Suddenly having problems receiving new issues! :(

[videogameobsession]

I've been subbed to Retro Gamer for nearly 10 years now and I've had maybe 2 or 3 gone missing in that entire time and the replacements were always received right in the time they said they would be, but since issue #165 (The Zelda issue) I have not received a single issue of RT.

Is it a coincidence that this is the same issue that disappeared from https://www.imagineshop.co.uk/magazines/retrogamer.html ?
Maybe something happened to the subscriber list when they made the transition to Future?

I've contacted retrogamer@servicehelpline.co.uk and while they got back to me right away and said they sent replacement issues I've still not received a single issue.
So now after receiving 100+ issues with very few late issues I've now missed:
#165 (Zelda)
#165 (Zelda) Replacement issue sent out on 03/25/2017
#166 (Road Rash)
#167 (Mario Kart)
#165 (Zelda) 2nd replacement issue sent out on 04/21/2017
#166 (Road Rash) Replacement issue sent out on 04/21/2017
#167 (Mario Kart)Replacement issue sent out on 04/21/2017

Now I realize it's only been a bit over 10 days on the last 3, but still that's 4 issues that never made it to me.
Something must be wrong here.

I've always been a big supporter of RG and have personally been responsible for selling over 30 subscriptions here in the US.
I'd like to keep telling everyone how great it is, but I'd feel badly if they paid their $90 USD and never received an issue.
I normally also re-sub to RG around this time to ensure there is a big overlap and no possible way of missing an issue.

Can someone from RG please let me know if there is a problem with USA subbers receiving their issues?
I'd posted some questions on the RG Facebook page, and there were several other people in the same boat as me.
Fearing I would miss an issue, as I was told they are starting to sell out of newer issues, according to the RG rep on Facebook, I ended up overpaying for the #165 issue,
but I can't keep doing this!

I'd hate for my Retro Gamer trip to end here because I think it's an awesome magazine and I'd miss it.


Thanks,
Matt

http://www.videogameobsession.com

[subscriptions]

Hi Matt,

Thank you for your post and for the being a loyal subscriber for all these years

I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing problems with your subscription copies not arriving to you. I have checked with the production team and all overseas copies have been dispatched on time from the mailing house every month.

Could you please PM your subscription ID/postal address and I'll personally look into your account? I'll also arrange the replacements are sent out today.

Thanks,

Helen

Subscriptions Department

[Mayhem]

Do you have any other mail issues there Matt? While possible, I'd put more money on your local postman or mail carrier service "losing" your mail in the delivery stage.

[romeoteknik]

I've had the same issues and wondered what changed this year? I've also been a subscriber for many years and this year is the worst so far.

Although for the Mario Kart issue, it is May 2nd, so how are you missing the Mario Kart issue when the month just began?
Sub staff told me to wait 7-10 days before contacting them for missing issues, so I assumed the month's issue would arrive in that timeframe.( May 1st-May 10th)
When should new month's issue arrive? Is there a different time table I'm not aware of?

I never received issue #166, the Road Rash one, I contacted them (retrogamer@servicehelpline.co.uk), following their timeframe guidelines and was met with the usual reply of "can't source a copy, sorry".
I don't feel I should have a hole in my subscription for things beyond my control as a subscriber and their own online store is selling the issue. They can source copies just fine.

They said a replacement copy was sent out (4/21), have yet to receive the replacement issue.

The other time this happened, I received the replacement copy just fine. If there are indeed issues with UK/US Postal services, that's something Future/RetroGamer needs to deal with. Subscribers can't do anything about that sort of thing. If it's a big enough issue, maybe they need to send issues overseas with tracking numbers or in different packaging, which of course, would raise costs for them.

[videogameobsession]

Do you have any other mail issues there Matt? While possible, I'd put more money on your local postman or mail carrier service "losing" your mail in the delivery stage.

Not a single other issue.
I haven't had any other mail lost in several years (at least that I'm aware of).

I receive a ton of mail (and have a ton picked up as well). I am pretty friendly with our regular mailman. It's obvious to him that I am a game collector, and has no interest in it as he's not a gamer. I'm pretty sure if he were going to steal any gaming related items from the mail he would nab the LimitedRunGame boxes, or all of the imported Japanese parcels labeled "Contains: Video Game, Value: $500 USD).

