Overseas Subscription Not Being Delivered

[Clive BarkerParticipant @clivebarker72854]

I wonder if anyone else who receives overseas subscriptions has had problems:

For many years (about 20) all copies arrived safely even when the local overseas address changed. Then, from last year deliveries ceased. Since the subscription was a gift I didn't follow up the case until much later when I discovered that it had not expired. When it was followed up one copy was delivered but no further copies arrived. Further follow-up resulted in several back copies being delivered in one package – but then again, nothing followed.

Reluctantly, I have had to inform the person who paid for these regular subscriptions not to renew. The agency blamed the local postal services where I live, but I am not sure.

[Clive BarkerParticipant @clivebarker72854]

[clivelParticipant @clivel]

Other than one issue going astray about a year ago, and the very occasional issue arriving two to three weeks later than expected, I have had no problems receiving both ME and MEW here in Canada.
So depending where you are, it could be the local postal system, in which case you might consider switching over to a digital subscription.

Clive

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hello Clive,

All overseas subscriptions are posted out by a specialist firm, separately from all other subscription copies.

If where is a valid subscription and the address details we hold are correct,. I'm afraid we can do little more than suspect a 'local problem' in the case of repeated non-delivery.

We don't have many subscribers in your part of the world, but I have had at least two southern hemisphere readers report their magazine regularly failing to arrive – although their compatriots have received their issues regularly enough. At least one of them associated the stop and start in deliveries as being down to changes in postal staff. Another reader had several missing issues arrive together a week or so after the replacements arrived. It's impossible to be sure what has gone wrong, but experience shows that some readers will experience such issues on the 'final leg' of the journey.

You can always request replacement copies, and perhaps because these are posted separately and usually stamped and packaged as individual items (rather than as international franked and obviously magazines) they seem to arrive more reliably. This does suggest that sometimes people help themselves to 'magazines' (possibly hopeful of finding something other than MEW!) while keeping their sticky fingers away from what looks like personal mail.

Of course it's always easier to blame someone else, but it is otherwise hard to explain why only a small percentage of readers are repeatedly affected in this, very frustrating, way.

As I say, you can always request replacement copies for any that don't arrive. Please use the new contact details (see links in box near bottom right).

Neil

Neil

[Clive BarkerParticipant @clivebarker72854]

Dear Neil,

Thanks for your reply. Sorry it took me a long to answer.

Given the positive experience of other overseas subscribers I agree that the problem must be at my end. The fact that a batch came through could be the result of different packaging.

I am reluctant to cease my subscription – just not sure if the electronic option suits my purposes, but will think on it.

Happy New year to all,

Clive.

[martyn nutlandParticipant @martynnutland79495]

I don't know if this is of any relevance, and it's certainly not going to be of any comfort to Clive, but as the man said: 'the world is in a terrible state of "chassus".'

I live in rural France, which is hardly Outer Mongolia, but I have recently had a delivery of tools 'lost in the post', a package of metal severely delayed and my wife has had clothes and books fail to show up – all from the UK.

More sinister, for some years now, practically everything that arrives both here and at my wife's flat in Paris has been interfered with. This is often so carelessly and savagely done that the contents are damaged. For example a very expensive review copy of a motoring book had had a knife or spike pushed through the Jiffy bag until the slip case was torn, an almost as expensive boxed set of Shakespeare DVDs similarly, while another DVD was torn from its padded envelope altogether. If any of these items had been bought as presents, they would have been 'ungivable'.

Why does this vandalism in what should be a secure service occur? I don't know. No doubt the postal authorities would tell you – particularly now, here in France – that it's for security reasons. But a book from Amazon in a purpose-designed envelope, overprinted with the company name is unlikely to be packed with drugs or explosives. In my more cynical moments (frequent) I suspect such items are being 'checked' not for drugs, explosives, contraband or weaponry but to see if they contain anything worth stealing – and sometimes they do which is why they never arrive.

This leaves model engineers – especially overseas – in a very difficult situation. We can get a friend to receive the goods in the UK and bring it to us personally. Not very practical for most people. My feeling is that we should prevail upon our suppliers to always use a courier and, we the customer, should be prepared to stump up the cost. I know that even the international household names can be iffy, and I've had some dodgy service from UPS. On the other hand, excellent experience with DHL. Royal Mail…oh dear.

Is this the way to go?

A peaceful and safe 2016 to you all and I hope you get your post.

Martyn

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Martyn,

Just to comment on 1 of your points …. Just because something comes in a 'Amazon' box/envelope does not mean it has come from Amazon. I reuse/recycle Amazon boxes and envelopes, so the contents could be anything or from anyone.

If anything arrives damaged, I photograph it and make a claim against the sender. (Who then no doubt claims from the carrier.)

Dave

Edited By Steambuff on 05/01/2016 11:53:05

[martyn nutlandParticipant @martynnutland79495]

Dave

Broadly true. And not wishing to prolong a peripheral thread.

But you can't re-use an Amazon box without it screaming 'suspicious' as the act of opening a virgin, and genuine one (if you forgive the analogy!), largely destroys them. Plus the French post office wouldn't accept a re-used packet of this type and neither should the UK authority, and that is an inbuilt safeguard in itself.

What I'm suggesting is ways we might avoid photographing things, everyone making claims – an interminable process – and all the hassle.

Martyn

Martyn

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