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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