Hi Matt,

Thank you for your post and for the being a loyal subscriber for all these years

I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing problems with your subscription copies not arriving to you. I have checked with the production team and all overseas copies have been dispatched on time from the mailing house every month.

Could you please PM your subscription ID/postal address and I'll personally look into your account? I'll also arrange the replacements are sent out today.

Thanks,

Helen

Subscriptions Department

Thanks Helen,
PM sent.

[peekb]

+2 on this...myself and a friend of mine who are longtime subscribers in the US never received the Road Rash issue (166). I realize 167 just came out, but haven't received that yet, either. I've emailed support but haven't heard back as of yet. It seems like there's more to this than "the mailman lost it"...

[Megamixer]

I reckon it has to be something to do with Future taking over from Imagine. A few posts here in this thread suggest that most of the recent back-issues aren't available in physical format at the moment while stock is being moved as part of the takeover.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=53619&start=105#p1083928

The timing is too coincidental.

[BurningDoom]

Signed up to the forum just to comment on this thread.

Also a subscriber, also overseas, and also having the same issue. I've I had one issue already replaced this year. And now I have received neither issue 166 or 167.

Here is a Facebook post from your Facebook page that shows more than a few of us having this issue:

https://www.facebook.com/RetroGamerUK/p ... 8325893568

[romeoteknik]

Just to update: I received my replacement issue #166 (Road Rash) today. So now I hope I receive this month's issue (167) without any problems.

[antsbull]

To add to this - I never received the Zelda issue, and contacted subs nearly a month ago and they said they didn't have any more, so I'd have to miss out on that one - so I had to source it myself on an overseas trip. However they've since told other subscribers they do have that issue and have resent it to them.

I've been buying online from Imagine for 8 years without a single missed issue (and about 3 years of that as a subscriber).

On the RG facebook page there are quite a few other people complaining about the Zelda and Road Rash issues going missing for international subs as well - this is about the 15th person I've seen complaining about one of those two issues going missing.

[Dullman]

I have also not received issues 166 and 167. When I contacted the customer service, they said they were out of the back issues. I am an overseas customer and I fear that something is messed up with the delivery system. Looks like I'm not the only one with this problem. Come on guys, let's get this fixed.

[antsbull]

Hi - just thought I let you know that I received the Zelda issue 165, finally, about 2 months late in New Zealand (have already received issues 166 and 167), with an apology letter from The Royal Mail in the UK, saying that an unfortunate incident happened at their distribution centre in London that resulted in this issue not being delivered.

Perhaps this is what has also happened to some other people's issues?

[thegamesnotoveryet]

Well, it appears that in the US at least, they are distributing issues here now, so the longer wait seems to be from the magazine coming to the states(probably by boat), and then being mailed out from their US offices.

Another user who just started a thread, just got his #166 issue yesterday and it was shipped from within the US. I also had the Nintendo Switch magazine that I ordered from myfavouritemagazine come from the US as well, and I was told it shipped way sooner from overseas, but that wasn't the case. It took longer to arrive than getting stuff from the UK, so I hope this can be corrected in the future, as I don't mind the longer wait, but I would like to know when and what books are coming, and that they can be replaced if they arrive damaged, or to late for me to buy locally at B&N.

I can access my account info on IP site, but the last issue that shows being sent, is the Zelda one(165). Which was also the last issue I got correctly from overseas. Is there going to be a new account info page at myfavouritemagazine that shows how many issues are left on your subscription, and what the latest issue being sent is? As that info no longer appears to be updating at the IP site anymore. And it also appears the left hand has no idea what the right one is doing, as I have not had one CS rep explain that books are being shipped from the states.

[kiwimike]

I think Future need to start tracing their send outs right down the chain. It's all well and good checking they leave the HQ on times etc, but the problem is clearly in transit.
They can start by seeing how the company they now own, Imagine, did it! Exceptionally fast delivery times in international freight.

[Ryan GH]

I'm in Perth, Australia. I finally got Issue 167 today after all this time. I hope the pace will be picked up as we australians and kiwis really do pay that little bit extra for the magazine. I think 2 weeks is more than a fair amount of time to reach me....