Just thought that if there are any readers that dont live in America (and maybe some that do even) that you should seriously think about subscribing to Mc2 magazine before handing over the money.

I thought I would warn everyone about this saga as myself and another clubMINI member in Brisbane Australia paid for a Charter subscription which is supposed to include 6 magazines as per their website but we have only received two out of four copies. We finally received the next two copies after much saga and carrying on by Mc2 magazine but when I contacted them that my fifth copy is still missing after a month, boy did I get an earful via email!!

Funny enough this week my issue no 3 shows up in the mail (it was supposed to be here in June). Six months later it has been via India and who knows where else on its way from America to Australia.

Below is the latest email from Mc2 magazine refusing to renew my subscription (as if I would pay for something that cannot be delivered). They keep blaming the Australian Postal system but considering there are TWO subscriptions going missing every time to TWO different addresses and for THREE months in a row I find this hard to believe. One copy I could understand but six different magazines are a bit of a stretch!!!! I think they finally believe me now!! I receive mail from overseas all the time from things I buy on ebay and even MINI2 people have sent me stickers, etc without problems so why would SIX magazines go missing by the same postal system. Mc2 wont admit that the problem is at their end. Anyway sit back and enjoy the ranting and raving of a so called professional company:-

"Wow, what a tirade! I'll address what is worth addressing...

I will contact the global mailing company in San Francisco right after this
e-mail to you. Fact is, I will send forward to them your e-mail, as I'm
pretty bloody upset with them for this. I paid good money this year for the
issues to be sorted and sent airmail in a service that's called M-Bag. It's
the only way to get mail this size to foreign nations via the US government
postal system for a recent fee that's less than a single copy-cost of
airmail. This is why we can charge $40 for foreign subs. Fact is the mailing
cost alone we pay is $25 yearly, so the sub should be $50 like other mags.

Yes, the problem is obviously the mailing service. I have one in Seattle
now. Issue #5 went out overseas last week. I fired the SF Bay guys as
obviously they're a lying bunch. Outsourcing magazines to be mailed from
India is a stupid idea that my company has never thought of, nor attempted!

We promised everyone 4 issues, and we will deliver 6 to everyone that signed
up in 2005. As a matter of ethics and morals (legality is often not such!)
we will deliver your six issues Judy, but I will not be accepting a renewal
from yourself Judith ***. You're the only reader I've had to state this too.

There is no legal body any place on the planet Earth that will deal with $13
as a legal problem, not even your credit card company.

Please don't contact me again, as MC2 has done no wrong,
Barry Brazier
Publisher, MC2 MINI Magazine"

 

This is a bit one-sided since we don't see the content or number of e-mails you have sent MC2 ... but, just reading their response it looks like they are as frustrated as you. Once the magazine leaves their hands they have little / no control on how / when / or condition it is delivered.

IMO - On this one, with the information given, I cannot find fault with MC2

Tim

 

From the first sentence of Barry's email it sounds as though the email you sent to him was a bit rough. I think it might be a bit more fair to have also posted your email to Barry instead of just posting his response.

Just my

 

+1

 

I met Barry (and Gary) and enjoyed their company during MTTS - they are stand-up guys who love this MINI community; I don't believe they deliberately did anything wrong.

As others have said, it seems from Barrys reply that your email to him was maybe unfair.

 

I also enjoy the fact that daisygirl's 1st post on NAM is to complain about something and not to introduce herself and to post an email sent to her from someone else to start contraversary.

 

I agree with the others. I know that Barry goes very far out of his way to make his readers happy - much farther than I am willing to go with the customers and clients in my business.

 

Sorry you had that situation happen to you; it's very difficult to pay for something, look forward to it, then not have it come.

That said, do you really thing we'll stop reading the magazine because they apparently couldn't send it to the Australia? Wow, everything IS backwards down there...

mb

 

Exactly! Let's hear the "tirade" so that we can see/hear both sides of this "saga".

 

I hope that you can get this resolved without STICKS AND STONES.

The guys at Mc2 seem to be STAND UP folks and I enjoy Mc2 and have been treated right by these folk.

 

agreed

 

I get MC2 Magazine and I love it! I have never had a problem with it so far!

 

I've had an issue go missing. Just one, and they replaced it. Now, with a new magazine, there's always the chance of the address not getting into the data base properly, and such, but once it's straightened out, it's a done deal. Once it's mailed, a magazine has absolutely ZERO control over it.

I agree with the previous poster's in here. Get over it. Work the solution.

 

Welcome to NAM daisygirl

 

I've met Barry and Gary as well and they are 2 stand up guys. I think it would take a lot to frustrate them. They have a great magazine as well.

 

I'm sure daisygirl just needed to vent. Lets not dump on her for airing a complaint.

I believe that the folks at Mc2 are honest hard working folks who try their best to do what's right. When you ship something around the other side of the earth more than a few unexpected things can happen.

 

Hi,

I just received issue no. 3 today also.

I live on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Just south of Brisbane. The magazine is a bit worse for wear. It has also travelled via India. Goodness, gracious me! Boy! it must have some tales to tell and it has taken some curry! It has a postage date stamped the 30th June 2006 from India. Can you get frequent flyers for travelling by post.

