Shouldn’t a Newspaper Subscription Cost the Same No Matter How You Pay for It?

The paper bill I received from The Sun Press stated in bold black print that a 12-month subscription was $32.50. A 24-month subscription was $66.30 and a 36-month one was $100.10. So why would anyone opt for the latter two?

Since I pay 99.9% of my bills online, I type in the url for the newspaper and click on the optimistic yellow type. I fill in the form with the requested information and type in the security code, “sQ8e” and receive this message:

Client error '80020009'
WSDLReader:Loading of the WSDL file failed HRESULT=0x80070057 - WSDLReader:XML arser failed at linenumber 0, lineposition 0, reason is: System error: -2146697211. HRESULT=0x1
/Login.asp, line 1019


First, who in the world is going to use an automated program to order the Sun Press? It is not the same as trying to get all the front row seats at the Carole King and James Taylor concert.

Client error? I think not! It looks like bad code to me.

The reference librarian in me was not to be stymied. I threw on my Researcher Extraordinaire cape and went through another portal and found a working link. What’s this? The same 12-month subscription was going to cost me $33.80. Who was getting the extra $1.30?

Technology failed. I picked up my pen and filled in the paper bill, put it in the envelope graciously supplied, sealed it and put a Forever stamp on it that probably cost us 41 cents a couple of years ago.

Wonder what I can do with that 89 cents I saved?