Linn's Stamp News Renewal

I recently received an email from our friends at Amos Media essentially saying my subscription was up for renewal and they wanted a response in 10 days. Two things bothered me about this - 1) my subscription isn't up for 3 months, and 2) the cost of an annual subscription has gone from $69.66 two years ago to $89.99 last year to $119.99 this year, or an increase of 72% in two years. Now I can deal with the attempt to get funds early, but the increase in cost seems alarming. At this rate, the cost of a subscription will be over $200 in 2 years and over $350 in 4 years. Am I missing something, or does this seem excessive?

Thanks,

Alan B.

This sounds a little like "market-based pricing" or "mather pricing." Cable companies use it, and my company used it when I was publishing newspapers.

Essentially you raise the prices fairly significantly, year after year. A certain number of folk are going to pay the new rate. Some will disappear, and some will call up and complain. You get the callers to agree to a lower-than-listed price (but still higher than they WERE paying). Interestingly enough, it does a better job of retaining subscribers and increasing revenues from subscribers than just flat increases year after year.

You also start a little earlier on the renewals and make more contacts to get people to resub.

I'm not sure that's what they are doing, but the increases make me think it.

I think that they just want people to buy the online version instead.

Printing costs have gone through the roof.

My subscription for the last few years has been digital and print, monthly edition only. Last year that was $24.99, which is reasonable, in my opinion, and I had no problem renewing that. But adding digital-only access to the weekly issue would bring that up to $60, too rich for my blood, especially considering the weekly edition is little more than a pamphlet these days.

Not just the printing cost, but the paper costs as well.

Not to mention the many postal rate increases during the same period.

Intended or not, the internet has been and will continue to kill off the printed paper industry by both a reduction in print ad revenue and unwillingness to pay for print content.

Amos seems to be having a lot of problems lately. An unusual amount of out-of-stock items.
Half of their Scott mounts have been on back order for weeks with NO estimate of receiving new stock.

I subscribe to digital edition since weekly is a fairly quick read.

As for amosadvantage they have been out of stock of items even before blamed COVID or politicians but never had an issue with getting the latest Specialized. . I think are doing a disservice to themselves on their website as they list print on demand as out of stock. It seems like a negative way to sell something.

It's been that way for a long time. I've talked to dealers who are having a hard time getting the mounts they need to sell in their stores.

I am sure Amos Media is seeing drops in revenue across the board - circulation, ad revenues, sales of catalog and printed albums, etc. and of course rising costs and the need to maintain profit. Of course every company has their way of doing business so some may be self-inflicted. Given that much is produced outside of US there are international aspects.