I ordered a subscription of Gun Tests magazine yesterday, seems like it has a pretty good rep around here, and I just like to have something to thumb through once in a while and look at new firearms, I guess that's why I order so many catalogs. I've been using the online features that come with the subscription, but when the actual magazine comes, is it all in black and white, like the website is, or is it in color? I enjoy reading the write ups and reviews they do, the appear to be fairly unbiased. Any other opinions about Gun Tests?
Gun tests magazine.
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jwr747
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bunch of years ago I took the magazine. in one issue they did a review of several AK's,one didn't have the bolt cover seated properly,they declared the weapon defective and unsafe.didn't try to reseat the cover,which is about a 30 second job.I figured after that the folks at the magazine really didn't have a clue on what they were doing. cancelled shortly there after. jwr
walker944
Member
Bad experience...
I recently signed up for their free issue, then if I liked the magazine I could pay the subscription fee. I got and issue and wasn't all that impressed. Seems they do a fairly okay job at reviewing guns, but just seemed a little steeper subscription rate than I really wanted to pay, from what I saw. So, when the subsription bill came in the mail, I ignored it. A month later, they sent another issue. I still wasn't convinced, so when the second bill came I ignored it too. No further issues came, so I figured they got the message that I wasn't interested in having a subscription. Well about 2 months later I got another bill with a letter asking for my subscrition. The next month the letter and bill had a stronger tone to it. I continued to ignore them, thinking I wasn't going to cave into to their strong-arm tactics of sucking someone to pay for something they don't want. Well, the straw that broke the camels back came in the form of a collection letter. It was drafted on letter head with the intent of looking like I was some bill-paying delinquent and I had better pay up or else! And, of course there was no phone number on the collection letter.
However, I found the phone number to Gun Tests magazine and called them. I explained what was going on to the lady that answered. She looked me up on their computer and informed me that I had requested a 1 year subscription and that they had fulfilled their end of the bargain and I just need to pay. I called her bluff and explained that I had filled out a request for ONE issue with the option to subscribe or decline once I reviewed the issue. She argued with me and told me she was looking at the request that I mail in. I asked her to mail me a copy of it. In the meantime she cancelled my subscription, and said she would discontinue any further collections activity. I told her that her company's nazi tactics were rediculous and that I would spread the word of how they treat potential customers.
I forgot all about it, then one day, about 3 weeks later, it showed up in the mail. Guess who was right??? ME!!! I will never have anything to do with that magazine or their crappy business practices ever again, and advise to do the same!
I recently signed up for their free issue, then if I liked the magazine I could pay the subscription fee. I got and issue and wasn't all that impressed. Seems they do a fairly okay job at reviewing guns, but just seemed a little steeper subscription rate than I really wanted to pay, from what I saw. So, when the subsription bill came in the mail, I ignored it. A month later, they sent another issue. I still wasn't convinced, so when the second bill came I ignored it too. No further issues came, so I figured they got the message that I wasn't interested in having a subscription. Well about 2 months later I got another bill with a letter asking for my subscrition. The next month the letter and bill had a stronger tone to it. I continued to ignore them, thinking I wasn't going to cave into to their strong-arm tactics of sucking someone to pay for something they don't want. Well, the straw that broke the camels back came in the form of a collection letter. It was drafted on letter head with the intent of looking like I was some bill-paying delinquent and I had better pay up or else! And, of course there was no phone number on the collection letter.
However, I found the phone number to Gun Tests magazine and called them. I explained what was going on to the lady that answered. She looked me up on their computer and informed me that I had requested a 1 year subscription and that they had fulfilled their end of the bargain and I just need to pay. I called her bluff and explained that I had filled out a request for ONE issue with the option to subscribe or decline once I reviewed the issue. She argued with me and told me she was looking at the request that I mail in. I asked her to mail me a copy of it. In the meantime she cancelled my subscription, and said she would discontinue any further collections activity. I told her that her company's nazi tactics were rediculous and that I would spread the word of how they treat potential customers.
I forgot all about it, then one day, about 3 weeks later, it showed up in the mail. Guess who was right??? ME!!! I will never have anything to do with that magazine or their crappy business practices ever again, and advise to do the same!
.38 Special
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I like the idea, but I think the reality falls a bit short. As 747 points out, they can be a bit knee-jerk, and they base their opinions, all too often, upon a sample of one.
Overall, I think the mag is a fine source of information but should not be taken as the last word. I find there is a degree of Consumer Reports style righteousness among some Gun Tests readers; the attitude of "I have the facts, don't try to argue with me." If one can avoid this sort of self-deception, then there's no reason not to view Gun Tests as a valid resource.
