Whether you like the political point of view of The New York Times or not, the newspaper deserves credit for adjusting its subscription fees to meet subscribers’ needs.
Case in point: I had an introductory offer of $8 billed to my credit card every 28 days for the daily online paper. I realize that’s not the same as being billed once a month, but still . . . it seemed like a bargain.
Last week a notice arrived in my inbox that my introductory offer was expiring and the new fee would be $25 every 28 days. That’s a considerable jump from $104 a year to $325. I could understand if I were receiving a paper copy, because perhaps inks and papers have gone up like everything else.
But it’s digital. It’s the click of a button. It’s set it and forget it.
So I hit the cancel button with a touch of sadness. Up came a screen with a variety of reasons for the cancelation. Normally I wouldn’t bother responding; I’m cancelling something because I’m cancelling it.
But the first reason was “Can’t afford the increase,” and I decided to check that box. To my surprise the next screen asked if I would be interested in keeping my subscription if it were only $4 every 28 days, which means the offer went from 300 percent higher to 50 percent less than the current rate.
Yes, I canceled my cancellation and got another email message welcoming me back onboard and confirming my new rate. It’s still digital, the click of a button, set it and forget it. But I’ll take it.
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