When will WSJ.com become free?

Motley Fool contributor Rich Duprey writes Thursday that he got a renewal notice for his Wall Street Journal subscription in the mail today that tells him he can save money if he also subscribes to the paper’s Web site.

Duprey wrote, “Yet my renewal notice told me that if I renew now I get both the print edition and the online version for the special price of $298, a savings of 47% off regular rates. By doing so, I’m ‘protected against any and all price increases.’

“What the renewal notice doesn’t discuss is what protection I have against any and all price decreases. If I renew now and Murdoch follows through on his plan to eliminate the online subscription, will he be sending me a check for the difference? Will my print subscription be extended? Will this end up being a mess?”

Later, he concludes, “While I appreciate the paper trying to protect me against ‘any and all’ price hikes, I think that when I do renew it will just be for the print version. That way, when Murdoch does make good on his promise, I need not trouble him to refund me the difference. It would just be nice if the marketing department was on the same page as the rest of the paper.”

Read more here.