Sports Illustrated Offers Alluring Bribe To Potential Subscribers
Sports Illustrated has thought of a clever way to boost its subscriber rate among the younger demographic — give away the consistently bestselling Madden NFL video game with a subscription. For a $50 28-issue subscription you get Madden NFL 10 on any current system. And you also get a bonus NFL Films DVD.
If you were planning on buying the game anyway for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, the deal will actually save you $10 and net you half a year of the weekly magazine. If you cancel the subscription you'll only get a full refund if you return the game and DVD. If you cancel and keep the bonuses, SI deducts a $26 handling fee from your refund. Since you could easily turn around and sell the game for more than that, there's no way to lose here.
Subscribe to SI and get Madden NFL 10 for free! [Sports Illustrated, via Kotaku]
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Comments:
"...there's no way to lose here."
Have you not been reading this blog for the past half-decade? I think we've all come to agree that, in any given situation where a company and a consumer are involved, there are plenty of outcomes in which the consumer loses.
Unfortunately, SI's definition of current system is N64 and Sega Genesis
Here's the way consumers lose:
"You authorize SPORTS ILLUSTRATED to charge your credit/debit card at the price above now and in time to renew your SPORTS ILLUSTRATED subscription, without interruption, before the start of each new semi-annual term at the low subscriber rate then in effect unless you tell us to stop. "
Automatic renewal...they're counting on people not remembering to cancel...
Still, a hell of a deal -- I just signed up for it, and put a note in my calendar reminding me to cancel the sub.
Discount on Madden, but I have to help pay Selena Roberts salary...
I'll pass. And I hate the Yankees.
Other than the auto renewal, I don't understand how this can be a good decision for SI...
Huh. In my day we got a calendar full of hot chicks. Today you kids get a video game.
@coren: SI doesn't make the majority of their money off the subscriptions...they make money off the ads. The Madden offer boosts the number of subscribers, which boosts the ad revenue.
I stared at the offer screen for a good fifteen minutes, trying to find the catch.
If, as mentioned above, "the catch" is the number of folks that won't cancel before auto-renewal, then all I have to say is "Shweeeet!".
I just signed up for the deal and hope that my PS3 copy willl show up before week 6.
@MyLud:
I did the same, and am pretty psyched that I can mimic my 'Skins 6-2 start and inevitable 2-6 slide.
/Zorned
Well it worked .. I bought into it .. i can care less about the SI ... but getting Madden 10 for 10 off is great
If you are doing this deal simply for Madden then you aren't really losing out on anything, but if you want the Sports Illustrated subscription as well this is an awful deal. A regular SI subscription with a free NFL t-shirt and jacket is only $39 for 56 issues or $24 for 28 issues. This deal is locking you into an auto renewing subscription of $49 for only 28 issues. So you are paying an extra $25 for the magazine subscription over the six months which compounded twice a year adds up very quickly.
@henrygates: beats the shit out of the same tired bloopers reels they've been hocking for 2 decades.
hold on a second. are we reading the cancellation right here? it says:
*CANCELLATION POLICYPlease note our cancellation policy. If you choose to cancel your subscription to Sports Illustrated, you will receive a refund on all unmailed issues provided you return the video game and DVD in working condition, in its original packaging. If you choose to keep the game and DVD, you will receive a refund on all unmailed issues minus the cost of the gifts and shipping and handling which is $26.
does that mean "the costs of the gifts and shipping and handling" is $26, or does it mean you'll be charged for the cost of the gifts PLUS shipping and handling (which is $26?
i could see this as a potential pitfall if they plan on charging you the full price of the game & the video in addition to $26 in s&h.
@DollaValueLIFO: Ditto. I actually stayed away from Madden for 2 years feeling that they weren't improving at all. This was enough for me to give the franchise another chance.
Also on PS3 here. Same PSN ID as Consumerist ID if you wanna give online a go sometime.
@tom4982: or since SI sucks as a magazine you cancel and keep the game and crappy DVD for $26 instead of the ripoff price of $60 elsewhere.
I contacted customer service to see how long it would take to receive the game and this is what they told me:
Thank you for contacting SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Customer Service.Your special gift will be processed for mailing three days after your order is requested. We will receive the gifts in our warehouse by August 14, 2009. We ask that you allow ten business days to receive the DVD and Madden 2010 game. If you have any further questions, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you soon. We appreciate this opportunity to be of service.
I took part in this promotion. I have posted this story on many game forums, and I am glad that Consumerist posted this story as well.
The real fault is the lack of process on customer services part. From various sources, SI's customer service is giving different stories, such as:
- The promotion has been canceled
- The promotion was never sponsored by SI
- The game will be sent August 18th
- The game will be sent August 25th
- This was a phishing scam
- Everybody is getting a refund
- Nobody is getting a refund
In addition, I received an email saying that the game would be shipped after by card was charged but not before the release date. My card was charged on August 8th, and the game was released August 14th. So unless, John Madden himself is walking the game to me, SI needs to send an email advising of the status of all orders instead of a blanket "All orders are out of stock."
seriously? this is a freaking sweet deal