Me too.

Quick recap of my conversation with Customer Service Rep:

My sub was due to expire after the February 2009 issue, which I received. I received renewal notice in the mail, with the "reply by" deadline being March 14. Jumped online, Feb 12, and renewed. Credit Card payment posted.

No March issue arrived. I called.

Me: "Where's my March issue? I renewed prior to the reply date."

CSR: "Hmm...Our records show your sub has been reset - you'll receive the May issue, as the renewal starting issue"

Me: "But I renewed before the 'reply by' date!" (March 14)

CSR: Hmm, looks like changes were made to your sub. We'll do you a favor and send the March issue -- but it could take 3-6 weeks to arrive."

Me: "Some favour! I renewed! What about the April issue?"

CSR: "Well sir, you'll have to call us back (!) in April to get the April issue".

Me: "You've got to be kidding".

CSR: "Thanks for calling Stereophile, sir."

Customer service is a vanishing memory in the 21st. century. Underpaid reps who don't really give a $hit.

Quote:
Why is it that Stereophile is the only magazine that cannot accomplish the simple of task of delivering on time every month ?

Is it to much to ask that i get my subscription copy every month ? not just some months ?

Methinks that someone at the (your particular post office delivery chain/channel) post office likes audio gear, Welsh. Happens all the time.

Note to Stereophile: Perhaps ye old sealed black plastic bag is in order?

This might end up being notably less expensive than the sending of replacements. I dunno what your (Stereophile's) individually shipped rag loss levels are at.

We are considering doing this at our factory with skids. it's not an uncommon practice with shipping skids of valuable gear. In that way, no one knows what is on the skid..whether it is valuable or not. For the potential thief...cracking it open as a question to find out what is inside, is then - far less likely to happen.

So..wrapping each issue in black plastic might be the way to go, with regards to keeping 'rag theft' in the mail system down to a more manageable level. Weigh the 'cost vs losses' kinda thing.

Distributors don't like this stuff at their centers....as it is then impossible to ascertain what is in the black bag!!

I have a similar story to share. At the end of February, I bought a copy of Miles' Kind of Blue as a Columbia "two-eye" issue as a BIN on eBay. Paid $70 for it including shipping and had it shipped to my work address as it would not fit in my little mailbox in my townhome community. In his infinite wisdom, the eBay seller sent it via USPS Media Mail, and sent me the tracking number. It arrived at the San Mateo, CA post office on March 3, and has not been seen since. The post office says that the courier that delivers the mail from their post office to my workplace picked up, but of course, there is no signature upon receipt for media mail recording that the courier picked it up from USPS. The mail room where I work has turned their place upside down looking for it, and say they've never received it. Unlike the post office, they log virtually every package that comes in, and they have no log of it. My only conclusion is that it was lost once it arrived at the Post Office in San Mateo.

USPS....another organization that cannot fulfill it's prime function.

Quote:
I have a similar story to share. At the end of February, I bought a copy of Miles' Kind of Blue as a Columbia "two-eye" issue as a BIN on eBay. Paid $70 for it including shipping and had it shipped to my work address as it would not fit in my little mailbox in my townhome community. In his infinite wisdom, the eBay seller sent it via USPS Media Mail, and sent me the tracking number. It arrived at the San Mateo, CA post office on March 3, and has not been seen since. The post office says that the courier that delivers the mail from their post office to my workplace picked up, but of course, there is no signature upon receipt for media mail recording that the courier picked it up from USPS. The mail room where I work has turned their place upside down looking for it, and say they've never received it. Unlike the post office, they log virtually every package that comes in, and they have no log of it. My only conclusion is that it was lost once it arrived at the Post Office in San Mateo.

USPS....another organization that cannot fulfill it's prime function.

Interesting. I love USPS , wont use any other service. In the military we had USPS deliveries in Iraq, Africa and other places, always on time. Fedex and UPS..those places will never get another cent of my money. Everything ive sent with them has been destroyed or damaged.

