Customer Reviews

Reader's Digest (1-year)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This publication isn't what it used to be. I am 32 years old and for my entire (yes entire) life my family has subscribed to the Reader's Digest. It is the perfect ahem... restroom reading material because it contains short, well written stories that are either amusing, thought provoking, heart warming (or a combination of all three).

Now, every other page - literally - is an advertisement for a pharmaceutical product of some kind. The first thing I do when I receive my monthly copy is I rip out the ads. In doing so I'm usually left with LESS THAN HALF of the pages I started with. I feel like I'm paying for a monthly subscription to pharmaceutical ads. "Now, That's Outrageous!"

I'm so sad and disappointed. I won't be renewing my subscription next year and I feel like I've lost a lifelong friend. I hope my review helps you in your decision.

First off, I agree with what others have said about too many ads. That's partly what is keeping me from renewing it.

Overall..if it weren't for the ads, I would continue to enjoy this magazine because I love the humor, easy reading stories, information, etc.

However...when my subscription ends they keep calling and calling and CALLING me about renewing. Or saying "We hope you are enjoying your subscription to Readers Digest"..(when I'm not subscribed anymore). I tell them no, I'm not going to renew..the next day I come home with three calls on my answering machine from them. This is not a one time occurrence either.

The magazine itself is good. However I think they should either lower the price or drop some of the ads.

RD does have some interesting consumer & finance articles, but it has waa-a-a-y too many ads. I would never actually pay for it, but I do get a subscription as a gift every year. I end up ripping half the magazine's weight out in ads - and no, that's not "just life" as some other reviewer said, it's downright shameful.

Also, make sure you get on the RD website and change your privacy preferences; like other second-rate companies who like to abuse customers, they implicitly assume you want to be spammed by them and have them rent your information out to third parties.

I've always loved this magazine, but I completely agree with the other reviewers... not ONLY are there entirely too many ads, but they make a FORTUNE selling your information. I was completely shocked at the amount of junk mail that started POURING in after I first subscribed to Reader's Digest. They should be ashamed of themselves. I do enjoy reading it, but refuse to renew out of principle.

I bought this subscription to Readers Digest here at Amazon in January 2011 and didn't receive mt first issue until March 2011. Started getting renewal letters in with my magazine about 2 months ago and got to wondering when my subscription was ending? I looked here at Amazon and it says March 2013 which is correct then I looked at the label on my magazine and it says November 2012. What's going on here that is a 4 month difference in what I paid for and what I am actually receiving. So I contacted Amazon about this and they promptly shuffled me off to Readers Digest (Thanks Amazon)who gave me a song and dance story about how the May issue was a special issue and it was so much bigger that it counted as 2 issues. Well I pulled out my May issue and it has about 10 extra pages compared to the other issues. so shame on you Readers Digest for trying to rip off consumers and an even bigger shame on you Amazon for not standing behind what you are selling.

I'm echoing the same sentiment as expressed by other users.
If you are planning to subscribe it, because you liked it during your childhood/Teens - get ready for big disappointment. The once great RD seems to be taken over by the marketing department, who believes that less content and more ads will help them boost sales.
"Goose and Golden Eggs" story fits very well here.

Problems with ads:
1. TOO many ads (ya, it needed caps).
2. Too few good articles.
3. Too read a full article, you have to skip multiple ad pages - breaks the flow (besides being annoyance).
4. First 10-12 pages are just adds.
5. More than 50% of the book is made up of ads.

Of course, I was disgusted with the marketing material and didn't care to renew the subscription. No wonder, they filed for bankruptcy.

This magazine is a compiliation of articles and stories from other magazines. They run the gamut from science, medical, adventure, business, sports, you name it. It seems to focus somewhat on the inspirational and motivational. It also has numerous features that are sure to jar the reader's funny bone and are derived from the contributions of its readers. All in all, it is a nice little package of information and features that is sure to be read from cover to cover. It is a very mainstream magazine designed to have broad appeal and, consequently, is not intellectually demanding of its reader.

BACK IN THE GOOD OLE DAYS READERS DIGEST HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF QUALITY STORIES AND JOKES NOW IT IS HALF THE THICKNESS AND 45% ADVERTISEMENTS .
IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BUYING A QUALITY READER YOU ARE SO SO INCORRECT.
LIKE HALF THE BOOK WAS ABOUT HEALTH IF I WANTED THAT I'D BOUGHT HEALTH DIGEST.
ANYTHING FROM VIAGRA TO WOMENS SEX PRODUCTS ADVERTISED HERE NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY LIKE DAYS OF OLD.
THE BIGGEST WASTE OF A DEAD TREE OUT THERE SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY SOME OTHER PUBLICATION ....

I much prefer the old style format, where a selectiom of topical articles from other magazines and a few original features was offered. I find the new format, where small bites of information are thrown together with no real substance to fill them out to make a satisfying read. This new format is like a poor grade of hamburger, when you are used to a fine steak. I am sorry I subscribed, and you can bet I won't renew.

I've been reading Reader's Digest since I was a little kid; my Grandmother subsribed her whole life, and now so do I. I love this magazine for so many reasons. The articles based on real people with real stories, the humor from so many walks of life, the quotables and the words. I laugh, cry and think when I read this magazine, something I cannot say for any other magazine out there. This is one of few magazines these days that contain real substance.