Hot Rods Rodders journal

I gave up on them too. Same reasons. Been same way from the get go.

 

Yes, I can now really see your point and it is rather sad, to say the least. I'm sure there are shipping and supply issues-it took two weeks to get a letter delivered from me to a neighbor over the hill-but there seem to be a number of you all in the same class. I did shoot an e-mail to TRJ today, pointing out this thread of problems and suggesting they take the opportunity to stand up and answer. I know none of those folks,so I don't know what good it will do.
Since it appears Ryan knows the TRJ team well, maybe asking him privately to put in a word would help?

I hope you get your stuff.

 

They answer on social media all the time and all they ever say is they are doing their best. Well their best has been shitty so they better start finding something better than that.

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As of late, I too have been frustrated with Rodder’s Journal. I subscribed last year, when they had the two year, get a free t-shirt offer. I got the t-shirt within a month. Then nothing- issue 83 was supposed to be my first- then they moved, there were delays- I ended up buying a copy of 83 on the newsstand after trying to call the office with no response. So I figured I would just chalk it up to a lost in the mail issue and wait for the next.
So I have been patiently awaiting 84- and knowing it wasn’t going to be available on the newsstand - after reading the responses here, 2 weeks ago I called a couple times, getting the message machine each time- and so two weeks ago Friday I left a message for them to call. They didn’t- so after waiting a few business days, I started calling once a day- each day politely leaving my name, a message and contact number. I did that 4 days in a row. Still nothing- so I gave up. Then, just on Friday- dec 18 I finally got a call back - it was Steve Coonan himself. To be honest, while he seemed to express concern, I felt I got handed a lot of excuses- mostly blamed on the Postal Service and the pandemic.
I belong to two other clubs with monthly magazines based in the US- their magazine delivery has been the same as always. I have done more purchase of parts, etc online from the us- and PovertyFlats can send me a tin toy in two weeks from Kansas with no issue.
It comes down to the fact that we, as paying subscribers aren’t being responded to. I shouldn’t have to leave 5 messages to receive a call a week later- that’s unacceptable. And I’m not alone, obviously. I love the product- their calendars are on my wall at home and in my office, I have their t shirts in my closet. Their magazine is the best hot rod magazine out there. As Canadian subscribers, we actually pay more for a subscription than we would pay to just buy off the newsstand. This simply comes down to how they are handling their customers. At this rate, I have serious concerns I will ever get even one of the 8 issues I paid them for a year ago.

 

The magazine is a quarterly yet they have only produced two issues in the last year. Isn't it obvious that they are in financial difficulties? It is like the story of the Tucker automobile where they sold fitted luggage and car radios since they didn't have the cars. Lifetime subscriptions generate operating capital.

 

Thanks for trying to be helpful 5window and for remaining positive but unfortunately this is problem that is way bigger than just getting my stuff sorted out. As I understand it in Australia this affects all Australian's who subscribed direct with Rodders Journal.

I have always believed that the true nature of people and businesses shows in how they react when things go wrong.

Although frustrating I think most of us understood when things went wrong with issue 83 as no one could have predicted what was to happen. That said we were assured of a solution for issue 84 and there have been months to sort it out but that obviously has not happened and Rodders Journal didn't bother to contact us when things started going off the rails with sending number 84.

The really annoying thing is that Australians who subscribed through local (Australian) distributors got and are still receiving their copies. It is the direct subscribers to Rodders Journal that have been shafted.

If Rodders Journal can ship and get their deliveries through to their Australian distributors why can't they do a deal with the Australian distributors and have them send the direct subscribers their copies? That situation could not go on for ever but certainly it would show some integrity and honesty.

My other issue is with tshirts and other items purchased. If Rodders Journal can't send them why have they taken our orders, kept our $ and then refused to communicate with us. We have words to describe that here and none of them are complementary.

A good business would email and advise that they can not supply and give customers the option of waiting for the supply chain to start operating again, offer a full refund or (again in the short term) ship via their Australian distributors.

Rodders Journal has our details and knows who we are but choose not to make contact and engage.

Apologies to the Canadians, Kiwis and any other non US countries affected as I don't have any ideas for you guys and gals because I don't know how your distribution systems work.