Overall, I think the mag is a fine source of information but should not be taken as the last word. I find there is a degree of Consumer Reports style righteousness among some Gun Tests readers; the attitude of "I have the facts, don't try to argue with me." If one can avoid this sort of self-deception, then there's no reason not to view Gun Tests as a valid resource.
KarenTOC
Member
A free trial to any magazine always comes with a subscription attached.
When the first bill arrives, write CANCEL on it in big black letters and send it back. Depending on the mind-reading capabilities of the magazine's billing department is inefficient.
What you DON'T do is ignore the bill. I've never had a problem stopping a subscription after a "free trial" if I informed the magazine that I was, in fact, cancelling per their offer.
Still, after reading these few comments, I'm crossing Gun Tests of my list of periodicals I'd like to receive.
walker944
Member
Black and white only (no color), and it's generally about 20 pages or so, pre-drilled holes to make it easier to keep in a binder.
walker944
Member
Black and white only (no color), and it's generally about 20 pages or so, pre-drilled holes to make it easier to keep in a binder.
KarenTOC: I agree that I should have written Cancel on the first bill and mailed it back. However, I find it interesting the billing department got "the message" that I didn't want their magazine and discontinued sending it. But, yet they were determined to harrass me to the point of a collections agency type letter all for the bold sum of $24 (IRRC). They knew I didn't want it. They were just being ass wipes.
KarenTOC: I agree that I should have written Cancel on the first bill and mailed it back. However, I find it interesting the billing department got "the message" that I didn't want their magazine and discontinued sending it. But, yet they were determined to harrass me to the point of a collections agency type letter all for the bold sum of $24 (IRRC). They knew I didn't want it. They were just being ass wipes.
KarenTOC
Member
The problem is that you were attempting to use human logic in this situation rather than the insane troll logic employed by the billing department.
Human logic:
he didn't pay for it therefore he must not want it. stop sending magazine
Insane troll logic:
he didn't pay for it therefore he must be a deadbeat. try again next month
huh? he still didn't pay for it so stop sending magazine and just send another bill
wow, he STILL hasn't paid for it so send it to collections
argue when he says he didn't want it but eventually grudgingly cancel
wonder why folks complain
Bush Pilot
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I had a similar experience after my "trial issue" arrived. I decided not to continue the subscription and DID write canel on the invoice, this happened 3 times and they continued to threaten me and my credit. The last time I sent a note indicating if they continued sending me bills I would file a complaint with the authorities in their state, the invoices magically stopped. I didn't care for the magazine and really don't care for their strong-arm collection tactics. I wonder how many people just send a check to be done with the matter.
I'm a long-time subscriber,and in the meantime I have managed to possess every issue printed except one,which I look for occasionally on Ebay.Their evaluations are much less biased than any other gun mag out there,but as referenced in the post above regarding an AK issue,they're not perfect.They do,however,present a reasonably balanced comparison based on their experiences with any given firearm.I am a long time AK owner,and I had to laugh at their apparent lack of knowledge of AK-type rifles,but putting myself in their place,if I was trying a gun I knew very little about,and a part flew off,I'd stop using it,and it would fail my test.I have heard many similar horror stories regarding their handling of cancelled "free issue" offers,so I assume that their marketing department is pretty clueless as to how to treat customers.I've never wanted to cancel,so I cannot say I have any similar experience.All in all,they do buy and test guns off the shelf like you and I would,not sample guns sent to them specifically for testing by the manufacturers,which,to me,adds a lot of credibility to their reviews.Plus,I don't have to flip through 15 pages of ads to find out where the article I was reading continues.YMMV...
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Had it and let it go. Writers are not staffers but freelancers who follow the editorial guidelines. Tests are inconsistent from writer to writer and they find flaws with little things and don't tell me about things of substance (construction technique). I gave up and found I could learn more by asking a question at TFL and when that closed down (temporarily), at THR.
leadcounsel
member
I had the magazine for a couple years but ultimately stopped because their prices were always WAY off of actual prices, and their testing of only 1 gun of each was not representative.
However I did like their honest evaluation of guns that didn't work.
I think overall it's a good magazine, I just no longer buy it. I kept my back issues.
However I did like their honest evaluation of guns that didn't work.
I think overall it's a good magazine, I just no longer buy it. I kept my back issues.
Stony Lane
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kirkcdl:
What issue are you missing? I have some back issues...
What issue are you missing? I have some back issues...
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