In-Fisherman Rant

[erikwells]

Mistermom, you won't receive any calls. First of all In-fisherman doe's not have the infrastructure to create a collections department. They are better off marketing to new customers rather than trying to collect a small debt. It would actually cost them more money to collect the debt if we can make the assumption that they sent two letters and made two phone calls. It also costs money to report to the three major credit bureaus Experian Equifax and Trans union. I have worked in credit and risk analysis for 10 years and have never seen a magazine cause a negative credit bureau report.

I mean doesn't history tell any of us 30 and 40 something year olds anything. I never had the Columbia House Record Club report my credit bureau. God help us if they ever had.

[JP Z]

The main thing to remember in this little ordeal is that it isn't so much the In-Fish who is causing a stink. Their parent company is the one who does the mailing sneakiness. I guess this is the second batch of mailings they have done, and this is roughly the same response they had the first time........hmmmmmm I wonder who was listening.

Tight Lines!

[Dennis Steele]

I just got a letter in the mail asking me to please pay for the vid or return it.Sorry I am through!No more In Fish for me.
Its the principal of it.I won't be bullied and won't have anything to do with a company that uses this type of high pressure sales.Just like these dang pop ups telling me to get a pop up protector!ARRGH I am going crazy!

[Kevin Turner]

I still look forward to the Mag. I'll bet the guys up in Brainerd are just as disgusted with this pressure sales bit as we are.

[Northlander]

Look at the Mag. and tel me how many articles have just been recycled! My subscription ran out when I signed up for 2 years and after about 14 months didnt recieve my mags. Of course they passed the buck. If I see a issue I like I buy it at my wifes bookstore. Most are the same old same old.

[Dennis Steele]

Now that I have had a little fishing for the day and am a little more serene.I chose to take the path where many voices would be heard and not a silent boycot.I just sent to InFish a link to this thread so that they can see that a lot of people are not happy with this type of marketing technique.I have been reading InFish since the 80's and most of the issues going all the way back to the get go.How can I just give up on the mag and ruin my great collection!

------------------
Minnesota River Guided Fishing
"fishhead"
[email protected]
www.mnriverguidedfishing.com

[Duffman]

WallEYES....
I didn't mean to kick the hornets nest on this one, but it is nice to see the high number of responses. I'm just going to keep the video and give their customer service a call with my concerns. I've always been a fan of In-Fisherman and will continue my subscription despite this very minor displeasure.

Thanks for listening to my little rant guys!!!!

[JP Z]

Dennis,

Great minds think alike. I also forwarded this discussion on to some of my friends at In-Fish. The main response I got was that the mailing was a P.M. deal. Of course that doesn't pull the In-Fish out of the fire. But at least it sets them off to the side to get a nice hickory flavor.

Tight Lines!

[uffdapete]

I think most of you are aware of this, but a major magazine publisher purchased In-Fisherman magazine a couple years ago. I work in the publishing business - in fact directly with the company that bought them out. I wouldn't attribute any of the changes to the Linders or the staff that has remained with the magazine. It's likely out of their hands.

It's too bad to see a publication that had developed such a good reputation start sliding. A boycott may work in this situation and it may not - we're talking about one of the largest magazine publishers in the country with many titles, so this is just a drop in the bucket - they might just attribute a drop in subscriptions to the economy and move on without looking into it.

Hopefully somebody either on the inside or outside will step in, inform them and salvage this. I think letters and emails up front would be more effective than a boycott.

[Shorelunch]

If you are upset and/or dropping subscriptions, by all means let In-Fish know. Advertisers (and their ad agency's) also need to know too. Besides being an avid fisherman and hunter and asking related questions, I keep track on forums to catch the "pulse" of the industry. I would believe that other's do, or should, too.

No readers = no advertisers = no In-Fish. PriMedia may or may not know your frustrations and input regarding In-Fish, but In-Fish definitely needs to know. Most publishers do not want unhappy readers.

[fiskyknut]

I gave up on in-fish a couple years back because its basically the same stuff over and over and over. Less content and more ads also in every issue it seems. I still buy the annuals off the mag racks when they come out, only because I have since they first came out, even these are way repetetive.

Fisky

[IFallsRon]

When In-Fisherman was sold to Prime, it became less a magazine and more a direct mail marketing tool. Have you noticed more junk mail? I worked on a magazine for the company that produces NAFC and NAHC and about seven other magazines. They make you think it's the magazine that's important and maybe was half true when the Burkes owned the company. Now the whole company is about making money. I helped a friend get in there and all he does is produce fancy envelopes and letters that choke your mailbox. All you have to do is buy one thing and the whole thing's a success.

You ever notice that you can rip out the first dozen pages of most outdoor magazine and not lose any of the stories?

[This message has been edited by IFallsRon (edited 06-12-2003).]

[Guest]

Have some fun. Tape over it with a home video of all your buddies mooning the camera and send it back.

[Guest]

~mpete54~

Don't discount the persistence of the auto account management systems used by big mass mailer firms today.

If they do not get a payment, they add you to the list. It has no conscious and does it because the balance sheet says "Joe Blow" made no payment on item issued...BING..done deal..your on the list.

