Pathfinder 1E A gripey letter to Paizo

[Keith F Strohm]

Erik, can you PLEASE address this problem? I recently changed my address from a PO box to my home address in hopes of getting my issues of Dragon magazine..not just on time, but getting them--period. I've corresponded with you and the customer service staff regularly about getting replacement issues that I should have received in my mailbox. This happens 4 to 6 times a year, and so far the customer service has always sent me a replacement.

DMCal,

I am truly sorry that you are experiencing such difficulties with your subscription. I went and checked through the issues we shipped out since you changed your address, and your address label was sent to the printers and shipped out to the post office. Once the magazines leave our vendor and hit the post office, Paizo Publishing no longer has control of when and how (or even if) they ship out to their destinations correctly.

Over the past year, we have done everything we could to optimize shipping of subscriber copies. Provided that we actually print the correct label and deliver the labeled magazine to the post office by the required date, there isn't much more we can do as a business to make sure that you get your issues.

Although we provide replacement issues as a service for those people who are missing an issue or two, we cannot afford to frequently double ship issues to a particular address--even for customers as important to us as subscribers. Doing so would ultimately force us to raise subscription prices--something that we don't wish to do.

As far as your account goes, we would be happy to send the issues to any address that you give us (if indeed the issue is your post office). In the event that the situation doesn't get resolved to your satisfaction we would, at your request, cancel your subscription and refund the price of your remaining issues. While we would hate to see you no longer subscribe to the magazine, not receiving your issues regularly is an understandable frustration. I only wish that we could do more for you given your current situation.

In the event that you do decide to cancel your subscription, I would be happy to point you to retailers in your area that carry Dragon and Dungeon magazines. Just email me at keith@paizo.com, and I'll be sure to respond.

And the next time someone in customer service says "It must be your post office that has the problem" I won't be held responsible for my actions. I get EVERY other publication I subscribe to, on time and without exception. It's not my fault or my post office's fault I'm not getting my magazine, but somewhere on the initiating end of things. I was told (by you, I think, but maybe CS) that the printing company you use might be the culprit. Well, give me their address so they can start reimbursing me for the issues they don't send me. I've had enough of this crap.

We have checked repeatedly on our vendor's process and use several addresses as "control subs" so we can monitor average delivery time and condition of subscriber copies. As a business committed to delivering periodicals to our subscribers, we have done everything reasonably possible to insure that magazines reach our customers. Paizo sends out tens of thousands of subscriber copies each month--with only a handful of issues that arise. Your situation is unusual and, admittedly, very unfortunate.

At this point, it sounds as if you are determined to find fault at the "initiating end of things," and we are quite sure that we have secured the process from this end. We are at an impasse. If you would like to continue our conversation, you can reach me at keith@paizo.com.

Again, I am sorry for the difficulties you are encountering.

Keith Strohm
Chief Operating Officer
Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

[Keith F Strohm]

Did Pazio just get into the magazine buisness with Dragon & Dungeon or do they do other stuff? Just wondering becuause it seems that every game site has threads on how much Pazio screws up on their subscriptions.

Paizo originally began three years ago as a magazine publisher. As I mentioned in another post, Paizo sends out tens of thousands of subscriptions each month, with only a handful of issues.

Our industry (and our company) is unusual in that consumers (and professionals) are much more connected and virtually active than many other industries. If Car & Driver and other magazines had the connectivity and virtual activity of our hobby, I would bet that you would see the same ratio of problem subscriptions--though magazines with heavier sub volumes tend to get better service at the Post Office.

Each individual problem is frustrating both for the subscriber and for us. We want our subscribers to receive their magazine promptly and in good condition. We do everything we can to insure that it will happen.

Keith Strohm
Chief Operating Officer
Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

[Keith F Strohm]

I have had similar problems with my subscription. If Scientific American can find its way to my mailbox every month, why can't Dragon? I wonder if Eric will offer any commentary regarding the sad state of the subscription service. I cancelled my subscription once because I got sick of not getting my issues. I decided to give them another shot recently, and my #333 hasn't shown up yet. If it's not there when I get back from vacation, I guess I'll have to get rude on the phone with the Paizo phone monkies until they remember that I've paid them to provide me with a magazine each month.

