Forum home› The potting shed
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Gardeners World Magazine subscription price hike

TruckerTrucker Posts: 14
in The potting shed
Anyone else received a shock with their Gardeners World magazine subscription price increase?  
My letter today stated a price increase from ~£40.50 which I have paid for the last 2 years to £56.70 this year, an increase of 40%!  The letter said this is a 20% saving on the shop price.  However the shop price will be £4.99 from March. So 12 x £4.99 is £59.88 and 20% less than this is £47.90. On querying the 40% increase, they offered me a price of £50 which they said was 20% lower than usual price.  So three different versions of 20% off above - take your pick! Someone needs to do their maths.
They let me cancel my subscription and renew using the code in February's magazine so eventually got a good deal for 12 months.  Next year it'll go up to £50.50 which the magazine says is a 20% discount on the UK standard subscription price of £59.88.  (I make that a 15% reduction!)  At that point I think I'll cancel for good.  It's not a 20% reduction, and anyway, 3 years ago I was only paying £25 for 12 months.  
Gardeners World inflation seems to be in a different league to the majority of the UK!
«13456

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    I haven't bought any magazines for years. How does the price compare with other mags?


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I looked at it today at Nantes airport press shop.  £4.99 translates to 8€.99.  I don't think so.  Bought Good Housekeeping instead for 7€99.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I bought the subscription many years ago for my mum as a Christmas present, and just kept it on. Reading this, l think l will cancel the subscription.  My mum is no longer gardening and l tend to just flick through it nowadays. I know costs increase, but this is not encouraging me to carry on subscribing. 
  • HazybHazyb Posts: 336
    It is always cheaper to get the subscription as a new customer rather than  as a returning customer.

    Even cheaper is to use Tesco Vouchers but it often shows as sold out.

    I got mine for £44.99 which came with free Niwaki secateurs ( the only reason I got the subscription for) -


  • FavourFavour Posts: 25
    I've only bought Gardeners World magazine a handful of times. I have a subscription to 'Grow Your Own' and often pick up a copy 'Amateur Gardener' and/or 'Garden News' if I see them in the supermarket.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I haven't bought it for years. Too many adverts. 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I will probably be called Satans Spawn for saying this, but if you shop in Tesco’s  and save the points, the mag is only £20.00 per year. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    edited January 2019
    My library has it so I download it for free. You can keep it as long as you like and they keep several years of back copies. I also get Amateur Gardening this way.
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    I have a friend who gives me all her old gardening magazines  B)
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
    Have to agree the GW magazine seems to be out there on its own, not that any magazines are cheap these days so I very rarely buy one.

    I belong to RHS so get theirs regularly, and use the site for information, and for my veg growing I purchased a couple of books from Kin*** and have them on my PC at £12ish each good value I have them forever and no expensive subscription.

    I would suggest if your spending £40 plus on a subscription maybe now's the time to treat yourself to a good quality garden book or books.

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
Sign In or Register to comment.