It's been a few days, conrailman. Any relief?
Well, I got my e-mail response from Kalmbach and the very next e-mail was from Zinio linking the June issue, which I've downloaded and started reading...
Clearly the secret is to log in using my website login, which has always worked, due to a fortunate selection of password back in 2003.
M636C
No problem. Happy to help anyone (particularly one that shares my love of ellipsis...)
I've always found Kalmbach's customer service a breath of fresh air and a model for other companies who are more troublesome to deal with, so these developments are troubling. Hopefully things will be restored soon.
I don't have an 'e' subscription but I also live nowhere near as far from Kalmbach's distribution center.
As for hot links, I've given up. Even with HTML, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't...
One more "small step for mankind"...
I was able to log in to Customer service using my site login.
My subscription details now only show a print subscription, no e-subscription...
I've enquired about that now,
Peter
NorthWest M636C: there is a current thread about people suffering similar issues on the MR forum at http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/256323.aspx. EDIT: the link worked! Don't ask me how...
M636C: there is a current thread about people suffering similar issues on the MR forum at http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/256323.aspx.
EDIT: the link worked! Don't ask me how...
North West
Thanks again....
While I do check the MR Forums from time to time, I hadn't noticed the transition from my former problem being reported to my current problem being reported. Clearly I'm not alone but I am still concerned about the extent of confusion in the Kalmbach system.
My not being able to find my subscriber number isn't really a Kalmbach problem.
Kalmbach not recognising the number off my Trains cover is much more serious...
At least I got May Trains both "e" and paper...
I'm going to check now before missing the paper June issue.
And yes, the link worked well...
BaltACD dakotafred NorthWest M636C: there is a current thread about people suffering similar issues on the MR forum at http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/256323.aspx. EDIT: the link worked! Don't ask me how... Those MR forums are sure well-hidden, indicated nowhere (that I can see) on the site's "masthead." I had a memory of them, from several site remodels ago, but could never find them recently -- until your link. (But wonder if I could find them again.) From the 'bread crumb' line at the top of the page - click on HOME. It will then display all the forums Kalmbach is supporting in the 'railroad world'.
dakotafred NorthWest M636C: there is a current thread about people suffering similar issues on the MR forum at http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/256323.aspx. EDIT: the link worked! Don't ask me how... Those MR forums are sure well-hidden, indicated nowhere (that I can see) on the site's "masthead." I had a memory of them, from several site remodels ago, but could never find them recently -- until your link. (But wonder if I could find them again.)
From the 'bread crumb' line at the top of the page - click on HOME. It will then display all the forums Kalmbach is supporting in the 'railroad world'.
Thanks, Balt, altho this didn't work for me. Maybe I'm doing what Sherlock Holmes always accused Watson of, "looking but not seeing." Happy ending, tho. I finally found the MR forums under "Community," on the masthead.
Send me your address. I'll mail you my copy.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Nothing Yet from Trains, from the E-mail I sent them on Sunday night.
But apparently quoting the link breaks it-unless one reenters the [ url] tags.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I've had I believe one issue that didn't show up and they were having troubles with their contractor for a while a few years ago that resulted in several issues I received from various Kalmbach publications missing pages, having duplicate pages, etc.
So while patience was running short when I had 2 or 3 incomplete issues in a short span of time, I've always been impressed at the ease of contacting them and the speed the replacement arrived.
Hope this is an isolated problem, since their customer service used to have a reputation of being excellent.
Continues to sniff of an outsourcing problem to me, hiring a gum chewer to conduct the second-most important job you've got, after staying in business: customer relations.
Euclid conrailman, How many times have you contacted them by phone, and what did they tell you each time?
conrailman,
How many times have you contacted them by phone, and what did they tell you each time?
I called them 3 times Now and they sent one out in 7 to 10 days. It has been full month now. and no May Issue yet. Also last night i E-mail them about this.
greyhounds M636C Much to my amazement, I haven't got my electronic copy of June yet... Has anyone else had this problem? My copy comes via Zinio (their choice, not mine). M636C My eTrains was late too. I contacted their customer service and it showed up on Zinio. Of course, they said it was my fault and that I should watch my email better. Horsefeathers!
M636C Much to my amazement, I haven't got my electronic copy of June yet... Has anyone else had this problem? My copy comes via Zinio (their choice, not mine). M636C
My eTrains was late too. I contacted their customer service and it showed up on Zinio. Of course, they said it was my fault and that I should watch my email better. Horsefeathers!
"Contacted Customer Service"
I just tried...
- quoted my subscriber number from the cover of the May issue..
"not recognised"
- filled in my full address exactly as on the cover (and e-mail, both times)...
