[Dragon/Dungeon] Help! I'm no longer receiving my magazines

Phoenixoverlord · Dec 15, 2002

For the last two months I haven't received dragon magazine. I have missed both issue 301 (november) and 302 (december).
Normally I received the magazine about one week before the start of a new month. Alas now I haven't seen them yet. I have however received my Dungeon issue of November/December. A friend of mine (also from the same city in Belgium) has the same problem (he never received the last dragon magazines). The reason I'm writing here is because the answer I received from Dragon@pcspublink.com was rather short.

Sub: 0005321H
Country: Belgium (address withheld

I subscribed a few years ago via TNS (an English distributor). I've already written to Dragon@pcspublink.com, but I do not appear in their database, except for a few Dungeon issues ... Last year I suddenly received Dungeon from both a distributer in the UK and one in the US. I notified Anne Ridgeway (Anne.Ridgeway@tnsofres.com) and she cancelled the American subscription. At the same time I also renewed the subscriptions to both Dragon and Dungeon (end of January 2002). Everything was in order then until November 2002. Has this something to do with Dragon and Dungeon being distributed through Paizo now ? I really would like to receive the 2 last issues of Dragon of this year and renew my subscription for 2003 (which should normally only start in March for me).

Can someone please help me ? If this catches the attention of someone at Paizo please email me at ph0enixoverlord@hotmail.com. Thank you !!!

RichGreen · Dec 15, 2002

Me too!

You're not the only one!

The last issue of Dragon I received was 300 and the last Dungeon was 95. Dragon 301 & 302, and Dungeon 96, are all in the shops here in the UK.

The UK subscription company have ignored three emails and one letter from me. Johnny Wilson at Paizo has emailed me, but I still don't know when this will be sorted out or when I am likely to get my magazines!

Richard

PatrickLawinger · Dec 15, 2002

You are probably going to have to call their customer service and speak to someone directly. A real pain in the rear for someone overseas, but I don't think that Paizo has everything together for distribution/customer service at the moment. I know several people that have had subscription problems in the states as well. One person's latest problem finally involved receiving 3 copies of the latest Dungeon with the same address, name, and subscription "number." I know his problems required several phone calls to solve.

I am sure it takes a while to get things switched over. With tens of thousands of subscriptions I would expect a few to go wrong. Email is generally going to get you short, auto-responses, a phone call is probably going to do better.

RichGreen · Dec 15, 2002

Not sure Paizo can do anything at the moment. There seems to have been a mix-up between Paizo, Wizards and the UK subscriptions company. Wizards have my money and haven't passed it on to Paizo, so Paizo can't pay the UK subscriptions company so they won't send the magazines out. At least that is what I think has happened.

Richard

Phoenixoverlord · Dec 15, 2002

Hi Richard,

Thanks for replying (you too Patrick of course

.

That's what I feared had happened... I'm going to wait a little while longer and see if Johnny Wilson is going to reply here (and mail me). After all, I should at least get 5 Dragon magazines and 2 Dungeons before my subscription needs to be renewed.

I'll keep you posted !

Jesse Decker · Dec 15, 2002

We're trying to fix this problem as quickly as possible. Unfortunatley, I don't have a solution to offer you right now, but you should get in touch with Paizo directly. I'll get Johnny to drop by on Monday to give more details.

Myrddyn · Dec 16, 2002

Hi all,

I'm the Belgian friend Phoenixoverlord mentioned in his opening post... and as said my problem is identical to his.

I haven't received any Dragon Magazin since n°300, althoug I did receive the last Dungeon issue (n°95)...

I too have mailed Paizo about this and am still awaiting their response...

Any information is welcome !

Thanks all.

Johnny Wilson · Dec 16, 2002

I regret to state that this was an unexpected state of events, complicated by Euro-privacy laws. All three companies want to get this settled, but it is a tricky dance. We are precluded by law from offering details on this, but there is intent on all sides to make sure we fix the situation--even if that simply means refunding the balances and starting over with a new UK subscription agent. However, it is not something that can be fixed unilaterally by any of the three companies. I am tremendously sorry for the inconvenience and for not anticipating the problem. Please don't write off the entire company because of my failure to comprehend a complex situation in advance.

Johnny Wilson
President of Paizo Publishing, LLC

Phoenixoverlord · Dec 16, 2002

Hi,

I'm not about to cancel my subscription (Dragon and esp. Dungeon are too good imho), but I sure would like to get my magazines (sooner or later but you'll understand I'm all for the 'sooner' option). I do understand that the transfer of the magazines to Paizo caused problems, but I just want to make sure that the money I paid (and everyone else's money for that matter who's in the same position) isn't lost somewhere in the Abyss of the Atlantic ocean.

I just want to know what can be done. In the case of a new UK subscription agent (or at least someone who provides the European market, as I don't live in the UK) what would be done then ? If you'll refund the remaining balances how do we go about acquiring the missing magazines? Just order them as back issues ? It would of course be a lot easier for all parties involved if the European subscriptions (for I suppose this is valid for all European subs, or am I mistaken ?) would continue once everything is solved and thus sending the missing issues (November and December up till now, but I'm guessing also January of both Dragon and Dungeon) in one batch to each subscriber.

Can you set any kind of deadline on this ? I.e. when do you expect the problems to be fixed ? With the end of the year so close, I suppose nothing sooner than January 2003 ?

Thank you for your response.

Myrddyn · Dec 17, 2002

FYI

This is the info I received from Johnny L. Wilson, President
Paizo Publishing, LLC.

Unfortunately for me I don't have the money to afford four (2x2) subscriptions... especially if this means I have to get these subscription from the US.

(And even I had the money, I'm not really sure I'd want to pay twice for the same subscription, hoping I'd get a refund in the end...)

And although I can understand Paizo Publishing (They have to make money as a company...)... For me this will probably be the end to a years-long subscription to both Dungeon and Dragon. A shame...
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Hello!

Sorry for the delay. I was hoping to have better news when I responded,
but I don't. We're sorry for what we hope is a hiccup. The two UK
companies will have to resolve the issue with us because one company has
all your money and the other has all of the addresses. We can't deliver
magazines without both, but we did deliver magazines for a while #298,
#299 and #300 without anything. Now, the company with addresses won't do
anything until they are paid and we can't pay them till we are paid. You
could subscriber to the somewhat overpriced US sub deal for foreign
subscriptions and then, get a refund on the remaining subscription when
the UK situation is sorted out. That would guarantee delivery in the
short term. AND, since WE would have your money instead of another
company, I could be SURE of your refund.

I'm really sorry, but all three companies are in a bit of a
Catch-22--something none of us expected to happen and something none of
us want. We are moving forward on new solutions, but we can't simply
throw money at the problem. We know subscribers deserve the magazines,
but we are caught between Euro privacy laws, monetary transfer problems
and an impossible logistical model. It could be months before all issues
are resolved.

Johnny L. Wilson, President
Paizo Publishing, LLC
Publisher of Dragon, Dungeon/Polyhedron and Star Wars Insider

"Dimitto magicum!"
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