Key Publishing Reviews 22

Three months of my life I won’t get back trying to change my address! They think they are being clever using AI to reply but it is an absolute shambles. They confirmed my address had been changed in January but here we are mid-April and the magazines still get sent to my old address.
Just useless customer service. Thankfully I love the magazine but god help anyone who asks them to do anything out-with publishing the magazine. They need investigated - horrendous, and any staff I had interaction with were rude, no apologies for their errors etc.

I have been a subscriber to Hornby magazine for many years. I have tried to change my address and this took several attempts, including some "communications" from their useless AI, which were totally inaccurate. I received an email in January 2026 saying my February issue of Hornby magazine would be slightly delayed as they wanted to include details of new Hornby releases. Delayed? It never arrived. When I rang them, they told me they had no copies left they could send me, but would extend my subscription by 1 month to make up for the missing issue. I particularly wanted the February edition....
Now I see they are selling it is a back issue - in stock! A bunch of crooks...

CANCELLING MY SUBSCRIPTION AFTER 26 YEARS
Trying to replace an issue left out side in the rain.
FIRST EMAIL
Hello Peter,
Thank you so much for providing the pictures and for describing the situation in detail. I'm very sorry to hear that your journal was left out in the rain and arrived in such poor condition. I can understand how disappointing this must be, especially since you collect every edition for your club.
To help us locate your order and investigate your request for a replacement, could you please provide one of the following:
• An alternative email address you may have used at the time of your order
• The order number (if available)
• Or, for verification, confirm the zip code where the journal was delivered
This information will help us resolve your issue as promptly as possible. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding!
This response was create by AI to provide the most efficient support.
SECOND EMAIL
Hello Peter,
Thank you very much for sending your subscriber number, username, postal code, and address. I’m really sorry to let you know that we haven’t been able to locate an order in our system using these details.
To help us investigate your request for a replacement journal, could you please provide either the order number for your recent journal purchase or an alternative email address that might have been used when placing the order? This will help us find your order and sort things out for you as quickly as possible.
Thank you so much for your understanding, and I appreciate your patience! 🙂
Best regards,
This response was create by AI to provide the most efficient support.
MY REPLY
Dear AI,
You are not a real person and you do not know anything.
I tried to call your help line and was told there were no available operators to assist me by another of your AI “mates”.
I have given you everything I have and you have ignored it.
My subscription is due on the 28th January and I will now cancel this after 26 years of subscribing to your publications.
Cancelling now, Goodbye.

From: Key Publishing
Sent: 19 January 2026 12:49
To:
Subject: Emailing: PXL_20260119_115923316.jpg, PXL_20260119_115927328.jpg, PXL_20260119_115937738.jpg, PXL_20260119_115912128.jpg

Hello Peter,
Thank you very much for sending your subscriber number, username, postal code, and address. I’m really sorry to let you know that we haven’t been able to locate an order in our system using these details.
To help us investigate your request for a replacement journal, could you please provide either the order number for your recent journal purchase or an alternative email address that might have been used when placing the order? This will help us find your order and sort things out for you as quickly as possible.
Thank you so much for your understanding, and I appreciate your patience! 🙂
Best regards,
This response was create by AI to provide the most efficient support.

On Mon, Jan 19 2026, at 12:48 PM, wrote:
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the organisation. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe.
THIS IS NOT INTERNAL EMAIL - TREAT WITH CAUTION
Hi,

KEY MODEL WORLD
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.co.uk
Subscriber Number: xxxxxx
Username xxxxxxx
POST CODE: xxxxxxx
Peter

I ordered 3 magazines in the sale. On arrival one was the wrong mag although the dispatch note said the correct title. Very speedy reply when I emailed them but they want me to pay to return the mag before they will send the correct title.
Surely they should send the right magazine with a postage paid envelope to make the return. It seems their mistake has become my problem. They say they will refund my postage costs but after reading other reviews not sure what to do.

Further to writing this 4 hours ago I have been contacted by key publishing and they say they are sending me the correct magazine rather than waiting for the return. So well done to them for responding positively. I will return the wrongly sent item as soon as it arrives. Proof that criticism is sometimes acted on.

Overall, I have seen many bad reviews of Key Publishing. However, I have had such a positive experience with their customer service team. I bought a subscription, and I asked to change when it would come, they obliged straight away. My Magazine got lost in the post, and they sent one immediately after I emailed.

Such a positive experience.

I have had a subscription to Combat Aircraft for over a dozen years and had no problems. My current subscription was good until May of 2025. I stopped getting the magazine in November of 2024. 2 times I emailed Key Publishing and have gotten no response.

My subscription of Flypast magazine has worked ok until January 2025 issue. It did not appear. I emailed KeyPublishing several times but got no answer!
I received the February issue but not March issue.
Worst of all, I get no contact from this company thru email.
Do not use KeyPublishing.

Tried contacting via form on website - no response.

Tried contacting via email - no response.

Packaging was an utter joke, package of books arrived in post office plastic bag with sticker saying it was found damaged in the postal system - books were only packed in a couple of pieces of cardboard taped together (NOT A BOX!), arrived with cardboard torn and books hanging out.

I won't be ordering anything from these people ever again

Beware of this company.
I last had a subscription with this Company in 2020 and have not subscribed to any magazines since. Then out of the blue, on September 13th 2024 an unauthorised bank transaction was made from my bank account for the sum of £29.99 to Key Publishing.
We have contacted them on several occasions to refund our money, they have said that they will refund the money or call back, which they have failed to do.
I only earn Carers Allowance each week so to lose this amount of money has a huge impact.
I will be reporting this to Action Fraud and to the bank.

Key Publishing is a scam!!! I ordered a book back in July and have not received it. I was given fake tracking numbers.

Awful experience ordered an item from there store arrived. Unfortunately there was a fault rang. Was told they are out will get them to call u back (Friday)
Come Monday no warning some turns up at the house to collect the item. I stated I would probably be in Wednesday.!again stated would call me back. Again no call an someone turns up. Luckily I was in
A week of hearing nothing I emil to find out whats going on.
Finally I get an email saying it's something I've done therefore they won't refund or exchange. Despite putting in a number of these items
AVOID

I rarely read books and certainly never buy them, so how do key publishing have my email address. Spam or scam springs to mind.

Postage rates for book orders is astronomical. Needless to say I did not complete the order.

Ordered at weekend, delivered Wednesday. Very well packaged and arrived pristine. Thank you so much, book is gift for husband & know he will be thrilled.

My Father passed away at the end of December and has 2 subscriptions. I am still to get a refund for the outstanding monies. Been 6 weeks now. They promise to phone back but never do. I have chased again 2 months in still not sorted Shameful.

I ordered on Sunday immediately I noticed the wrong address for delivery and contacted them through two means. It took them over 4 days to reply saying it had already been delivered. Terrible service

Not very good service contacted 3 times about subscription query and yet to have a reply

They keep send Mags though we have told the to stop person not here. We keep returning back to sender we have had 3 new Mags this week

Pure harrsment

Please stop sending

Ref on mag label

681323

Utterly Useless, take your money and then don’t
bother their Backsides dealing with your order they
are not fit to be in business