Sad,sad,sad

[Tom R.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

I was encouraged by some well meaning folks at a concours event in Southern California recently to sign up for Corvette Market and gave me a copy of the previous issue to peruse. I liked the all-Corvette format and recent sales results so I signed up. Then I receive this American Collector Car magazine after receiving one issue of Corvette Market and am disappointed. I didn't want to spend that kind of subscription money on a magazine that's telling about International Harvester truck sales. I could care less. Plus there wasn't enough Corvette coverage to make it worth my while. I wanted a Corvette magazine and ended up being sold something else. Not happy.

[Keith M.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

Tom, sorry for your disappointment, I'll have a complete refund check sent out to you in the mail today.

[Keith M.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

A couple of responses: Ken, the reason Corvette Market couldn't grow out past four issues a year are twofold - first, there simply aren't enough Corvettes being sold at auction to populate the book. Second, advertisers have limited budgets, and asking them to double or triple their budgets, especially in this economy, was very difficult.
We put four years of effort into Corvette, and we were equally sad when we realized that there was simply no way to grow the economic model for it to make sense.

Peter, the refund check has already been sent, I would rather have you decide to subscribe to ACC on its own merits, than have you feel you were forced to accept something you might not have ordered in the first place.

Willard, you are correct, we are offering 100% refund of ALL subscription monies, regardless of how many issues someone has received (not 10% - wouldn't that be a cheesy deal!). We appreciate how much enthusiasts have grown accustomed to having CM in their mailboxes every quarter, but we also know that since we are the ones that decided to grow CM out into American Car Collector, we have a responsibility to make people whole who are not happy with the change.

[Tom R.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

Tom, sorry for your disappointment, I'll have a complete refund check sent out to you in the mail today.

Thank you sir. I'd much rather had that fine magazine I signed up for. I was so impressed with it that it's the most I have ever spent on a subscription in over 45 years of magazine reading. Best wishes on your new endeavor.

[George W.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

Again, I say Keith is a stand up guy...he is trying a new venture; I have seen him work the auctions and shows and I know that the new mag will have the best he has to offer. While I am a corvette owner, judge and collector and I go on record to say he will succeed with the new mag; I know a heard of car guys, Mustang, muscle car, sports, etc., that are liking it already. While I miss CM, I say good luck Keith.

[Walter G.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

Keith, sorry I took so long in my reply to your post; a lot of work issues today. I, like Peter, am NOT seeking a refund. My first issue under the new format has not yet arrived so I cannot be totally objective. I received an email from Rich indicating my subscription information was found and I will be getting the magazine from here on, at least for the terms of my renewal. Let's just leave it at that. Am I disappointed in the change of the publication? Absolutely! It's your business and decisions must be made accordingly, and some of them will disappoint. My business is commercial printing, so I have firsthand experienced the changes this industry has seen in the last decade, and most of it not good. I certainly wish you success-there will definitely be some challenges.

[Loren S.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

Got my premiere issue of the American Car Collector magazine in the mail yesterday, I thought it was excellent, loaded with good stuff.

[Jaime G.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

I got my copy of the magazine and I like it. The car world is much bigger than only Corvettes and the concept of this magazine is to broaden us Corvette enthusiasts to a world of other cars out there. Its refreshing and
the information provided is good. I applaud Keith and his staff in attempting to reach out to a wider group of collectors and enthusiasts. It only makes economic sense to do so. Us Corvette collectors are a tiny segment of the hobby. Good job Keith!. Happy Holidays to all.

[Norris W.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

As far as his promise to return your money if you don't like it, thats the current law ! Prepaid subscriptions are unearned future income and are accounted for as such. If you cancel ANY paid subscription that you may have the publisher MUST return your prepaid funds. That is current US commercial law.

