The Spectator Recensioni 

I started a trial subscription a few weeks ago and intended to keep it once the trial period was over. However, I did not receive the first print edition until I asked them to send me a replacement. The second edition came more then a week later after the third edition was already out. Will I get the third one by the time the fourth will be in print? I don't know! Either way their print subscription is awful. Shame really, because the content is good.

As there are so many complaining about the print subscription I have to think they intentionally try to keep people away from print and steer them to the digital subscriptions.

Appalling experience with these people. Trying to cancel a subscription online is virtually impossible as you are sent around in circles answering the same account login details but with a ‘dead’ link to the cancellation page. They accept NO responsibility for this and refuse to reimburse any subs paid in the meantime. Avoid at all costs.

Spectator's customer care is very poor. We were double charged. Only partial reversal has been processed. We are still trying to receive the final refund of $3.71 which we have been trying to finalise since last year November 2020. Sent numerous emails, but not reply. Sad.

Truly awful, Biased and loaded with adverts, also I received a free trial for 13 issues, I only received 3 of them, totally unreliable delivery system, used to be with THE WEEK magazine and delivery was always on time and during the lockdown, so the spectator magazine cannot blame the royal mail. yes they give you a free trial, as long as you don't wish to receive the magazine offered.

Actually, my recent experienc was a big, fat 0. I am astonished that The Spectator should behave as it does towards Subscribers. Am heartened to find others with similar experience!
I complained by e-mail, then phone this morning, having found that my bank account was debited for £9.99 yesterday 17th Feb. Then I find that same amounts were taken out in Dec. 2020 and Jan 2021, despite my cancellation of free Subscription on 21st Nov. 2020 after accessing one free article the same day-I have confirmation of this in my e-mail account.
I am furious! On phone I was told I could not talk to a Manager to resolve this! Extraordinary, terrible Customer Service (although I don't blame the operator) -I am determined to get a refund and apology.

Lied about what gift I would recieve. Didn't recieve any. I have cancelled

Jack

Fortunately I did not take out a subscription but signed up to emails and updates. The material that I read in these emails really put me off. Disparaging of any opinion but their own, in an often sneering way. Intended to be witty. I read a wide range ofnews sources online, from the left, centre and right, but not this one.

It doesn't matter how good your journalists are if you hold your subscribers in such contempt your views will fall on deaf ears.
Check out the terms you have negotiated with your third parties Andrew Neil et al, I think you will find they are holding you back

I signed up for a month free of The Spectator Magazine with various freebies included. Within a few hours decided that I did not want the subscription and called the Magazine. I was told that it would take 48 hours for my details to show up and I would have to call back - so I emailed - twice. Finally I got a response and I quote -

"Your cancellation will come into effect with the end of your current subscription term. We’re sorry but unless the circumstances are exceptional, we will not issue any refund for unfulfilled issues.

In addition, please be advised that you are currently subscribed to a quarterly Print + Digital subscription at a cost of £12.00. Auto-renewing at £39.99 for every 13 weeks thereafter."

I have never received anything, called to cancel within 2 hours and cannot cancel - and cannot stop them taking money.

HELP - this is crazy - trapped in Spectator madness with no help and money being charged !!

I never consented to receive marketing emails, the opt out button doesn't work and I constantly receive multiple emails a day. STOP SPAMMING ME

Also see update at the end.
The Spectator has some excellent articles by a number of highly regarded writers. However, the deceitful method of customer service's treatment of subscribers puts them amongst the lowlife of subscription providers. In fact, the gulf between the quality of their magazine content and their customer service is so wide that the ensuing cognitive dissonance is surreal. I have had the same problem as others here. I paid £2.99 per month for a three month subscription but was not informed of the end date. When I thought the expiry date was near, I wrote to ask them the exact date and was told a date 2 weeks' hence. It later turned out that the subscription had already renewed at £8.99 per month and I was actually into the second month when I cancelled. My complaints have been ignored, as has my request for details about their official complaints procedure. I'd advise subscribers to make sure they ask for the expiry day at the start and make sure they cancel well in advance if they want to give this shady organisation their business. I notice they haven't replied to any of the criticisms on here.
Update:
The T&Cs say:
'If your subscription upgrades to a higher rate before you’re able to cancel, you have 14 days from payment to cancel and claim a refund. We recommend cancelling by contacting us and by getting in touch directly with your bank.'
Worth knowing for those who are caught out by an unexpected renewal.

The Spectator fail to specify (in their Terms and Conditions, confirmation email or the subscription details on their own site) when the auto-renewing payment will be withdrawn. If you sign up for the free trial the payment will be taken 2 weeks after you subscribe, even though the free trial is for 4 editions; that is, 4 weeks.

When I experienced this, after some back and forth via email, I pointed them towards the Consumer Contracts Regulations, and that resulted in The Spectator issuing the refund I requested.

The articles are generally thought-provoking, whatever your political stripe and the 'below-the-line' comments from readers are often better informed than the article itself.

However

The Spectator have outsourced their BTLComments functionality to an outfit called Disqus and between the two of them, their customer service is absolutely useless.

It has been over a month since I have had no ability to add a comment to any online article. It took The Spectator 3 weeks to point me at Disqus and Disqus have had a week and still not responded to my request for help, much less solved it. 'The Curse Of Outsourcing' with plausible deniability and lack of accountability built into every level of communication.

Never mind 'user-unfriendly'. 'Actively user-hostile' would be a better description.

Best avoided (online, certainly) until this issue / relationship is fixed

One of the few journalist outlets that put effort into their articles and don't resort to outrage bait or poor framing to drive readership. Highly recommend Douglas Murray and Helen Dale in particular.

I took out a one month free trial of their digital edition and the first 'payment date' was given as 14th January even though that payment was zero. I found that there wasn't sufficient content of interest to justify my continuing the subscription. On the morning of 12th February I submitted a cancellation request which was processed the same day. However unbeknownst to me, payment had been taken for the following month on 9th February. In the e-mails I received, no warning had been given about this early payment collection date. This is thoroughly unscrupulous behaviour. I'm very surprised and disappointed.

Argumentative and ill informed staff answering the phones at customer services. Very poor. Even one star is one too many.

THE MOST TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD ONLINE.

The Spectator Shop is, without a doubt, the most unreliable, unprofessional and downright rude company, I've ever had the misfortune of discovering.

I ordered a book 40 days ago and, apart from a brief confirmation of order received, I heard nothing for the first month - and received no book.

I have tried to get in contact with them several times, but they DO NOT reply to any emails sent to the address they themselves provide. Beyond unprofessional.

I finally made contact through another address. Unfortunately, after emailing back and forth for some time, it has become apparent, that the Spectator staff can't quite grasp this very simple problem: I made a purchase - they have not delivered. Instead I've received a number of strangely worded emails, making in abundantly clear that they don't actually READ emails, but rather just copy and paste some inane nonsense and call it a reply.

I've requested a refund several times, but this too, has been ignored.

My advice: never EVER make a purchase through The Spectator Shop. You will receive neither a book nor a refund.
They just take your money and run.