I have had subscription issues as well. My January issue never showed up. Called to ask why and was told id have a replacement in 6-8 weeks. hasnt come yet.

what is funny is that TAPEOP, a magazine that is TOTALLY FREE, always gets it right. never had a single problem.

I seriously doubt that Stereophile is at fault for your problems, since I have received every issue promptly for at least 10 years....

Who else could it be? One person complaining/isolated incident points at problems possibly in the postal chain, 2 people..again, maybe postal issues. but a lot of people all saying the same thing?? The clues all point to Stereophile(more specifically the folks in charge of distro )

Quote:
I seriously doubt that Stereophile is at fault for your problems, since I have received every issue promptly for at least 10 years....

Quote:
[My January issue never showed up. Called to ask why and was told id have a replacement in 6-8 weeks. hasnt come yet.

Email me your street address and we'll put one in the mail to you Monday.

Quote:
what is funny is that TAPEOP, a magazine that is TOTALLY FREE, always gets it right. never had a single problem.

I agree you about the value of Tape Op, which I have subscribed to since the beginning. However, I haven't always received every issue. :-(

We have always had issues with pilfering, unfortunately. All I can suggest is that you ask your local post office to put a watch on your mail. Whoever is reading your Stereophile will then choose to read someone else's :-(

Regarding the mechanics of subscriptions: the printer ships each issue of Stereophile to a number of local distribution centers, where they are put in the mail fairly close to the recipients' address. Once they go in the mail, they are out of our control. Not an excuse, please understand.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Mr. Atkinson, my comments weren't intended as a slight to you or your staff, who I know have nothing to do with distribution. The folks in the distro section really need to get it together, though. How many publications do they handle?

Quote:

Quote:
[My January issue never showed up. Called to ask why and was told id have a replacement in 6-8 weeks. hasnt come yet.

Email me your street address and we'll put one in the mail to you Monday.

Quote:
what is funny is that TAPEOP, a magazine that is TOTALLY FREE, always gets it right. never had a single problem.

I agree you about the value of Tape Op, which I have subscribed to since the beginning. However, I haven't always received every issue. :-(

We have always had issues with pilfering, unfortunately. All I can suggest is that you ask your local post office to put a watch on your mail. Whoever is reading your Stereophile will then choose to read someone else's :-(

Regarding the mechanics of subscriptions: the printer ships each issue of Stereophile to a number of local distribution centers, where they are put in the mail fairly close to the recipients' address. Once they go in the mail, they are out of our control. Not an excuse, please understand.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Quote:
We have always had issues with pilfering, unfortunately. All I can suggest is that you ask your local post office to put a watch on your mail. Whoever is reading your Stereophile will then choose to read someone else's :-(
Regarding the mechanics of subscriptions: the printer ships each issue of Stereophile to a number of local distribution centers, where they are put in the mail fairly close to the recipients' address. Once they go in the mail, they are out of our control. Not an excuse, please understand.
John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Having worked in international mail security I can back John's suspicions with long experience of the US mail system. For internal theft the US mail service ranks second only to Italy in being one of the worst on the planet. Theft of mail items leaving the West Coast for OS is the worst followed by anything going through New York. Gangster control of unions and the pressure they place on management to prevent the effective installation of work place CCTV cameras has a lot to do with it.
Another problem for Mr Obama to repair?

Quote:
Regarding the mechanics of subscriptions: the printer ships each issue of Stereophile to a number of local distribution centers...John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

The problem with my susbscription is not of my own making and cannot be blamed on the post office (an easy target, imo). There has been a screwup on the Stereophile side of the equation: I did everything that was expected of me, the subscriber.

Mr. Atkinson, please have your subscription people mail out my April edition without me having to call again in April to ask for it.(I'll happily provide my subscrption details privately). Thanks.

Come to think about it I haven't seen an issue in a while.