Dr. Awkward,

I'm sorry to hear about your subscription difficulties. You can always check our website to see when your subscription shipped and what issue it was. Sometimes, if you purchase your sub just after we do a subscriber label run, you will 'miss' an issue because your subscription starts an issue later than you might have thought. Also, international subscriptions do take longer to arrive.

However, there definitely could be a legitimate problem you are dealing with. I encourage you to call our customer service line and see if we can help you. One thing, though--please don't feel compelled to be rude on the phone. We provide the same level of customer service whether someone is pleasant or grumpy.

Keith Strohm
Chief Operating Officer
Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Dr. Awkward,

I'm sorry to hear about your subscription difficulties. You can always check our website to see when your subscription shipped and what issue it was. Sometimes, if you purchase your sub just after we do a subscriber label run, you will 'miss' an issue because your subscription starts an issue later than you might have thought. Also, international subscriptions do take longer to arrive.

Well, I'm six months into my subscription, so I doubt this is the problem. Incidentally, this is about when my subscription started missing issues the last time I was subscribed.

My post office is totally reliable for every other thing I've ever had mailed to me, including other magazine subscriptions. Have you considered that perhaps it's not our post offices, but yours? Perhaps getting the magazines into the postal system at a different point of entry would avoid whatever problems are going on immediately after they leave Paizo's hands.

 

[GentleGiant]

Hey, at least you all have the option of actually getting a subscription that isn't going to ruin your budget.
At almost twice the price of an US subscription, subscribing here in Europe is almost a sure no-go for most people (although, admittedly, FLGS prices over here are much higher, with a store-set dollar conversion rate of 1:10 instead of the actual 1:6 here in Denmark). I'm also unsure how residents of the UK can subscribe at $10 less than we can in mainland Europe... UK is part of Europe last time I checked, no?
Want to please your costumers? Set up printing shops (or team up with existing printers) in Europe and Asia (Australia perhaps?) to handle "local" subscribers. I know the issue has been with transference of addresses and other info across the borders, but with a small branch/office located near the "local" printers (so you subscribe with the "local" branch/office instead of Paizo's main office in the US), that shouldn't be a problem, should it?

Anyway, enough rambling... I'd just like to be able to get your magazines without having to feel cheated because most everyone else can get it at almost half of what I have to pay (way more than half if I have to pay cover price).

 

[jglamere]

Just wanted to say that I have been a subscriber to Dragon since 3rd Edition came out and have recently started a subscription to Dungeon. I have not had a single issue missed since I started my subscriptions.

Sorry to hear about how much trouble everyone else has been having. That is a bummer.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

If you would like to continue our conversation, you can reach me at keith@paizo.com.


Keith Strohm
Chief Operating Officer
Paizo Publishing, LLC

Keith, I'll drop you a line tomorrow. I just got home and it's been a long, long day. Thanks for responding to my raving.

 

[derbacher]

Looks like I may have to gripe also. Been subscribing for three years with never a problem. Now my account on the Paizo site shows Dungeon 126 shipped on July 19, and it has not yet arrived. I'm usually one of the first to get my mags (as far as I can tell from the "What's in Dragon #xxx this month?" posts. Have to call customer service if it doesn't show up by Monday.

 

[ssampier]

....

However, there definitely could be a legitimate problem you are dealing with. I encourage you to call our customer service line and see if we can help you. One thing, though--please don't feel compelled to be rude on the phone. We provide the same level of customer service whether someone is pleasant or grumpy.

Keith Strohm
Chief Operating Officer
Paizo Publishing, LLC

As a customer service agent, I really should encourage you to be polite, but firm. We can often detect general frustration, but blind rage helps no one. The customer service agent does not know if you are venting at us for no particular reason (ie lost dog, home, kids) or you have a genuine complaint.

Of course, if the agent is rude or apathetic, ask to be speak to a supervisor. But give them the benefit of the doubt, we are people, too.*

*except those Customer Service constructs that Wizards was experimenting with....

 

[MacMathan]

I have had subs to both for years. The only problems I have had were a string of getting the issues late right ater Paizo took over. As of late everything has been running smoothly for me.

Sorry to hear about your difficulties and I am glad to see that Keith stepped in personally to help.