My subscription is running out

[Don HillParticipant @donhill82725]

David,

 

Following up on your reply, if the service had been available I wonder what the total cost would have been to RENT Model Engineer for the last 100 years.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Don and others,

 

I think it is clear that the editor will not intervene (or can’t due to internal issues at MyHobbyStore) so we are pumping a dry well here. The cost and distribution arrangements of ME and MEW to Canadians particularly have become unacceptable to me and probably many others. I won’t be renewing.  

 

As said before I receive several other UK magazines at lower cost and with no hassles or lateness with delivery. I will continue my subscriptions to those.

 

Not sure if it will ever make a difference, but if all Canadian ME MEW subscribers took a walk the situation may eventually change. Right now, MyHobbyStore is fine with the idiots at ExpressMags ripping us off and not delivering in reasonable time, because we put up with it.

 

If anyone is not happy, vote with your feet.

 

If I should get banned for the above, it’s been great to be part of the forum.

 

JD

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I have got the best price for Canadian renewals.

I can do no more.

What are the delivery problems?

That can be sorted if there is a problem.

regards David

 

[Don HillParticipant @donhill82725]

David, Jeff and others,

 

More smoke.

 

More mirrors.

 

I’m gone.

 

Thanks for the show.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

David,

 

After all that’s been written and discussed about unfair rates to Canadians, multi-week late delivery and poor complaint response from ExpressMags over the past year and a half, it is laughable to say you don’t know what is going on, and that it can be sorted. You and I had a lengthy correspondence early in 2010 about my own delivery problems. Have you forgotten?

 

Have a read back through the “distribution” theme forums if you don’t remember. You say you have adjusted the Canadian rate as low as possible. What exactly is the rate you negotiated and think we should be being offered? I can show you what ExpressMags is quoting me.

 

I’m not going to argue any more. If you want to ignore the situation, be prepared to lose Canadian subscribers. Your competition does not treat its subscribers this way.

 

JD

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Jeff

I had the Canadian subscription sorted.

There was an error with it.

That was resolve.

 

I don’t know what the price should be, I just know the error has been corrected.

 

As far as I am aware Canadian subscriptions are going out on time.

They are certainly leaving the UK on time.

The delays reffered to were during the changeover period.

They should have been resolved by now.

 

I am not involved with subscriptions. It is not my job but I do try to sort problems out.

 

Sometimes I wonder why I bother.

I have my own work to do.

 

Perhaps I will just forward emails to Express mags or CDS for the UK?

 

regards David

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

Express Mags website is C$119 for ME and C$89 for MEW.

 

This is £77 for ME and £57.60 for MEW.

This is using the Ebay currency converter.

What are Express mags trying to charge you then?

 

regards david

 

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

David, I have letters here with following prices quoted from ExpressMags (both are far more than the numbers you listed.) ME letter is dated 21 dec 2010 and the MEW one dated 2 dec 2010.

 

ME – 26 issues for $129+$16.77, totaling $145.77 Canadian (not $119)

 

MEW – 13 issues $99+$12.87, totaling $111.87 Canadian (not $89)

 

and it states on both letters that prices are subject to change without notice.

 

JD

[NEIL SMITH 1Participant @neilsmith1]

I have just  visited ExpressMag website.ME is$129 +13% tax=$145.77,exactly the same as  in Jeff’s letter.Where are you getting your info. from David?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

David,

 

I tried to use the ExpressMags website to subscribe at their posted rate but as soon as I entered my name and address the page shut down and said I was a subscriber and I must call their office.

 

I also tried with a different name but the page stopped again with the address data section.

 

Doesn’t look like I can get the posted rate that way unless I have them send the mags to a neighbour using my granny’s name or something.

 

As said before ExpressMags have tried all kinds of tricks with me and obviously don’t care about customer service or delivering paid-for magazines on a timely basis. This is the end for me and ExpressMags. In addition, all these calls, emails and web attempts to get something I’ve paid for are a hell of a hassle and reduce my hobby enjoyment significantly.

 

JD

 

 

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I must have found the US website by mistake.

regards david

 

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Can I just put to bed this red-herring that part of the problem with the Canadian subscribers’ invidious comparison with ROW rates arises from the Canadian purchase tax (sic).