Jeff Hitchins Australia

 

I am not taking sides or making excuses one way or the other with this post.
I am just sharing a personal experience that may have relevance.
Back near the beginning of the pandemic I was approached on private message here by a fellow HAMBer that needed a custom part made. This guy was in France, I am in MD.
I made the part and sent it to him via USPS as we agreed that was the only carrier at the time flying overseas packages.
The USPS tracking number showed that the part arrived in Europe about two weeks after I mailed it. After that the USPS pretty much washed their hands of the entire affair. Saying it was in the French post system.
Long story short, it took another 2 months to reach the guy. And this was a first class package with a tracking number...not media mail, bulk mail, etc
I truly hope everyone gets their stuff and I can day from personal experience that there is truth to the lost in the mail statements.
I regularly ship stuff in the US and I had a package take two weeks to go from MD to MN
I had a box of valve train stuff from Reds Vintage parts lost for over 2 months...it finally showed up... after I had bought replacements of course.
Chappy

 

Been with them since the very beginning, took the lifetime deal when it came up. Unfortunately they now seem to be somewhat up against the wall. The last thing I ordered was a couple t-shirts that the offered a deal on. I got one in about 5 weeks and the second about a day short of 3 months from the order date. I paid for priority mail but got the cheap mail. Didn't break me but I felt bad about it.

Admittedly they are trying hard, the customer service folks make a lot of sensible promises, but it seems like nobody is home on the fulfillment end. I really hope they make it and recover but I'm not sure my ordering another t-shirt or a new calendar is going to make it happen.. I'm at a loss as to how to help at this stage...I just hope they don't have to throw in the towel....they are my last subscription as everything else has went down the tubes in one way or another.

 

Read Ryans post, post #6, this is what all small businesses, Rodders Journal included is dealing with and has been for months. Its just the perfect storm of shit for them. I will continue to support them. They are the last one out there that are trying to put out a publication that truly caters to what we do. Rodders Journal and The Hop Up annual are all thats left. If you don't support them now, don't complain when they are gone.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/public-service-announcement.1215302/unread

 

That’s probably true but I would also like to hear from @TRJ to explain what’s happening.

 

I am sick of the covid thing being used as an excuse for these clowns. Things like 2020 calendars should have been sent out months before Covid happened. I have seen multiple Australians post on social media they have received all their issues of Hop Up without any problems. I subscribe to a small indie magazine based out of the US and have had zero delivery issues. I work for a US company and get stuff all the time with zero issues.

The Rodders Journal posted on this thread on Oct 28th that everyone's magazines were on the way it is now Dec 21st and no one outside the US has had their magazine shipped. It's pretty hard to be disappointed about them not being around if you are already not getting what you paid for from them.

 

I've already posted in this thread about my own delayed subscriptions, but I'd like to add. I believe I speak for quite a few of us but I'm sure others feel different. I know the pandemic situation has been terrible on lots of people and businesses and I'm not making excuses for anybody, but I do believe that the USPS likely is overwhelmed with mail. Both due to pandemic and possible understaffing but the US election too. If rodders journal is in trouble I wouldn't be surprised, and although it would be terrible for them to close the doors I honestly feel that there was no intentional deceit. Things happen that sometimes are out of our control. I bought the lifetime subscription with some hesitation. The 500 bucks (roughly) I spent isn't going to kill me if it's gone (and I really hope it's not), but worse would be the loss of such a great magazine in circulation. I plan to just sit back patiently and hope for the best. Hopefully it all gets sorted out and things return to normal.

 

How can anyone but The Rodders Journal be blamed for something that hasn't even shipped? Even if it goes to a middle man, after what happened with issue 83 they should have been checking on it every day until it was on it's way.

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I have good respect for the USPS ordering from Canada. It is my experience that Fedex gets greedy with their brokerage fees and the base shipping costs are always are more expensive crossing the border. My friends & I scratch built an airplane and whenever possible specified the USPS as the carrier for small parts orders. Countless orders without any issues. I have ordered parts for my old Ford when they come up for sale and if they fit in the mail then I specify that. Bob Drake used to make me give them a waiver absolving them of the responsibility of shipping USPS. I think that was laziness as it is easier to have Fedex or UPS swing by to pick up their shipments. I ordered bumper brackets from Drake about 3 weeks ago and they put them in the mail w/o without any fuss. The brackets arrived by land based mail in about 2 weeks. That includes the days that passed between Drake accepting the order & getting them out the door. From my perspective the USPS gets a undeserved bad rap that vendors hide behind. I ordered from Drake, they acknowledged the order, took a couple days to process, next day notified me that payment was in process, then a day later that payment was received, notified that the item had shipped. Checking the tracking the item is shipped when they print the prepaid carrier shipping label. It took a couple more days before the parcel was actually out the door and on the move. If anything hit the US post office it should arrive in a week or two if it is not a priority post. Key is it has to be put in the mail.

 

After several bent, torn & tattered publications - mostly TRJ - calls to PO, I now get mine delivered to my back door, never use the front!

