Another trashed self starter in my mailbox today.

[76eldo]

I am a first class subscriber and pay my dues 3 years at a time.
Not renewing unless the put this publication in a bag.
Had enough.
Ban me, lock the thread, whatever but this is bull.

Brian

[STS05lg]

Brian,

Wow, I though mine was bad this month. Mine had tire tracks on the outside cover. Must have been run over by a push cart or two wheeler. But you win.  That one must have got caught in a sorting machine.

Lynn

[gkhashem]

Mine was OK, but the Oldsmobile Club, the Pontiac Oakland Club and the Buick Club all come in a bag.

Also the AACA magazine does too.

I agree with you Brian. The dues are also similar. I suspect if everyone who got a mangled magazine asked for another one it would not be such a small amount of "whiners".... 

While I throw away the $12 a year subscriptions which I hardly read, but I like to keep my Self Starters so I understand your frustration.

I would be fine going up $5 a year to cover the cost.

[GBrown #8092]

Interesting. I don't think I have gotten more than two damaged copies since I joined in the 80's. Given how badly that one is damaged, I don't know whether a bag could have saved that one. I have occasionally received damaged bagged issues of magazines, so that may not resolve your issue either.

May I make two suggestions:
Call the office for replacement.
and make a complaint to your postmaster.

Glenn

[Jason Edge]

My experience has been the same as Glenn's in that I may have had a couple of slightly damaged Self-Starters in the 21 Years I have been a member.  I also agree that a plastic bag probably would not have prevented damage to your issue.

[mistertudball]

My Self Starter has come mangled every issue for years EXCEPT this most recent one.  I was sorta shocked!  Not the magazine itself but the white paper cover is usually trashed.  I don't save them so no big deal.   

[76eldo]

I think that an open edge publication going the wrong way through their machinery is the issue.

It's mainly the outer jacket thats ripped.

I'll just deal with it as it can be read and only the white cover it torn.

It should go in a bag.

[59-in-pieces]

Brian,
I agree with you that I rarely receive the magazine without damage.
Is it any wonder that Cadillac is no longer the Standard of the World when our own club members receive our club publication damaged when other clubs have a better outcome.

I for one would like to here directly from the responsible member of our Club or better the printer and distributor of the magazine as to why we receive damaged books - not interested in the speculation of others who may think they know or speak for those folks who have the hands on responsibility of producing and delivering us a top notch product - and the reason why it isn't happening and how to fix it.

Too often - and I will admit I'm one - we accept less than the best or what we think is a reasonable standard of production for goods or services we pay for - including parts for our cars made overseas.
Compromise has become so common place, it sickens me.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Brian,

Are you saying that the Members inside USA don't have any sort of covering to contain the Self starter during transit?

When my copy comes all the way down here, it is perfectly contained within a plastic "envelope" and I can only recall once in 17 years when there has been just the slightest damage.

I even created a wider mouthed Letter Box for the Postman to deliver it without folding it.

Bruce.

[chrisntam]

Good going Bruce, you just put additional fuel on the fire!

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I do receive another clubs newsletter, that is a stapled-together number of A4 pages that are folded in half, but that comes with sellotape stuck to all three open sides, with no openings, but it is a real pain to open up without hurting the printed cover pages.

But at least, it has never received ant postal damage.

Bruce.

[Brent Hladky #21519]

Same for me.  Like clockwork.  Every month: trashed.

[Glen]

If you are not talking to your post office it will never change.  Even in a bag it will get trashed. 

[Chuck Swanson]

If you are not talking to your post office it will never change.  Even in a bag it will get trashed.

According to this expert (pic attached), not true.  If each in a bag and sent in wraps of 40 for example, sometimes the top one can get accidentally cut at the local post office before distribution. 

As a side note, mine came damaged again this month, but I do not ask for replacements.  Just commenting here as I did on Brian's last post a while back, confirming it may be more common than realized.  Chuck

[TonyZappone #2624]

How much do you give your mailman for Christmas?  Everything in FLorida and up North comes well cared for.

