Forcing "free" magazines on people isn’t cool, Amazon and Wired

Here’s an open letter to Amazon.com (and Wired Magazine) from Ted Bahr, the “B” of BZ Media.

I don’t blame him for being annoyed! Each month, I receive many magazines that I didn’t sign up for, many of which come because I’m an American Express cardholder. They go right into the recycle bin.

Even though I never asked for those publications, and never read them, those publications get to claim me as a reader! That’s unfair to the advertisers, who are paying the publisher to reach me. And it’s very un-green.

Here’s Ted’s letter.

Dear Amazon,

I just placed an order for a LaCie Hard Drive. The order includes a “free subscription to Wired Magazine”. You did not ask me if I wanted that. You did not offer me an option to OPT OUT of this offer. How green is that? I have zero interest in reading Wired and will throw away every issue while they deceive their advertisers with lies about their circulation (ie counting me as a reader when I am not)

Please REMOVE my “free subscription to Wired” and give people an option to OPT – OUT ! This is an outrageous intrusion and totally uncool environmentally.

Otherwise longtime happy customer,

Ted Bahr