Hot Rods Rodders journal

Well with the number of people they are not supplying products to, the fact that this has been going on for more than a year in some cases and the fact that it seems you have to try contacting them 10 times to get a response they are probably inundated with emails and phone calls. They still seem to have time to post on social media almost every day though.

 

I think there have only been 4 issues in the last two years. They had problems long before the Covid-19 came around. The big influx of cash from lifetime subscriptions means less income on a monthly basis. Don't hold your breath. There are 20 pages about upholstery in #84...are you kidding?

 

I gave up years ago, under different folks I think, when I got a year ahead of paying than receiving.

 

First off, we’re sorry for our delayed response. The holidays are always particularly busy around here and we’ve been all hands on deck, which means we just haven’t had the time we usually have to watch the HAMB and respond to threads concerning TRJ.

To answer your questions, issue #84 will be shipping to international subscribers soon. We understand many of you are tired of hearing about the pandemic—we are, too. But it has had very real consequences on many businesses like ours. After so many Australian and New Zealand copies of #83 were lost in the mail, we didn’t want to have the same thing happen to #84. We held the international copies while we figured out a way to get them safely delivered to everyone. Those issues are addressed and on pallets ready to ship, and they will be going out soon.

We have spent a great deal of time on the phone with international customers recently, updating them on orders that haven’t been received and on the status of their subscriptions. It’s a long list, but we’re chipping away at it each day. If you have called and have not gotten a return call from us, we will be calling you back. International customers can reach us at 804-496-6906 (being a small company sometimes calls go to voicemail when we’re on another line, so if you get our voicemail please leave us a message and we will return the call). You can also send us a PM here with your name, contact number and the issue you’re having and we will call you back.

We understand that we’ve disappointed a number of you, and we’re truly sorry. In our 26 years in the publishing business we haven’t always stayed on schedule producing magazines and we’ve sometimes taken longer than planned to produce books and other special editions, but we have always delivered. That isn’t going to change now, and those of you who have not received magazines or are waiting for international orders will get your orders.

Thanks for giving us an opportunity to respond. We sincerely appreciate your support.

 

Someone from your organization posted on Instagram that you guys were not even aware that the international copies of issue #84 hadn't shipped until recently so which is it you held them back or you just didn't know what was going on?

Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Well at least we did finally get a response.
Let’s see what happens.

 

There was some internal miscommunication about that. All domestic and international issues went to the fulfillment/mailing house at the same time, however only the domestic issues shipped. We are sorry that we've contributed to the confusion here...that definitely wasn't our intent. From your earlier posts we do understand your frustration. Again, issue #84 will be going out to you soon. And if you've had an issue with any other orders specifically, we'll gladly give you a call to get it straightened out. You can give us a call at the office, or send us a message through the HAMB with your contact info and we will call you back when we're back in the office next week.
Thanks.

 

Thanks for the reply. It would have been nice for you to let your international subscribers know what was going on in a little more timely fashion. Saying they were shipped in October and then not saying a word for 8 weeks is pretty inconsiderate to your international customers.

Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Thanks for coming on here and responding

I get that your team is busy but this is not an new issue that has just popped up out of the blue. The sending of a group email to your international direct subscribers advising the status and updates on their subscriptions would go a long way to reducing your incoming emails, phone calls, negative social media traffic and no doubt the stress levels for you and your team.

HAMB is just one site. I tried to keep my comments respectful but that is unlikely to be the case with some others on other sites.

I have sent you a private conversation regarding my order and will hold off posting any other comments until I see what happens with my order and subscription.

Also thank you to the HAMB members who reached out to help and to Ryan and the moderators for not killing the thread.

Jeff Hitchins

 

may not get "84 but I have some decals

 

The USPS is a disaster.
We paid $21.37 to ship a priority box to Florida from Ohio.
They said 2-3 days, it arrived 10 days later and this was in November after Thanksgiving.
I can't imagine what international shipping is like.
The shipping industry is all messed up, and it doesn't look like the future will be much better!
KK

 

Get you head out of your cabooses.
This has nothing to do with Grandma's birthday card and USPS.
Wake up.
Read what TRJ wrote and think about it - All domestic and international issues went to the fulfillment/mailing house at the same time, however only the domestic issues shipped. Again, issue #84 will be going out to you soon.
Double talk, explain why you would take them to the mailing house and not send them to the subscriber?
Do they instruct the mailing house to hold them?
If they went at the same time, does the mailing house have extra room to have them sit for months?
I doubt we will ever get the actual story.

They need to delete fulfillment from their vocabulary.

 

This is just a guess but I would say that after they are printed they go to the fulfillment/mailing house. not to the TRJ office.

 

The dog ate my homework.

 

For four years in vet school, the dog was my homework.

 

Re Canadian subscribers; our local hot rod supplier got their shipment of 20 issues 2 weeks ago and are now sold out. I understood all canadian subscribers issues are shipped in bulk across the border and then distributed, so w.t.f.?