In Canada (and the USA) prices for goods are normally quoted exclusive of taxes unlike in the UK where the VAT is normally buried in the price. Thus if a UK resident sees something in a window on Oxford Street priced at £100 and decides to buy, he expects to pay £100. If a Canadian sees something in a window on Yonge Street (Toronto) priced at $100 and decides to buy, he expects to pay $113

When someone in the UK talks about a sticker-price he assumes the tax is in there; when a Canadian (or American) talks about a sticker price, he means the price before tax. And the prices quoted on the Expressmag site are, again, exclusive of tax per normal Canadian and American practice.

I think this has been the cause of some confusion in the various threads on this topic.

To put the comparison simply, the ROW price (Australia, no offence guys) = £52.95

In Canada, Express mags want to charge me (if I let them) CDN$99.00 = £62 (no tax in that price)

I don’t complain (not here at least) about the tax. I do thoroughly resent being expected to pay nearly £10 more than anyone else in the world simply because I live in Canada.

 

 

edit:

 

If Magicalia (or whoever it is these days, who knows?) feel that this whole discrepancy is actually caused by Expressmag’s greed or inefficiency and that they (Magicalia) have no control over it, perhaps they should let us know so that we can direct our anger to the correct quarter.

Edited By Sid Herbage on 06/01/2011 23:19:28

Edited By Sid Herbage on 06/01/2011 23:20:41

Edited By Sid Herbage on 06/01/2011 23:22:35

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Sid, just to point out that in the UK there are no taxes [ VAT ] on magazines so the price you see is the price you get i,e, full price, no taxes included or implied.

 

John S.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Thanks for the correction, John …. I wasn’t aware of that.

 

I think the point remains though that, when a Canadian or American talks about a price, someone in the UK may well assume that he is quoting the final price (including tax, if any), because that would be the normal convention in the UK. In fact, he will be quoting the basic price before tax (or he’ll specifically state otherwise).

[Robert Miller 1Participant @robertmiller1]

Reluctantly, I did renew my subscription to MEW in spite of  the $10 pre-tax difference . The reason given by Express Mags for the price difference between the US and Canadian subscribers was that mailing costs were higher in Canada due to the smaller volumes.  On the surface that seemed reasonable, but a subsequent check on the Canada Post website, for magazines in small volumes, indicates a cost of $0.58 up to 100 grams and $0.003 per gram up to a total of 500 grams.  Unless the US postal system is offering free shipping, I can’t really see Express Mag’s excuse as anything but BS.

 

The publishing industry has been ripping off Canadians for years and it continues.  For example, today’s price for a new copy of Machinery’s Handbook 28th edition larger print is $156.81 from Amazon.ca and $84.67 from Amazon.com.  Nice – if you are Amazon.ca.

 

 

 

 

[Robert GeorgeParticipant @robertgeorge91087]

Posted by Robert Miller 1 on 07/01/2011 05:47:53

 

Reluctantly, I did renew my subscription to MEW in spite of  the $10 pre-tax difference . The reason given by Express Mags for the price difference between the US and Canadian subscribers was that mailing costs were higher in Canada due to the smaller volumes. 

 

Did the mailing costs suddenly increase 30% (the price difference between North American subscription and the rest of the world) since the Model Engineer contract switched from Wise Owl to Express Mags?

I think it’s pretty clear that ExpressMags negotiated some kind of deal, and sadly MyHobbyStore is not getting the extra 30% subscription fee, ExpressMags is.

 

As another alternative, you can buy Model Engineer and MEW through Borders with their 10% membership program — it’s about the same price as paying $90/years to ExpressMags.

Edited By Robert George on 07/01/2011 14:19:00

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by Robert Miller 1 on 07/01/2011 05:47:53:

Reluctantly, I did renew my subscription to MEW in spite of  the $10 pre-tax difference

 Actually it’s a £10 pre-tax difference

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

Wise Owl was selling very underpriced subscriptions.

EWA went bust.

Express mags now have it right after an initial hiccup on Canadian prices.

