I’ve always liked The New Yorker magazine, but my most recent subscription, which I placed in February, left me completely disappointed. The tote bag that was supposed to come as a free gift never arrived within the promised timeframe — even after 10 weeks.Since I live in France, I contacted customer service at support(at)newyorker(dot)com to check the status. For the record, I also never received the tote bag from a previous subscription, so this time I really didn’t want to let it slide.The first representative confirmed that the 8–10 week delivery window had passed, and asked for my shipping address to send the bag. Then came the twist: I was told to wait another 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.In the end, the tote finally showed up — on June 16. That’s nearly twenty weeks of waiting.AND THE CHERRY ON TOP? When I went to pick it up at the post office, I was asked to pay €9 in customs fees.I know no one can control customs charges once an item crosses borders. But after all that waiting, having to pay for what's supposed to be a free gift? I genuinely feel scammed — and honestly, I'm furious. If you live outside the US, keep that in mind before subscribing.From now on, I won’t fall for any kind of advertising bait ever again.My rating: One star — not because you earned it, but because I couldn’t go any lower.
