Interesting business model

We get so many magazines that it is surprising that our subscriptions aren't lapsing all the time. Well, actually they are because we have so many "airline miles subscriptions" that we get for a year for free. We seldom, if ever, renew those.

But there are a couple of magazines that we have subscribed to for years; yes, years. It just wouldn't feel right not to have a recent issue on the table in our family room. One of these is Newsweek.

So it was with some surprise when I noted we did not get a recent issue, or at least I couldn't find it. But I did find the following issues (all 2009):
Feb 23
Apr 6
Apr 13
May 18

My first thought was that someone was tampering with our mail. But we've had no other items seemingly missing. The only decipherable date on the mailing label is 02Feb09. If that was a renewal day, they're not doing well sending me the current issues. If that is a termination date, why have I received at least 4 issues since then?

As it turns out, I did have an Internet account with Newsweek so I checked my subscription account Through that. Sure enough, my subscription had expired on Feb 2, 2009. Why the issues had continue to come in drips and dribbles is anybody's guess. They are so good at notifying us to renew GIFT subscriptions I guess I just didn't pay enough attention to their reminders to renew our own subscription. Or they don't send a reminder -- just cut off the subscription a l..i..t..t..l..e......a..t.....a......t....i....m....e.