You better shop around

My Entertainment Weekly subscription lapsed awhile back. Even though the magazine has become glossier and dominated by nuggets instead of articles, it's something I regularly read and makes no sense buying from the newsstand.

One of the card inserts advertised an outstanding deal--55 issues for $20--so with the thought of resubscribing on my mind, I decided the time was right. The telephone number for ordering was buried. Figuring the site would be able to handle my need, I went to the main page and clicked on the proper button. Here I found a "trial" offer of four free issues plus 36 more if I was happy. The cost: $15 for 40 issues.

Ordering through the site was thus slightly more expensive. The web price breaks down to 37.5 cents per issue. Mailing in the card insert or phoning in the order would snag a price of 36.4 cents per issue. Obviously the difference was negligible, but I knew what was the best deal, so why cough up half a buck more than necessary?

After a short hold on the toll-free line I told the operator that I wanted to subscribe and was quoted an annual price of approximately $61. Hold your horses! Granted, I knew that the price on the card was good and would be honored, but what an eye opener this was. Calling the subscription line, a number deep at the end of the letters to the editor section, earns you an offer more than triple the price on a card in the same issue.

As with any purchase, even one as frivolous as this, it pays to do your homework.