Radio Times - is anyone else hacked off with constantly late delivery?

Freddie_Snowbits

Gmitch2000 wrote: »

Does anyone know the cheapest way to have a constant subscription to the Radio Times? I want the magazine not the website.

You used to be able to use Tesco Clubcard or Nectar vouchers but not anymore.

Thanks.

They have a £1 offer at the moment
http://www.bbcsubscriptions.com/tv-guide-shows/radio-times?offer=RTBUT10

Doc_N

Generic email to subscribers today:

Dear *****

Due to disruptions resulting from a combination of the poor weather conditions and high volumes of post prior to Christmas, Royal Mail have been experiencing delays through their network, however they are hopeful it will be resolved soon. You may therefore have found and may continue to find over the next couple of weeks that the magazine, free gift or gift card you were due to receive has suffered delays. We are in constant discussion directly with Royal Mail and have been assured that they are doing their utmost to clear the backlog.

We do apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you and we aim to get your products to you as soon as possible. If you are waiting to receive a gift card for a friend or family member you can download one from our website, simply click here.

As a result of the problems, we are also currently experiencing an increased volume of emails and phone calls into our customer service centre. This is causing delays to our usual speed of response but rest assured, we are working through all enquiries in order of receipt and we will do our best to answer all calls and emails as quickly as possible.

We appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this period.
Kind regards,

BBC Magazines Customer Services Team

richie7_2

My Christmas issue turned up late, the next issue turned up late, the one from last week turned up on the Saturday morning that the issue went "live" and the one for this week still hasn't turned up at the time of writing. Assuming it arrives tomorrow then that's 2 days of listings I'll have missed. I can't complain too much as I took out the "8 issues for a pound" offer but it's hardly the best way to encourage people to keep subscribing, is it? I've cancelled my subscription now.

Given that some people seem to get their issues on time and others don't then it's not clear whether it's a general national distribution problem or a local sorting office problem. My faith in Royal Mail has been severely tested over the last few months with theft from a special delivery parcel, post turning up weeks after it was posted, days without ANY postal deliveries, repeated use of "sorry you were out" cards when I was in the house and heard the card drop through the letterbox but strangely didn't hear the doorbell, etc, etc, etc...

I've had subscriptions for monthly magazines before and they've nearly always come a day or so before they were on sale in the shops. I could understand a day or so delay for a weekly magazine but to be receiving it nearly a week after it was available in shops is just plain rubbish.

custardy

what postal method does the Radio Times come by?

KimYeovil

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Im surprised anyone bothers to buy or subscribe to it anymore. Every weekend paper has a decent tv section for the week now

Please identify one single weekend paper that has a decent radio section??? (The clue is in the title's title.)

Doc_N

custardy wrote: »

what postal method does the Radio Times come by?

First Class. Used to be pretty reliable (8/10 arriving on the Tuesday, as intended) until the snow problems in late November. Since then it's been totally unreliable, and Radio Times know that.

The trouble is, there's not (as yet) any cost-effective alternative to Royal Mail, or they'd certainly be using it.

Doc_N

KimYeovil wrote: »

Please identify one single weekend paper that has a decent radio section??? (The clue is in the title's title.)

There isn't one. And even the Radio Times section could be substantially improved by making it a separate pull-out supplement, but they refuse to do it, presumably for cost reasons.

DCFC79

We dont bother with the RT, we just use the paper supplement and or the tv based information

SUESMITH_2

ours arrives in good time - we don't buy any papers so can't get listings from there and tbh the only reason we have this at the mo is cos we got paid to have it via a cashback deal

Jeff_Bridges_hair

KimYeovil wrote: »

Please identify one single weekend paper that has a decent radio section??? (The clue is in the title's title.)

The clue would also be that it has focused mainly on television fro the last 40 years so the title is misleading. But why change a brand name eh?