Family Handyman Reviews

Be careful about this Family Handyman scam. They send out boxes you didn't order that say Open Immediately with a Free Gift Inside. Once you open it, that's when they hit you with a bill. The invoice is twenty one dollars for whatever book is in there. Getting the book back to them is a real hassle too.

The magazine basically doesn't exist anymore. They converted it to a once monthly email format. This month's message talked about Costco store hours and tai chi exercises that apparently require a subscription to read. I paid upfront for two years and got no physical magazines, only this junk content. The ads on social media promoting the magazine are misleading since there's nothing being delivered.

As of today, Family Handyman still hasn't sent me the full refund I requested. I keep getting the exact same form response saying my refund will process within one to three weeks through my original payment method. That message has shown up four separate times with no actual refund appearing. I'm on day four of waiting for customer service to call back. They charged my account without warning, took the payment a full month before my subscription was due, and the amount was $39.95. After being on hold for nearly half an hour, I got disconnected. I canceled through their website and contacted support to make sure it was done. I was told my refund would only be eight dollars even though they pulled almost forty bucks from my account a month early. That's three times what I paid the year before. A heads up before taking that money would have been professional and respectful. I need this refund situation fixed immediately.

I used to enjoy Family Handyman, but these days I don't get much value from it. Beyond that, they keep trying to access my account for membership without asking. If I were running things, I'd bring in someone with real hands-on trade experience who understands what readers actually want and need. Stop bringing on people without solid trade backgrounds who think writing about it is a good substitute for actually knowing the work.

I've been a faithful reader of Family Handyman for over two decades, but something shifted recently. The last couple years have brought content that just doesn't appeal to me anymore. When I do find something potentially interesting, the coverage feels shallow and surface level. The writers and contributors used to be genuine specialists who delivered thorough, practical guidance. I really miss how the magazine used to be and won't be renewing. The quality and depth I once valued have simply disappeared.

I really enjoyed Family Handyman back when. Over the last year though, there's been an obvious switch in direction toward female readers. I have zero interest in pieces about interior decorating, cleaning tips, displaying collections or reorganizing storage spaces. Why not just rebrand to Family Handywoman. I threw out my renewal notice without a second thought.

I had a subscription going for years until I stopped it at the end of 2024. The magazine has shifted to become very feminine in its approach. Stories that used to cover building room additions now talk about selecting the perfect paint shade for autumn. The toughness and substance have vanished and honestly every feature feels like it comes with a participation trophy.

I was a subscriber for quite a long time. The magazine went through major changes in 2024 that left me frustrated. The content no longer feels relevant and the publication itself has gotten much smaller. I could just buy a Better Homes and Gardens subscription if this is the direction things are going.

My husband subscribed to this magazine for many years. When we retired and built a new home nearby our grandchildren, we dropped it for a while. Then our grandkids sold magazines for a school fundraiser and we got it again. What's going on with it? The projects don't even appeal to us. I don't mind that a woman is now in an editor role. But the whole thing is much shorter and thinner. The projects feel dated like they're from the nineteen nineties. Even the paper quality and printing seem tired. I'm not going to renew unless things improve significantly.

Over the past year, this magazine has become something completely different from what I signed up for. The experienced DIY editors I used to rely on have moved on. Now the articles focus on room decorating tips and garden flowers instead of actual hands-on projects. The editorial team seems to have shifted toward interior design rather than practical building skills. I've watched this change unfold for months and decided to cancel my subscription after being a loyal reader for 20 years. It appears new ownership has taken the publication in a direction I no longer connect with.