Crappy Subscription Ploy

The New York Times is locking its material behind a paywall. I get that.The free ride was nice, but now it's over.

What I think is crappy, however, is that this solicitation email does not anywhere mention what the subscription rate is after the introductory period. Oh, the asterisked fineprint tells you that you'll automatically be charged at the regular, higher rate, but it doesn't say what it is.

Pretty crappy move, Gray Lady.

-- NY Times solicitation email --

Dear NYTimes.com reader,
As you may know, The Times is now charging for unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. But as a valued NYTimes.com reader, you are invited to enjoy unlimited access at an introductory rate: just 99¢ for your first 4 weeks.*
Unrivaled coverage. Unlimited access.
Visitors to our site get 20 free articles a month, but that’s fewer than 1% of all the published articles on NYTimes.com each month. Subscribe now at our introductory rate and enjoy unlimited access to all the breaking news updates, video, audio, multimedia and more. The finest reporters in their field keep you informed 24 hours a day on your computer, smartphone and tablet.
Act now — just 99¢ for your first 4 weeks.
Subscribe today and choose from packages that include unlimited access to NYTimes.com, plus our smartphone and tablet apps. And enjoy access to the world’s finest journalism — any way you want.
Please note: At this time, we are unable to process orders for this special offer from smartphone and tablet (iPad™, Galaxy Tab, Xoom) browsers. When you are ready to subscribe, please place your order from a browser on your computer.

*New York Times digital subscriptions are sold separately from e-reader editions, Premium Crosswords and The New York Times Crosswords apps. Mobile apps are not supported on all devices. All subscriptions will automatically renew and the credit card will be charged in advance of each billing period unless canceled. If the subscription is canceled, refunds and termination of access will follow the Terms of Sale policy. Prices are subject to change. Other restrictions and taxes may apply.