Misleading Subscription Practices At The Financial Times

from the come-on,-eileen dept

We've spent years highlighting how ISPs especially tend to really screw customers over with things like hidden fees or (a personal least favorite) "low introductory prices" that hide the price jump you'll face at the end of the term. Broadband providers can often get away with those practices thanks to absentee overseers at the FCC/FTC and importantly, the lack of competition. But it's absolutely insane to see those in competitive or struggling organizations pulling the same kinds of stunts. Right now there's all this concern out there about media business models, and lots of publications are pushing people to sign up for their subscription plans. There are lots to choose from, and playing stupid games is not a good idea. That's why I was a bit flabbergasted by the following story, which comes from Hersh Reddy, who co-hosts the Techdirt Podcast. He shared with me this following chat he had with the Financial Times.

You can read the whole insane thing below, in which it appears that FT's policies are designed to trick people (i.e., it's not at all the fault of the poor woman he's speaking to). Specifically, it appears that FT has two "cheap" offers to try to get people: one that is $1 for the first 4 weeks, and another that says a full subscription is $144/year. Here's how it looks on the site:

Notice that on the trial part it says: "Not sure which package to choose? Try full access for 4 weeks." That certainly implies that at the end of the 4 weeks (or within an hour of signing up as you'll see below), you should then be able to "choose" another "package" from this page. But that's not what happened with Hersh, as you'll see:

Eileen (9:17:19 AM): How may I help you?

Eileen (9:17:27 AM): Hi. My name is Eileen. It's a pleasure meeting you on chat. How may I assist you?

Me (9:17:51 AM): I just started a trial subscription and the billing page says the subscription rate is $60+ once it goes onto the regular rate.

Me (9:18:15 AM): But when I look on the subscription page there seems to be cheaper options for pure digital.

Eileen (9:18:28 AM): I would be glad to check your query.

Me (9:18:33 AM): Why does the trial convert at such an expensive rate?

Eileen (9:19:03 AM): Trial offer is available for the premium level of access.

Me (9:19:33 AM): So if I use the trial I can't access the other subscription rates?

Eileen (9:19:48 AM): After 4 weeks, the subscription will automatically renewe in to premium, unless you make changes or stop the auto renewal within 4 weeks.

Me (9:20:20 AM): Is it possible to set my desired subscription after the trial period now, or do I have to wait till after the trial period?

Eileen (9:22:27 AM): We can make changes now, and the change will take effect after the trial period.

Eileen (9:22:33 AM): I will need to ask you a couple of questions in order to locate your account and assist you, is that okay?

Me (9:22:59 AM): ok

Eileen (9:23:03 AM): Thank you, can I start by getting your name, email address and phone number?

Me (9:23:13 AM): Hersh Reddy

Me (9:23:18 AM): REDACTED

Me (9:23:22 AM): REDACTED

Eileen (9:23:26 AM): And lastly, I want to make sure that I am looking at the right account, may I have the payment instrument you use for the FT subscription?

Me (9:23:36 AM): A visa credit card

Eileen (9:24:19 AM): Thank you Hersh. Let me pull up your account now.

Eileen (9:25:24 AM): I can see that your trial subscription ends on Aug 7th.

Eileen (9:25:34 AM): This will renew automatically on that day.

Eileen (9:25:48 AM): We have a digital subscription which is USD 36.00 a month.

Eileen (9:26:08 AM): Digital subscription allows you to have access to online articles and app, except for premium content like lex, epaper, em squared and ft confidential research.

Me (9:26:18 AM): I see that there is a Digital subscription on the FT page that is $2.77/week

Eileen (9:27:13 AM): That will be the equivalent weekly cost of digital annually.

Me (9:27:35 AM): Ok, I would like that.

Eileen (9:27:49 AM): USD 335.40 orUSD 6.45.

Eileen (9:27:57 AM): USD 6.45 per week.

Me (9:28:10 AM): It says 2.77/week on the web page

Me (9:28:47 AM): I'm looking at this web page https://www.ft.com/products

Eileen (9:28:49 AM): How much is the annual cost on line?

Eileen (9:29:10 AM): Let me check the link Hersh.

Me (9:29:50 AM): $144 is the annual cost

Eileen (9:30:56 AM): Can you forward the email to me?

Eileen (9:31:13 AM): I mean can you screenshot the page and email that to me.

Eileen (9:31:33 AM): Can I send you an email instead, and please reply with the screenshot?

Me (9:32:20 AM): ok

Eileen (9:33:21 AM): Thank you.

Eileen (9:33:23 AM): Done.

Me (9:34:08 AM): sent it

Me (9:35:25 AM): I also sent a screenshot of the link I clicked on the subscription page

Eileen (9:35:39 AM): Thank you.

