Private Eye Reviews 38

I have been trying for months to unsubscribe. Apparently once you subscribe you are locked into a scam for life as there is just no way to get out of it. I did once get an email to say my request was being processed, but they did nothing.

Im no longer buying Private Eye after many years of reading. Private Eye in the past was impartial and has previously done some great journalism (The post office scandal for example). Recently over the past few years their articles have been shifting leftwards on the political scale to the point where they're now clearly intentionally leaving out facts and pretending that they don't understand the counter arguments of controversial issues.

The breaking point for me has been the BBC bias scandal which has also been overshadowed by Trump potentially taking legal action against the BBC (something real un-biased journalists would focus less on as they were 19 pages in the report that didn't focus on the BBC coverage of Trump). I have no doubt this is due to Ian Hislop (Private Eye's editor) also being a BBC employee and pocketing quite a lot of money from Have I got News for You. That is a conflict of interest. There's been very little on the other subject that the whistle-blower mentioned (important topics like Brexit, climate change, covid, Palestine) and a lot on the downplaying of the BBC not being unbiased with some very stupid arguments about non tax payer funded institutions aren't unbiased (they're not legally required to unlike the BBC and it's not mandatory that you the tax payer, pay for them). I honestly expected better but it's been a real issue recently with this paper. The coverage of Musk and the grooming gang scandal was also abysmal. This idea that Musk didn't understand the situation but Private Eye was never clear in what exactly it was that he didn't understand. Basically saying he's wrong but not being able to say how he's wrong. Tell me where's the value in that for the readers, other than virtue signalling for those that hate Musk? I have no doubt this is all Ian Hislop's editorial direction. He's been on LBC and has said many left leaning virtue signalling talking points that lack factual correctness or any sort of argument.

Unfortunately these days I find that there's no longer any impartial newspapers. Your best bet is to read both the left and right newspapers and come to your own conclusion. You can normally see from the arguments which side is omitting information, misrepresenting arguments and not responding to counterpoints made by the other side. Unfortunately Private Eye is one I'll be dropping since at this point I may as well replace it with the guardian.

The following might sound like a criticism, it's not. If anything it's a, weirdly, positive criticism; if I can use that oxymoron.

I have felt Private Eye to be an excellent periodical and it has always been my 'go to, for telling as it is' as the knowledgeable journalists pack so much into each interestingly fortnightly edition.

When I discovered Private Eye in the last century I began taking it on subscription (2 copies a month) but in order to comprehend both, what each journalists had written and to show respect for their hard work, I like to read every article, follow-on and fresh. This was easy in my younger days, but with the passing of time; not so now.

Because it takes me around a month to read one magazine front to back I cancelled my subscription and now I buy every other edition from a shop. My age and eyesight is forever failing and as I only take every other issue I am aware of missing so much.

At the risk of upsetting some younger readers and receiving credit from pensioners with health conditions like myself; I think Private Eye might be a monthly vehicle (or include a special compressed edition for pensioners). I suggested this to Private Eye when I noted it was doing 12 issues for £20. I never received a response.

DO NOT SUBSCRIBE!! IT IS A SCAM AND YOU WILL LOSE MONEY!! An incredibly sly publication with extremely onerous cancellation terms. I requested a cancellation in writing to the stipulated email address which was ignored and they continued to spam my elderly parents with magazines and continued refuse to let me cancel and be refunded. Customer service is absolutely horrific and I will be lodging a formal complaint. You have been warned, do NOT get involved with this unethical company.

The only honest open newspaper.

Fought for the post office victims for years whilst other papers ignored them completely until the TV programme.

Same for the grooming gang legal cover up fiasco.......didn't even know there was a BBC iPlayer film called "Three Girls" about the Rochdale disgrace.

Recommend subscribing if you are interested in reading the truth.

Your latest edition,1639 cover is the best yet.

Just cancelled my subscription after many years. It all is rather predictable & depressing. MD has lost it & who thinks “it’s Grim up North London” is entertaining? I miss Tony Husband.

Writing twisted out of date articles for their media mates No ability to complain through IPSO

Very well researched, Investigative journalism is a rarity these days, so Private Eye is worth it's weight in gold! Funny cartoons and satire punctuate the mind boggling truth of government and business you don't want to miss out on.

No delivery of issue 1619 a week late and no explanation on PE website. No copy available in local shops.
Automated response to email to enquire why as bad as corporate follies PE exposes.
Sad fall from grace. Get a grip Gnome!

I remember years ago Private Eye was very funny and unbiased,it was a great read, but now a days sadly it is very biased and unfunny, really sad to see, I just find it boring.

Far too small print wish it was on line for sight impaired.
Should be available to everyone shouldn't it possibly by law? Wish I hadn't signed up now. Content is good if readable.
Any ideas how to read it? tried various magnification devices but none very convenient or comfortable

Asked to renew my subscription three months before it ends. Access to my account was denied when I tried to check when the subscription ends. After a few emails, long waits for replies, I finally discovered that in July 2023 a new customer portal was created but subscribers have not been told. My current account was created because the previous one could not be accessed. Invited to create another account. Decision - let the subscription end, save money and read free of charge the MailOnline for laughs - it is very very funny.

As others have also said, this is the most awful subscription service you could think of. They literally have one job. Send the magazines on time. It's been two weeks and I'm still waiting for the first issue. Don't bother signing up

Absolutely fantastic, wish I'd subscribed earlier! It's a mystery how they stay in business with such low subscription rates...long may Private Eye be around to shine a light on hypocrisy and corruption.

No 1595 Corker of an Issue.
Never have issues with subscription unlike others.
Only place you can actually get news and brilliant cartoons!

I live in Germany and rely on Private Eye to find out what is really going on in Britain but their subscription service is a joke.i have just received the first December edition nearly 3 weeks late!. there have probably been 3 prime ministers been and gone in that time. I'm paying a lot of money for something I don't get.p e would pick up on this with other organizations so perhaps they should get their own house in order as well

For the first time ever I placed an advert in the classifieds for a chum - House-share - and for the first time ever PE didn’t arrive on Wednesday nor did it arrive on Thursday - so I don’t even know if this edition even got printed because we’ve had no responses- so frustrating and £90 for the advert wasn’t exactly cheap - pretty annoyed

No issues with the magazine. Subscription service is another matter. I took out a subscription over a month ago but have yet to receive an issue. The subscription service has been outsourced and the concept of sending the magazine to a subscriber is beyond them. Contact with them is slow, they take a couple of days to respond to a query. I've requested a refund. Update: refund was sent to someone else. Private Eye rightly criticises outsourced operations for their poor performance but should get its own house in order.

Started my subscription in late 2021 and haven’t received 3 issues to date. Plus the feel of the printed paper is now awful and crinkly. I don’t think I’ll maintain my subscription.