Thankfully I'm no lawyer and don't have any lawyers in my family. But........ I have stayed at that hotel that makes people smarter. If it is in fact true, what would you do, sue the publisher over 50 bucks? What I do know is this............. seven or eight years ago I bought a '63 1/2 427 Galaxie and found a magazine on the internet to subscribe to. I think I bought several years up front. After a couple of issues I get this E mail from them saying that they were no longer going to print but the magazine would be available for online viewing. I immediately requested a refund and was basically told to go jump off the bridge and that I should be more sympathetic to the financial plight of the publishers. Ultimately the magazine sent another e mail saying they were shutting it down. Apparently the advertisers didn't think much of the scheme either. Magazines make their money off of paid advertising, NOT subscribers. I'd never looked at it on the internet anyway, but it still pissed me off. Some time later I get an E mail from Tom Shaw, saying he was hatching a Mustang magazine and was going to honor remaining subscriptions for the old Galaxie book. The Mustang mag is first class and printed on better paper than most of the other 20 or so car books I get. Shaw is a GREAT editor and makes it interesting and the mag keys on the older stuff rather than the Fox body Mustang boxes that the other Mustang books seem obsessed with. I've only got one Mustang, a '67 500 Shelby and have never been much into Ford books, but the magazine is so cool that I've renewed it for multiple years.

Disclaimer: I've only recently come out of the closet admitting publicly to owning several Fords. Although my family is humiliated I have found personal satisfaction in the honesty of the admission. I am still extremely fragile on the whole thought of being associated with Fords and Ford people, so hope you guys will be gentle and forgiving.

[Peter N.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

Thankfully I'm no lawyer and don't have any lawyers in my family. But........ I have stayed at that hotel that makes people smarter. If it is in fact true, what would you do, sue the publisher over 50 bucks? What I do know is this............. seven or eight years ago I bought a '63 1/2 427 Galaxie and found a magazine on the internet to subscribe to. I think I bought several years up front. After a couple of issues I get this E mail from them saying that they were no longer going to print but the magazine would be available for online viewing. I immediately requested a refund and was basically told to go jump off the bridge and that I should be more sympathetic to the financial plight of the publishers. Ultimately the magazine sent another e mail saying they were shutting it down. Apparently the advertisers didn't think much of the scheme either. Magazines make their money off of paid advertising, NOT subscribers. I'd never looked at it on the internet anyway, but it still pissed me off. Some time later I get an E mail from Tom Shaw, saying he was hatching a Mustang magazine and was going to honor remaining subscriptions for the old Galaxie book. The Mustang mag is first class and printed on better paper than most of the other 20 or so car books I get. Shaw is a GREAT editor and makes it interesting and the mag keys on the older stuff rather than the Fox body Mustang boxes that the other Mustang books seem obsessed with. I've only got one Mustang, a '67 500 Shelby and have never been much into Ford books, but the magazine is so cool that I've renewed it for multiple years.

Disclaimer: I've only recently come out of the closet admitting publicly to owning several Fords. Although my family is humiliated I have found personal satisfaction in the honesty of the admission. I am still extremely fragile on the whole thought of being associated with Fords and Ford people, so hope you guys will be gentle and forgiving.

Brought back memories...with wife #1 in 1973, we brought a '72 Chevy Blazer 4wd (the one were u could take the whole FG top off)...I subscribed to a 4wd Mag which was based in the SFV of LA, Calif.

Never got an issue...went to the home "office" which was a 4wd store...owner said the printer's shop burned down & issues would be sent soon.....didn't believe him...never heard from them again....IT STILL PISSES ME OFF.

[Joe C.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

u said it...I wonder if any printed mags or books will exist in 25 yrs??

I didn't mean it in the sense that interest and activity with printed media is fading in favor of e-media. I meant it in the sense that interest in classic cars and in particular, classic Corvettes is fading, thus necessitating consolidation. In recent months, some of the big guns have begun downsizing and/or liquidating their collections. McDorman is one that comes to mind.............
Summertime classic car shows in my region are slowly dwindling in number year after year, with prime venues shunning them more and more.

[Peter N.]

Re: Sad,sad,sad

u said it...I wonder if any printed mags or books will exist in 25 yrs??

I didn't mean it in the sense that interest and activity with printed media is fading in favor of e-media. I meant it in the sense that interest in classic cars and in particular, classic Corvettes is fading, thus necessitating consolidation. In recent months, some of the big guns have begun downsizing and/or liquidating their collections. McDorman is one that comes to mind.............
Summertime classic car shows in my region are slowly dwindling in number year after year, with prime venues shunning them more and more.

either way, it still fits....

u said it...I wonder if any interest in 50s-70s cars will exist in 25 yrs??