I usually keep gripping gripes to myself. I’m one of those “grin and bear it” gals who save things for exploding on rare explosively deserving occasions. You don’t hear me complaining often do you? I am a peace loving blogger person after all.
But, I know you are wondering, “So what’s your gripe anyway? Go ahead. Spill it.”
Patience. Here is my story.
My calmer, more accommodating self understands the folks who send out magazines, newsletters, and other subscription services. Of course they need to send out renewal notices. I may be just a tad aggravated but I even understand reminders two months before the actual due date. After all, I might be one of those forgetful few who need advance prodding to pay up.
Do you see how sweet I am?
But “great guns”, when is the barrage too much, too soon? There is a fine line between a time-is-running-out reminder and the total turnoff of a demand for immediate action when you just sent in your check!
Most Current Gripe:
I just ordered a year’s subscription to a health newsletter because it promises to preserve my youth into old-er age. I think, however, that it is making me look old-er now and I am aging before my own mirror.
You see, I just received a reminder to “Renew Now!” And I have only received one issue!
Does this mean I can look forward to getting constant renewal notices for the entire year?
Are they afraid their health letter remedies will not work and I will die before sending in the money to renew?
And what they REALLY do not comprehend is that now (if I live through the year), I have NO intention WHATSOEVER of renewing even though I may miss something that could preserve my health, appearance, youth, and emotional well being into my 100’s.
This peace loving blogger has definitely lost it.
Do you get early renewal notices too? How early? I’ll bet you can’t beat this one.
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I think you are just a victim of a computer who has coming and going issues. Real people would never want to cross a Virginian!
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No, I can’t beat that. Like minds think alike. I wrote something on this when I first started blogging because I get nuts when when it I have another 2 years left or else I should pay full price but I get 2 additional subscriptions free. The newest strategy is to get me to pay online. Once they have my credit card info, they AUTOMATICALLY renew each year. I have to call to stop it. So, I don’t renew on line ever! Their loss. I don’t know if your blog accepts links but here was my post
http://coffeekatblog.com/?s=magazine+publishers+make+me+crazy
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Yes, your renewal takes the prize! But surely it is an error. I don’t subscribe to magazines anymore but I do give a subscription to one as a gift every year. It renews in January and I start getting renewal notices in September. Stay calm…stress is not good for your health! Enjoy the weekend!
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No, I definitely can’t beat that one, but I do get multiple early renewal notices for many things. It is quite annoying, so I totally agree with your griping :).
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How do you spell annoying? Renew now! This happened to my dad and he lost track of how many times he’d renewed a magazine. End result? We’re still receiving this magazine three years after Dad died!
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Maybe they’re not asking you to renew the magazine – maybe they’re being rude and suggesting you renew yourself? 😉
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You are right there Lilly. We Virginians are tough! 🙂
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Isn’t it ironic how we bloggers sometimes write about the same things, albeit in slightly different ways? I loved your post on “magazine subscriptions.” 🙂
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Ommmmmmm! I am meditating toward calmness. 🙂
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I knew it. You understand! 🙂
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Now THAT is funny mama – that you are still receiving your Dad’s magazines!
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That would be rude indeed! However, self renewal is not such a bad idea Val. I plan to renew myself by avoiding magazine subscriptions in future.
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I had received a “free issue” of a magazine then started receiving notices of past due payment. Needless to say I didn’t subscribe.
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Yes, I do get early renewals and they are frustrating because I always have to check my checkbook to see when I paid last – and yes – it’s usually months & months before renewal is due – Magazines need to wake up; definitely losing subscribers from this nonsense! Kit
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I feel your pain, Dor. Those renewals can get out of hand. I stopped one subscription for that purpose. I was two years ahead and they still sent notices. While we’re griping on this rare occasion, I must share about the messages on my answering machine. I’ve lost count of how many “This is your last chance…” calls we’ve gotten. Ok, now we can all go back to being our sweet selves. 🙂
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Amen, Sistah!
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No I cant beat it either.
I have nominated you for an award 🙂
http://hopethehappyhugger.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/feel-the-love/
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Congratulations HappyHugger for your WordPress Family Award! You are definitely well loved and the award is truly meant for you.Thanks so much too, for nominating me. I will be giving this some thought, but will put something out soon. 🙂
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🙂 🙂
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Sweet, we definitely are, except under these extenuating circumstances. 🙂
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We are, as usual, on the same page. Thanks Kit! 🙂
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Good thinking! Besides, if you subscribe to magazines, you would have to organize them! 🙂
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It must work or they wouldn’t do it. My husband is always complaining of the early demands for renewal and he continues to subscribe to more magazines that he doesn’t have time or falls asleep reading. Poor guy. I do not have this problem as I am a non-reader, unless in a doctor’s office or beauty parlor.
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That made me smile, thank you!
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Funny! I am laughing out loud. Some things are just Too Much. All these renewal notices–TOO crazy. My latest gripe is that I subscribed to a magazine–Whole Living–and got ONE issue before discovering they were going out of business. And they’re sending me Family Circle–which I do not like–instead. ARRRGGGGHHHH! End gripe. LOL.
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You are right Viv – the early renewal notices must work for them. I am solving the problem by never renewing anything ever again. That way I can tear up all notices. 🙂
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Oh no! I think I would finally crack if that happened. ARRRGGGHHHH is the correct response Kathy. I love it that we are a pair of gripers. 🙂
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*grin*
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Forgot to tell you I have nominated you for the WordPress Family award. See https://countryliving4beginners.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/an-award-from-the-family/ Dor 🙂
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What I really don’t like is the fact that some magazines keep lowering the price of the subscription each time they beg me to renew. Why don’t they offer me the best price right away? Why should I have to wait until they make the price more reasonable?
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I agree. I started with one publication at $10 per year and then it climbed to $20, so I quit. Then they kept lowering it and finally got back to $10 per year. I re-subscribed the first time. Now, they are at it again and I’m tired of the game, so no more subscriptions. They talked me right out of it. 🙂
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I’ve been planning to blog about this forever and you did it for me. My mom who is 86 and I often gift magazine subscriptions to each other and what a mess that becomes. We can end up with oodles of the same magazine and not knowing who should be getting those nasty threatening renewal notices. Your humor is similar to mine. I’ll keep reading yours. I’m about to post more aging pieces now that my daughter finally got married and we can breathe around here. But first I have to go through the piles of angry renewal notices…
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Thanks Lisa for stopping by my blog! And I so appreciate your comment! 🙂
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