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Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile

88.97.21.18
Posted on May 19, 2020 at 03:24:47
PAR
Audiophile

Posts: 1732
Location: South London, UK
Joined: June 4, 2019
 Neither I nor other UK subscribers that I have checked with have received either April or May issues.

Over the years there have been occasions when I have not received issues but these seem to have been caused by my name dropping off of the distribution list for some reason. This is the first time that nobody I have spoken with in the UK has received these issues. OK it is a very small sample of subscribers and perhaps the covid-19 lockdown is causing a problem but can anyone throw a light on this?

"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

 

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I got April at the end of March, but neither May nor June have arrived, posted on May 19, 2020 at 06:55:43
Tom Schuman
Audiophile

Posts: 2632
Location: Bremen
Joined: October 22, 2003
 I always count on a week or ten days delay, but lately it's been longer. May should have been here three weeks ago; hasn't arrived yet.
There was a slight ZIP code mistake on my mailing sheet, which I have corrected by postal mail.
I wish Stereophile would provide an email address for subscription issues. PO Boxes are so 1980s.

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 19, 2020 at 15:41:58
Jim Austin
Reviewer

Posts: 71
Location: New York
Joined: March 11, 2019
 Not my area, but I inquired and was told that delivery in the EU has been spotty, presumably because of the pandemic, and that European subscribers should please be patient.

I am very sorry for the inconvenience, but apparently it is out of Stereophile's and its contractors' hands.

Best Wishes,

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

 

You should take a job at AXPONA. Nt, posted on May 19, 2020 at 16:11:03
viridian
 Nt

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 19, 2020 at 17:10:59
PAR
Audiophile

Posts: 1732
Location: South London, UK
Joined: June 4, 2019
 Thanks Jim. Appreciated. Unfortunately long experience has shown me that if the issues don't turn up within the normal window of expectation they never will. I know it isn't your area of responsibility and will try to claim via Subscriber Services.

NB : the final distribution in the UK is via Royal Mail which continues to operate every day as usual. Of all the many deliveries that I have anticipated during the pandemic, Stereophile is the sole failure.

"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 19, 2020 at 17:49:28
Jim Austin
Reviewer

Posts: 71
Location: New York
Joined: March 11, 2019
 PAR, thanks for the note. I was uncomfortable posting this because I realized how little I know about the problem. I can't really speak to it, but I did anyway. I'll see what I can find out about the problem.

Jim

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 21, 2020 at 05:21:24
Bill the K
Audiophile

Posts: 8383
Joined: June 3, 2006
 You don't seem to have much concern for the foreigners. What about non EU subscribers? The Editor should see to it that the copy reaches every reader. Saying it is not your field is irresponsible.

Bill

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 21, 2020 at 23:35:42
Merlot_cat
Audiophile

Posts: 1437
Location: Northern Ohio
Joined: August 7, 2002
Contributor
  Since: May 27, 2004
 I subscribe to the British publication Hi-Fi News & Record Review and am about a month late for the latest issue. I think its the Covid virus situation screwing with overseas mail service on both sides of the Atlantic.
The whole problem with the world is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
-Bertrand Russell

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 27, 2020 at 06:19:54
jimschffr
Audiophile

Posts: 5
Location: North Carolina
Joined: May 27, 2020
 Let me suggest you contact them. Hi-Fi News sent me an email a few months ago stating they would not be sending any issues to overseas subscribers for the duration of the virus. Instead, they granted access to their digital versions.

 

Thanks for the head-up. I shot them an email. NT, posted on May 27, 2020 at 18:22:52
Merlot_cat
Audiophile

Posts: 1437
Location: Northern Ohio
Joined: August 7, 2002
Contributor
  Since: May 27, 2004
 nt
The whole problem with the world is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
-Bertrand Russell

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 28, 2020 at 06:44:40
Dennis1
Audiophile

Posts: 39
Location: US
Joined: March 30, 2016
 Another issue is that in US since mid March and the virus close down publishers have been working from home to assemble magazines and the print shops which publish magazines may not be in critical category and be closed. A number of mags have given subscribers access to the online editions for free -- I note also book publications expected now have been pushed off to Fall -- though Kindle is available. See site https://www.stereophile.com/

 

RE: Reverse Seems True Also, posted on May 29, 2020 at 20:26:50
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4306
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 England to US seems to be a problem too. I haven't received issue of Hi Fi +, Hi Fi News and Hi Fi World(did receive notice that they can't get to their offices).

 

RE: Reverse Seems True Also, posted on May 30, 2020 at 03:46:48
PAR
Audiophile

Posts: 1732
Location: South London, UK
Joined: June 4, 2019
 Well I have certainly been receiving my copies of HiFi News. OK domestic distribution in my case but it confirms that the print editions certainly exist.

Of course the magazines themselves are not responsible for the actual distribution. This is carried out by third party companies who specialise in such things. They, in turn, engage a local distributor in any overseas country for distribution there. Hence the reason, for example,why JA2 at the publication end of Stereophile is unable to provide an explanation for me regarding supply on this side of the pond. Not really his responsibility although his replies here are very much appreciated. Likewise I doubt that the editorial teams at the UK magazines will be of much help for you.

So the publication side is working OK. Royal Mail who carry out the final leg of physical distribution to the letterbox (and I expect USPS for you) is carrying out its normal cycle of deliveries. So the logjam seems to be at either the main distributor or at the local distributor in each respective country, or both. I suspect that it is most likely the outcome of the huge reduction of flights across the pond. I would guess that newspapers and magazines are more likely to be placed in the holds of normal commercial flights rather than by specialised freight services. Either way the overall supply side has been decimated.

My long (long) experience of issues of Stereophile going missing is that the error can rarely be corrected by what would become the supply of a back issue. Recently the USA distributor/subscription handler has been extending my subscription by the equivalent of the number of missing issues. However I will now probably not get to see the missing print magazines. Which is why I buy both print and digital editions, the latter as a "safety copy".

"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

 

RE: Overseas Subscribers to Stereophile, posted on May 30, 2020 at 11:12:10
Jim Austin
Reviewer

Posts: 71
Location: New York
Joined: March 11, 2019
 Apologies for being slow with this, but I have the answer. In Europe, real people mail magazines from an office. And for a couple of months, they were not in the office because of COVID-19 closures. I was told that mailing resumed a couple of weeks ago and that it could take 2-3 additional weeks (from that date) for the issues to arrive, depending on your location.

If you have not already, you should receive your May and June issues, just later than usual.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

 

RE: Reverse Seems True Also, posted on June 1, 2020 at 20:48:07
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4306
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 I recall not receiving an issue of an American magazine(can't recall which). So after about a month I phoned to get a copy. They already were out of paper issues. A few times I've bought news stand copies(both American and British) because they were out a week or so and my subs hadn't arrived. Of course, those times, the missing magazine came a day or two later.

 

I had only a couple of missing editions over quite a few years, posted on June 6, 2020 at 09:10:58
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 And they didn't come all that late.

 

The inefficiency of Globalization is showing... like moving tomatoes 3000 miles... ridiculous... fuel shortage, posted on June 19, 2020 at 13:14:00
Cleantimestream
Audiophile

Posts: 7550
Location: Kentucky
Joined: June 30, 2005
 HAH!
The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.

 

May and June arrived, even just got July.. 'phew :) nt, posted on June 25, 2020 at 14:05:56
Tom Schuman
Audiophile

Posts: 2632
Location: Bremen
Joined: October 22, 2003
 nt

 

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