OLD CARS WEEKLY

[harry s]

 Just checking to see if anyone else has had the same experience. I got a non reply email notice from OCW advising my subscription would auto renew. I called number listed and said I had not asked to be on auto renew. He said "yes you did, read the agreement". He also advised he was the subscription agent for OCW. I told him I did not want my credit card on file nor to be on auto renew and would deal directly with OCW. He hung up. About an hour later I got another email advising my subscription had been canceled and a refund of $11 would be made to the cc on file. It didn't seem to be a scam but with an attitude like that they are hastening the death of the print media. I probably won't get a chance to call OCW today but will follow up next week and report back.    Harry

[gkhashem]

I agree who gives them the right to auto renew without me asking for it.

[fishnjim]

I used to get print and then digital.   I stopped some time ago.   Weekly was too many issues and not finding much.   I don't know what's changed, they were fairly easy to deal with.   
I stopped Hemmings when they went to the new digital format and I couldn't view it and didn't like the missing features, and they wouldn't do anything.   Never read a whole issue anyway.   Ce la vie, today.   

Like most subscription services these days, they just keep raising rates and tacking on renewals on their regular customers, cutting service, and offering new subscribers lower rates.   So they have a profit motive to retain old customers.   
An aside, my "old man", used to think he was fooling magazines.   He let subscriptions go past the expiration, then wait til they lower his rate to a few dollars and he'd sign up again.   But he didn't need the magazines in the first place?   They sent renewal notices all the time.   I think my sister got free magazines for several years after he died, he had signed up so much.   

[cadillac ken]

To add... Auto-Week just went digital-- which actually for the last year of so was actually Auto-BIweek as they ceased a weekly publication in favor of a print version mailed every 2 weeks. 

Now that they went digital I won't be renewing after a yearly subscription to their pub. for over 40 years. Bigger profits sometimes will be tempered by loss of customers.

[harry s]

I finally was able to reach a person at OCW in Wisconsin. She seemed surprised to hear my tale of woe but said their ownership had changed and the subscription services are farmed out to the Palm Coast outfit. She also said they are continuing the print version. She will look into my subscription being re activated. Yes they are down to 38 issues a year. We'll see how it goes. My subscription habits are probably like most others, just out of habit and not for the content.       Harry

[cadillac ken]

I have always enjoyed OCW.   I have subscribed for years. No offense to old timers (as I'm one) but there are gems in that publication by guys who have spent their lives buying, fixing, and driving old cars.  I have found a lot of interesting stories, little known-- or forgotten facts about our cars and hobby in OCW.  FWIW I view the subscription as support of the hobby and those who actually know stuff to keep it coming off the press.