Meredith Corporation Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Scrapbooks, Etc Artificially inflating the subscription figures for Better Homes and Gardens by closing Scrapbooks, Etc Des Moines, Iowa

 I am a subscriber of Scrapbooks Etc, a Meredith publication which has just distributed its final issue.  Meredith is using what I consider dishonest tactics to inflate the circulation figures of Better Homes and Gardens, another Meredith Publication by the following actions:

First, even after the announcement of Scrapbooks Etc ceasing publication, the subscribe link to this magazine was active on scrapbooksetc.com website.  This fact can be confirmed by viewing reader comments on scrapbookupdate.com.  My opinion is that this was intentional because of the post-closure actions that Meredith is taking, see below.
 
Secondly, a customer service rep from Scrapbooks etc has stated that it is Meredith's intention of transferring all remaining balances from Scrapbooks Etc to Better Homes and Gardens even when the subsciber did not want the transfer and has no intention of reading Better Homes and Gardens.
 
My opinion is that one of the following situations exists at Meredith publications:

The unearned subscription revenue at SBE was already spent; A tactic to get float on the unearned revenue of SBE; A tactic to artificially inflate the subscription figures for BHG at the circulation audit date, to be able to tell advertisers, "Look at all the new subscriptions. We are raising our advertising rates."

In any event, the actions of Meredith appear not to be above board.