Taunton Press - FineWoodworking.com-Online Subscription Website (Rating: 1)
Here's my experience-I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions.
I was a Fine Woodworking Magazine subscriber for 15yrs from 1995-2009, and enjoyed many of the issues in the earlier years. As my experience in woodworking grew, I found the quality of the articles, projects, advice, etc. in the magazine going downhill-particularly from 2006 onward. Purchased the DVD of all issues in 2010 and still refer to the earlier articles as they have challenging products, excellent advice, and generally aren't filled with tool reviews hawking their largest advertisers.
My problem with Taunton has to do with their business practice of how online subscriptions to Fiinewoodworking.com are handled.
I subscribed to the onine website, then ended the subscription when I did not renew my hardcopy magazine subscription in 2009. Since that time, I have had my credit card charged every year for the online website subscription, and have had to call them to reverse the charges.
When I received another credit card charge this month, I went back to the website and did a very thorough review of all information surrounding my account, and couldn't find any place for subscribers to cancel their subscriptions. I'm very computer literate, and website saavy, so it wasn't a case of not knowing how to use a subscripton website (participate in others-non-woodworking).
When I called Taunton's customer service and asked where the authorization to charge me for a renewal came from, they said it was part of the Terms I agreed to. The customer service rep then had me go through their "free 2 week membership page), and in very tiny print, had me check a box that opened up the Terms and Conditions agreement. The document had over 20 paragraphs of "legalise". In one of them having to do with payment terms, there was exactly one sentence saying I gave them the right to auto-renew the subscription and charge me for it. There is nothing "spelled out" on the subscription website making it easy to understand they will be auto-renewing your subscription. Nor, more importantly, is there any option on the Finewoodworking.com website to cancel your subscription. Basically, you have to call their customer service to do so.
When I pointed out that for "non-computer literate" woodworkers, this basically amounted to deceptive consumer practices- the customer service rep politely pointed out that their legal department had reviewed the Terms page and they were in compliance with all regulations (!!!).
You can all draw your own conclusions from my experience, but from my perspective this isn't the way you treat your customer-I won't be doing business with Taunton again in any capacity (magazines, books, DVD's, etc.)
Here's my experience-I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions.
I was a Fine Woodworking Magazine subscriber for 15yrs from 1995-2009, and enjoyed many of the issues in the earlier years. As my experience in woodworking grew, I found the quality of the articles, projects, advice, etc. in the magazine going downhill-particularly from 2006 onward. Purchased the DVD of all issues in 2010 and still refer to the earlier articles as they have challenging products, excellent advice, and generally aren't filled with tool reviews hawking their largest advertisers.
My problem with Taunton has to do with their business practice of how online subscriptions to Fiinewoodworking.com are handled.
I subscribed to the onine website, then ended the subscription when I did not renew my hardcopy magazine subscription in 2009. Since that time, I have had my credit card charged every year for the online website subscription, and have had to call them to reverse the charges.
When I received another credit card charge this month, I went back to the website and did a very thorough review of all information surrounding my account, and couldn't find any place for subscribers to cancel their subscriptions. I'm very computer literate, and website saavy, so it wasn't a case of not knowing how to use a subscripton website (participate in others-non-woodworking).
When I called Taunton's customer service and asked where the authorization to charge me for a renewal came from, they said it was part of the Terms I agreed to. The customer service rep then had me go through their "free 2 week membership page), and in very tiny print, had me check a box that opened up the Terms and Conditions agreement. The document had over 20 paragraphs of "legalise". In one of them having to do with payment terms, there was exactly one sentence saying I gave them the right to auto-renew the subscription and charge me for it. There is nothing "spelled out" on the subscription website making it easy to understand they will be auto-renewing your subscription. Nor, more importantly, is there any option on the Finewoodworking.com website to cancel your subscription. Basically, you have to call their customer service to do so.
When I pointed out that for "non-computer literate" woodworkers, this basically amounted to deceptive consumer practices- the customer service rep politely pointed out that their legal department had reviewed the Terms page and they were in compliance with all regulations (!!!).
You can all draw your own conclusions from my experience, but from my perspective this isn't the way you treat your customer-I won't be doing business with Taunton again in any capacity (magazines, books, DVD's, etc.)