The Spectator Reviews 

149
•
TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.4

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I strongly recommend people do not sign up for The Spectator. No way to turn auto renewal off, I didn't want to cancel, just the option to renew or not when the time came. They then take 15% as an adm... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

As detailed in other reviews. The whole business model seems to be to tempt people in on cheap subscriptions and then auto renew a year later at massively increased pricing with no reminder. Any bus... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I'm changing an earlier review, as it turns out it's far more Royal Mail than The Spectator at fault. Even our regular postie, has said they came back to chaos after having time off. The Spectator ha... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My first Spectator event ( theme English Wines).I felt most welcome - Jonny Ray convivial host - invited excellent Speaker Henry Jeffreys presented his book 'Vines in a cold Climate' -he also choose... See more

Company details

  1. News Company

Written by the company

The world's oldest weekly magazine. Since 1828.


Contact info

2.4

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

149 reviews

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1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Replied to 50% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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2.4

All reviews

(149)

22 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Beware of this company.

Beware of this company.
Cancelled months and months ago. They just keep making fraudulent charges against my card. Every month I lodge a dispute with my bank, the charge gets reversed and the following month they charge my card again. Avoid at all costs.

11 July 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi Wayne, this clearly shouldn't be happening and I have asked the customer service team to investigate. Please follow up via email at help@spectator.co.uk if you still haven't got this resolved.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Avoid

Awful
Got trial then cancelled it. Found out the cancellation hadn't gone through when they took money immediately queried told they would get back promptly and haven't heard anything.

25 May 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi Gareth, did you receive a response on this?

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Be wary of their special offers…

A good magazine but their special offers are bogus. I was promised 12 weeks on print and online for 12 weeks followed by a year online online only, for (effectively) £1 a week. Plus a £20 gift voucher. But they've decided is was online only and no gift voucher. And boy, are they digging their heels in. It spoils the enjoyment of reading the magazine when you realise they're out to shaft you.

24 April 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi Alexander Henry, if you can email help@spectator.co.uk with the offer you took out (it should be in your welcome email) we should be able to honour this, or explain why we can't. Rest assured we are not out to shaft you, this is most likely an error in the system that hasn't been dealt with adequately but we will endeavour to resolve if you get in touch.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Free Month's Trial is a Ruse

Signed up free month trial but Spectator took a payment from my account one week before the trial was due to end. I immediately cancelled the 'trial' and emailed my complaint but Spectator's bot-response claims they're busy and to not expect a response for a week. Disputed transaction and blocked them with my credit card provider.

20 April 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi there, payments should only be taken at the end of the trial. The customer service team should have got back to you by now, if they haven't can you please email help@spectator.co.uk and we can look into this for you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Cancelled my subscription In January…

Cancelled my subscription In January but payments still being taken.

28 January 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi Damien, if you cancelled then of course payments should not be taken ongoing. Please can you email us help@spectator.co.uk and we can look into this for you and resolve.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Offensive article!!!!!!

In the article “Joe Biden hates Britian” it sayer Joe Biden reason for his hate was from “exaggerated but dated folklore of Irish
grudge” (Spectator)

I find this offensive 😡

12 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

I took out a subscription to The Spectator on 12 March, having been enticed by the promise that I would receive a £20 John Lewis voucher by email within 14 days. I’ve contacted Customer Services 3 times but still haven’t received the voucher. No delay taking payments! Feels as though I’ve been scammed.

13 April 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi Lynne, that shouldn't have happened and we will escalate this and sort it out for you. Can you please email spectator@spectator.co.uk

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Racist article

From an recent article on ‘Joe Biden ‘Hates Britain’
There evidence ‘ Biden was steeped in the exaggerated but dated folklore of Irish grudge’

What it is saying here that Irish history is folklore I.e it’s made up and just a ‘grudge’ implicating the Irish famine, occupation of Ireland, Oliver Cromwell’s massacre of 200,000 Irish and plenty more examples. This not only describes our history as ‘exaggerated but dated‘ but suggests that the Irish hate the English and that they are too stupid to accept and move on from the past.

Honestly the spectator ngl gb news would have more pc takes than this and there run by Nigel Farage of all people

13 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

One star too many !

This is my second review… avoid and avoid. Was refunded for incorrect charge and then charged again. Now trying to cancel subscription. Impossible. No one replies. Will have to block via bank

12 April 2023
Unprompted review
The Spectator logo

Reply from The Spectator

Hi Chris, if you were charged incorrectly you should be refunded and you should be able to cancel. Please email spectator@spectator.co.uk and we will process your cancellation manually.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Read my review further down from…

Read my review further down from January. I was promised a refund which I still have not received. I emailed, phoned and wrote letters again and again but they have stopped responding after promising they would sort it out. Avoid at all costs. I will do a chargeback through my bank and I advise you all to do the same. Trash customer service.

17 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Simply a trash-mag

Its just an online trash-mag with articles by third-rate journalists. Don't bother. You won't get a refund anyway as their customer service is awful.

14 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Another great Spectator Club tasting event

Wonderful Burns Night Whisky tasting in The Spectator boardroom with The Glenturret. Johnny is such a welcoming host, the whiskys were incredible - so lovely to hear the stories behind them from Private Client Manager (and ex Scottish rugby player) Ruaridh Jackson.

26 January 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible service - cannot cancel free trial

Like many others took out the free trial. Emailed and phoned to cancel the subscription but was charged 12.99 at end of January. Have emailed again but no response and the phone number no longer works. Complete nightmare avoid at all costs

31 January 2023
Unprompted review

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