YM: Won't be doing that again in a hurry

[Koeketiene]

Got one of those Sony tablets for my birthday a couple of weeks ago.
Now gradually getting to know the thing. Have already discovered Kindle and free books.

Also discovered that you can get electronic 'boat porn' (yottie mags) through Zinio.
Took out a digital subscription (1 year) to US magazines Cruising World and Blue Water Sailing for around £15 quid each. A massive saving of over 60% on the print subscription price - Bargain.

Noticed Zinio also offer YM. Did not take out a subscription as the saving printed subscription is only a couple of quid.
Did, however, buy this months copy as it contains an article on windlasses (looking to replace our manual one).
Price: £4.99 - cover price £4.40
WTF???
The electronic copy is actually 13% more expensive than the printed copy??
What marketing genius came up with this??

Won't be doing this again.

Sometimes I think my sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

 

[Bav34]

I'm waiting with bated breath to see if they charge me for another 12 months subscription at the end of October.

I managed to get 12 issues of Yachting Monthly for £15, 12 issues of Yachting World also for £15 and 12 issues of Sail for £2.35 (yep £2.35).

I've really enjoyed receiving them in digital format and if the price was more realistic, would continue to do so.

But the current price is too high for me, so I'm not.

If you read below you will see that I had a problem with 'continuous service'

Time will tell.




Hello,

Thanks for your inquiry.

I apologize for any confusion -- I have confirmed that none of your subscriptions have continuous service.

For future reference, if a title has 'continuous service' listed as a default, you will have the option to un-check the box before adding the subscription to your cart. 'Continuous Service' can be selected or de-selected during checkout, or by sending us an email or phone call.

We appreciate your business and let me know if you have any additional
questions.


Best,

Donald
Zinio Support Team

888-946-4666
7AM - 6PM PST


--------------- Original Message ---------------
From: **********
Sent: 12/18/2011 9:06 AM
To: support@zinio.com
Subject: Continuous Service

Hi,

I do not wish to sign up for continuous service but every time I click on account settings, then click on the relevant magazine, there is a box with a tick it in requesting the Continuous Service.

I have deleted that tick on numerous occasions but it reappears.

What do I need to do?

Thanks

*************

 

[snowleopard]

The electronic copy is actually 13% more expensive than the printed copy??
What marketing genius came up with this??

Not a marketing person but the VAT man. Electronic publications are subject to VAT at 20% while printed magazines are zero-rated. So the electronic version is effectively discounted by 7%.

 

[jimi]

You'd think they'd get round that by offering a free electronic version with every paper subscription with an option to have the paper version not delivered and a discount for the non delivery saving.

 

[Koeketiene]

Not a marketing person but the VAT man. Electronic publications are subject to VAT at 20% while printed magazines are zero-rated. So the electronic version is effectively discounted by 7%.

Still.. 7%

The US electronic magazines are discounted over 50%.

 

[Richard Shead]

Still.. 7%

The US electronic magazines are discounted over 50%.

Because that is the US business model, most magazines are subscription based with very few news trade sales.

Anyhow we have argued the pricing of digital subs vs prints subs to death on here.

What I can tell you is that in the not too distant future there will be further offerings on Kindle Fire, Nook etc so theoretically we should have all bases covered.

One thing aside VAT is the cut the retailer takes too, they don't do it for nothing you know...

 

[jimi]

Because that is the US business model, most magazines are subscription based with very few news trade sales.

Anyhow we have argued the pricing of digital subs vs prints subs to death on here.

What I can tell you is that in the not too distant future there will be further offerings on Kindle Fire, Nook etc so theoretically we should have all bases covered.

One thing aside VAT is the cut the retailer takes too, they don't do it for nothing you know...

which should make electronic cheaper as the middleman's profit, distrib costs , printing and paper costs have been reduced to zilch. Shortsighted opportunistic pricing is my guess!

 

[Koeketiene]

Because that is the US business model, most magazines are subscription based with very few news trade sales.

You say this like it's a bad thing.
Why not value/reward loyalty/subscriptions?

Anyhow we have argued the pricing of digital subs vs prints subs to death on here.

We have? - Must have missed that.
Anyway anchors, ensigns, AWB<->MAB, ... have also been argued to death but that doesn't seem to stop people.

 

[Koeketiene]

which should make electronic cheaper as the middleman's profit, distrib costs , printing and paper costs have been reduced to zilch. Shortsighted opportunistic pricing is my guess!

+1

 

[Richard Shead]

which should make electronic cheaper as the middleman's profit, distrib costs , printing and paper costs have been reduced to zilch. Shortsighted opportunistic pricing is my guess!

