Dragon Subscription - UK
- Thread starter wanderer9
- Start date
Good News! I hope so.
After reading the replies I got on this subject I went to my local trading standards. They very kindly took up my case with WoC and today I have recieved the following information.
[COLOR=sky blue]"Wizards sold the worldwide publishing rights of "Dungeon" and "Dragon" magazines to a US based company, Paizo Publishing. That an agreement had been reached was announced in July 2002.
Wizards prior to that were using a UK based company, MRM, to handle fulfilment of subscriptions across Europe (though primarily in the UK). Magazines were supplied directly out of the US, and the UK offices' involvement was simply to process subscriber payments.
Paizo were expected to continue supplying subscribers as part of the agreement. There are 758 Dragon subscribers (with a liability of £14,657) and 434 Dungeon subscribers (with a liability of £5,401).
Relations between MRM and Paizo deteriorated, and are they are currently each pointing fingers at each other and demanding payment. The subscribers (who paid Wizards), ceased to receive their magazines in October last year, and MRM started receiving letters and phone calls. They contacted me in December, bringing it to out attention.
I contacted the US, and Wizards US contacted Paizo to resolve this. In the interim, we gave MRM our customer services number, and we are now about to refund all subscribers their outstanding amounts (as per information supplied by MRM). The US will then recoup this from Paizo.
Initially we were hoping to see any issues between Paizo and MRM resolved, and magazine supply re-established, but this does not seem to be a possibility."[/COLOR]
If this is correct fair play to WoC for trying to sort this out. What I would say is that in future please think of your subscribers before transfering companies. This has done a lot to damage the reputations of WoC, Paizo and MRM (but who cares about MRM anyway).
Still I will now be joining all the others and purchasing my copies of Dragon from the local retailer, and no longer paying an annual subscription (if I go back to purchasing it all) - but then would you after being treated this way?
Hope this news helps all the rest of you out there who have had the same problem as me.
Tony
After reading the replies I got on this subject I went to my local trading standards. They very kindly took up my case with WoC and today I have recieved the following information.
[COLOR=sky blue]"Wizards sold the worldwide publishing rights of "Dungeon" and "Dragon" magazines to a US based company, Paizo Publishing. That an agreement had been reached was announced in July 2002.
Wizards prior to that were using a UK based company, MRM, to handle fulfilment of subscriptions across Europe (though primarily in the UK). Magazines were supplied directly out of the US, and the UK offices' involvement was simply to process subscriber payments.
Paizo were expected to continue supplying subscribers as part of the agreement. There are 758 Dragon subscribers (with a liability of £14,657) and 434 Dungeon subscribers (with a liability of £5,401).
Relations between MRM and Paizo deteriorated, and are they are currently each pointing fingers at each other and demanding payment. The subscribers (who paid Wizards), ceased to receive their magazines in October last year, and MRM started receiving letters and phone calls. They contacted me in December, bringing it to out attention.
I contacted the US, and Wizards US contacted Paizo to resolve this. In the interim, we gave MRM our customer services number, and we are now about to refund all subscribers their outstanding amounts (as per information supplied by MRM). The US will then recoup this from Paizo.
Initially we were hoping to see any issues between Paizo and MRM resolved, and magazine supply re-established, but this does not seem to be a possibility."[/COLOR]
If this is correct fair play to WoC for trying to sort this out. What I would say is that in future please think of your subscribers before transfering companies. This has done a lot to damage the reputations of WoC, Paizo and MRM (but who cares about MRM anyway).
Still I will now be joining all the others and purchasing my copies of Dragon from the local retailer, and no longer paying an annual subscription (if I go back to purchasing it all) - but then would you after being treated this way?
Hope this news helps all the rest of you out there who have had the same problem as me.
Tony
Bagpuss
Legend
Just like to point out that http://www.magazinecafe.co.uk/ are now selling Dragon and Dungeon on their website for about £4.25 each or annual subscriptions for negliable saving. So if you can't get it elsewhere for cheaper try there.
Full marks to Tony for getting off his backside and taking this to Trading Standards. (Meant to do it myself but didn't have time).
Nice to see some sort of explanation from Wizards, although no doubt different perspectives are available from the other side of the fence.
Sounds to me like Paizo hadn't budgeted for the costs involved in paying the UK distributor because they forgot about the foreign subscribers (and Wizards probably forgot or "forgot" as well ;-) when they were selling the mags).
I think others have said this but you can get the mags from WHSmiths for £3.50 and so far they have sorted me out very well. Of course I would prefer the convenience and extra content of a subscription, though.
Does anyone know if it is true that the mags were close to being axed? If it is true, then we also have to ask ourselves if we would prefer the mags to die and get our limited amount of money back or whether we would prefer the mags to keep going. I have to say that Dungeon seems excellent value for money and I wouldn't want it to disappear (but don't tell Paizo or the price might go up!)
Nice to see some sort of explanation from Wizards, although no doubt different perspectives are available from the other side of the fence.
Sounds to me like Paizo hadn't budgeted for the costs involved in paying the UK distributor because they forgot about the foreign subscribers (and Wizards probably forgot or "forgot" as well ;-) when they were selling the mags).
I think others have said this but you can get the mags from WHSmiths for £3.50 and so far they have sorted me out very well. Of course I would prefer the convenience and extra content of a subscription, though.
Does anyone know if it is true that the mags were close to being axed? If it is true, then we also have to ask ourselves if we would prefer the mags to die and get our limited amount of money back or whether we would prefer the mags to keep going. I have to say that Dungeon seems excellent value for money and I wouldn't want it to disappear (but don't tell Paizo or the price might go up!)
Blacksway
Rock Monkey
on a small aside - another magazine web-site I found is http://www.newsstand.co.uk
They have confirmed to me via Email that they can supply both Dungeon and Dragon.
If someone tries this out (or http://www.magazinecafe.co.uk) then do let us know
They have confirmed to me via Email that they can supply both Dungeon and Dragon.
If someone tries this out (or http://www.magazinecafe.co.uk) then do let us know
Spud
First Post
If anyone wants to pick up back copies for Dungeon/Dragon (I managed to get both copies of Dungeon Id missed - im not bothering with Dragon) I found them at Leisure Games:
Leisure Games
Leisure Games
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Ranger REG
Explorer
What do you mean? They should include MRM or whatever UK-based international distributor in the negotiation for the sale of magazine publishing right? Everything should have been hammered out in writing in the purchase agreement right there during the sale and transfer?wanderer9 said:
I mean are the representative of MRM willing to fly over for such a closed-door negotiation before going public?
Lewy
First Post
Judging by the size of the cheques received by the author on the news page....I'm looking forward to going home and checking the mail, especially as he points out that he didn't even have a subscription!
This could be costing someone a heap of cash, as it suggests their mail lists are incorrect so maybe not the end for everyone....
Lewy
This could be costing someone a heap of cash, as it suggests their mail lists are incorrect so maybe not the end for everyone....
Lewy
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