Art & Inspiration What's up with The Rodders Journal?

I do hope this is sorted as the TRJ is still the premium Hot Rod publication. As has been said the mailing has been a major shit storm the past 12 months. I have purchased various books and parts the past 12 months from USA. One item sent from Los Angeles didn't go from LAX onto Australia, No! It was sent to Jamaica NY and then sent to Germany with a lay over in Belgium on to Dubai and finally sent to Australia 2 months after posted. Another I paid for express postage and was meant to be 3-5 days, it took 4 weeks to arrive, then other items I received within 2-3 weeks. I receive the 'TRJ Christmas Catalogue' early February

Don't forget, They have taken a financial hit when the Distribution Company without permission shredded a large batch of issue no.83. I like the rest of you don't like getting ripped off. Just keep trying, that is best thing you can do, but remember they will be inundated with emails and messages from other people in the same situation. Until there is any further News or Information this is the best you can do.

 

As an estate executor, I mailed my brother a rather nice check on January 26. He lives in Chicago and has gotten mail once in the last month. The check arrived today. Think of all the folks who haven't gotten bills they are now getting late fees for or checks they needed to survive on that haven't arrived. Not getting a magazine you've paid for is irksome, but not life-threatening.

 

The people at the Rodders Journal are good people! I do not believe the problem has anything to do with shipping. I think they have let things get way ahead of themselves and now they don't know how to recover. This thread and other threads is very damaging to their business. Being in a business like this can be tricky. Sometimes when things spiral way out of control there is no other option but to hit the reset button. Regroup learn from your mistake and make sure it does not happen again. Trouble is that does not help the people like many here including myself who have money out right now. Myself I have not recieved a issue since last year. Not sure which one it was but it featured Jack Fuller dropping an axle. However I do think Steve and the people at Rodders Journal are good guys and If I end up not getting another issue I am ok with absorbing what little I might loose if they can get things worked out and back up and running like before. But i am not out several hundreds of dollars like some have claimed here. It is very tough to do but the best thing for them to do is just be 100% transparent with everyone, I realize it is embarrassing and makes TRJ look unprofessional. But lying and making excuses is making them look unprofessional as well. Just my 2 cents

 

There really isn't a lot to say until either someone at TRJ speaks out or some HAMBer goes to see them. What will happen is that some will speak for and some will speak against and then it will get personal and the mods will shut the thread down. Like the others. Standby.

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Good people make mistakes and bad decisions sometimes. I believe that is the case here.

 

I agree totally. All people make mistakes and bad decisions sometimes. It is what happens afterwards that defines us. You have to 'own it'. Stand tall, admit your mistakes, apologies (and actually mean it), and do your damnedest to rectify the situation. Unfortunately, as you probably know, this doesn't always happen.

Let's wait and see what happens with the TRJ situation. They at least deserve the chance to do the right thing. Innocent until proven guilty, as they say...................

 

Doesn't someone in the "H.A.M.B." network live in the Richmond area.? How bout a drive by 9415 Atlee Commerce Blvd. Suite E , Ashland , Va. 23005 and knock on the Door. See if anyone is Home.! Offer to take Steve to breakfast or lunch ( or something ) and see if you can get his side of the story. A lot of people on here and elsewhere like what they are doing ( "The Rodder's Journal" ) and wish them well , and hope that they can survive and get back on track. If they can't ( or don't intend to ) then they need to share their future plans with us and clear the air.! Just a thought.!!

 

Several of us here in the area have driven by during the past couple of weeks in an attempt to try and speak with Steve, and find out what is going on. I went there as recently as Thursday during my lunch hour. At 12:30pm the office was locked, lights were off, no note on the door, and nobody was around. It looked like there had been some activity since the last time one of my buddies went by- he reported that the mail was piled up- but don't know when that activity might have happened.

At this point the ball is in Steve's court as far as letting everyone know the current and future status of the magazine.

But for now- here in Richmond- we're as much in the dark as everybody else.

 

^^^ That doesn't sound good...............not good at all.....................

 

12:30 p.m. sounds like lunch hour. When I go to lunch, I turn out the lights, lock the door and don't leave a note on the door.

 

Hey @Mikko_ ,
Are you enjoying your new books yet, or are you still waiting ???

 

How many businesses are locked up lights out with several days or weeks of mail sitting there at lunch time or any other time.

I suspect that you might find the same thing during regular business hours.

I agree that it doesn’t look good.

 

Hi, I am still waiting.

 

Thank's for this update. Obviously, you and others have already tried my suggestion.!! I have to agree, this does not look good, for us or the people in charge.!! OK, Steve, now lets hear from you.!!

 

I assume you have pre-paid in full ???
I have to wonder just what the real dollar value of pre-paid, unfulfilled product/subscriptions is. It is easy to blow it off when it is some here, some there, and a bit more over there. Tallied up, it could be staggering.
Like I said, not good..............not good at all.
Still, fingers crossed.