Sent from my SM-A705W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

"Ahh, but the strawberries! That's - that's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with - geometric logic - that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox DID exist!"

 

Scruff , your local hot rod supplier , probably Hortons has their magazines sent to their Buffalo address with their other products .... that is why they got their supply as they were sent to the USA address when the USA subscribers had theirs mailed out ... no Canadian subscriber has received theirs thru the Canadian postal system yet ... Still waiting ... shipping soon .... it is like an 8 track tape .... same tune over & over again ....

 

They send their magazine to distributors in a different way than to subscribers and has nothing to do with them being shipped to a US location. All the distributors in Australia got their #83 issue while none of the subscribers did. It's also why distributors have the magazines at least a full month before subscribers see them.

 

Respectfully K13 , I talked to both the Old Car Centre & Hortons who are listed as the Canadian suppliers on the Rodders Journal site & was told by both of them they pick them up at the US address.
Australia must use a different system.

 

Really, that makes sense. Single issue-send it First Class or Printed Matter in the US. 200 issues and it's not practical to use First Class so they go by truck or other bulk carrier. I expect that TRJ is basically offices/computers /layout and editing. Printing is done somewhere else and shipping is done by a contractor. The actual ability of anyone at TRJ having access to hand mailing a single copy is probably very limited. A sad fact of twenty-first century publishing which further complicates any particular subscriber,especially those outside the US, getting resolution for a personal problem.

On the other hand, there is still the issue of communication, which is a central office responsibility and can always be improved on.

 

I renewed my subscription for another 2 year's before all the dramas happened still haven't received #83 and looks like i won't be seeing that? still waiting for #84 i have every issue and i understand the world is not the same anymore I'll just wait and see what happens now but it's not looking good for us Aussies haven't received any communication for RJ? Either? Cheers

 

Gonna have to add me to the list of disappointed international readers.
Steve, if you are still following this thread, can I offer this hint?
To communicate with us costs you very little.

To not communicate with us costs you very much.

I have no idea how many international subscribers you have but I suspect it is a decent number. In Australia, we can no longer buy RJ from a newsagent and to buy from the distributor, with our expensive postal service, costs around $38 - I know, because that's what it cost me to replace my #83.

So if one of my mates who has always bought from the newsagent now asks me "you've got a lifetime subscription, is that any good?" , what should I say to him?

We get bombarded with RJ emails, every second day it seems, but it has taken this long to get a response from you. My email from 11 days ago remains unanswered - all I asked for was an update. Maybe those frequent emails could include an update for International customers - I'm sure your domestic customers wouldn't mind.

Consider this, we are all upset because we respect your magazine so much and don't want to miss out. That's not a bad thing. I have all 83 issues but am now very concerned about the future health of my lifetime subscription.

Finally, while offering a $20 voucher seems like a responsible thing to do, it wont even pay for my postage on anything I wish to purchase from RJ. In other words, using the voucher will cost me more money. And as for adding an extra copy to the lifetime subscription, seriously? Does that mean my mourners get to read it at my funeral?
I have always had outstanding service from RJ until now and am fully appreciative that there are things happening that I could not imagine. Please, just drop us a line, say once a week, so that we are not left in the dark. Knowing it is two months away is way better than having no idea at all.

Cheers
Alan

 

Hate to have to upload facts when there are so many opinions out there.

I am sending a #83 to Australia (free to an Aussie hot rodder who got stiffed) and had a look at the envelope from TRJ.
Post marked Paris, France. I peeled back the label and Budapest, Hungary post under that..
Now humour us with more sad stories.

 

Hi Alan
yes I always get RJ from my local newsagent.cost A$25. ( I did get 2, 83's in May 2020)I know Larry O Toole adds postage which gets expensive
when you consider in USA it costs maybe $15, my agent is seeking 84 out for me but it does not look good
not sure if Larry is selling 84
Noel

 

I got 2 copies of #83 and #84 from Larry a couple of days before Christmas. Wife picked them up and I think they were A$32 each. Cover price is $16US. I got the Cover A- subscriber version but Larry usually has both versions. I think his website lists A$13 for postage. Makes it a very expensive magazine.

 

I see that as about $24 USD? Yes, very expensive.More like a book than a magazine. On the other hand, it is pretty amazing that you can get something from halfway around the world for $13Australian. The problem here seems more about "get" than cost.

The package I mailed from central Pennsylvania to eastern Pennsylvania, which was supposed to take 3 days is now working on 10 days and last I could tell was in Charlotte,NC. I know the folks at the PO are decimated with disease, lack of support and political disassembly. I just hope it gets to its destination someday.

 

Rodder's Journal IS a BOOK,...moreso than a magazine....I feel bad for all those having problems getting their issues.

 

I don't know if I can buy the reasons given - but if it results in me getting my #84 I will be happy.

*fingers crossed*

 

Swifty

have just ordered # 84 from Larry, cost A$46, expensive but only way I can keep my collection going.
that is A$21 more than my newsagent would charge
Noel