As I said, if only it were that easy....

I have been very open and up front about digital and have explained that the digital publishing landscape changes almost daily.

We have made progress with Apple and you now get an ipad edition along with your print sub and I would expect the same offering across other platforms in time.

As it stands its the same content and that has a value, that value is the same as be it in print or digital.

Regardless of this myth (and it is a myth) that as its online there are no costs associated with it I can assure there are costs involved on both sides.

cheers

 

[wotayottie]

The electronic copy is actually 13% more expensive than the printed copy??
What marketing genius came up with this??

Won't be doing this again.

Sometimes I think my sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

In that case dont go near Amazon where most of the E Books are also not reduced or reduced by little. Noticeable how the large initial numbers of free books have drastically reduced. Rip off Yanks.

 

[jimi]

As I said, if only it were that easy....

I have been very open and up front about digital and have explained that the digital publishing landscape changes almost daily.

We have made progress with Apple and you now get an ipad edition along with your print sub and I would expect the same offering across other platforms in time.

As it stands its the same content and that has a value, that value is the same as be it in print or digital.

Regardless of this myth (and it is a myth) that as its online there are no costs associated with it I can assure there are costs involved on both sides.

cheers

I unerstand that there are costs but can you explain the supply chain cost?

The mag is sent to printers in electronic format and this electronic format is also used for electronic publishes, so to this point cost per edition is the same?



after this point a physical copy has printing,paper, distrib, 3rd party profit.

an electronic copy has little variable cost , just development & fixed costs to recover.

Is my understanding correct?

 

[Koeketiene]

Regardless of this myth (and it is a myth) that as its online there are no costs associated with it I can assure there are costs involved on both sides.

cheers

No-one has argued that there are no costs associated with a digital copy, but you can not deny that they are (or at least should be) significantly less than those associated with a printed copy. (printing, distribution, ...)
Seems to me that not much of this cost saving is passed on to the reader.

 

[Richard Shead]

I unerstand that there are costs but can you explain the supply chain cost?

The mag is sent to printers in electronic format and this electronic format is also used for electronic publishes, so to this point cost per edition is the same?



after this point a physical copy has printing,paper, distrib, 3rd party profit.

an electronic copy has little variable cost , just development & fixed costs to recover.

Is my understanding correct?

How much do you think Apple take?

There is VAT as well, yes I know its not our cost but there is 20% needing to go somewhere...

As I said we have been down this road before but there are costs involved in both a lot more than you proabbly realise and obviously I am not going to go into too much detail on this.

I have been honest and explained our pricing policy and answered as much as I can but unfortunately (and not necessarily you) there is this perception that as is electronic then the costs are greatly reduced.

If they were it would make my life and targets far easier.

With regards to the US model we have no problem selling our magazines in the US at the price they are.

Cheers

 

[jimi]

Sounds to me as if this is classic marketing, with sell paper in the UK and electronic abroad, also picking up the odd bit of high margin stuff from uk early adopters ;-)

 

[[70521]]

Problem with the electronic version is you can't cut out the pretty pictures or the articals of interest.

 

[prv]

Problem with the electronic version is you can't cut out the pretty pictures or the articals of interest.

Presumably you can take a screenshot, though?

(Ideally you'd be able to just save the thing as a PDF, but typically they're worried we'd all go on a massive spree of copyright infringement and stop paying for it, if they allowed that.)

Pete

 

[Spud1973]

Apple take a pretty hefty chunk of of the sale price and as mentioned you also have the the 20% VAT. They have complete and total control over the platform, and every time one of you guys buys one of their over hyped and technically inferior products you strengthen that position.

Advocates of open systems have long maintained the view that in reality you do not own the devices, what can and can't be run on them is dictated to by Apple, there are no other channels. They exert far more restrictions and manipulations of the market place than Microsoft ever did, certainly once Microsoft had been declared a monopoly and it's anticompetitive nature was proven in courts they would never have been able to get away with what is currently going on.

 

[srp]

Apple take a pretty hefty chunk of of the sale price and as mentioned you also have the the 20% VAT. They have complete and total control over the platform, and every time one of you guys buys one of their over hyped and technically inferior products you strengthen that position.

Advocates of open systems have long maintained the view that in reality you do not own the devices, what can and can't be run on them is dictated to by Apple, there are no other channels. They exert far more restrictions and manipulations of the market place than Microsoft ever did, certainly once Microsoft had been declared a monopoly and it's anticompetitive nature was proven in courts they would never have been able to get away with what is currently going on.

Feel better now?

 

[Spud1973]

Much better, thank you.