Front sticker states that it travelled Sea Mail. They must have been slow rowers.

Fortunately, I reported my missing copy much earlier via email and Barry was kind enough to resend me another copy. There does seem to be some delays receiving our copies here in Australia. Worth the wait though!

Obviously I can't speak for anyone else, but I was the first subscriber from Australia and had a number of email correspondences with Barry and found him great to deal with.

Going to reread Issue No.3 now, see if they changed anything!

 

Judging by the e-mail, its not that they are not allowing you to re-new so they do not have to deal with your problems, but because they have realized that they cannot guarantee the service you have paid for so once they have taken care of their obligation, no longer offering you the service since they don't know if you will get what you paid for (due to the shipping problems). Would you ever off a service to someone that you didnt know in fact you could deliver on the services?

BEATNUT

 

I think MC2 would have said they will no longer renew subscriptions to anyone in Australlia, not state her name. I think they don't want to deal with HER anymore, not the country.

 

Out of X amount of subscribers in Australia it seems she is either the only or one of few that have had a problem. Why would they deny the magazine to the whole country if for example 5 people were having an issue receiving it?

But who knows maybe she has gone about this in a rude manner and they are not pleased with how things are handled. Workin in customer service a few years myself if one handles them in a professional manner I am more than happy to help them to make things right. If someone comes in yelling and screaming and making demands and/or acusations then I would rather send them right back out the door.

Maybe this is really an angry employee of the SF shipper that they said they just fired and they are trying to disrupt their customer base. Since we only have one e-mail and this is the persons first post we dont know what the full story is.

BEATNUT

 

Not sure I would want to deal with her either. The publisher has the right to not accept anyones subscription. I am a charter member and recently resubed for an additional 2 years. Good work MC2 !

Looks like a matter that was handled well, but not to her satifaction. She got the magazines she was entilted to.

 

daysigirl,

I had the same situation with their last issue ( I live in Puerto Rico). But to be honest, I e-mailed Barry in a very polite way, since I think that neither of us can be blamed, and they told me to wat another week for the magazine. After a week I contacted Barry since the magazine did not arrive and he sent me another copy through Priority Mail.

Perhaps there really is a problem with the mail in your area

 

I thought you had read her post as in saying they cut the whole country off and not just her. I was trying to say that is was just her and not the country.

+1 for the customer service comment.

 

Haha ok no I meant just cutting off one (or a small amount of people) and not the whole country.

BEATNUT

 

Sorry everyone, I was in a rush this morning to get to work so didnt post every email that Barry and I have had in correspondence. I believe that I have been polite and patient in all my correspondence to them and TOTALLY agree with everyone that is is a great magazine so not trying to put ANYONE of subscribing but just wanted overseas people to know that they either (a) may never receive their magazine or (b) it can be delayed up to six months. Barry has replaced issue no 3 and 4 that never arrived and my whole point of my email to him was to advise that the riddle had been solved as to where the magazines for myself and another subscriber were going to.

At one point in time I was trying to talk other people in our clubMINI into subscribing and lent them my copies even but until the postage system was resolved noone was willing to sign up and Barry knew about this as he even rang me at home one morning.

Below is the last of the emails that I sent him and as I said it was more of a friendly gesture to let him know why the magazine were missing and that the problem obviously was not able to be resolved so lets give up and just give back my money for the two issues that are still to come. Most of the information re new models, etc can easily be obtained on the internet so I dont need to spend USD$40 to get the news six months late.

My email to Barry on Tuesday was:-

"Hi Barry,

You wont believe what arrived in the mail today !!! Issue Number 3 finally arrived. Yes, thats right Number 3 that was posted on 30 June.

It seems the problem is that it is being sent from India via Sea Mail. I think you need to contact the people who are sending out the magazine and ask them (a) not to post Ashley and my magazine from India and (b) ask them to send by airmail instead of Sea Mail (or should that be snail mail).

I assume the latest magazine will have the same problem is your postal delivery system is sending ours the wrong way. We received Issue 1 and 2 no problems but I believe you said that you then changed the company that you use so the problem is definately at your end and there is nothing wrong with Australia Post who delivers at our end. Australia Post is a country wide system so the company that delivers to the states of Victoria and New South Wales is the same company that delivers to myself.

The problem is with the company that you use to post out the magazines and they way that they have stored the details for us.

We were supposed to get six issues with our initial subscription so if you have decided that you cannot deliver then I suggest that you either (a) post our magazines with a company that means that they will arrive or (b) refund for the the two issues that will not be arriving ie a third of our membership which should be $13 each. What do you prefer to do? I am sure that in America keeping funds for an item that you have no proof has been sent or you refuse to send is illegal!!!

I regularly get mail from overseas including America and Canada and have never had a problem. If you are outsourcing to a company in India to send your magazines then I suggest that is where the problem is.

Please advise when you will be sending our Issue no 5 or our refund or I will be in contact with my friends in America to suggest the relevant legal body to contact.

Kind regards