Eileen (9:35:46 AM): Allow me to check these further.

Eileen (9:36:08 AM): Right.

Me (9:36:30 AM): You can click through the subscription to the billing page yourself

Eileen (9:36:40 AM): I can go ahead and apply the USD 144.00 rate to your subscription for Digital access after the trial period ends.

Me (9:36:55 AM): Thanks, I appreaciate your help.

Me (9:37:18 AM): Can you send me an email to confirm that you will do that, so I have it for my records.

Eileen (9:37:36 AM): Sorry, when did you see the offer?

Me (9:37:44 AM): Its on the page right now

Eileen (9:37:44 AM): The USD144.00 offer?

Me (9:37:52 AM): I'm looking at it right now

Eileen (9:38:01 AM): Can you also send me the front page withe the date?

Me (9:38:05 AM): yes

Me (9:38:27 AM): There's no date on the front page

Me (9:38:48 AM): FT.com doesn't have a date.

Me (9:39:16 AM): Also, you can verify the rate yourself by just going to FT.com and clicking the subscription page and then clicking the subscription options.

Eileen (9:39:20 AM): That's what I am doing right now.

Eileen (9:39:28 AM): Please hold on for a few minutes.

Me (9:41:36 AM): If you need help, its this page: https://www.ft.com/products

Me (9:41:50 AM): That gives the list of subscription types

Me (9:42:11 AM): Then if you click the second product it will take you to the subscription billing page. At the bottom of the page is the annual rate.

Eileen (9:42:20 AM): Let me access this now.

Me (9:42:40 AM): If you have a problem try clearing your cache and loading the page again.

Eileen (9:43:32 AM): Hersh, what I will do is to verify the offer first with our marketing team.

Eileen (9:43:42 AM): Can I email you back once it is confirmed?

Eileen (9:43:49 AM): Apologies for the delays.

Me (9:43:52 AM): Sure. But don't you see it there on the web page?

Eileen (9:44:27 AM): No.

Eileen (9:44:42 AM): That is the reason I need to confirm the offer with our marketing team.

Me (9:44:46 AM): Did you click the link I sent you?

Me (9:44:48 AM): https://www.ft.com/products

Me (9:45:17 AM): If you have your own subscription it won't show you the subscription page.

Me (9:45:36 AM): You have to use a browser where you are not logged in with your own account to FT.com

Eileen (9:46:04 AM): i know how to do that, Hersh.

Eileen (9:46:23 AM): The thing is, we do not see the USD 144.00 offer on our website.

Me (9:46:40 AM): look I'm sending you another screenshot

Eileen (9:46:41 AM): That is why we need help of our relevant team.

Eileen (9:46:51 AM): Sure,.

Me (9:47:35 AM): Where are you located? Is it possible you get a different page than what I get in the USA?

Me (9:48:00 AM): This is rather extraordianry

Eileen (9:48:03 AM): It has to be USA.

Me (9:48:17 AM): I am in the USA ... are you abroad?

Eileen (9:48:50 AM): FT is global company Hersh.

Eileen (9:49:22 AM): I am not in the USA but I can access the subscription page and we should be aware if there is ongoing offer.

Me (9:49:23 AM): I know. Is the webpage different in different countries? I mean do you have different subscription offer pages based on location?

Eileen (9:49:28 AM): No.

Me (9:49:44 AM): How is it you can't see the same subscription page as me?

Me (9:49:55 AM): Can you use a proxy to browse from the USA?

Eileen (9:50:10 AM): We need confirmation by our relevant team.

Eileen (9:50:29 AM): If you can hold the line that would be better, is that okay Hersh?

Me (9:50:37 AM): yeah, I will hold

Eileen (9:51:27 AM): Thank you very much Hersh.

Eileen (9:51:46 AM): I am consulting them right now.

Eileen (9:55:23 AM): Almost done, Hersh.

Eileen (9:55:27 AM): Please hold on.

Me (9:55:31 AM): yep

Eileen (9:56:14 AM): Thank you for holding.

Eileen (9:56:26 AM): I got a confirmation from the marketing team.

Eileen (9:56:45 AM): The $144.00 annual digital rate is available for new subscribers in the US.

Me (9:56:45 AM): How come you were getting a different web page than me?

Eileen (9:57:41 AM): What I can do is to switch youu subscription to digital and give you a 25% discounted rate.

Me (9:58:13 AM): So you can't do the trial and then the $144 subscription?

Me (9:58:44 AM): do you mean a 25% discount on the $144 rate?

Me (9:58:58 AM): or on the $360 rate?

Eileen (9:59:11 AM): 25% discounted rate is USD 249.08.