[76eldo]

Once again, it's not the mailman. It gets mangled way before he handles it.
I trip my mail carrier $20 in a thank you card at Christmas time.

[59-in-pieces]

With all due respect to those "fortunates", and few I suspect, who receive their magazine unmolested, lucky you.
My wife and I, like others, receive several magazine style publications every month (10+) - and any of you with grand kids who sell magazines as fund raisers for their school, know what I mean - only our club book gets regularly thrashed.

I went back to see how we receive these books from various locations here in the U.S. and found they are prepared for delivery in 3 ways.  First, there are those which come in a plastic bag (like Hemmings Motor News). Second, those with sticky circular thin paper disks that are used to wrap front to back over the free edges of the book placed, one on one side and two on a third side of the book, leaving the remaining side open (by far the most). Third, there are those few which come without edges protected.

I brought this up before when this issue was discussed, at which time it met with crickets.
If the insidious goal is to deliver the books digitally, and do away with the "added Expense", then straight up and say so.  Or, find out exactly the added cost of delivering the book in a bag, and let the membership decide to absorb the added cost, or go digital, or continue to compromise on quality, and suffer silently - as we have been doing.

The floor is yours - #molestedmagazine.
Have fun,
Steve B.

[BJM]

I am a member of the BCA (Buick Club of America) and we so far - get ours delivered in a bag.  The cost for 6500 approximate members is $6000 a year.  I know this because I am friends with several of the present and past BOD. 

How is it paid for?  There is an unnamed benefactor which pays for the cost each year.   I get my SS just fine with no damage and I believe a taped run over like you see with some SPAM unsolicited mail where a sticker is placed on one side - holds the contents in - and then is stickered on the other - would remove 75% of the issue right there. 

Even though I am a Republican I am a tree hugger too. What waste it is to plastic wrap all of those magazines.  I don't keep my magazines and will likely to go to digital soon.  I prefer a real tangible magazine but am adapting to digital since I throw mine away after a few months.

I am however in agreement that the SS represents a treasure trove of great stories and photos but something has to give, so I usually toss magazines. 

The powers that be should start with a sticker that wraps around so the paper outside can withstand the tearing. If that does not work, then they should listen to the membership and if a baggie is the answer, then spend the money, even if it requires a dues increase. 

Just my 2 cents. 

[Seanicroute74]

Mine was pretty thrashed as well. Plus no stickers!!!!!! Not sure whats up with that.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

Just for anyone's general information, all of the rants and ravings expressed on this thread will possibly be just that. Nothing at all will be done about the problem. Not because of any lack of interest in having a "happy and contented" membership relative to the condition of their magazine, but because the complaints are not being addressed in the proper manner and to the proper people.

We have no rule that officers must monitor this Forum. Some might not be computer literate, more simply don't have the time. Thus, if you don't let them know of your problem by email or telephone (that thing you watch TV and play games on.), they are possibly not going to know about it. Every CLC member eventually gets a Directory. Officers do have their emails and phone #s listed with their names.

To get the very best results when you have a problem, you should contact your Board member, your Regional Vice President, or the President. Or those in the Club Office. And since this is a Publication problem, maybe Jeff Shively or Tim Coy. So if you truly believe that it is time for us to wrap our magazine, let someone know about it.

This is a good time to request that the Publication Committee re-address the issue of bagging the book. They hopefully would have ample time before the mid-winter Board Meeting to meet and report to the Board about the issue. If you have had problems with damaged magazines, give them some hard evidence of your problem. Don't just say, "Well, I've heard that there are LOTS of people that have this problem."

At present, they are operating under the mandate that it is far cheaper to replace than bag. All you have to do is prove them wrong. Again, all of you that have delivery problems should send an e-mail to those listed above.

If the powers that be get bombarded with requests that this be done, perhaps something good will come of it.