I renewed my subcription for two years in January and have not been sent the last three issues. Their customer service department admitted that they had received my payment 2nd week of January. I would like to point out that I e-mailed them twice without response and had to call and wait on hold for 15-20 min. to get the information that I do have. I still do not have my issues and they will only send me jan,feb,mar if I pay extra for them. I hesitate to pay them anything in the future.
I missed an issue last year and when I called to have it resent they were out of the particular issue. They admitted that many subscribers had not received the issue and added another month to my subscribtion. Never had to wait more than a few minutes to talk to a service rep. Should be interesting to see what happen with the mag....
Yes, I have had trouble with stereophile in the past. When they changed ownership my subscriptions were coming months after they appeared on retail shelves ( a real disadvantage in the old days before forums like this when trying to purchase used gear). In addition they forwarded my subscription to March when I regularly renewed in January (as I do with all my subscriptions) in order to have complete years. When I asked them to push my subscription back, they refused and suggested I purchase the missing back issues at a higher price . Needless to say I cancelled after years of subscribing.
I had the same problem with the October, 2001 issue. Sent a couple of e-mails via their web site - never received a response. I ended up doing a lot of traveling after that so never phoned to follow up and frankly, had forgotten about it until I saw this thread. Guess I didn't miss it that much. Hmmm.
That was the same issue I never received and was told they were sold out of. Another instance when I did not receive an issue they told me that it would take 4-6 week for me to get it. I ended up purchasing it off the shelf. About half of the issues I receive throughout the year I have seen on the retail shelves several days before I receive my issue....have gotten use to it, but doesn't mean I enjoy it.
Forget about e-mailing them! You must call. I had the same problems and I had call waitings (calling) from Germany! BUT then after the third call ever since each issue is in my hands one to three days before the first of the month ! So that shows they can do something. Of course they prolonged my subscription every time I called and complained. If it was your loss Wstritt you must decide yourself. For myself there isn't any other high end magazine which is more fun to read from cover to cover in spite or even because of its controversal issues.
My girlfriend renewed my sub without my knowledge, and the Jan-March issues failed to show. I haven't bothered to email or anything. They aren't worth any hassle to me. I like reading the magazines to see what is coming out/going on, but Stereophile just sucks in too many categories, including the topic of this thread.
I have received all my issues pretty much on time since I first subscribed in 1986. I have tossed the back issues but have some of 1999, and I think all of 2000 and 2001 and this year too saved, so if anyone who missed an issue emails me I would be happy to supply you with one of my back issues, first come, first served. I don't really need them once read, because the mag just isn't what it used to be. I keep subscribing for the reason I bought all the Superman comics at the PX when I was a kid: it's fun to read through really fast and look at the pictures, but then you're done. I guess like eating a candy bar.
Pretty funny (bad!), but I'm going thru nearly the same thing as you. That is, except for the fact that I haven't tried to contact them. I renewed a few months ago and my last Stereophile came in February.
If it comes, okay, it's only $11.99 yearly. If it doesn't I'll have a couple lunches for $11.99 (Value Meal #2) and life will go on fine without them....
E-mail John Gourlay (Gourlayj@primediacmmg.com) and complain. I missed 2 out of 3 issues due (I think) to the lables falling off. Yeah, they'll cheerfully extend your subscription, but you want mags NOW not in the future. Anyway, Gourlay actually seemed like he could get something done. I have been getting mine regularly now.
With Stereophile going downhill so quickly I'm just glad we have Ljgj to give us speaker reviews. (Have you seen that list of speakers he/she burned through?)
The only time I had a problem with missing issues was when I moved and did a change of address - the rest of that subscription never did find it's way to me. As others said, "Contact Us" on their website was worthless. I finally got an explanation that, due to the change of ownership and, therefore, some of the services dept., there was a lot of confusion (this was one of the previous change of ownerships.) As others have said, it's just a magazine and it's just $11.99 a year, so I just re-upped and forgot about it.
That said, with all the talk about Stereophile changing, going mass-market, etc., and especially being bought by bigger publishing organizations, it seems to me that, despite the negative aspects many of us see in these changes, one thing that SHOULD be better than ever is subscription fulfillment. For goodness sake, the notion that you don't get a response from using their website to contact them is horrendous. Not a big deal in the great scheme of life, but you can hire a $6/hr temp to do nothing but respond with a semi-personal, "we got your communication and ....." type of message. The efficiency benefit of being bought by a big publisher ought to make the customer service thing better, not worse. -Kirk
I have had similar problems of not receiving the mag and easily having my subscrption extended because they have no more copies available. Clearly when they have you as a subscriber for ad revenue they would rather not send you the magazine at a lose.This happened with the april issue, the second time in three months, so I called up and raised hell to the point I was hung up on.About a week later the april issue came in the mail even though they had no more copies,amazing.Ifeel this is intensional as there are allways a lot of copies in the newstands at about $7.00 a pop. Larry
I never received Jan. or Feb.. When I called to inquire, I was told that the Feb. issue was sold out , but they would send me the Jan. issue. It should arrive in 6-8 weeks I was told! They must ship *th class!! By the way, at least once a year I go thru this, and I never get the missing issue anyway. I think when my sub. runs out in July Im done.
Yes. I never got my February issues. When I emailed them, they said, "sorry, we ran out"......but they did extend my subscription by one month. I guess that's something,
Not lately, but I think they're doomed. I own a small advertising agency, and I requested a rate card and other info nearly a month ago. Never got it... despite a follow-up request. If this is how they respond to potential advertisers, no wonder they're in trouble! (And who needs a mag where the only two speakers reviewed in an issue cost $40K/pair and $25K/pair respectively?)
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