Reid,
No one contacted me about replacing the damaged issues. I guess I wasn't
vocal enough. I will go through my magazines and send you and Big Mike a
list. As I've stated before, the Marque is the only magazine/catalog we
receive that is consistently damaged.
I have discussed the problem with my delegate in the past. But as you say,
the club does not feel that it is a big enough problem to saddle the
membership with the additional expense.
Sure, it's the fault of the USPS. But if you were filling your Healey with
gasoline and the pump didn't shut off when the tank was full, would you
just let the pump keep pumping fuel because the malfunction wasn't your
responsibility? Would you use the same pump the next time?
Apparently the vocal ones feel the the magazine is something of value, that
they want to keep. Not something to read and throw away. So condition
matters to them.
Cheers yourself,
Bob
Reid Trummel wrote:
> OK, this has dragged out long enough. Time for some INFORMED opinion on
> the subject...
>
> -- This is an old subject. Very old. Whether you know it or not, it
> has been researched and discussed to death. The real cost for us to
> polybag "Healey Marque" amounts to about $6,000 per year. I don't know
> what other pubs would pay, for other quantities, from other printers,
> and it is also not relevant. Our cost, for our mag, from our printer
> (hang on, we're talking reality now) is about $6,000 per year.
>
> - We receive EXTREMELY few complaints about damaged magazines, although
> naturally the extremely few are vocal types who use opportunities such
> as the Healeys Mail List to grind their ax.
>
> - The number of complaints about magazine condition versus the cost to
> polybag them falls far, far short of justifying the cost.
>
> - Replacement magazines are available for any member who feels that
> their copy was received in unsatisfactory condition, even though IT IS
> THE USPS that damages them, not us. This is a long-standing policy that
> has been announced here and in the magazine.
>
> - It is obviously easier to whip out a quick email to complain, here,
> than it is to address the source of the problem: your post office.
> Reminds me of the story about the guy who lost his glasses in the
> garage, and a little while later his wife sees him looking around in the
> kitchen. She asked him what he's doing and he says, "Looking for my
> glasses." So she says, "I thought you said you lost them in the
> garage." He responds, "I did, but the lighting is better here."
>
> - And sports fans, those people who complained here about the condition
> of their mags were contacted by us and offered a replacement copy of
> their damaged mag. Exactly none responded. So do you want an undamaged
> mag, or are you really just more interested in trying to cause trouble?
>
> On behalf of the USPS, thanks for letting them off the hook and
> proposing that we spend $6,000 of everybody's money because you'd rather
> try to "start something" here than solve the problem at the source of
> the problem. But pardon us if your sincerity appears to be lacking by
> your failure to accept the offer of replacement mags.
>
> (I realize that this message gives the "vocal types" just the excuse
> that they crave for re-re-re-re-re-raising the subject, but I think that
> the vast majority here sees what is really going on.)
>
> Cheers!
> Reid
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