Overseas PBO subscribers :(

[jfkal]

Has anyone of you observed problems with delivery of PBO to overseas locations?
We are in Singapore and did not receive 6 out of 12 issues. IPC's subscription service cannot be bothered.
Keen to know whether this is a Singapore or general problem. So if you experience the same problems please reply so we can make some noise here.

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[gunnarsilins]

The deliveries....

...to Sweden are fine, I miss only one or two issues since 1992.

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[kimhollamby]

Whatever impression you have been given

We are most certainly bothered.

Can you please immediately email the publisher of the title, Jessica Daw, jessica_daw@ipcmedia.com with details so that she can request an investigation and resolve this for you.

Meantime, our sincere apologies for any inconvenience. We do occasionally have problems with magazines disappearing in post in certain detsinations (Middle East is the usual one -- I have not personally heard of a problem in Singapore before) but we would not want to to have anything less than 100 per cent service from our subscription department.



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[johnsomerhausen]

Re: The deliveries....

Deliveries to the USA seem to be without problems; I've received all my PBO's. but the world champion of disappearing magazines is Uruguay. Gangs at the Post Office steal them and resell them to street vendors. I gave up all my magazine subscriptions whilst I was there
john

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[jfkal]

Re: Whatever impression you have been given

Kim, I wish you were right. The problem is known since over 6 month and all I received from the subscription department is lame excuses.
I wish you guys would prove me wrong in the future at least.

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[vyv_cox]

YM deliveries to Holland are typically a week behind UK but all have arrived. One time when we had waited for 2-3 weeks after the UK delivery I complained: two arrived a couple of days later.

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[BrianJ]

I dont subscribe..just buy them off the shelf. However as Kim knows,it takes several months for the magazine to get here.. reckon they are all the"returned stock ( after being read ) UK copies , from newsagents...
So I get the benefit of knowing what others have complaind about in the latest " issue" and decide when I find it ,if I should buy it..
BrianJ

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[kimhollamby]

Sea freight

It's a sea freight issue I'm afraid, coupled with other delays in distribution. As frustrating for us as for you.

One of these days perhaps we can establish just in time printing outlets around the world...that would be a fine thing. A bit blue sky for our mags really, given scale, although we are looking at it on a B2B project currently.

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[clio]

Re: The deliveries....

the cost and delivery caused me drop the subcription, I have been buying thru a book store, its cheaper than the subscribed price. Due to the way they come to Canada thru the States, the exchange rate makes the price outrageouse compared to Pacific Yachting. I hate to do it. I am thinking of dropping the Magazine.

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[Metabarca]

Re: The deliveries....

Likewise for me in Italy; it makes no sense to subscribe. I pay the same at a kiosk and can choose whether to go for PBO or YM (or both!).

Kim, is it not worth sending your inter-continental copies by air-freight? That's what I did when I was production and sales manager at a small, international publisher responsible for sending a time-sensitive periodical to about ten countries worldwide. I sent them 'groupage' (dunno if that's the right word in English), bundled with other stuff. It meant they were on sale within about 5 days of printing.

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[kimhollamby]

Air freight

I genuinely don't know the whys and wherefores of that...too long in the virtual world I guess.

I'll ask the question.

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[Martin_e]

Re: The deliveries....

Deliveries to Norway are not good. Anything from on time to 6 weeks late, or not at all. It was quicker to have someone in the UK buy the mag off the shelf and bung it in the post. If the mag came out on a Wednesday I would have it on the Saterday. The subscribed edition would turn up 2 weeks later.

I have chased the problem up from several angles but not received the follow up that I was promised. After I e-mailed you Kim things did get a little better, but there was no follow up. So I did not renew my subscriptions to PBO and YM. Shame but true.


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[jfkal]

Re: Whatever impression you have been given

Hi Kim,

you may want to give your subscription guys a wakeup call before they nod off for Christmas. You have guessed correctly, I am still waiting for my December issue. Since I have nothing else to do on Christmas Eve I really would like to read the PBO December issue (2003).
HINT: DHL, FEDEX, AIRBORNE, UPS deliver daily to Singapore.
On a more serious note: We are a highly professional team down here. Our customers can always expect our utmost personal attention. Likewise we expect the same from our suppliers. Therefor we have decided the following:
In case we need to do cross word puzzles on Christmas Eve for the the lack of the PBO December issue our first actions back in business on January 2nd will be:
To cancel each and every subscription with any IBC media publication within our area of influence. Further blacklist IPC for any future advertising and/or other activities and share our experience at regular gatherings.
Guys it is your call now. Ring ring.........

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[alan]

I live in Italy and my subscription PBO arrives about 2/3 weeks after being available in the UK. I miss about 2/3 a year, but an e-mail to IPC has always resulted in the arrival of a second copy - sometimes the missing one has appeared as well after a few more weeks!!
I find the 2/3 weeks delay a bit long considering I am in Europe and if that could be speeded up then I would be very satisfied. I have found e-mailing and on occasion calling IPC has always resulted in resolving the problem without any hassle - in fact the e-mail is invariably answered the same day.

As I don't live in Rome my local newsagent does not carry English mags, so I am forced to subscribe.

All in all, no real complaints; but if the delivery time could be improved I would be even more happy (Kim??). I hope I get the December issue before Christmas on the boat, else the wife and I wiil be playing dominoes again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alan
Nettuno, Italy.

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[Roberto]

Alan, nothing you do not know already, but with Italian mail services consider yourself lucky to get *one* copy of the annual 12
-.<)

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[Roberto]

Re: Whatever impression you have been given

I thought I was very lucky, in France by the first 7/10 days of November I already receive the December issue -.<)

I think the weak link is in domestic mail services rather than at IPC; mail here can be very efficient and usually is, a couple of points though:

I gave up subscription to another magazine but then I discovered that a young kid in the building liked motorcycles as well

and
wrapping the magazine with a black plastic envelope to hide the flashy colours of the cover might help, at risk of being considered sex perverts by all neighbours

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[Metabarca]

Re: Air freight

Kim, just to add to my previous post:
I used to print in Italy and send bulk (meaning tens or hundreds not thousands of copies) to such countries as the US, Canada, Australia by 'groupage' for kiosk sales: these came out only a day or two after the UK. The subs copies were all sent to Amsterdam where a KLM subsidiary handled all the packaging and mailing. This entailed sending the copies in bulk (with other publications I presume) to each country and inserting them in the local postal service within about 24 hours (perhaps 48 for far-flung countries). This was much quicker than simply bunging them in the post in Italy (no surprise!) or the UK and no more expensive. My paper was highly time-sensitive so we had to be on people's doormats within a week max of printing.
Hope this helps
oh, another point re your subs: frankly it costs me the same to subscribe here in Italy as to buy over the counter (with no copies getting lost). Where's the incentive? Money off, please, or a weekend with Tom Cunliffe or YM burgee or something!

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[jfkal]

Yep. Their system always generates an automatic reply "We arew not aware of any delivery problems bla bla bla. I think a mighty company such as IPC would be able to get the delivery sorted out within a years time span. I can only deduct that they do not give a hoot. Good news is that if they continue like that they may have to give it to all of us for free (happens with some poorer publications) otherwise their advertising Dollar drops due to poor circulation. Anyway I am getting sick of it and will cancel my subscription.

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[Martin_e]

Re: Air freight

How about sending the magazine in the virtual world. Seriously at least I would get it on the day it comes out. There are a bundle of newspapers that let you download a pdf. file.

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