Amazon.com Review: It's a newspaper, it's a Web site--it's all of the information that comes rolled up in every edition of The Wall Street Journal and much more, available online. Anyone who wants to stay on top of U.S. and international news, especially economic and technology-oriented stories, will find The Wall Street Journal Online to be a valuable asset. Forbes has called it "simply the best business news site on the Web."
The interactive Journal delivers stock quotes on demand, continually updated news, a customized news- and portfolio-tracking service, access to extensive archives, and "briefing books" for 22,000 companies and more than 7,000 U.S. mutual funds.
Readers who are familiar with the print edition will not be surprised by the interactive Journal's personality: it looks a lot like the paper version, and it's just as staid as its paper counterpart. Navigation is intuitive and ease of use is... easy.
Unlike the print journal, this version follows you to work and around the world. All you need is your password and laptop to carry this invaluable business partner to any meeting, anywhere. --Stefanie Durbin
Should be called WSJ Lite... I renewed my online subscription about ten months ago by buying it through Amazon. Things went smoothly and everything was great. I was getting access to the best newspaper on the planet relatively cheap with a three month archive. Then Murdoch bought it and took control. The website has been completely redesigned and the articles have been dumbed down a bit/shortened. I get bombarded with several advertisements on the main page, even after paying $89.99 for a thirteen month subscrition. Every article has at least two large advertisements on it that detract from the reading experience. I used to be able to save the printer friendly versions of articles as web pages on my hard drive. I don't bother anymore because they now look TERRIBLE. The three month archive of complete newspapers arranged by date no longer exists. I feel a little insulted because after dumbing down and shortening the articles, the WSJ now offers short video clip summaries certain articles. I guess they provide this if you're too lazy to actually read the article. The types of people who typically read the journal don't want their information spoon fed to them but that's what the new Murdoch WSJ does for you. This newspaper is not what it once was. If you liked the old WSJ, do yourself a favor. Get a subscription to The Financial Times!
Inflation I've now been a subscriber to the online version of the paper for five years. My original subscription was $69. In subsequent years, it has gone to $79, $89, $99, and this year, I'm informed $119. That's a 71% increase in five years. Slightly more than general inflation.
I will echo other reviewers' problems with customer service. Last year, I got the e-mail about the automatic renewal. I called the 800 number to tell them I didn't want them to automatically renew me, and to cancel it as of the expiration date. (At the time, there was talk that Rupert Murdoch would make it a free paper. The customer service representative would not guarantee me that I would get a pro rata refund if that happened.) I then subsequently got two more e-mails telling me that I needed to update my credit card information for the renewal. Both times, I had to call back, being on hold for 10 minutes each time, to AGAIN, tell them I didn't want to renew. I finally did renew after a customer retention representative offered me 15 months at my previous years $89.
However, I'm probably not going to renew this year for a different reason. I have been watching the paper closely since Murdoch took it over. I have noticed a change in the paper, from being the business paper of record, to more of a general-interest newspaper. There is much more content on politics and non-business than in the past. Checking out the blogs, which is one of the best reasons for an online subscription -- they have added the following titles: China Journal, Political Perceptions, Washington Wire, Baghdad Life , Health Blog and Storm Tracker. What do these have to do with business?
If I want that content, I can go to the New York Times, Washington Post or LA Times. I want business news from the Wall Street Journal. Sadly like many of the things, I may have to go overseas for my business news. The Financial Times is looking like my business subscription.
Horrible Customer Service I have been a subscriber of WSJ online since the beginning (over 10 years), and recently got an unexpected 20% increase in the annual renewal rate ($120) put on my AE card. I love the Journal, and read it every day, but 20% was enough to make me rethink my subscription. I called to cancel, and couldn't get through after 3 tries and long waits. After reading here I find I am stuck with the renewal. I then went to cancel my CC which was not possible. This reminds me of the old AOL which made it impossible to cancel their service. I never received notice of the price increase, and now know they are deceiving their customers. WSJ is a great online newspaper, but it appears they are now being run by dishonest folks. Contractors, I suspect. You have been warned so be careful giving them your CC #. I will have my CC number changed, and will keep trying to cancel my renewal which is in May of 2009. I will not subscribe again unless I can do it without a CC#.
Great value I have now bought this service to the Wall Street Journal on-line for a second year. The WSJ on line provides great value since one can read articles from the paper journal every day anywhere where there is web access. It also provides email alerts on all sorts of topics and news cataglories. My only problems were 1- it is hard to locate the on-line item on the Amazon network; 2- Amazon does not clearly explain that they will first send a letter (which takes one week) to the subscriber and then one calls the WSJ to start the subscription; and 3- since I was renewing an existing subscription, I thought it would just continue- but first it was cancelled and then I had to verbally get it started anew.
Worth its price; and yes - auto renewal can be canceled
The Wall Street Journal on-line (or paper edition) is definitely worth its subscription price and is definitely a 5 Star - no question about it.
In response to reviewers that complained about automatic renewal on their credit card, and an the inability to obtain a refund, the WSJ specifically spells out its policy in its Subscriber Agreement and Terms of Use, which you need to accept (and therefore you need to read first) before you subscribe.
I repeat the important excerpts from the WSJ agreement below, but in essence ... you will be notified 30 days before auto-renewal which you can then cancel by phone, mail or e-mail BEFORE the renewal. But once it's renewed, no refunds are available. This may seem harsh, but they state these terms up front - and again, the benefits of subscribing to the WSJ On-Line greatly outweigh this additional "hassle" is worth it.
Excerpts from WSJ Subscriber Agreement ...
3. Fees and Payments ... Subscription fees will be billed at the beginning of your subscription or any renewal. Unless we state in writing otherwise, all fees and charges are nonrefundable.
4. Renewal. Your subscription will renew automatically, unless we terminate it or you notify us by telephone, mail, or e-mail (receipt of which must be confirmed by email reply from us) of your decision to terminate your subscription. For annual subscriptions, we will notify you of the pending renewal of your subscription at least 30 days prior to the date your subscription renews, except as otherwise required by law. You must cancel your subscription before it renews in order to avoid billing of subscription fees for the renewal term to your credit card.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
