Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Magazine Rant

I’m feeling peevish today about the number of favorite magazines going out of print. Yesterday I received a mystery copy of Martha Stewart Living in the mail, and when I called the subscription number,they told me it was good until August ’09. I don’t subscribe to MSL, and don’t want to. Couldn’t figure it out, then talked to a customer service rep. Seems that Mary Engelbreit Home Companion stopped publication, effective February 1, and switched us over to Martha Stewart. I don’t want Martha Stewart, I want ME, so I told them to just send me a refund. I'm getting a whopping $7 back. I subscribed to MSL for a while, and realized I never opened the plastic wrapper, and was giving them away without looking at them. But ME? I kept all my issues, I look at them over and over. I’m really disappointed.

And this on the heels of Country Home magazine going away. I just renewed that one in October - and the goofballs are still accepting subscriptions on their website! And of course the notice that Cottage Living was also folding. At least they wrote and said I’m getting the rest of my subscription as Southern Living. Why would I want Southern Living – I live in Cleveland, for crying out loud. I had all the Southern Living exposure I wanted when I lived in NC, and I just don’t feel there’s any comparison as to type of magazine.

So, out of all the magazines I get, that's three going away, thanks to this lousy economy. Those are my respites, my vacations, my inspiration and pick-me-ups, and now they are no more. Three left for me - Country Living, Romantic Homes, and Victoria. If those go away, particularly Romantic Homes...well, my mailman will be less burdened, but I'm going to be mighty unhappy.

5 comments:

Carla said...

I really despise it when they take it on their own to send you something else. Happened to me and a doll magazine I loved. Got another doll magazine but it was ceramic. I do cloth. Never did get a refund.

Serena Lewis said...

You would think they could have sent you a courtesy letter or email to ask if you were interested in any of their other magazines. How disappointing!

joggerellablog said...

I have to comment. I even read your rant aloud to my husband! Cottage Living really spoke to me. In fact, my next door neighbor, Tim, and I were scheming how to entice them into showing our little houses together in one issue. When I told him it had gone kaput he said, "Is nothing sacred?" The Southern Living arrived and went straight to the mag pile in the lunchroom where I work. And now you tell me Country Home is vamos? I saw it had a new editor and I enjoyed a recent issue so when a sad looking man with club feet (a gentle soul, actually,) clamored up my drive Christmas week I ordered Country Home from him...it was $35.00!!! I guess that is gone, too....I sure hope Country Living doesn't disappear, as well! Veranda and Southern Accents used to be my Business Bibles and now they look like stagesets. Their ads used to be so interesting, but most of those disappeared long ago. Well, Sue, your Blog did not have uplifting news, today...but it was still entertaining!

Norma Soulet (AZArtist) said...

After reading your post about "ME", I am really disappointed because I am a subscriber too and they haven't informed me either. You would expect a letter from them to tell you these things. Oh darn! I love all my ME issues. I have them all and go over them all the time, like you. :(
I don't want any other subscription! I WANT "ME". :(

Betty said...

I hate it too. I had new ME subscription and had to pick something else. Not happy.