This Is Absolutely Ridiculous

[tstage]

Well, I think we've sufficiently talked this one through.  Everyone back on the bus!  Next stop?...Trainworld!

Tom

[RicHamilton]

Just my ...for what there worth (about 1.62c Canadian) 

Actually it is a bit more than that now.... weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Midnight Railroader]

I recived one of these dvds also, so im speaking from expierence here. If you keep the FREE DVD, and dont pay for it you will get constant letters in the mail reminding you, hey we havent recived payment from you,or got the DVD back, where sure you must have forgot or somthing.  

I didn't.

[machinist]

I recived one of these dvds also, so im speaking from expierence here. If you keep the FREE DVD, and dont pay for it you will get constant letters in the mail reminding you, hey we havent recived payment from you,or got the DVD back, where sure you must have forgot or somthing.  I kept forgetting to drop the thing back in the mail, I got so many letters I finaly made sure to send it back. It was alot of harasment for a FREE gift that I never asked for.

[KingConrail76]

Hmmm, let's see.

You subscribed to Model Railroader to get information on, let me take a wild guess here ... model railroading.

They sent you a free CD, chocked with model railroading articles, how to's, and other information, FREE, which you don't have to return unless you want to and for which you are under no obligation to pay for.

And you're highly incensed.

Sorry, but I find that rather odd.

I got mine the other day, don't intend to subscribe to the CD series, but will keep it and enjoy the information. Guilt free and un-incensed.

Mike Tennent

It is very obvious there are two Trains of thought here.......and I have already stated my opinion.

And Mike, I am not singling out your Post. I quoted yours because your opinion was clearly stated, and well written.

I just want to further ad, that for me, it wasn't the "getting something for free" that bothered me, It was the Tactics. I don't like getting phone calls from telemarketers, or from people taking surveys (even the one from my Car Dealers Service Dept. Quality Control people...), and I rank the Tactics of Kalambach, with this DVD, right there with "those" people.

Kalambach has my Email address, they send me a newsletter every Thursday. They could have asked if I would be interested in recieving this DVD with no obligation BEFORE wasting their (our) money on packing and shipping something that I probably would have said "no thanks" to.

Just my ...for what there worth (about 1.62c Canadian) 

[rtraincollector]

after reading opening comments I wonder how this indival reacts to all the other unwanted mail that comes every day from all the local and non local advertisers . To me this topic was started for no other reason than to complain and/or had no better topic to talk about and wanted to start a post.

I got mine the other day and kinda wish I would have kept it but i sent it back yes I knew legaly I could and not have to pay as I didn't ask for it.  

[KingConrail76]

Hmmm, let's see.

You subscribed to Model Railroader to get information on, let me take a wild guess here ... model railroading.

They sent you a free CD, chocked with model railroading articles, how to's, and other information, FREE, which you don't have to return unless you want to and for which you are under no obligation to pay for.

And you're highly incensed.

Sorry, but I find that rather odd.

I got mine the other day, don't intend to subscribe to the CD series, but will keep it and enjoy the information. Guilt free and un-incensed.

Mike Tennent

It is very obvious there are two Trains of thought here....

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, let's see.

You subscribed to Model Railroader to get information on, let me take a wild guess here ... model railroading.

They sent you a free CD, chocked with model railroading articles, how to's, and other information, FREE, which you don't have to return unless you want to and for which you are under no obligation to pay for.

And you're highly incensed.

Sorry, but I find that rather odd.

I got mine the other day, don't intend to subscribe to the CD series, but will keep it and enjoy the information. Guilt free and un-incensed.

Mike Tennent

[Charlie]

As my parents always said, never look a gift horse in the mouth. I wish I had received a free DVD from Kalmbach.

Charlie

[fiatfan]

My personal opinion is that they do not make good coasters.  Liquids just bead up on the surface.  There is no absorption.

 

Tom 

[SteamFreak]

I received one the other day as well, and I thought it was a gift because I was a valued and important customer (), only to read through the literature and find out I was expected to return it. It's kind of annoying to have something sent to you that you didn't order that you're expected to return. Weird marketing strategy.

