The American Beagler Forum

still no mag whats wrong its been at least a month or more

Danny, I received your subscription January 10th - check #653. The magazine only mails once a month and you missed the January mailing. February mailed last Friday from Indpls. I live in Indpls and just got mine today. Some things I just can't control - the USPS is definitely one of them. Hang in there - it will come.

Hey Bev, I haven't gotten my magazine yet, BUT, the way I see it, I get the other two read then when TAB gets there I have the rest of the month to read just that one. That way I don't miss anything.

Mine came in the mail today also Bev. Your mailman must of had yours if you mailed it to yourself and just now got it.

Actually they leave Indpls. as bulk presort and are actually distributed at the Cincinnati hub. How Cincinnati sends them out is a big fat ? to me. Sometimes Ohio gets theirs late and by all rights should get theirs first! Poor Michigan has the worst delivery of any state to be as close as they are. Many of the problems I believe to be on the individual state level. If the USPS did what they say they will do for my money, everyone should have theirs by now. They tell me 4-7 days to anywhere in the country. Yeah right.

Bev,

As a retired Postmaster, I must come to the defense of the USPS. Because you are mailing the publication as 3rd class bulk rate, you are using the slowest means to mail. This type mail is always processed and delivered last after all other type mail in the processing centers, and it is always the mail that is curtailed by the carrier when he cannot carry all the mail in a given day. I suggest you mail 2nd class like most publications and newspapers and you would get much better service, go talk to someone at the Post Office and ask about the difference between the two types of mail and the difference in the cost. I think the difference will be small as far as cost, but the service is a lot better.

Richard, no need to come to the defense of USPS with me. I still feel like our postal service is the best bang for our buck we have in this country.

I explored the possibility of using 2nd class mail when I started the magazine. I was told there is no such thing as second-class mail any more. There is Periodical mail in its place and the percentage of paid advertising pages within the publication dictates qualifications and rates. there is an inspection, application fee and some other rigamarole one must go thru to obtain the permit. The mailing service I use calulated both ways and my postage would almost double if it went periodical. I already pay ovr $1,000/mo. to mail them standard bulk pre-sort. I'm too new and poor yet to spend that much more on postage. Besides my regular monthly mailing, I must pay $1.42 for every single piece sample requested, or someone who subscribes on the 10th of the month and wants to start with that month (which has already mailed) and I get many of those requests in a month's time.

The magazine has never been in the red (thank God) but I'm not to the really comfortable level yet either. So I save where I can and try to compensate by getting the magazine out a little earlier each month. Sometimes I get bitten by holiday mail or non-mail holidays, first of the month mail, or other priority mailings. I just pray for now that the readers will know that with the exception of the ARHA hunt schedules, the articles and information within the magazine are timeless and a few days either way won't change it. Sometimes an issue won't survive the mail and that can't be helped. The readers know (I hope they do) that I will never let them go without an issue they paid for if I have to send it out 3 times.

All is well with me and the USPS. Perhaps one day the magazine will be profitable enough that I can afford to send it out first-class. Wouldn't that be great?

An amendment to that post: I'm still not thrilled about being told 4-7 days for standard bulk pre-sort when in reality it is up to 21 days.

thanks bev will let you know when i get it

Bev

I think it's a little funny when I get my Magazine before you. Got mine Wednesday.