I like subscribing to magazines. If there's a magazine that I like and want to support, I'll subscribe to them in a heartbeat. And, sure, sometimes I'll get a neat exclusive (like that dope dragon mini!), and a lower cost-per-isse price, but I do kind of expect the magazine that I subscribe to to ship their magazine to me in a timely fashion.
The Paizo website states that the latest 'Dragon' shipped 7/5. Tomorrow is 7/19. I know it can take awhile to ship things sometimes, but if I can order 'Monster Manual IV' from RPGShop.com and get the book in three days, I don't quite understand why it takes so long to get my 'Dragon' magazine sometimes.
I appreciate being able to get the magazine earlier than when I'd be able to get it if I'd rely on the newstand to get it, but it does seem excessive to have to wait this long.
Does anyone else have this issue with getting their magazine late/later than they'd like?
I like subscribing to magazines. If there's a magazine that I like and want to support, I'll subscribe to them in a heartbeat. And, sure, sometimes I'll get a neat exclusive (like that dope dragon mini!), and a lower cost-per-isse price, but I do kind of expect the magazine that I subscribe to to ship their magazine to me in a timely fashion.
The Paizo website states that the latest 'Dragon' shipped 7/5. Tomorrow is 7/19. I know it can take awhile to ship things sometimes, but if I can order 'Monster Manual IV' from RPGShop.com and get the book in three days, I don't quite understand why it takes so long to get my 'Dragon' magazine sometimes.
I appreciate being able to get the magazine earlier than when I'd be able to get it if I'd rely on the newstand to get it, but it does seem excessive to have to wait this long.
Does anyone else have this issue with getting their magazine late/later than they'd like?
All the time. For some reason, I generally receive mine about two to three days after the "arrives on newsstands" date they give. I have no idea why, but it's pretty annoying.
For example, I have not yet received Dungeon #137. And this kind of delay happens all the time.
Chief Technical Officer
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The Paizo website states that the latest 'Dragon' shipped 7/5. Tomorrow is 7/19. I know it can take awhile to ship things sometimes, but if I can order 'Monster Manual IV' from RPGShop.com and get the book in three days, I don't quite understand why it takes so long to get my 'Dragon' magazine sometimes.
Please read the FAQ. Subscriptions are shipped directly from the printer; they go periodicals rate, which often takes up to two weeks within the US, and longer internationally.
For more information, search the messageboards for the words "periodicals rate."
-Vic.
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Please read the FAQ. Subscriptions are shipped directly from the printer; they go periodicals rate, which often takes up to two weeks within the US, and longer internationally.
For more information, search the messageboards for the words "periodicals rate."
I understand that the USPS could take it's time when it comes to shipping periodicals. Receiving an issue late is apparently something that's been happening quite a bit for other subscribers as well. I guess my biggest question, then, is why aren't the fine folks at Paizo trying to do more about consistent subscription fulfillment? After searching the messageboards for "periodicals rate," I find that I'm not alone is getting late issues.
I subscribe to a number of magazines, and I don't think I've ever had this much difficulty to getting my magazines in a timely fashion.
I realize that this isn't QUITE what happened, but passing the buck and saying it's the post office's fault isn't really making me feel like I'm being taken care of as a customer and subscriber.
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CEO
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...passing the buck and saying it's the post office's fault isn't really making me feel like I'm being taken care of as a customer and subscriber.
I'm not sure what else I can tell you. The simple truth is that our printer ships all subscriber issues effectively simultaneously—if they didn't, they wouldn't qualify to be shipped periodicals rate. So when one customer gets it before another customer, that variation is due to the postal service.
Using posts on our messageboards to gauge the scope of the problem can be very misleading. As an example, there was a period at the end last year when it seemed that a high number of Canadian subscribers were reporting delivery problems, but an analysis of the actual number of Canadian subscription copies that we were asked to reship showed that the problems amounted to statistically insignificant failure rates—far less than one percent, and no higher than failure rates of the previous few months. In fact, one of the suspected "problem" months actually appeared to have a *lower* failure rate than preceeding months.