Case Example: A friend was flagged when he recently went to finance his house. Why, because of a similar Publishers Clearing House type book mailing deal. The books in question only cost $27, he did not order them so...he kept them. He thought they would not push it.

It cost him $500 to get it off his credit report so he could get his financing for the $120.000.00 house. Yup...they didn't push it, they have the power to make you squirm, eventually. They will wait.

Nothing is ridiculous in corporate America, NOTHING!

[stoneeyes317]

I also received this video, and today received my second "bill". I emailed them just a few minutes ago, and I also mentioned this discussion in hopes that someone there will have enough sense/conscience to check out what other subscribers think about this gimmicky solicitation. I also offered to return the video if they sent me a return label. I threw out the entire box when I got mine, because mine was an Xmas gift, and I thought the video was just part of the subscription...

eyes317

[Guest]

The Law is no obligation - there should be another Law for any follow-up pressure - HANGING.

[Dark Cloud]

Duffman - I got the same deal about a week ago and was upset also. I didnt ask for it ~~ I dont want it!!!
I didnt even watch the video. I just read the letter, put it back in the box, put the label on the box and back in the mailbox she went....
I agree with many, as a subscriber for over 10 years the mag has become kinda boring. I used to read em cover to cover now maybe an article or two. But how many times can you rehash the same stuff....

[Guest]

With all the great information shared on this site who needs a magazine? I gave up on In-Fish a couple of years ago at the same time as NAFC pushed me over the edge.
About the only thing I will purchase is the annual. I spend too much time on line to mess with mags.
Dino

[chunkytrout]

If they send you something you did not request, they have no right to ask you to pay for it. THAT IS ILLEGAL and borerline fraud. Contact the Minnesota Attorney Generals office immediately. And to fan the fire, call the better business B as well. A nice letter back to them saying your attorney will be handling this situation from here on out usually does the trick also.

chunky

[pikehunter]

At least some of you guys got power worms. I got the video and a frickin Largemouth Bass "collector's series medalion." Ugh.

[fivebucks]

I too cancelled my subs. to I-F and Walley insider a couple of years ago. I just didn't think the mag. is as good as it used to be. It's hard to find a good mag. now.

[walleyehawk]

If they sent a prepaid postage return I would just return the video.

I realize you are under no obligation to do so under the law. BUT IT WILL COST PRIMEDIA A LARGE CHUNK OF CHANGE IF EVERYONE DOES THIS. This will reduce the chances of some marketing one-who-thinks-I-am-silly putting together another proposal to management to do this type of program, or make it less attractive financially.

Subscriptions are very important to IF. Primedia paid the Lindners a large sum of money for IF. So subscribers do matter if they want to get their investment back. I think they are just realizing the value of the video catalog and want to sell more videos. But they are going about it the wrong way and losing valuable customers. And without subscribers, advertisers lose interest fast.

Also, Primedia is the publisher of Minnesota Sportsman, another very thin magazine. I like the articles, mainly because they speak about a specific species in specific lakes. They seem to get good local information.

My other peeve about magazines is you start getting renewal notices the day after you subscribe. Don't miss an issue, Hurry as this is the best price, Last chance... I stopped getting a few of these magazines as I hate getting this junk mail!

Just my opinion..

[Guest]

My wife gets these things in the mail all of the time. She is a teacher and ordered a couple of books a few years ago (not a club deal, no obligation to purchase more). Now, about once every 3 months we get something in the mail. The book sized cardboard box with the envelope with the bill. Their thing is they send a post card (which looks like junk mail) in the mail about 8 to 10 days out in front telling you it will be coming unless you either send the card back (if it doesn't go in the mail that day it is too late) or go to the web site to cancel (the web site never works). In order to return it we have to take it back to the post office, marked return to sender, with no sign that it was opened, including the envelope. Usually the post office employee looks [PoorWordUsage]ed, sometimes the won't take it.

I keep telling my wife to just send back a note saying she did not order it, will not pay for it, and will not pay to send it back or spend time going to the post office to return it, and to take her off of their list, stop sending her the books.

I agree this is bad marketing. When you threaten your customers with a bill for something they didn't ask for it turns them off to your other products. If they had a postage paid envelope then great, but most of the time it is a pain in the @55 to get it returned.

As far as credit goes, there is a difference between not paying a bill for something you didn't ask for, and signing up for a record club (or magazine club) and not continuing to pay for what you agreed to. I would question the PCH magazine one because they usually have the offer of 3 magazines for 3 months for a $1, but you have to get one for a year at regular price, or they renew. . .I am guessing the person that had to pay $500 to get it off of his credit rating agreed to the deal at some point.

Kevin

[mjhowe]

Postal regulations state that if you receive something in the mail that you did not contract to receive, it is yours to keep. Also, if you get something in the mail that you did not order, books, tapes etc. you may write refused on it as long as you did not open it and return it at no charge to you.

Just write refused on the item and drop it in any mailbox. You do not have to take it to the PO unless it wont fit in a drop box.

Do not open the package or the invoice and you can return it for nothing as long as you refuse it.