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Globe finds new way to extract value from subscribers: Take away credits for stopping the paper on vacations

By adamg on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 8:59am

The Globe is sending notes to subscribers today: Starting Aug. 1 they will no longer get credits for stopping the paper while on vacation, unless their vacations are at least 22 days long.

Don't worry, subscribers: You can still stop the paper coming while you're away, so your house won't look like it's putting out the welcome mat for burglars, it's just that now you'll have to pay the Globe for that privilege.

And as the Globe helpfully reminds subscribers:

Remember, as a subscriber you still have access to the Globe's award-winning coverage even while you're away: Log in to BostonGlobe.com anytime from your phone, tablet or laptop, or download the ePaper, an exact digital replica of the Boston Globe in print.

H/t to the grumpy subscriber who forwarded a copy of the note, who allows that "I guess there's a small upside in that presumably the voice menu prompts will no longer make callers sit through being asked to "donate the value of the ..." to somewhere."

Topics: 
Media
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Boston Globe


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Comments

By anon on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:12am.

Will these unwanted, undelivered (and maybe unprinted) papers be counted in their circulation totals?

By Sources Say on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:14am.

The folks at the Globe really do seem to hate their subscribers.

By Cranky on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:22am.

Jerks.
I wonder if paying for the privilege of not having one's paper delivered means that the paper really won't be delivered. Half the time I put in a vacation stop, there are at least a few burglar invitations laying on the front yard when I get home.
I know, I know, first world problems. Still...grumble grumble.

By anon on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:19am.

Suspending paper delivery must have significant administrative costs. They still have to print and deliver newspapers for everyone else, and they're not saving anything there while you're on vacation.

By Cranky on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 10:21am.

I'm not sure how significant costs would be. Unless I'm missing something, they just have to tell drivers what addresses not to deliver to.

Honestly, I don't see how them saving money or not enters into it. If I pay for 365 papers, shouldn't I receive 365 papers?

By Capt. Obvious on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 1:30pm.

But whatever, that's not the point: If you're not receiving a service, you don't pay for it. That's how EVERYTHING works on this planet.

Also: "and they're not saving anything there while you're on vacation." Huh? How are they not saving anything by not having to print and deliver X number of papers? I'm sure the Globe could find a way, of course...

By anon on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:24am.

It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. Do it for the children.

By Michael on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:29am.

Anything less than 22 days doesn't count as a real vacation anyway. Why, Muffy and I once did the Grand Tour of Italy and an extra cruise down the Loire in only 19 days and were more tired than when we left!

By Ron Abbott on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 9:46am.

Linda Henry is STILL driving a 2014 Porsche Cayenne. Help Linda achieve her dream of getting the latest model or at least a G Series AMG, won't you? Time is of the essence!

By bosguy22 on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 11:13am.

You mean the Managing Director of the Boston Globe and the CEO of Boston.com? She needs a raise.

By Gary C on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 10:12am.

I got that email and it pissed me off too.

I bet somehow people were putting in for repeated "vacation" stops (say every other week) and then still reading the epaper version, since they don't cut that off when you do a vacation stop. That way you'd get 2 years for the price of one. (Or they put in for "vacation" every weekend to get the 7 day price or something.)

22 days is insulting. It they made the minimum 7 days I'd be OK. I could even see a 10 day minimum, but 22 basically means no one will ever get credit for a vacation stop.

By Will LaTulippe on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 10:33am.

It's okay to raise the price of something, but you gotta raise the quality too. I'm really not impressed with the Sunday Globe the last few months. I've been reading the New York Times instead. $2.50 more, but much more worth reading. Some of the Globe front page stories are lurid or feel well-trodden.

By John-W on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 10:36am.

cancel the mf'er. worked for me.

By anon on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 1:00pm.

this is a good enough reason.

By Elmer Fudd on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 12:36pm.

Incognito Mode.

We don't need no stinkin' paywall!

By O-FISH-L on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 11:14pm.

With all of the journalists in this city and even a weekly TV show dedicated to media issues, how come nobody has determined how many (hundreds? thousands?) canceled the Globe after the fake Trump front page and incessant negative coverage? Love him or hate him, with 311,313 Trump votes in Massachusetts, if 1% canceled the Globe, as did I, that would be significant. If 10% canceled, it would be devastating. That's not counting the other New England states where Trump supporters may have canceled the Globe. I recall buyouts/layoffs and now this inane policy followed the fake front page. As I've written here before, when I called the "Dorchester" number to cancel my Globe subscription, a young lady in Manila, Philippines told me that "many, many" had canceled that day due to the fake Trump front page. Correlation?

By adamg on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 11:32pm.

Your monomania is kind of amusing. How many Trump supporters would read the Globe, anyway?

By John-W on Tue, 07/26/2016 - 8:37am.

How many Trump supporters can read?

By Cranky on Tue, 07/26/2016 - 9:39am.

Correlation? I'm going to go with "no."