O, The Oprah Magazine (1-year auto-renewal)

I've purchased a lot of products on Amazon and have subscribed to Oprah's magazine for many years. I have read a lot of negative comments about Oprah's auto-renewal process over the years, so I have always intentionally purchased the one-time, oneor two-year subscription terms on Amazon, making certain not to select the auto-renewal options. And I have purchased this magazine as a gift for others multiple times too. I've never had a problem with the magazine, the subscriptions, the invoicing, or the delivery...until now.

In December, 2010, I purchased another 2-year term subscription to 'O, The Oprah Magazine' for my wife, same as I'd done in prior years. I paid for it with my American Express. The rate was $24.00 for two years. With (WA state) sales tax, it came up to $25.85 and showed up on my January statement, which was paid in full. The subscription is paid up through January, 2013.

After a few months, I started receiving renewal notices for a one-year ($18.00 per year) subscription, directly from the Oprah publisher. This is something that the Oprah magazine or their publisher has done frequently over the years, so I just ignored the renewal notices, as I've always done (seems kind of a waste of resources to solicit people who aren't scheduled to renew for another 20 months...but, if that's the way they want to run their business, whatever). Obviously, I wasn't interested in renewing again, so I recycled the solicitations. By the way, the renewal solicitation did show the 2013 expiration date right on the document, so I knew it wasn't for a prior iteration of the subscription.

Yesterday I received a collection notice from Sunrise Credit Services, Inc. for an account balance of $18.00. Yes, you read that right. They have forwarded my account to a collection agency for the non-payment of a subscription solicitation! FOR AN UNPAID SOLICITATION, not for an actual subscription or for something that I actually ordered! Amazing, but true. Either the Oprah magazine and Hearst (the publisher) have exceptionally poor records / databases, or they're running some kind of little scam that they hope enough people will fall for that it will more than pay for the cost of all those renewal solicitations they send out.

Whatever the case may be, I have to say, Oprah and Hearst, that I'm extremely disappointed in your business practices. Now I'll be wasting more time responding back to Sunrise Credit Services with all the details and trying to get them off my back. Irritated doesn't even begin to cover what I feel about your business and the fact that you've unnecessarily put this collection company on my credit history. All for a measly little $18.00 and because of your inability to keep proper records...or because of a poor attempt at a subscription scam. And if it goes beyond that, I'll be forwarding this to the office of the Washington State Attorney General.

Come on, Oprah and Hearst, why don't you spend a tiny portion of your multi-billion dollar profits on updating your records and I.T. systems, so people don't have to write horrible reviews like this?

By the way, this is the first review of any kind that I've written on any site, but I felt compelled to do so, so that others may avoid going through the same nonsense or, at least, be aware of what's potentially going on when they start seeing those renewal notices start showing up in their mail. It's a good magazine and quite often a good price through Amazon; just horrifically inept business practices on the part of the publisher.

What an absolutely unnecessary waste of my time and other peoples' time reading things like this when you could just as easily clean up and refine your subscription systems and databases.

I purchased a one year subscription online last year for both myself and my mom for the Oprah magazine. I paid online for both at the time of purchase and have an email to prove it. Now that the subscription is expiring, my mom and I both have gotten at least 3 threatening letters each. Each is entitled "INVOICING BUREAU" in red. The letter states " when you entered into an agreement to be billed later, we believed you would send your renewal payment upon receipt of you invoice. Now that your subscription is coming to an end, we still have not received your payment. You can resolve this matter quickly by returning the subscription invoice with your payment in the enclosed envelope." This letter does not include a phone number and uses a lot of red to emphasize how urgent it is to pay. It is purposefully misleading, I never led on that I wanted to renew. I went to the website and there is no way to contact them, by email, etc. after a lot of searching, I did find the cancel my subscription button.

Buy O, The Oprah Magazine (1-year auto-renewal) Now

Last night, I ordered O as a gift for my mother. When I went to check out, I saw there was a special price of $5.

This morning, I see I was charged FOUR time at the $5 rate. Called customer service, and the rep said there is nothing they can do... can't cancel, and he couldn't even explain to me how it happened. So now, I don't know if I'm getting four copies of the magazine, or if I paid more than full price for the mag.

The customer service rep said if I get four copies, I can bundle them up and send them back to Amazon for a refund... but this is a gift. Not really the way I wanted my mom's birthday to go.

I'm not sure if this is an Amazon glitch or something from the publisher, but I'm not happy about my experience with O magazine so far.

Read Best Reviews of O, The Oprah Magazine (1-year auto-renewal) Here

The magazine like Oprah's show covers topics about the real world that infuences our daily lives. It is also geared to middle aged women like myself. You won't find Madison Avenue's obsession with youth, beauty, & nearly nude models spread all over the pages. There are plenty of fascinating articles throughout. Such as: "Is Fear Limiting Your Life?" "Yes I Can Diet," "Sex In The Middle Ages," "Cancer-Spot, It Treat It, Beat It," etc. I also like how the magazine is organized by departments. "Special, Features, O-zone, Advice,etc. Style, Health, Books, Connections, & In Every Issue." The latter section has a Calendar with quotes on the days, O to go, Love That!, Breathing Space, Shop Guide, Food, Beauty, Something To Think About, & what I know for sure by Oprah. You can also get financial tips from Suze Orman & advice from Dr. Phil like answering a question from a working mom. The only negatives are those that truly can't be helped. Advertisiments are heavy throughout even the smallest magazines, which keeps them in business. It still deserves five solid stars.

Want O, The Oprah Magazine (1-year auto-renewal) Discount?

Hearst Publications sent my mom nasty bills and letters saying she agreed to a renewal which she did not, and which she specifically wrote to them to say she did not want (something she should not even have to do).

I would NEVER buy this magazine now that I am aware of their unethical practices.

I fear for people without the skills to be able to assert their rights and suspect many go along with the renewal they never wanted and capitulate in the face of the nasty reminder / billing letters.

Sad. My mom wonders how someone like Oprah can even be associated with such practices.

You can contact Oprah subscriptions at 800-846-4020 apparently but they don't even put the phone number on the invoices and it took me much searching to find it online, no thanks to them. It's not even shown on the website they direct you to for payment.

Save 67% Off