So you want to buy a magazine subscription on eBay...and why not?  They sell for a fraction of the cost that you'd pay anywhere else, and you have all the selection you could want.   This guide is designed to help clear some things up for you and help you make the right choice when you decide what magazine you actually want. 

Some things to consider

One of the biggest challenges when selling magazines seems to be construing information to your buyers.  No matter how much information you give them in the ad, or after the sale, they never seem to get all the details.  And what are the details?  Let's go over some of them.

How long until my magazine comes?  This is by far the most common question.  Unfortunately it's not such a black & white question as you'd think.  There are many factors to consider when determining how long a subscription will take to begin.  

Nearly every magazine seller on eBay clears their titles through a magazine clearinghouse.  There are probably at least 20 clearinghouses being used by the many different sellers. 

When the sellers get the order from you - the buyer, they will wait a few days and submit a the order to one or more clearinghouses, maybe once or twice a week.  Here's where the clock begins.  Many of the clearinghouses submit orders in bulk to the publishers and therefore will hold the orders for some time before actually forwarding them on.  Some may hold them longer than others, or not at all.  

Once the publisher gets the order, they have to process the order, and get your order into the print queue.  Often all the printed magazines for a given week or month are already allotted for and you may not get the most recently published magazine for your subscription. 

Between the clearinghouses and the publishers, there can be many variables that affect how soon you'll actually get that first issue.    Also to consider is how often the magazine is actually printed/delivered.  Is it a weekly title, or monthly?  Maybe it's only printed 8 times a year or per year or perhaps only quarterly.  All these factors may change the delivery time. 

Often times a customer my order three magazines from three different sellers.  One may come in only 4 weeks, and the others may come at 10 and 14 weeks.  This is often a seen as a red flag for the buyers, but it is really very common and shouldn't be a concern.

You'll see most sellers on eBay will quote between 4 and 12 weeks for your first issue to arrive.  Some may pad it a bit in hopes of lowering the number of inquiring emails they get.  :-) 

Many of the clearinghouses require the sub-agents (sellers) to wait 10-12 weeks before they will even accept an inquiry about the subscription.  If you start asking your seller where your magazine is before 12 weeks, chances are slim that they'll be able to do anything about it.

How much for shipping?  Another very common question.  It seems like this would be an easy one, but again, there's more to it than meets the eye. 

If you've ever purchases a magazine subscription from another source, 99% of the time you will never pay shipping or handling.  Because there isn't any!  The publisher ships the magazine, not the person you bought the magazine from.  I repeat, if you're in the United States, there is no shipping charge for magazine purchases from the publisher. 

Now if it were only that easy...here on eBay there are some very keen marketing techniques being used.  First you'll see the "No Shipping" or "Free Shipping" magazines.  We feel this is the most up-front, and honest way to market the magazine.  Then you'll see magazines for .01 cent with $5.00 shipping and handling being charged.  And then you'll see the same magazine by another seller charging $3.98 for the magazine and $3.00 shipping.  It's very confusing for the buyers.  The same magazine with three different types of shipping amounts being charged. 

Tips on making a magazine purchase on eBay

Feedback: One of  most important thing to consider when buying a magazine on eBay is the feedback rating of your seller.  Would you rather buy from a seller with 100% positive feedback with a great price or from another seller who is .50 cents cheaper, but has 35 negatives this year and a 98% feedback rating?  I know what I'd do, but that's your call.  Of course if a seller has 5000 positives and 20 negatives, does that make him a bad or untrustworthy seller?  We don't think so, but it's something to consider as part of your buying decision.   We actually have over 17,000 positive feedbacks and I think 13 negatives...so less than 1 per 1000 transactions and we're pretty proud of that.  I wish we could make everyone happy, but there's always that one you know...  :O)

Does your seller charge shipping?  Just double check.  Make sure the combined price is a competitive one before you commit to buy.  We never charge shipping and just so you know, neither do ANY of the publishers or clearinghouses.  So if you're paying a "shipping" price, it's just money in the pocket of the seller.

What is your seller's policy for refunds or cancellations?  Some sellers will tell you you're out of luck.  Once they submit the order to the publisher they can't refund you.  This is a business decision they're making.  We suggest looking for a seller who promises to deliver or offer you a refund at any time up until you get your first magazine.  On occasion magazines become 'no longer available' from the publisher.  It is not unheard of for no warning to be given to the clearinghouses or sellers by the publishers.  This is when you want a seller who will take care of you.  Unfortunately, it's also not a rare occurence for either the clearinghouse or the publisher to make a mistake.  Remember they're dealing in hundreds of thousands of orders.  If a mistake is made and your order doesn't arrive in time or at all, you'll want a reputable seller who stands behind their business.

Payment: Does your seller offer a payment type that you're comfortable with?  Do they offer PayPal or accept money orders?  Make sure you're not giving your credit card to just anyone.  Protect yourself.

Well, I think that should about do it.  Some quick advice for you buyers. 

• Read the ad - ask questions before you buy
• Be patient - wait the quoted time before contacting your seller
• Work with your seller - of something goes wrong give them the benefit of the doubt
• Don't rush the feedback - contact your seller BEFORE you leave negative or neutral feedback
• Give your repeat business to those who come through - contact them for a renewal