I believe MyHobbystore sets the the US  and Canadian price for Express Mags.

I doubt we set the postage though I could be wrong.

regards David

 

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 07/01/2011 14:33:17:

Express mags now have it right

 

At £10 more than ROW, Expressmags certainly “have it right” from their perspective. I don’t think anyone would argue with that.

 

It still doesn’t explain MHS thinks it’s necessary (and acceptable) for Canadians to end up paying significantly more than anyone else in the world.  Or why a subscription fee in line with ROW would be called “underpriced”.

Edited By Sid Herbage on 07/01/2011 14:48:42

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Sid

Prices are set by the office after carefully considering all factors.

I don’t know all the factors are taken into account any more than you do.

Prices are now set almost in stone.

Yes they may go up long term but not in the forseeable future.

I can do no more.

regards David

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Hi David,

 

I think all of us here are guilty of a certain amount of disingenuousness.

 

We all know that the answer is the obvious one: the NA market is too small for MHS to be bothered with. Nor are they interested in developing it. To save themselves the trouble, they offload it onto a middleman and if that drives up prices to an unfair level …. tough – people will either accept it or they won’t and if the market disappears, well, no great loss.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Sid

As usual you are talking out of the back of something you sit on.

 

The reason for using a third party in US and Canada is to develop the market.

The potential of the market is huge and we are only touching the pin in the top of the iceberg at the moment.

This decision was taken to bring Model Engineer and Model Engineers’ Workshop to a wider audience in USA and Canada.

Perhaps if we get a greater subscription audience over there prices may drop but not on the quantities we sell at the moment.

 

Please refrain from posting stupid comments where you don’t know the full facts.

It helps no one and just wastes my valuable time.

 

regards David

 

Edited By David Clark 1 on 07/01/2011 15:35:50

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 07/01/2011 15:34:11:

The reason for using a third party in US and Canada is to develop the market.

By pissing off the customers??? That must be the “new economics” we keep hearing about

 

 

 

Please refrain from posting stupid comments where you don’t know the full facts.

 

As stupid as blaming the price discrepancy on Canadian tax without knowing the full facts about that?

 

If we don’t know the full facts it’s because MHS chooses not to provide them. We are therefore left to speculate. If we come up with “stupid” answers, who’s fault is that?

 

That said, I stand by my comments. I think it’s an infinitely more plausible scenario than any you have provided.  There is still not an alternative,  believable explanation for the significant price discrepancy.

 

 

 

It helps no one and just wastes my valuable time.

In fact, the original question was from one (dissatisfied) ExpressMags customer aimed at others who might be in the same boat. No one actually asked you to get involved at all if you feel your time could be more profitably used elsewhere. All credit to you that you did so, particularly with the apparent lack of support from MHS. But it’s a bit mean-spirited to do so and then when someone says something you don’t like, accuse him of “wasting your time”

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Sid

This has been ongoing for too long.

I always try to help but it is getting beyond a joke.,

All that happens is we go round in circles.

I have helped many people with problems but there wil come a time when I don’t get time to do the proper job and that time is getting closer.

regards david

[Robert GeorgeParticipant @robertgeorge91087]

Posted by Robert George on 15/12/2010 02:55:47:

So, it’s been a year, and I’m looking at the pricing (again) for North American Subscribers. 

The UK, EU, Australia, and New Zealand are paying  £42.00, which is $66 USD.

ExpressMags is charging $89 USD, and $109 Canadian.  So for some reason, the US and Canada pay 30% more than the rest of the world for Model Engineer’s Workshop. 

 

I was wondering why David was posting a different UK price for the MEW subscription than I was.  At the time I made this thread (December 15), the UK subscription was  £42.00.

 

I just clicked-through the MyHobbyStore subscription link, and up comes the message:

 

http://www.subscription.co.uk/mew/x072

 

“Sorry, this offer has now closed.
Please click here to subscribe at the standard rate.”

 

After about 20 sections, the page auto-refreshes, and the new price is now £51.35

 

So now there’s only a $10 difference in price.

 

I guess that’s one way to equalize the North American price disparity! LOL

Edited By Robert George on 09/01/2011 03:13:36

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