Complaint Review: The Hearst Corporation Country Living Magazine

1-800-223-3081
I found this by doing a little searching online...took all of 2 minutes..if that.
Here you go, a toll free number for Hearst...they were very helpful to me.

I was in a similar situation with a different magazine. I called Hearst at 515-247-7500 and had the automatic renewal feature removed. It was challenging to find their customer service number as it's not on their website or on any of the forms they mailed. But only took seconds to do once you figure it out.

I know I ordered this magazine through a school fund raiser...I think it's unfortunate that this company is using this type of business practice on those of us who wish to support our local school systems. We should speak out.

This is classic scheme pulled by Hearst Magazines. I subscribed to a few Hearst Magazines (still do) and they continue to pull this over and over.

You fill out the little card to subscribe, send it in. They send you a bill, you pay it. You start getting your magazine. Great. Then....two or three months later you get a renewal notice. What?

I checked the label on my magazine (it states right there the expiration date of your subscription, next to your name and address) and saw the expiration date was about 10 months away!

Why do they do this? I can only guess to keep the money rolling in. They're hoping that you'll "forget" that you've already paid the bill or that you've gotten a case of temporary amnesia, and you won't remember that you just STARTED the subscription and will pay for another year.

I just toss the renewal notices out. You'll get ten more before your subscription is really up, don't worry. Reader's Digest seems to have started this as well.

All I can say is PAY ATTENTION and renew when your year really IS up.

I just received the same invoice and and found this article. You're correct, no phone numbers to ask questions. I know I am paid up for awhile but how to find out when my last issue will come? I went to the Hearst Corporation web site, clicked on magazines and to Country Living. They ask for your account number and then your in. Your account info comes up telling when you first subscribed, last payments and last issue you'll receive. There is a phone number which is all automated but I got all my answers. It will direct you to a live person if you need. Upon looking at my Invoice closer, at the very top of the pay stub, outside of the boarder, in very small print are a bunch of numbers and the last item tells you your experation date. Mine is 5 months away. I have had this with several other publications. Upon checking I found I was paid up until 2013 and beyond. I now have a subscription file where I keep all of these and their experiation dates. Hope this helps out, I will say they make it easy to screw yourself and I hope I live as long as some of my paid up subscriptions.