Subscription question

[Tim Burton]

    I am thinking of getting a subscription to this magazine.  My concern is that 80% of my magazine subscriptions get to me are abused by the USPS.  I have had ripped covers, torn pages, terrible creases.

For 90% of my subscriptions this is no big deal, but this is the one magazine I do keep.  How do they ship the magazine?  Is is shipped like any other magazine or in a bag?  I'd be willing to subscribe if it is shipped in a bag, but no dice if it is shipped loose.

Anyone know?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, it comes unbagged.  Sometimes it arrives spotless. Occasionally with some damage. The theory is that a bundle is delivered to a post office where the magazines are separated for delivery. So the potential damage is limited to the local post office and delivery person.  My tiny mailbox can shred ANYTHING and often is quite hungry.

At one time Kalmbach mags were bagged, and TRAINS and Model Railroader would be in the same bag. Before that was manilla envelopes but never two in an envelope. But bagging stopped before Classic Trains came out.  

I started subscribing to Classic Trains and Garden Railways and I suspose the bag just wasn't up to the job!  But the various issues almost always arrive on the same day so I suspect they travelled together enroute.

Art

[coalminer3]

Kalmbach has been more than responsive abt. sending replacemnt copies when USPS "attacks" them.

 

work safe

[Anonymous]

That's good to hear, coalminer3.  At the time when the bagging was discontinued, it was mentioned that if one was received in bad shape they would replace it.  That was some time back and had not seen any reference to it since that time.

Art

[egmurphy]

I haven't had much problem with damaged issues, but I have had missing issues (Classic Trains, Trains, and Model Railroader) because the address label appears to have come loose from the front cover.  They're using a "easy-to-remove" system of address labels held on with a small amount of rubber cement.  Maybe that's "too easy" to remove.  In any case I have to say that Kalmbach Customer Service has been excellent about replacing the non-arrived issues.

Regards

Ed