 

Dum the dum dum.....dah. RIP TRJ?

 

Let's say 500 Lifetime subscriptions at $200 apiece (I know the numbers are off). That's $100,000. A lot of money in anybody's book. But, subtract the issues that were actually printed and delivered and the issue that was destroyed, and I don't think you are left with quite enough to disappear with your Cayman Islands offshore account.

I agree all this looks really bad, but I don't believe the intent was to rip folks off. Like everyone, I am waiting for real information. The fat lady isn't singing, but I am very afraid she is warming up offstage.

 

Yes.
I live in Sweden and the only option for us when buying from the US is to pay in advance before the items ship.
Never had a problem with this until now with TRJ.

 

TRJ obviously would not be the first publication or business to go down the drain and close up the shop but there are many different ways of dealing with it.

The we’re not going to pay our bills or meet our commitments or communicate with our friends and or customers is not the best way.

That way will put a huge stain on the reputation of the whole history of the publication and leave the kind of legacy that I don’t think anyone would want for the staff of TRJ.

 

I wish I would have seen all these threads a few weeks ago. I just sent payment on Feb 18th for the combo subscription and HAMB alliance membership. I hope it all works out for everyone impacted.

 

Just to clarify, I did not say that their intent was to rip people off. I was simply pointing out the possible overall dollar value involved if this all tips over. Lets hope their intentions are good, but the lack of communication seems to tell a story..........

Anyway, all this speculation has no bearing on what will ultimately happen. The truth will reveal itself at some stage............

 

Corncob (who is a Mod here) Has already warned that posting addresses will get you banned from the Hamb, So if I was you and you like being on this forum, I would edit my post and delete the address you posted. Makes no difference to me just giving friendly advise from one hot rodder to another. Lot's of guys here Know Steve personally, I am not defending his actions, but clearly there is something going on here, Like others here I am out money and have not got what I payed for. The bottomline is Not one person here is out a life changing amount of money. So how about we just relax and give them sometime to explain themselves and what they intend to do. The other threads on this matter have been locked do to members making threats and trying to form a lynch mob over a Damn Magazine Subscription!..The weather is getting nice, Car shows are starting again, How about quit whipping this dead horse and go enjoy something? Just a thought

 

I’d agree but the last communication anyone had was jan 3rd via Facebook addressing issues that had not been posted and where already months late. It’s now March 8th, a solid two months. If they can’t address the issue in that time frame (or at least acknowledge it) then I suspect they simply aren’t going to.
I’m assuming my $300+ dollars for an international lifetime is gone, I’m more pissed off they can’t just hold up their hands and acknowledge it.

 

Excuse them all you want and call them buddies. But when you add all the unfilled subscription and swag orders plus unpaid suppliers it's thousands upon thousands of dollars. Shysters are raked over the coals and put on the banned list here for a hell of a lot less money. But some of you want people to just ignore the fact that they are out their money, no big deal just a couple hundred dollars so suck it up. Look above fuel10922 just paid for a subscription not 3 weeks ago and they accepted it what do you think his chances are that he'll ever see anything for it?

 

I guess it’s my good fortune I came across this thread. I was prepared to get a subscription. Always admired the magazine but never bit the bullet for a subscription. Sure hope things get sorted out.


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Um, you just quoted his message and reposted the address, maybe you should edit your post.


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Because the memory is the second thing to go ( the first is ....ah, ah..?) I couldn't remember ,so I searched for the date of the first Lifetime subscriptions. It was June 2015. Next issue was #66. The last I received was #84. Old sub rate was $50 ($12.50 per issue), latest rate was $60 ($15 ea). 18 issues for $200 equals $11ea. I can't complain. They were late sending the calendars I order for my buddies Xmas presents and when they arrived they were 2 short. Still haven't got those.

Hopefully Steve can convince someone to help out financially. Maybe George Poteet would like to be a co owner of one of the finest rodding magazines with dedicated followers.

 

I think fuel10922 has the same chance as anyone of us do that are out money right now. I am not excusing Steve for anything, I am simply saying Nobody here knows what is going on. just a bunch of assuming. I am just saying time will tell eventually what is going on. Those of you who want answers and want them right now! are probably not going to get them until the rest of us do. So all I am saying is you might as well sit back and wait just like the rest of us are. A point of fact is life does throw curveballs sometimes, And not everyone handles those curves well. I have no idea what is going on with Steve, But I highly doubt he woke up one morning and said to himself " I think I am going to start cheating people" but your welcome to assume what you want. Just my 2 cents

 

From a member in Richmond area

“Several of us here in the area have driven by during the past couple of weeks in an attempt to try and speak with Steve, and find out what is going on. I went there as recently as Thursday during my lunch hour. At 12:30pm the office was locked, lights were off, no note on the door, and nobody was around. It looked like there had been some activity since the last time one of my buddies went by- he reported that the mail was piled up- but don't know when that activity might have happened.”