Boyd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was airmail, I checked, the last air mail
> package i got from the states took 3 weeks,
> average is closer to two. I'll be annoyed if it
> turns up having been sent surface mail.
>
Prepare to be annoyed. I'm an overseas subscriber too, and in the e-mail I got from NSB on February 21 it says that " It will take up to 6 weeks to get to you via surface mail, so expect it around the 2nd week of March."
Guess the conditions must have changed without anyone informing the customers?
I e-mailed NSB, quoting the message board post that states that shipping would be by airmail, and got this reply on March 8:
<<That post was an error. It was never supposed to be air mail. The
actual subscription web page had the correct shipping terms, I believe. [...]
We also offer upgraded shipping to airmail for a nominal fee ( and
several customers haven taken us up on this.) In either case, I've very
sorry about the misunderstanding, and incorrect post on our message board.>>
I'm now pretty sure -- having checked the NSB message board -- that the actual subscription did have "airmail" as well, but I suppose that too was a mistake. Anyway, I'm not going to raise a fuss over this. The way I see it, it's still a very decent deal. And the book should be here any day now. :-)
I also asked about the bonus book and was told that
<<India and Irony should be shipping this year, either with volume 2 , or
volume 3.>>
It wasent i post i saw it was the actual sub page and I have a copy to prove it. Sure its a good deal anyway but it's not the point, I paid for one thing, I got another; they admit it was a mistake, they should fix it.
I must admit you guys are taking it very well. Baring in mind I got mine from amazon.co.uk for a decent enough price with free postage and it took less than a week to arrive - even though it was 'out of stock' when I ordered it. Seems to me that subscribers shouldn't be a month and a half behind the rest of us! Based on what I've read I certinly won't trust Night Shade anytime in the future. The Small Press relies on the good will and loyalty of its readers. Treating them like this is hardly encouraging others to put their hand in their pocket.
I've been buying books from small presses for ten years -- exercising your patience comes with the hobby. But usually it's waiting for the books to be published that's the problem, not the delivery time (I've waited for the Hill House edition of NEVERWHERE for four years now, and I'm still hoping -- after 13 years! -- that someone will publish Tierney's DRUMS OF CHAOS).
But I must admit that getting the bonus book helps me keep my patience in this particular case.
"But I must admit that getting the bonus book helps me keep my patience in this particular case."
Ah, Martin, you've caught on to our cunning plan!
Seriously, while I am very sorry that our overseas readers are having to wait a bit longer than is desirable, I might point out that up until NSB offered this subscription they did not accept direct orders from non-US customers, not even from Canadians (remember this with RED WORLD OF POLARIS anyone?)
Best,
Scott
> Ah, Martin, you've caught on to our cunning plan!
As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?
Sorry, I just had a Blackadder moment. ;-)
>
> Seriously, while I am very sorry that our
> overseas readers are having to wait a bit longer
> than is desirable, I might point out that up until
> NSB offered this subscription they did not accept
> direct orders from non-US customers, not even from
> Canadians (remember this with RED WORLD OF POLARIS
> anyone?)
Good heavens, I must have repressed that completely! I don't even remember whether I ever thanked Gavin properly for helping me get it. Thanks a million, Gavin!
As I said, I'm used to waiting for books. The record for surface mail from the US for me (Economy M-bag -- slow, but very cheap) is 96 days. I have a feeling this will be a lot quicker. :-)
Martinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Scott Connors Wrote:
>
> > Ah, Martin, you've caught on to our cunning
> plan!
>
> As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed
> Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?
>
> Sorry, I just had a Blackadder moment. ;-)
>
And what exactly do you think that I was experiencing?!
[snippage]
>
> As I said, I'm used to waiting for books. The
> record for surface mail from the US for me
> (Economy M-bag -- slow, but very cheap) is 96
> days. I have a feeling this will be a lot quicker.
> :-)
>
If it's any consolation, I have a terrible time getting books from a speciality press in Canada--not, I hasten to add, because of their shipping, but because of the interface between US and Canadian postal systems (think "sand in gears" or "sugar in gas tank").
Oh neat, it arrived, good job Scott (and Ron), shit job nightshades. Not only was it surface mail, it wasn't even sent to the right country! Yup that's right for some reason beyond human comprehension it was addressed to Australia (not New Zealand).
I know to Americans all the rest of the world is just one place, but I feal just a tad annoyed and insulted that not only do I get shafted on postage, but Nightshades can't even address a package correctly.
I will not ever be dealing with them again. Of course I still have 4 more books in the subscription to go, only Cthulh knows where those packages will be sent to.
Boyd, you're lucky you don't live in Sweden. Your package was addressed to the wrong country and you still got it before I got mine!
(And it's going to get worse -- in trying to make a profit, the Swedish Mail has suggested that they only deliver the mail every second day in the future.)