 

My recent experience, take it for what's worth. Checked on shipping quotes recently from Va. to Canada. The USPS was supposed to be cheapest, wrong plus a much longer delivery time. Went with UPS, not only cheaper (by 10USD), but delivery was approx. 3 days. As to TRD, I have never had a problem with them in regards to my subscription or being able to contact them, just lucky I guess. Any business is having difficulties in these uncertain times, it took me 8 days to get my new fridge delivered and they had it in stock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If anyone state side has an extra, or access too, an extra #84 I would gladly pay for the mag plus postage...I just don't want to be missing the issue with the Kookie T in it.
It sucks us out-of-town subscribers seem to be getting handed the shit end of the stick, and if my copy eventually shows up that's great, but at this point I would just like to be sure I have a copy at all...(absolute bonus if it's the Kookie cover).

 

Old Car Center in Langley has them I believe.

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Been a subscriber since the start, never had a single problem.

 

I am thinking the distribution and mailing for TRJ is likely different than other publications. I don't know the TRJ circulation, but when you're mailing millions of magazines like Hot Rod or Car and Driver (https://www.statista.com/statistics/754439/car-magazines-reach/) , there are probably highly mechanized systems in place. With TRJ, they are likely to be just big enough to be unable to do it by hand and not big enough to have an efficient delivery system in place. And, although that is costly and does not produce a good result, they seem to be trapped.

 

You don't live outside the USA...so why would you have a problem!??!

I almost bought a lifetime subscription when they were being offered. After reading this thread, I'm super glad I didn't, being I live in Canada. I usually buy the magazine on the newsstand at the grocery store, but haven't seen it for quite some time. Now I know why. Hopefully, TRJ will make it right for those that aren't getting what they paid for.

 

Attention Down Under - First response has sourced a copy of #83, so my offer stands, send me a PM and I will send a un-opened copy.

The issue is the shipper TRJ uses.

I live 2.9 miles from the USA border crossing where I have a US post box, they can USPS a copy to the US post box in about a week, the distribution house takes twelve (12) weeks or longer to ship it direct to my Canadian address if we are lucky.

Who knows when the shipper gets it but the wheels have fallen off the wagon.

Look what the Amazon/Fedex/private carriers can do. This has been going on long before the pandemic, it is piss poor service from an awesome publication.

 

I think the USPS has been overloaded with all this extra shipping. That knuckle head Post Master General cut out overtime and is trying to run the PO like it was some kind of business to make money which is not what it was designed for. The PO was set up to be a service for the US people. I have two letters that have be lost or still out there for weeks.

 

It’s too bad that for the time being you can’t cross the border to get to your US post box.

I’m really going to be happy when this insanity is in the rear view mirror.

 

So I sat on this for a couple of days and hoped Rodders Journal would make contact either through this forum or direct via email. You will note that I have included my name in my posts so they they could easily check my claims and contact me but guess what no contact what so ever - this is typical of how they treat their overseas subscribers including lifetime subscribers.

And for the record I am not blaming the post office for Rodders Journal's not emailing those who have orders for mechandise that have not shipped.

Nor am I blaming the distributors or post office for Rodders Journal not having shipped number 84 to their non USA subscribers.

Again I make the point they they are shipping to their distributors so how about giving the distributors a list of the direct subscribers and working something out for us who did direct subscriptions with them.

Thanks for the offers I have received for copy of number 83. Like the idiot I am I purchased a copy including freight from the Australian distributor. So I have actually now paid for 3 copies of number 83 but have 1 with no help from Rodders Journal USA).

And honestly some of you guys make me laugh in defending them. If the post was about Hoffman, Howells Sheet metal or the mag look alike distributors the fur would be flying. But not for the sacred cow that is Rodders Journal

Jeff Hitchins Australia

 

I gave up on my new subscription. I filed a dispute with my credit card company. I really suspect Rodders Journal is in financial chaos -- covid or not.

 

I'm disappointed by this news. I almost didn't resubscribe because of the high cost of the Canadian subscription but I only went for an additional year.
I was concerned when they were offering lifetime memberships because this doesn't seem like a substainable business model.

Phil

 

I'm also a Lifetime Subscriber in Sweden and mine is not here.

 

I have dropped Steve @TRJ a private message and so far nothing but crickets.

I know that @Ryan has a pretty good connection with TRJ maybe he can shed some light on this beyond just the troubles that we are all aware of.

The very least Steve could do would be to come on and respond to this thread.

 

I sent them an email on Sunday with the same request and a link to this thread. No response.