Me (9:59:40 AM): I thought you just said the rate was confirmed as $144?

Me (9:59:57 AM): I'm a new subscriber in the USA

Me (10:00:05 AM): I literally just tried to sign up today

Me (10:00:29 AM): In fact, I signed up right before I initiated this chat with you

Eileen (10:00:35 AM): I am sorry, however, you already have a trial subscription.

Me (10:00:41 AM): HAHAHAHAHAHA

Me (10:00:51 AM): Okay, okay

Me (10:00:54 AM): understood

Eileen (10:01:35 AM): If you wish, I can still get an approval if we could apply any discounted rate to your digital subscription that is closest to USD 144.00.

Me (10:01:36 AM): So, Iet me get this. I clicked the link for the trial at $1 for 4 weeks. As a result of this I'm not a new subscriber. So I can't get the $144/year.

Me (10:01:54 AM): Even though ... I JUST signed up

Eileen (10:01:55 AM): That is correct.

Me (10:02:15 AM): Is it possible to cancel my trial membership right now and redo it as the year subscription?

Eileen (10:02:30 AM): Even if you click the link yourself online, it won't allow you to subscribe to it because you already have a trial subscription right now.

Eileen (10:02:39 AM): Technically, you are a subscriber to the FT.

Me (10:03:06 AM): Technically, I get it. But I mean, non-technically, can we cancel my current trial and just put me on the annual subscription.

Eileen (10:03:15 AM): Yes.

Me (10:03:28 AM): At the $144 rate?

Eileen (10:03:42 AM): You can cancel your trial subscription online via my account or click this link https://myaccount.ft.com/

Me (10:04:00 AM): And then redo it at the $144 rate?

Eileen (10:04:19 AM): Closest to $144 rate, but I will ask approval first and I will get back to you on that.

Me (10:05:23 AM): You need to get approval to cancel the trial membership I signed up for just prior to this chat, to convert it to the current annual subscription rate advertised on your newspaper web page?

Eileen (10:05:54 AM): I need to get an approval if I can honour the discounted rate to your subscription.

Me (10:05:57 AM): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc-P8oDuS0Q

Me (10:06:07 AM): COME ON EILEEN, IM BEGGIN YOU PLEASE

Me (10:06:13 AM): hahaha

Eileen (10:06:29 AM): However, it won't be USD 144.00, but I can check if there is a discounted rate closest to USD 144.00.

Me (10:06:47 AM): Come on ... that is ridiculous

Me (10:07:23 AM): So because I clicked the link that said get 4 weeks for $1/week, now I can't get the annual subscription at $144?

Eileen (10:07:33 AM): That is correct.

Me (10:08:14 AM): Ok, take care. At the very least I'll get some karma on Reddit.

Me (10:08:28 AM): You don't need to ask your manager. I'll just do the subscription through the website.

Me (10:08:29 AM): Cheers.

Eileen (10:08:53 AM): Are you sure you do not need me to get an approval for this Hersh?

Me (10:09:42 AM): I'm sure. Because I don't want to subscribe at a rate more than $144/year, just on principle. I'll just do WSJ for this year.

Me (10:09:57 AM): Take care

Eileen (10:10:21 AM): Well, if you will see that USD 144.00 rate on the subscription page of the FT.com, you should also see, I believe that is written on the website, that this is available for new subscribers that is why it is on the subscription landing page.

Eileen (10:10:33 AM): Thank you, too Hersh.

Me (10:10:39 AM): Of course. Not your fault. FT's fault.

Eileen (10:10:55 AM): Apologies for the confusion.

Eileen (10:11:24 AM): Hersh, I will still make a request for approval and I will send you an email for the progress within 24 hours.

Eileen (10:11:35 AM): I will keep the case open.

Eileen (10:11:35 AM): May I know if there will be any more assistance I can offer today?

Me (10:11:50 AM): That's it

Eileen (10:12:04 AM): Thank you for contacting Financial Times Customer Services. Have a great day! Goodbye now, Hersh.

As a post script, Eileen did eventually call him and say that she got approval to offer him a rate of $149 -- which is still $5 more than it should be. Also, as a clarification, while she claims in the story that the signup page for the $144 price says it's for new customers only that is not true. It's too big to stick in the post, but you can see it here if you'd like.

This is the kind of shady bait-and-switch practices that broadband companies try to get away with. It's pretty shameful to see FT trying it as well. Especially in a time where newspapers are desperate for subscribers. It certainly seems like a damn good reason not to give any money to the FT. Their reporting may be good, but these practices are sketchy.

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Filed Under: customer service, deals, journalism, paywalls, subscriptions
Companies: financial times