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Don’t they want subscribers any more?

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  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, August 17, 2023 1:59 PM

AEP528
How do you know? 

Well, everything anybody has ever sent me has arrived on time (with one exception in 24 years at this address), everything I mail gets there, all my monthly mail arrives around the same time every month, and my mail delivery person always goes above and beyond.

No problems, no complaints.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 327 posts
Posted by AEP528 on Thursday, August 17, 2023 12:34 PM

SeeYou190

I have zero problems with the United States Postal Service.

How do you know? 

Multiple people have complained on these forums when they get their magazines days or weeks later than expected. I've never experienced that, even during the pandemic. If all the magazine are delivered to the post office at the same time, USPS performance is the ONLY possible reason. I bet the renewal notices are the same. A bunch are generated at once and dellivered to USPS, and USPS sorts some into oblivion.

 
SeeYou190
NVSRR
maybe it is poor subcontracting 

-Kevin

 

I would bet it's not.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, August 17, 2023 11:12 AM

I have zero problems with the United States Postal Service.

NVSRR
maybe it is poor subcontracting 

There is no way I could know this, but I would bet that is what the problem is.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    May 2017
  • 382 posts
Posted by xboxtravis7992 on Thursday, August 17, 2023 9:30 AM

Railroad Model Craftsman seems to have no problem sending me notices my subscription is about to expire alongside the last issue of my current subscription for the last three years by the way. 

Those also happen to align with the last three years where I have held zero subscriptions for any Kalmbach magazine. 

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 327 posts
Posted by AEP528 on Thursday, August 17, 2023 8:22 AM

In the last two weeks I've gotten my MR and Trains renewal notices in the mail.

I have to wonder if the problem isn't that the notices aren't being sent, rather that the post office is not delivering them. I don't seem to have the problem with mail and package deliveries that other parts of the country suffer from regularly.

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 1,950 posts
Posted by NVSRR on Thursday, August 17, 2023 8:02 AM

SeeYou190

Weird that I also got a renewal offer for Trains Magazine.

I have never subscribed to Trains.

-Kevin

 

 

maybe it is poor subcontracting 

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 11:55 PM

Weird that I also got a renewal offer for Trains Magazine.

I have never subscribed to Trains.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: North Carolina
  • 1,905 posts
Posted by csxns on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 3:12 PM

Just like a Railroad running their business off.

Russell

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 1,950 posts
Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 12:32 PM

I noticed classic toy trains went to 6 issues a year with no notice. Maybe outsourcing some of that renewal stuff wasn't a good idea.   It  has gotten thin like mr.  Then need to step up thier online game too.  A lot. Forums and stuff like instagram is where the younger ones mostly are now. 

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 12:09 PM

I thought I had replied to this thread before.

My subscription to Model Railroader lapsed a few months ago. I never received any notice it was ending, or the usual offer to renew beofre it ended. I only found out when I called and asked why I had not received the new issue.

The person I talked to also told me my subscriptions to Classic Trains and Fine Scale Modeler had also ended. This person made no attempt for me to renew, and seemed to have no concern about losing a subscriber.

This was very similar to another experience I had when a previous subscription expired six years ago.

No renewal noticed were ever sent... until just now.

I received four subscription offers from Kalmback in one day... amost six months after my Model Railroader subscription expired. A little slow, don't you think?

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

I guess I will be re-subscribing to Model Railroader and Fine Scale Modeler.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 2,360 posts
Posted by kasskaboose on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 8:03 PM

Call me old, but why not call Kalmbach and talk to a live person? 

  • Member since
    March 2011
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Posted by NVSRR on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 4:28 PM

@AEP528    I never saw that down there.  mostly cause it is always covered by an ad on my end.  I would have never found that if you hadnt said that.  thank you 

 

@MisterBeasley  and others. I do enjoy the paper version too on line isnt for me  I do understand for them to have a furture, they have to do a heavy presents on line.  but the paper mag has it place espically for those that dont want to read something on a screen before bed or other places. 

 

shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 9,728 posts
Posted by Flintlock76 on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 4:14 PM

MisterBeasley

I get the paper magazine, and I've subscribed for years.  But, I'm concerned that the paper magazine will cease production.  No, I'm not going to move online.

 

I don't think the paper mag's going anywhere anytime soon, but who knows what the future holds?

I'm not interested in the (or any) on-line magazine.  I enjoy my time in front of the computer but I'm not addicted to it, if you get my meaning.

Bsides, I'm NOT taking the computer into the bathroom with me!   

(I always thake something to read into the bathroom, otherwise it's wasted time!)

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 12:23 PM

I get the paper magazine, and I've subscribed for years.  But, I'm concerned that the paper magazine will cease production.  No, I'm not going to move online.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 8:19 AM

You can also get to the renew link from the top of the page:
 
Log in and go to the MR (or whatever magazine you want to renew) forum home page.

Near your Avatar on the upper right side of the page select Update your account.

Select Subscription Services.

Verify your ID and you will now see your current subscription status including the number of issues left.

On the right side of the page select Renew.

 

Jim

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 7:36 AM

I've been offered a discounted subscription to Trains at least a couple of times via e-mail this year.  (But none for MR.)

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 327 posts
Posted by AEP528 on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 7:08 AM

NVSRR

Seams like kalmbach doesn't want renewals or new subscriptions any more.     Can't find anywhere to do renewals.    Too, a lot of digging to find a subscription page, but there was no renewal button there.      Not even in order history can I find any past renewals. Nor in my account can I find any subscript data like which magazines and expiration dates.  Which is rather odd.   I noticed 5e list of magazines has massively shrunk as well.  How do they expect new subscribers or existing to subscribe if they have no way to do it easily. And not have to dig?    Right now. Classic toy trains is the one about to expire.  

shane 

 

Every magazine page has Subscription Plans in the dropdowns.  Scroll down to the bottom of this forum and there's a link. When I'm logged in and I go to the Model Railroader or Trains page there's a Renew button right next to the title. For magazines I'm not subscribed to, or if I'm not logged into the forum, there's a Subscribe button right next to the title. There are subscription cards in magazines sent to retailers. Just yesterday in the mail I got a paper subscription renewal notice for Trains magazine.

How can they possibly make it any easier?

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, May 22, 2023 8:22 PM

Google the Peter Principle.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by maxman on Monday, May 22, 2023 7:17 PM

I always get a letter in the mail.

  • Member since
    March 2011
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Don’t they want subscribers any more?
Posted by NVSRR on Monday, May 22, 2023 6:44 PM

Seams like kalmbach doesn't want renewals or new subscriptions any more.     Can't find anywhere to do renewals.    Too, a lot of digging to find a subscription page, but there was no renewal button there.      Not even in order history can I find any past renewals. Nor in my account can I find any subscript data like which magazines and expiration dates.  Which is rather odd.   I noticed 5e list of magazines has massively shrunk as well.  How do they expect new subscribers or existing to subscribe if they have no way to do it easily. And not have to dig?    Right now. Classic toy trains is the one about to expire.  

shane 

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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