Another thing to keep in mind is that other publishers don't have messageboards where you can see their customers report these sorts of problems, so the fact that you see problems reported on our boards shouldn't suggest that we have more problems than other publishers shipping periodicals. We don't—we just allow them to be more visible.
As for the suggestion that we're not taking the problem seriously, well, trust me—we're as unhappy about delivery failures as our customers are—maybe even more so. If our customers have problems, we send out replacement issues to take care of them, once an appropriate delivery window has passed. We ship them priority or first class, free of charge, and often hear that the recipient's original issue turns up before the replacement arrives. If we have to send replacements a couple times for any one subscriber, we've completely lost any profit margin on that subscription. So, even if you choose to believe that our motivations are purely "money first, customers last," you can see that it's not in our advantage to leave this problem unchecked if we can do anything about it.
Believe me, we've done what we can to ensure that the processes between the printer and the post office minimize potential problems, but the bottom line is that at some point—specifically, the point at which it enters the postal system—it's out of our control, and all we can do is make up for it when it fails.
i know it's not very satisfying to hear that the problem isn't within our control, or that it's statistically insignificant, but we will do our best to ensure that you get what you've paid for.
The only reason it's a problem is because you know what the supposed "delivered to subscribers" date was. If it was Newsweek, you'd have no clue and the magazine would just show up and you'd go "hey, it's here" and read it.
That's what I do with my other magazines--I read them when they show up. Every one of my Dungeon magazines I've ever subscribed to (since issue #83, with about a year off in between) has shown up--sometimes later, sometimes sooner.
I'd say--relax, read the magazine when it arrives. Don't hold the fact that you "know" when it was supposed to be shipped against Paizo--it really is the post office, not them. It'll get there. Patience is a virtue--the only reason you're frustrated is because you can communicate with other readers who already got their magazine and see when it was supposed to be shipped.
I guarantee you your magazine is sitting in some USPS distribution warehouse, stacked amongst a bunch of other monthly magazines.
Don't hold Paizo's transparency and willingness by the company's CEO and staff to address your problem individually against them--where else are you going to get that kind of response? It'll get there!!
i know it's not very satisfying to hear that the problem isn't within our control, or that it's statistically insignificant, but we will do our best to ensure that you get what you've paid for.
I know, and I thank you you responding to me here. Please know that I appreciate your efforts to fulfill your subscriptions.
I've sent an email to customer.service@paizopublishing.com re: my so-far-not-here copy of the latest issue of Dragon.
(I hear there are some truenamer feats in this issue, and I can't wait to see them because my truenamer character is about to level up, and he gets a new feat this time . . . !)
If you're lucky like I was, your polywrapped copy of your magazine will be stuck to somebody else's, and you'll meet another gamer that way (if they're nice enough to deliver it to you). :D
If you're lucky like I was, your polywrapped copy of your magazine will be stuck to somebody else's, and you'll meet another gamer that way (if they're nice enough to deliver it to you). :D
...like that could ever happen ;)
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Director of Sales
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I've sent an email to customer.service@paizopublishing.com re: my so-far-not-here copy of the latest issue of Dragon.
(I hear there are some truenamer feats in this issue, and I can't wait to see them because my truenamer character is about to level up, and he gets a new feat this time . . . !)
Your replacement's on its way!
Thanks,
cos
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For the record, I've always been extremely pleased with the great customer service response from Paizo whenever my mags have gone missing among the dark and haunted layers of the Abyss ruled by the USPS.
That said, I have yet to receive Dragon #346, myself, 16 days after it reportedly shipped. Does that put me in replacement copy-land, or should I wait til Monday afternoon before sending a pathetic, Dragon-starved plea to CustServ? You guys have always done me right, just want to know if I'm among the 1 percenters this month.
EDIT: And if you can have it hand-delivered by a friendly local gamer-gal, I'll buy the 3-year subscription extension.