I'm sorry to say this, but I am disappointed with my Dungeon subscription. #128 took almost four weeks to get here, and now #129 is more than a month late again, with #130 aready due to ship tomorrow. German online retailers have been shipping #129 for almost two weeks now, but German subscribers can't get it nearly on time.
I wonder how this happens, especially since I know that, for example, DVDs I order from the USA most of the time make it here in less than a week.
Stefan.
Deutsche Bundespost wieder am Streik? Just kidding.
I think that Paizo ships it the most economical way possible...and that means some really weird fluctuating delivery times. I live in Texas and sometimes I get my magazines within days of the shipping date, sometimes I don't get them for 14-21 days later.
All I know is that if you don't get your magazine at all, Paizo usually sends you a replacement copy. I'm sure the inconsistent shipping and all the customer complaints it brings annoys them as well.
Stefan (hmmmm...now I know of 3 Stefans from Germany who play D&D and post on these boards--even though I live in the U.S. now)
|
I have my #129 since November 12th! (Near Frankfurt)
I didn't subscribe, because I heard of this problem of german subscribers before.
I quite don't understand it. I once ordered 14 back issues of Dragon and Dungeon and they arrived two days later - yes, it's true, only two days later I had all of them in my mailbox! Great and fast service there.
But why the subscribtions fail to arrive in time beats me!
Stefan, my DM is also one "Stephan"! Even if he doesn't post here (If I am correct), you know of one more German Stefan playing D&D! He might join the internet game I plan...
Chief Technical Officer
|
European subscriber copies are shipped along with copies for retail distribution; our Eueropean subscription partner receives them and posts them to individual subscribers. After they do, they usually let our Director of Operations know and then he posts here. I'll have him check up on 129.
Back issues, by the way, are sent Global Priority to most countries, and that's much faster - and also much more expensive.
-Vic.
.
|
So basically there is no difference in delivery between subscribers and retail for european subscriptions? Can I take it then that retail would get it quicker since those will not be posted by regular mail? Could you tell me where the european distributor of Dungeon & Dragon is located? UK, Germany, France?
European subscriber copies are shipped along with copies for retail distribution; our Eueropean subscription partner receives them and posts them to individual subscribers.
So basically when it says "Shipped to Subscribers 18 Oct 2005, Appeared on Newstands 08 Nov 2005" this means "Shipped to US Subscribers" and magazines for european subscribers are only shipped on the second date?
If so, then your website should clearly state that. I, for example, decided to subscribe because it was implied that I would get the magazine earlier than if I bought it retail.
I, for example, decided to subscribe because it was implied that I would get the magazine earlier than if I bought it retail.
US Subscribers don't even always get our issues before they appear on the newsstands. It's often that I don't get mine before it shows up in local bookstores, and I'm on the same side of the country as Paizo! But I know that they ship media mail to help keep costs down, and with media mail things unfortunately show up whenever they feel like it. Paizo has no control over how long it takes the post office to decide to deliver something.
If there's a different ship date for Eurpoean subscribers than domestic subcribers though, you're right, it should state that.
|
Chief Technical Officer
|
So basically when it says "Shipped to Subscribers 18 Oct 2005, Appeared on Newstands 08 Nov 2005" this means "Shipped to US Subscribers" and magazines for european subscribers are only shipped on the second date?
No. Using your dates as an example, on October 18, our printer in the midwest posts non-European subscriber copies via periodicals-rate postage, and most US subscribers should receive them by November 1.
Also beginning October 18th, distributor copies and European subscriber copies are boxed for shipment, and they're dispatched from the printer over the next few days with a goal of arriving at distributors simultaneously, on October 25. Overseas shipments (including the one containing European subscriber copies) should be among the first out the door.
When distributors receive their copies, they then begin to prepare shipments for individual retailers, who are supposed to receive them before November 8, and hold them until that date.
Meanwhile, as close to October 25th as possible, our fulfillment partner located in the UK should begin mailing individual copies to European subscribers. According to this plan, most European subscribers should receive their copies before November 8 - many by November 1.
Unfortunately, shipment times are not generally guaranteed unless premium services (with premium prices) are used, so delivery times vary. Unless we charge a lot more for subscriptions, that's always going to be true. Also, we don't really have any control over the retailers, who frequently don't wait for the release date. These two things combine to narrow - and often close - the gap between subscribers receiving copies and copies appearing at retail. We wish this weren't the case, but logistically, there's just not much room to improve the situation.
-Vic.
.
Thanks Vic, for clearing that up. I have to blame the post office then,I guess. :-)
Thanks Vic, for clearing that up. I have to blame the post office then,I guess. :-)
If it makes you feel any better I just got 128 yesterday :)
Contributor
|
I got 128 and 129 about a week apart from each other, but that's okay, I got them. For anyone who feels that they've had trouble with their subscription, let me tell you my story.
Before I moved a year ago, I had some trouble with my subscription. It's better now. Basically, I was missing about half of my issues of both Dungeon and Dragon. Jeremy Walker very kindly sent me replacement issues. When the package of replacemnts arrived, it had been opened, and one was missing. Jeremy replaced it again, and replaced a few more issues that continued to go astray. I started keeping better track of my less important magazines and other mail.
Over the course of a year and a half, I had a total of about 24 various magazines go missing, with Dungeon and Dragon making up the bulk, but including my daughter's kids magazines (she's now five). I also had some kids books ordered on a book subscription program disappear, causing the book company to cancel my subscription when I asked for replacements.
I complained to the Post office repeatedly, and they promised to investigate, but gave me no information. Once I realized that someone was stealing my mail, I told Jeremy Walker that I couldn't in good conscience ask him to continue replacing magazines that were being shipped in good faith (he expressed a willingness to replace them, even knowing what was happenning). In the end, I had about seven or eight paizo magazines that I never got. I bought new copies of a few of them, but there is still a hole in my collection.
So I have two points here. One is, if you get your magazine late, be happy it came. The other is that the people at Paizo really do their best to help out their subscribers, and I for one, appreciate it.
Sorry if I come across as preachy. I mostly just wanted to share my tale of woe.
Issue #129 arrived today finally. Interestingly together with Dragon #338, both in the same envolope, even though they are supposed to ship 2 weeks apart. :-)
Stefan.
Triopticon,
You should really address that question to the Customer Service messageboard as they are better equipped to give you a fast and accurate answer. When I first subscribed (I think it was this past August) customer service said that the first issue to actually arrive would be December's #129. I wasn't happy (to say the least) to have to wait so long for my subscription to actually start but I dutifully waited things out. I was delighted when #129 arrived at the end of October just a day or two after its shipping date. For some braincramp reason I had imagined myself twiddling my thumbs until December and only receive my first issue just before Christmas. Well, Christmas came early!
Bottom line - the wait seems a little unfair (though it's not any different than any other magazine subscription) but in my experience they are prompt at delivery once issues do start arriving. So maybe the issue you're looking for isn't "late", it isn't going to arrive at all (translation - rush to your Friendly Neighborhood Gaming Store!).