When a 'free gift' is neither free, nor a gift.

[sidinz]

I recently sent this email to Property Investor magazine:

Hi,

A while ago I subscribed for two years and I still have more than a year to go on my subscription.

Then I joined the NZPIF and now I am getting two copies of the magazine. I have no one to gift my spare copy to, and I abhor waste.
Can I get a refund on the remaining subscription period?
Thanks,
sidinz

Their response:

I have had a look at your subscription to the NZ Property Investor magazine.
You subscribed for two years from last April so you have received 11 copies of your subscription. You also received The Complete Guide to Landlording as a free gift which we would need to deduct the amount if we refund your membership. There is also a $10 administration fee for arranging the refund.
This leaves the amount of $31.67. If you would like me to go ahead with this please get back to me with your bank account details and I will organise for the refund to be transferred.

So I need to pay for something that I didn't ask for and didn't want? That they decided to send me? Something wrong there....

[Nick G]

Check their fine print when you registered. They regularly use recent books to promote subscriptions, which they buy in bulk from the author/publisher. They rely on the length of membership to recover that cost. Lisa's book was one of these for a period.

Do you get the magazine for as long as you are an NZPIF member? If not maybe you could ask for the memberships to be lined up so one kicks in when the other ends and everybody wins.

[Perry]

Sounds like the free modems from Ember (nee Telecon). If you cancel withing 12 months, the "free" modem has to be paid for.

[Anthonyacat]

Should offer to send it back to them for a full refund. Only fair.

[Davo36]

They don't have to give you a refund at all though right?

[Wayne]

They don't have to give you a refund at all though right?

I think they are being pretty fair really.

As for the 'free' modems - I think you will find, Perry, that they said the modem is free on a 12 month contract.
Obviously cancelling before 12 months means that you don't have a 12 month contract therefore it isn't free.
Bit like the noise about 'locked' phones. Buy a really cheap phone that is locked then complain that they charge to unlock it within a certain time.
Could have just paid more for an unlocked phone!

[flyernzl]

There is, of course, seldom anything that is 'free'.
Someone, somewhere, is paying - and the bottom line is that it is usually you.

[sidinz]

I think they are being pretty fair really.

As for the 'free' modems - I think you will find, Perry, that they said the modem is free on a 12 month contract.
Obviously cancelling before 12 months means that you don't have a 12 month contract therefore it isn't free.
Bit like the noise about 'locked' phones. Buy a really cheap phone that is locked then complain that they charge to unlock it within a certain time.
Could have just paid more for an unlocked phone!

The difference being that the phone or modem is a necessary part of the contract. Presumably, the customer wants the item as they can't use the service without it.
In my case, I didn't need the 'free gift' in order to have the subscription.