Check out this post at a caravan forum from someone who bought a bagged caravan magazine:
Just purchased a caravan review magazine (it doesn’t matter what name) and I feel badly ripped off, the magazine was sold as a new issue and included two bonus mags.
But wait there is more, it turned out the review magazine was over twelve months old, I brought it to get details and prices on new vans, if a publisher wants to re issue a magazine it should be stated on the wrapping.
It has made my decision easy, I will not be buying any magazines from that publisher in future as there are other caravan mags
My feelings on bagged magazines, especially those with “bonus” issues is well covered at this blog. I think they are a rip off and a drain on newsagents and the environment.
It is only our returning of unsold stock which enables publishers to do this. As canvassed here recently, maybe we should stop returning unsold stock for some of these titles.
Despite claims from publishers that bagged magazine sell, many bagged issues contain old recycled junk. Some as old as four and five years. As they say at the caravan forum – caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
Newsagents should at the very least refuse to put the total rehashes on the shelf. I send anything from Express that doesn’t say “Includes Current Issue” goes straight back and have also taken to opening one pack so that the magazine can be browsed. I can’t understand how consumer affairs organisations hasn’t taken them to task for saying there is over $x value on their packs which assumes that ancient magazines retain their full value.
Publishers must loose on these as the would take a fair bit off work to sort and repackage. We sell very few so obviously customers don’t like them.
My lease precludes me from selling second hand goods
I HAD A CUSTOMER WHO RANG THE PUBLISHER ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM HE WAS SENT A FREE MAG IN THE MAIL WHICH HE HAD AS WELL AND HAS NOT BOUGHT ANOTHER SINCE.