising me that, and I quote, "Your payment amount of £48.49 is staying the same, but the date we will be debiting your account has changed. There's no need for you to do anything and you are still saving 27% on the full subscription price..."

On page 95 the "Dear Santa" feature lists the subscription price as £44.98, and pages 98 & 99 have the subscription price as £22.49 every 6 months (so £44.98) and gets me a dozen Srixon Z Stars .

Mike, it's a long time since I went to school, but by my reckoning a 27% saving on £44.98 is £12.14, meaning I should be paying £32.84. What price loyalty? About £15.65 this year by the looks of things!

Mike, I get that introductory discounts are there to hook people in & I'm not expecting a dozen balls every year, but a letter that tells me I'm paying more than a new subscriber for my loyalty, whilst at the same time telling me how much I'm saving, really is taking the proverbial. Perhaps you could feed this back to the subs team.

Thanks for the feedback Rich, super useful and the fact that others have raised same gripes underline that it's a common theme
The lack of consistency in pricing is one of my biggest bugbears and the subs team acknowledge it needs to be more uniform
In terms of gifts it just wouldn't be sustainable to send a dozen balls to everyone who renewed each year - we just about break even in year 1 with the cost we have to pay on buying the balls in/sending them out in addition to standard print/paper and eye-watering postal costs
However, what I can guarantee is that going forward there will be a more tangible range of rewards for subscribers that should be coming on stream in Spring 2021!

Mike, I fully accept that the balls are unsustainable on a regular basis and are only there as a sweetener to get people on board; it would be completely unreasonable to expect them annually. However I'd be interested to know how many of these new subscribers stay beyond the first year offer, especially in view of the TP5gate 1 dozen/2 dozen scandal

My ire is purely at receiving a subscription letter telling me how much I'm saving for my loyalty when in fact my loyalty is clearly costing me over the odds...

I look forward to Spring 2021... (incidentally, by which time the best course in SW London should be coming into its peak condition )

Mike, a quick update. Current subscription price available online is £42.40, current offer price in the magazine £46 (£23 per 6 months, November issue), bank account raided on Thursday to the tune of £48.49.

Looks like my loyalty is still costing me over the odds. Not a lot, but it's the principle, & more disappointing given the team's acknowledgement that it needs to be more uniform. They'll be getting a phone call on Monday (they got one this afternoon as they are supposed to open until 6pm on Saturdays but the website detail & the phone message are at odds; a bit like the subscription prices ).

 

[MarkT]

I've forwarded this on to Mike now

 

[MikeH]

Mike, a quick update. Current subscription price available online is £42.40, current offer price in the magazine £46 (£23 per 6 months, November issue), bank account raided on Thursday to the tune of £48.49.

Looks like my loyalty is still costing me over the odds. Not a lot, but it's the principle, & more disappointing given the team's acknowledgement that it needs to be more uniform. They'll be getting a phone call on Monday (they got one this afternoon as they are supposed to open until 6pm on Saturdays but the website detail & the phone message are at odds; a bit like the subscription prices ).

Hi Richard - can you drop me a mail to michael.harris@futurenet.com just briefly outlining situation/timeline - sorry struggling to get my head round timeline on this from the thread - and I'll look into it. Thanks Mike

 

[Blue in Munich]

Hi Richard - can you drop me a mail to michael.harris@futurenet.com just briefly outlining situation/timeline - sorry struggling to get my head round timeline on this from the thread - and I'll look into it. Thanks Mike

YGM

 

[Kraxx68]

Hi Mike, trust you and the team are all safe and well.

WHY DID YOU SUBSCRIBE TO GM?
I didn't want to miss an issue & saves me going to the paper shop to pick it up.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED FOR?
more than 10 years, defo prior to 2010... i did keep all my old mags, but someone thought it would be great to recycle...

WHY DID YOU RENEW?
I look forward to each issue, easy to have it delivered than go to the shops.. and only buy it for the Editors Views

Keep up the good work GM Team!

 

[Blue in Munich]

Hi Richard - can you drop me a mail to michael.harris@futurenet.com just briefly outlining situation/timeline - sorry struggling to get my head round timeline on this from the thread - and I'll look into it. Thanks Mike

Thank you Mike, don't know what you said but the issue has been sorted.