Searchlight prices go up: we blame the government
Published on Thursday, 21 June 2012 19:32 Written by Sonia Gable
Searchlight has maintained its £2.50 cover price and annual subscription rates since its expansion to 36 pages in March 1999. Since then the cost of postage has grown massively, but the most serious blow came in April this year. Not only did all postage rates take a flying leap upwards – which was publicised – the government-owned Royal Mail also surreptitiously abolished the reduced rates for publications sent abroad.
It now costs £1.10 to send the magazine by UK second class post, £2.93 to send it to Europe and £3.86 to £3.90 to send it outside Europe, so since April it costs us more to send magazines outside the UK than to keep them on our premises doing nothing.
Therefore we have no choice but to increase prices. Subscriptions and sale prices to Europe and the rest of the world will go up immediately. But we will hold UK prices at their present heavily discounted level until the end of the year. Anyone who pays by standing order will continue paying at the current rate unless their payment is cancelled and they have to start a new arrangement. Of course we would welcome standing order customers to increase their annual payment to help.
The good news is that we are keeping the cover price the same – at least for now.
The new non-UK prices will appear on this website in the next few days (including PayPal fees) and will be in the July magazine.