Model Engineer 4366

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There
I have not received a subs copy of ME 4366. A reader has also phoned me to say his has not arrived in Bristol.

Has anyone received their copy yet?

It is on sale today so this is not good.

regards David

 

[davidkParticipant @davidk]

Hi David

My copy of ME4366 has not arrived in Andover either.

Regards, David

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There
4366 is on its way.
I have chased this up and a reply from the printers is below.
I would like to assure all readers that we are not sending to printers late. All magazines so far this year have been sent to printers by the deadline specified.
regards david

I have investigated and we did mail this issue late. It was missed of the machine schedule in the swap over period between two Managers. It has already mailed now and if it didn’t land with people today, it will tomorrow or Monday.
I’ve made everyone aware and we’re going to add an extra process to check and make sure we haven’t missed anything.

Huge apologies,
James

William Gibbons Printers

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

My copy has not arrived in Sheffield.

I drove to WHSmiths in Meadowhall, but they don’t seem to stock it.

When I first subscribed a few years ago, it arrived on Friday or Saturday the week before.

Now it arrives on the Wednesday, lately the Thursday before publication.

Today it is missing.   The subscriptions dept tells me to wait until Monday.

What’s the point in waiting until publication day, I might as well buy it at the newsagents?

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

The printers will be told off on Monday.

Has anyone had a copy from Smiths today?

I thought it was a subscription problem but as ir is printers I need to know if it reached Smiths on time?

regards David

[AndyPParticipant @andyp13730]

My copy collected from newsagents in the wilds of Cumbria this morning as usual.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

It is in my local W H Smiths – saw it this morning – but I’ve not received my subscription copy in the post as yet.

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Receiving my subscription copy after the issue is on sale in W H Smiths has been the norm for me since about two months ago, I assumed that this was a new policy as a result of some management decision.  

Previously, over many years, my subscription  copy was always received well before the issue was on public sale. 

As now seems to be the normal arrangement I have not yet received the latest issue (4366, 4th December -&gt but expect to receive the magazine between tomorrow, Saturday 5th December and Tuesday 8th December.

I live in Fulham, SW Central London.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I was not aware that subscription copies were turning up late.

I will shout at someone on Monday.

regards David

 

[Robert MullanParticipant @robertmullan69263]

I am in the same situation as Weary – my copy nowadays is always a week later than it used to be. To be honest I’ve given up hoping and will probably cancel my subscription in the not too distant future if things don’t improve.

[NJHParticipant @njh]

AT LAST!!    An advantage in NOT subscribing. I picked up my (saved) copy at my local newsagent in deepest Devon on Friday morning as usual.

I get increasingly brassed off at the disadvantaging of non-subscribers, especially the restriction of access to portions of this site. We already pay considerably more for our copies than do subscribers. I am prepared to do this as, in this rural area, the only newsagent is very good, supplies other services,  and is worthy of support – a real case down here of use it or lose it.. I understand that from the publishers point of view subscribers represent assured income but is the income from sales via the distribution network less than via subscriptions? Come on ME play fair with your long time supporters and open that access to us.  

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

If NJH do not want to be a Subscriber, for whatever reason, that is up to him, BUT let us keep some sence of reality in this, something has gone wrong [as it will from time to time] and DC is going to do his best to fix it. No, I have not got my copy nor has my local Smiths, even if Smiths had a copy,  you have to get down on your hands and knees to look under the bottom shelf to see if there is one at the back !!

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

Magazines all need to obtain and keep subscribers. Long term, if Smiths continues as it is doing, specialist magazines will not be available in their stores. You may already have noticed specialist magazines disappearing from Smiths shelves.

 

It costs us a lot of money to keep a website up and running and pay a web editor a reasonable amount of money. That is why we have to lock up some of the content.

Perhaps as a long time purchaser of magazines from Smiths, you should ask in your local branch where the free bonus magazines are?

 

As magazine publishers, we are in a difficult situation; We have to sell more and more magazines through Smiths or they will drop our titles. (This is why special editions are Smiths only, it boosts overall Hobbystoe turnover.) The more subscribers we have, if Smiths ever decides to pull the plug, the easier it will be for you to continue getting you magazine.

I estimate less than 50% is locked to non subscribers. Most if not all of the current competitions are open to non subscribers in the UK.

We can’t offer competitions overseas because if we put a magazine on sale with an out of date competition in it, we get some sort of fine. I don’t know what it is as we make sure we have not been fined.

 

I emailed the managing director this morning about subscription problems and no doubt he will have a go at the printers.

 

regards David

[Paul BoscottParticipant @paulboscott25817]

I think that David is doing a great job for his stewardship of the magazine and the web site is level or above the best.

The Model Engineer is not like the Pink where you must have the absolutely latest copy in your hand to see the odds for the 2:30 (at Sandown) I am sure that I can allow many days leeway on the actual delivery date It is important is that the content is thought provoking, accurate and eventually delivered for reference and continuity.

If the grey plastic envelope through the letter box is the highlight of your fortnight you are not spending enough time in your workshop.

Paul Boscott

[Ivan PrinceParticipant @ivanprince58081]

Tried all 3 smiths in Hull and could not find a copy.

I am going to subscribe  , not bothered if it comes a few days late as long as i get a copy

 

 

Ivan 

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Sadly DC 1 you hit the nail on the head, my own subscriptions were lapsed due to what some are experiencing here years ago. This was at the time when some of the M/E’s didn’t carry dates cos of the non gaurentee of dates and vol/issue numbers tying up. Non delivery didn’t help much either and despite calls lost some.

 

   Regards  Ian.

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi DC1

Just a thought, but could not each issue (not copy) of ME have a code number specific to that fortnight, which would allow retail purchasers access for that fortnight only. The same could done for MEW of course, but on a four weekly period.

There might be a small number of meanies looking in Smith’s for the number, but on the whole Model Engineers are an honourable lot, aren’t they?

chriStephens

[LADmachiningParticipant @ladmachining]

A thought regarding Chris’ last post:-

 

Is another possible solution to use a system similar to the copy protection used on old computer games?  They prompted you to enter a word z from page x, line y of the manual.  A similar scheme could be used, picking words at random from the current issue, to allow normal purchasers access to content.  this would also prevent the ‘meanies’ from skimming the magazine in Smith’s for the latest access code.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

Edited By LADmachining on 06/12/2009 17:30:43

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Wandered into my my local WHS today and bought a copy off the shelf.

Right next to the pick n mix display.

Edited By V8Eng on 06/12/2009 19:13:10

[Mark DickinsonParticipant @markdickinson21936]

  Received my copy in todays post.

 

regards

Mark

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

My copy (NE Hants) delivered mid day by Royal Mail

[Donald MitchellParticipant @donaldmitchell68891]

Hi all,

I just received my copy of 4366 in the post today, Monday 7th.

I was always of the opinion that one of the main reasons we subscribe to a mag is so that we receive it before it generally goes on sale in the shops, I saw it on sale in Smiths in Carlisle last Sunday (not yesterday, … the Sunday before) what’s going on?

I also don’t think that I’m well suited being able to read the mag in the “back issues” section of the web site for almost two weeks before receiving the hard copy in the post.

Yours,

A bit miffed subscriber; quite a bit miffed actually.

Donald Mitchell

Castle Douglas

Scotland.

[TomkParticipant @tomk39956]

Still not received my copy (Scotland) Anyone else still waiting for theirs.

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

My ME arrived today.

Now all I have to do is try to find out why the post arrives at unpredicatble times between 8.45 am and 1.45 pm!

 

Thanks for your efforts, David.

 

Regards

Geoff

[Author]

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