It would make a nice coaster if it didn't have a hole in it.

[leighant]

With the high price of so many items, I am saving unsolicited credit cards to use as free styrene for scratchbuilding structures.  I think the rounded corners on the cards may be good for suggesting Art Moderne buildings of the late 30s, early 40s.

[bearman]

Since they only want the disk back, not the packaging, and the packaging costs more than the mass produced disk, my bet is that they won't even open the returns, just use the returns to modify their mailing list and shred them unopened.

The major cost is production, making the master, and packaging.  Individual mass produced disks cost pennies.

The cost of inspecting and repackaging them would exceed the cost of just sending new factory packaged units.

 

 

Darn, and here I thought that I was onto something, sort of a chain letter.  My disc gets sent to Canada from where it is returned only to be sent to Finland from where it is returned only to be sent to Illinois from where it is returned.  Well, you get the picture.  And we could track its progress right here on this forum.

 

By George, I think you've got it!!

I'm gonna slap an Athern sticker on mine and send it right out...

...Posts of sightings under thread "DPB DVD Sightings"...

Go ahead!  We could start a movement,  a la Arlo Guthrie's advice in Alices's Restaurant.

[KingConrail76]

Since they only want the disk back, not the packaging, and the packaging costs more than the mass produced disk, my bet is that they won't even open the returns, just use the returns to modify their mailing list and shred them unopened.

The major cost is production, making the master, and packaging.  Individual mass produced disks cost pennies.

The cost of inspecting and repackaging them would exceed the cost of just sending new factory packaged units.

Darn, and here I thought that I was onto something, sort of a chain letter.  My disc gets sent to Canada from where it is returned only to be sent to Finland from where it is returned only to be sent to Illinois from where it is returned.  Well, you get the picture.  And we could track its progress right here on this forum.

 

By George, I think you've got it!!

I'm gonna slap an Athern sticker on mine and send it right out...

...Posts of sightings under thread "DPB DVD Sightings"...

[bearman]

Since they only want the disk back, not the packaging, and the packaging costs more than the mass produced disk, my bet is that they won't even open the returns, just use the returns to modify their mailing list and shred them unopened.

The major cost is production, making the master, and packaging.  Individual mass produced disks cost pennies.

The cost of inspecting and repackaging them would exceed the cost of just sending new factory packaged units.

Darn, and here I thought that I was onto something, sort of a chain letter.  My disc gets sent to Canada from where it is returned only to be sent to Finland from where it is returned only to be sent to Illinois from where it is returned.  Well, you get the picture.  And we could track its progress right here on this forum.

 

[Phoebe Vet]

Since they only want the disk back, not the packaging, and the packaging costs more than the mass produced disk, my bet is that they won't even open the returns, just use the returns to modify their mailing list and shred them unopened.

The major cost is production, making the master, and packaging.  Individual mass produced disks cost pennies.

The cost of inspecting and repackaging them would exceed the cost of just sending new factory packaged units.

[bearman]

Well now I'm ticked off cause nobody sent me any DVD's yet and I subscribed!!!!

 

 

Who knows? You may get the one I just returned.  I should have put some sort of identifying mark on it.

[bearman]

I dropped it in the mail today unseen.  Perhaps it will end up in Canada.  Yeah, I know I am under no obligation to send it back, but this time I did.  Next time it goes straight into the circular file.  As for the "coin", can it be used to perform the quarter test?  Otherwise, as far as I am concerned it, too, is useless.  I would opine that the point is that this is an expoensive proposition, and if the marketing doesn't work, and it sounds like the whole project may be in trouble, then guess who ends up paying, indirectly, of course.  Most corporations that I know do their homework before launching a new product or service , and that includes their marketing homework.  This whole thing appears to be the product of amateurs, especially given how many people, granted an unscientific sample, appear to have kept it with no intention of subscribing to the series.

[d van]

No issue here with FREE stuff!! Like other have said....It's FREE.....watch it, toss it, send it back...whatever makes you happy!!!