-got to the default form and tried to complete it, noting that it doesn't address electronic subscriptions at all...
-forwarded it without much confidence....
This is not a good sign for someone 10 000 miles away from the subscription office. I wonder if I'll see any more issues, e or otherwise?
I never got any reply from Kalmbach on my earlier requests for my subscriber number regarding site login. Of course, if they couldn't find it, that might be the reason....
Of course, I checked Zinio and the May issue was the last. The subscription lasts until August.
This sounds as though it is nothing to do with the website but a major problem in their subscription records.
I wonder how much an international phone call will cost, assuming I can work out the time in the USA?
M636CMuch to my amazement, I haven't got my electronic copy of June yet... Has anyone else had this problem? My copy comes via Zinio (their choice, not mine). M636C
M636CHas anyone else had this problem?
Ever since my tablet died, I haven't seen the electronic version at all.
I dug out a recent issue with circulation figures and was surprised to find that they do, indeed, have over 30,000 copies of the magazine each month under the category "Copies not distributed."
They must do something with that number of copies besides stock them for lost copies such as this or back issue sales. That's a third of their paid circulation. I can't see them printing that many copies without some expectation of a return on them.
As I discussed earlier, the magazine isn't printed at HQ. Odds are back/lost issues aren't, either.
Regardless - when it does finally show up, sit back and enjoy it. I have many years of back issues in my "stacks," and I enjoy pulling out an old one from time to time for amusement's sake.
Like I said before, there was no money or winning lottery tickets in my issue, so late wouldn't have been a problem for me.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Much to my amazement, I haven't got my electronic copy of June yet...
Has anyone else had this problem?
My copy comes via Zinio (their choice, not mine).
Trains make Extra 10,000 thousands trains Maz every month, so they alot of extra maz every month. its in the Dec Issue in the back every year.
dakotafred Got all that; I was thinking more of the customer-service function. You can print and ship from anywhere, and still keep a pile of "spares" in the home office for prompt resolution of a problem such as Conrail's.
Got all that; I was thinking more of the customer-service function. You can print and ship from anywhere, and still keep a pile of "spares" in the home office for prompt resolution of a problem such as Conrail's.
Periodiclly Publishers are required to publish statistics of their distribution. How many printed in total, How many to subscribers, How many to retail outlets, How many returned by retail outlets, how many damaged in printing, how many 'stored' at the home office and probably a number of other catagories I haven't thought of.
tree68 dakotafred Sounds like Kalmbach has been doing some "outsourcing." Another depressing sign of the times. Hardly. Magazines have been printed and shipped like that for years. I'm sure you'd find that most magazines come from a surprisingly small number of printers. Today, we're printing Trains. Tomorrow, Tiger Beat... Especially today, with communications being what it is, a magazine publisher can assemble its publication in a relatively small office and send the finished product "over the wire" to the printer, who does everything else.
dakotafred Sounds like Kalmbach has been doing some "outsourcing." Another depressing sign of the times.
Sounds like Kalmbach has been doing some "outsourcing." Another depressing sign of the times.
Hardly. Magazines have been printed and shipped like that for years.
I'm sure you'd find that most magazines come from a surprisingly small number of printers. Today, we're printing Trains. Tomorrow, Tiger Beat...
Especially today, with communications being what it is, a magazine publisher can assemble its publication in a relatively small office and send the finished product "over the wire" to the printer, who does everything else.
I E-mail trains late last night about this. Hope they reply soon. I just check my mail Today No May issue.
Soo 6604 You didn't miss much. I was done with the magazine before I was done in the bathroom. Once. Never opened it again. Threw it out
You didn't miss much. I was done with the magazine before I was done in the bathroom. Once. Never opened it again. Threw it out
I hope that was because you read REALLY fast. Otherwise, perhaps more fiber.
Murphy Siding My goodness. If this is causing such major issues in your life, send me your address and I'll mail you my copy.
My goodness. If this is causing such major issues in your life, send me your address and I'll mail you my copy.
I wasn't planning on sending my issue, but I do wonder what the urgency is. I know my issue didn't have any cash or winning lottery tickets in it...
BaltACDAll things considered, if he is worried about losing subscription money for Trains he has bigger financial problems to solve. I was a 'Newsweek' subscriber when they packed it in. My loss, but it didn't end my world.
And spending twice the amount of money for the magazine because you fear it may go out of business? Seems kind of silly.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Soo 6604 You didn't miss much. I was done with the magazine before I was done in the bathroom. Once. Never opened it again. Threw it out.
You didn't miss much. I was done with the magazine before I was done in the bathroom. Once. Never opened it again. Threw it out.
Could speak to the magazine - or it could speak to your digestive functions.
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