Pricing That Makes You Go, “Huh?”

So this morning I called to renew my, errr, son's subscription to the MLB Insiders Club. It gets us him some "free" stuff as well as a monthly baseball magazine. Overall, I think it is a good deal.

I called because the letter I received had no place where I could renew on-line and, well, filling out a form and sending via the USPS is beneath me. I found it odd that you can join the program on-line, but not renew. So be it.

On the mail-in form the prices for renewal were listed thusly:

• Three years - $59.00
• Two years - $44.00
• One year - $24.00

Not bad. This is pretty standard term-based preferred pricing, but here is where is gets weird.

When I called, the representative took my member number and said she would be happy to renew me at the following "rates:"

• One year - $9.00
• Two years - $18.00
• Three years - $27.00

I renewed for three years, but now I am totally confused.

First, why is it cheaper, significantly cheaper, to call to renew as opposed to sending in the form?

Second, why did they present the prices highest to lowest on the mail piece, but lowest to highest over the phone?

Third, in both cases they used even dollar "9" pricing as the base, yet the form used the three-year price as the base and the call-in used the one-year price as the base. Why is that?

Fourth, why is it that via mail, I get a preferred price for a longer subscription, but via the phone, the price is less, but there is no preferred price for multiple years?

Fifth, is this an example of a great price discrimination strategy - charging more to the people who just renew using old technology (i.e., the mail) or an example of a company without a fricking clue as to pricing?

Sixth, why do I even care about this?

Sorry, that last question was my inside voice.

Your thoughts on the first five questions would be appreciated. I'll reserve the last one for my shrink.