[Phoebe Vet]

 unwanted CDs and DVDs make great coasters for your desk, night stand,coffee table, ect.   just my 2 cents ;-)

That's what I have been doing with them for years.

[Cornboy]

Bearman, personally I agree with you. I got one too and although the "fine print" acknowledged that it was legally an unsolicited gift and - to be fair - larger than fine print acknowledged that it would only be a courtesy to return it (as a one-time postal employee I already knew it, but many people do not), I personally think this is an extremely low form of direct mail solicitation. I also noted that NOWHERE in the accompanying printed materials was the actual cost mentioned. I did watch it and found it to be (a) mostly just eye candy, and (b) terribly disjointed. I'll probably return it just because they made it so convenient but the devil in me says just toss it. BTW this is a costly marketing campaign - I speculate that they are doing poorly with sales.

Hey there Steamnut,

I started the last thread about this yesterday.  Being a complete noob to the hobby I must say that I found the DVD fun and interesting.  It definately had the effect of pushing me a little closer to actually starting a layout.  I agree that the marketing method is almost evil, but in this rare instance it may have worked on me.  I need lots of information, and the DVD provides it in an understandable, if disjointed, format.  I actually understand DCC an how it works.  Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[Midnight Railroader]

I didn't subscribe to Model Railroader to get the equivalent of a unsolicited credit card in the mail.  I don't care how hassle free it is to return the DVD, I didn't ask for it in the first place.  It is unsolicited and unappreciated.

Keep it. Or throw it out.

Federal law says if you didn't ask for it, it is a gift. No matter what MR "suggests."

[KingConrail76]

I didn't subscribe to Model Railroader to get the equivalent of a unsolicited credit card in the mail.  I don't care how hassle free it is to return the DVD, I didn't ask for it in the first place.  It is unsolicited and unappreciated.

When I first opened it and read the liturature, I was quite P-O'd...

I have since gotten over my initial, unhealthy, reaction, watched the video, and yet, remain unimpressed with the content or the tactics.

my

[fiatfan]

When they first send it to you, the accompanying literature says they will ship one every 2-3 months.  When they started shipping them every two weeks, I quit.

 

Tom 

[eeyore9900]

The best piece of unsolicited mail I ever got was some 25 years ago. I got the video "Wheeling in the Rat Hole." Very strange was that I'd never ordered it, since I didn't have a VCR at the time. It was a $70 something vid at the time too. Not only that, the 1st part of it related to the NKP #765 operating on the now WLE just west of here-an area I'm familiar with. My relatives that knew of my trains interest said they didn't do it, & I knew few to none fellow railfans/model railroaders personally at the time. Either way, the receipt said it was paid for, & it's still a valued piece of my video collection & still dig it out from time to time!

[HackSaw]

 unwanted CDs and DVDs make great coasters for your desk, night stand,coffee table, ect.   just my 2 cents ;-)

[MrKLUKE]

.

[HEdward]

Perhaps they accidentally hired the guy from AOL that came up with, "Lets send everyone in the world a free CD-ROM, twice a month!"  In a thread a long time ago, we decided that a DVD as a coaster wasn't going to work.  However, several other uses beyond target practice and car decor were mentioned.  For example, If you cut a notch in five of them, then stack about fifty, you've got the base of an unusual lamp, courtesy AOL and now Kalmbach.  Actually, I CHOSE to subscribe to the series because I enjoy the layout visits, and by watching the how-to segments, I know what to accumulate as the time to move foward with the new layout draws near.

[Milepost 266.2]

Never heard people complain so much about free stuff!

I got one. Haven't watched it yet, but have the impression they sent it to only some subscibers in order to gauge the response.

It's marketing, gents. If it works, there will be more. But that will only be because people wanted it.

Have to admit, I was a bit surprised myself...

 

It's an odd marketing campaign though.  They send it to people who already are customers, it generates no advertising revenue, and they rely on the honor system for people to pay for it or return it.  

I've watched several of them (they never sent me any, but others have received them) and they range from inconsequential to really good.  The operating session on the N scale B&M layout was very well done.