Comments for Time To Offer Flexible Magazine Subscriptions

Time To Offer Flexible Magazine Subscriptions

2007-10-28T20:42:37Z

Taking a page from Netflix, Time is developing a service that will let customers pay a single monthly price for up to seven rotating magazine subscriptions. Dubbed Maghound, the service is Time's attempt to augment the yearly subscription model by embracing the internet.

]]> The current plan calls for offering three magazines for $4.95 a month, five magazines for $7.95 a month or seven magazines for $9.95 a month -- with about 20% of the available magazines priced at a premium.

"You pay by credit card and get charged every month until you tell us to stop," Mr. Wolfe said. "If you want to switch at any point, you can switch off Newsweek for Time or something like that. You go online and make these changes. It's a solution that really addresses more of what consumers want, which is control and flexibility."Maghound is expected to go live in September 2008.

Maghound: a Netflix for Magazines? [AdvertisingAge]
(Photo: emdot)

Comment from reykjavik on 2007-10-29

2007-10-29T15:39:22Z

Wait a second, this is taking a company until September of 2008 (basically a year from now) to start? What are they doing, writing and printing the magazines themselves??

Comment from anmlStyl on 2007-10-29

2007-10-29T10:17:14Z

How about going to a doctor's office (one who's hip and current) to snag a magazine or two? I know the old joke of the reception area having periodicals dating back to the 1960s, but I've seen some EWs, Redbook, PopSci, Wired pass through the waiting area that are pretty current. All for the cost of your doctor visit co-pay...

Comment from UpsetPanda on 2007-10-28

2007-10-29T04:59:34Z

Netflix is a fantastic resource for movies, but the reason why it works is that you can get the movie, watch it, then give it back. Clutter in, clutter out. Magazines are all clutter after you finish reading them. I'm the kind of person that can go through a thin magazine like Newsweek or Time in about half an hour, even if I read everything. After I'm done, what then? Clutter and I paid more than $1.50 (if there are 3 magazines a month) for the magazine. Plus, most of the content is already online.

Comment from dalejo on 2007-10-28

2007-10-29T02:01:37Z

You can get a lot of magazines for $5-7 for a year by just using a magazine price search site.

Comment from BigNutty on 2007-10-28

2007-10-29T01:09:08Z

This whole thing with being charged automatically on your credit card until you cancel bothers me.

Has anybody read about all the complaints from consumers who have had problems stopping that automatic charge even after you have requested them to cancel?

This is the way many companies like to do business (for obvious reasons) now.

Besides, who needs magazines anymore unless it's a really niche subject.

Comment from fredmertz on 2007-10-28

2007-10-29T00:29:58Z

3 monthly magazines for $5 isnt such a great deal.

Comment from etinterrapax on 2007-10-28

2007-10-28T23:56:57Z

Meh. I let them all go ages ago. Between a couple of university affiliations and my Consumer Reports subscription, I get everything I want, and usually for free. Public libraries, especially in major metros like Boston, usually have free online services too.

Comment from charmaniac on 2007-10-28

2007-10-28T22:23:43Z

Lol, Mice - Small and Tasty!

This is a great idea because I read a good amount of magazines when I am traveling and when I am not, I don't.

Comment from gniterobot on 2007-10-28

2007-10-28T21:58:24Z

This is sort of cool...but magazines are so 1992