Magazine freebies, but not for subscribers...?

[Nature's Babe]

I like that idea Smurfy

[Monika]

I don't think I want any freebies or samples, the magazine will do for me. The latest issue is another cracker, I think and have already read it from cover to cover. It's good to see our Forum's Clive is featured at Gunby Hall!

I don't subscribe because I want our village shop to get the custom.

[oldherbaceous]

Well said Monika, on all accounts.

[Nature's Babe]

Ditto, I also buy to support a local independent supplier.

[JohnN]

NB - re barrier cream, the one I always use for keeping oil etc from the skin is called Rosalex. Don't see why it shouldn't work for gardening.

[pdblak]

Just got my mag through the post and, again, bugger all for subscribers. The contents page boldy announces Subscriber's Corner on page 30. It's an advert for subscriptions, nothing more.

So basically, aside from a small cut in price, which the cut the supermarket would normally takes makes it a bonus for the publisher anyway, for my subscription I get a grand sum of nowt.

I will not be re-subscribing.

Whatever happened to free seeds and the like? Just something to show you appreciate me paying my hard earned up front.

[Monika]

Oh, come on, pdblak, you get the magazine earlier than it appears in the shops AND at a lower price. Isn't that enough? As I have mentioned before, I get ours through our village shop because I want them to have my custom else they might close, otherwise I would be tempted to subscribe, freebies or not.

[pdblak]

No, it's not. As I've said above, subscription fees are paid up front. The small cut in price is more than covered by not having to pay the supermarkets their cut. I took out a subscription based on the magazine at the time. Back then there were free seeds pretty much every month. Now I've subscribed suddenly there is nothing. Honestly, I feel cheated. Subscriptions amount to buying future editions of something based on the trust that you will get steady content over a period of time. That trust is lost now.

There have been admin on this thread asking for suggestions and, to be frank, the last three issues show just how much notice they take.

Once this subscription runs out I'll buy the magazine when it takes my fancy, from Tesco, and let them have their cut.

[Geoff]

Are you saying there are freebies in the shop version? Otherwise why the moan? Freebies come from the suppliers not the publishers and I would have thought it was a combination of hard times and the season, there was no shredder fodder either for the same reason. I'm sure they'll be back in the Spring.

[pdblak]

I'm saying that there were always freebies in when I bought it from th shop. When I subscribed they suddenly stopped.

Anyway. I've put this here for the admin to see, as at one point they were asking us about freebies. Seems they're no longer listening, if they ever were.

I'm not going to argue about it. You like it, you buy it. I feel ripped off and I won't be buying it again once this subscription has run its course.

[Monika]

Just had my new KG copy today (you see, pdblak, much later than you, the subscriber!), and a jolly good read it is again. Having been at the Harrogate Show, I agree that it was a a jolly good show with amazing vegetable and fruit displays, never mind the huge specimens!

[Geoff]

But were there any freebies or are both versions the same?