"Make" Your Own Time Machine

Serveral years ago, I signed up for the "Premier" subscription to Make Magazine.  This is supposed to provide automatic renewal at a preferred rate.  The first couple of years were rough, but I thought everything was working OK finally.

Until I used my powers of smart-assery to stir up the hornet's nest.

Here are the emails, starting with one from them, then my reply, then alternating...

2/16
Dear Larry Macgregor,

We hope you have been enjoying your subscription to MAKE. We will be sending your next issue to the printer shortly. Per your request, your subscription was automatically renewed for another full year on 3/9/2012.   [....]

2/16
So my subscription "WAS" renewed on a date that falls over three weeks into the future?  Care to explain how that works?

2/21
Hello Larry,

Thank you for your email.

No, your subscription has not been renewed yet.

Would you like me to remove this feature?

2/21
No, I don't want the feature removed, I want emails that make sense.

Such as "Because you are a valuable subscriber using our Premier feature, we'd like to remind you that your subscription WILL BE renewed on March 9.  To manage your subscription options, please go to .  Thank you for being a Premier Maker".

See how that works?  It communicates the information clearly without resorting to telling the customer that something has happened in the future.

This isn't rocket surgery.

[oops, there's that smart-assery again!]

2/12
Hello Larry,

Thank you for your email.

I understand what you are saying.

Will let the appropriate department know.

Is everything else okay with subscription?

Should I add the account back onto automatic renewal?

2/21
Wow, you took it off auto renewal?  The first reply you sent me ASKED if you should do that, and I replied NO.

How was that unclear?

DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT MY SUBSCRIPTION

2/21  (actually received as I was writing this post)
Hello Larry,

Nothing has been changed on your account and everything is in its original standing.

Have a marvelous evening!
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I can't wait until I notice that I've strangely stopped receiving the magazine, even though I'll probably still get charged.  Yeah, I shouldn't have replied to the first email, but dammit, it was a stupid message.  If and when I get my time machine, I'm sure as hell not going to waste it on trips into the near future to renew magazine subscriptions.