Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
puca bearsHi
anyone else having trouble with the TBCI imag? it just seems to have died - must be two or three issues behind by now. I've mailed them a couple of times but heard NOTHING - and I notice they are still advertising it, but at TWICE the price!
not happy! 
huggies
Maria
MerBear OriginalsI purchased a subscription last Nov I think it was. Unfortunately I was never able to log into the magazine and emailed them several times about it - without any response. Since it wasn't that expensive I just gave up.
Marion
puca bearsYes, Marion - ten quid isn't that much, but it's a pretty poor service, isn't it? I also bought a subscription for a friend, as an Xmas present................
huggies
Maria
JigpawsI paid the £20 subscription last month so I could see my feature in this months issue but still haven't received it. I've tried emailing too but with no luck. VERY poor service
Hugs
Janice
YorkshireHi ladies, I emailed them at the beginning of this month as I couldn't get into the link they gave me and I only have received up to issue 169 (current issue is 173 I think). I did receive an email re-sending 169 and confirming my password which allowed me to gain entry (no apology given!). However, I tried last week and its refusing me entry again. I will be phoning them tomorrow and will mention that others are having problems too. I will keep you posted 
Hugs Ali x
Back Road Bearsthis is not a new problem..... the imag issues... the poor customer service..... there have even been a couple of occasions when I haven't received the paper mag which I have a subscription for..... but I love the mag when I do get it.... not sure I'll renew my subscriptions though....
you can find previous discussions here about these issues by doing a search
don't hold your breath for a response to your emails.... or any real resolution when you call..... if they haven't gotten on the ball yet I'm not so sure they ever will..... but I suppose there is always hope!
It really is a great magazine and the editor is a sweetheart. There is just some sort of breakdown in the technical dept and in distribution.
I sent them an email as well and here is the response I received on May 9th
The IMAG's for both of these issues should be going out on Monday. The technical support team had been reconfiguring the bulk email system which caused some delays in the email links being sent. I apologize for any inconvenience on this and appreciate your patience.
I've tried logging in again today and still receiving an error.
Hugs,
puca bearsHi Gijzette - it's nice that you, at least, actually heard from them! And now we know that something is being done - albeit slowly.............
fingers crossed, I guess!
huggies
Maria
puca bearsWell blow me down..........magic, or what?
I just got an apologetic mail, and a new password................the imag is back, and I have THREE to read!!!!!!!!!!! :dance: :dance:
now if I could just teach myself to sew in my sleep................................
huggies
Maria
DoodlebearsHi guys, I am glad it's working ok now. These things do happen and I know just how frustrating they can be. I emailed Kirste the editor of the magazine and pointed out the problem and asked if she could pass on the info to the right guys I don't know if this helped at all but I'm pleased to see all is OK now though.
Maria don't forget...you do need sleep...fingers tend to get punctured otherwise.
Hugs, Jane. 
puca bearsThanks, Jane......... your magic touch did it!
and as for sleep - bet you know what i mean.............I can plan what I'm going to get DONE each day, but it never works - too many distractions!
huggies
Maria :hug: :hug:
Maria,
That is great! Hopefully, the rest of us will receive an email soon.
Hugs,
YorkshireI spoke to a lovely lady called Elizabeth who said she would look into it and received two emails this morning apologising for the problem and like Maria I now have a new password and three mags to read .......... Yipee!!!
Hugs Ali x
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I've heard from them too... about 3 or 4 months ago. Daphne kindly talked about an 'American' issue (USA really, as Canada and Mexico are also 'Americans' - never mind me, just a personal pet peeve...) in July.
In fact, I've been contacted by 5 different ppl. I'm not really sure who's running the ship! I gave the same materials to 2 sets of 2 ppl and don't remember now what the 5th person wanted. I'm not even sure which side of the Pond they were all on! But - - anything to promote Needle Felting.
What DID pull me up short was the request by the 2nd person, within a few days, saying that now that I've given a lovely interview, wouldn't I like to have my contact info posted right there embedded in the article - a little sidebar - so collectors can easily contact me?
Now, excuse me, but I'd assumed (yes, I DO know what that gets us) that my info WOULD already be placed at the end on the article as our US mags do. I was 'gob-smacked' to say the least, to be asked for $$!!
If I look up my records I'd see if this was $66 or $99 or even £60 or £90. I've totally forgotten due to 'sticker shock'. It apparently is just my Co name, e addy, snail, however much I wished to post.
Doesn't that sound wrong? Or is it the norm and you've all just gone along with it?
In TB&F and other overseas mags, I've never been asked to pay for my coverage.
It seemed quite underhanded to me to ask a featured artist to take out an ad in this way; dangle the carrot & have it disappear to be replaced by a palm waiting to be greased.
Or I may be misinterpreting the thrust of the whole thing: that I'm one of many in one article instead of a feature.....
But the fact that I kept receiving urgent emails to comply with further requests for the same info and payments.... In the end I just stopped responding.
If they have my money I'm going to wait for my feature and if I don't get one I'll raise a real ruckus!! That's is one of the plusses of having been around the block a few times, meeting other nice artists along the way!
Thx for letting me vent!
B
Anavy teddy bearsI have the same problem...
What DID pull me up short was the request by the 2nd person, within a few days, saying that now that I've given a lovely interview, wouldn't I like to have my contact info posted right there embedded in the article - a little sidebar - so collectors can easily contact me?
Now, excuse me, but I'd assumed (yes, I DO know what that gets us) that my info WOULD already be placed at the end on the article as our US mags do. I was 'gob-smacked' to say the least, to be asked for $$!!
If I look up my records I'd see if this was $66 or $99 or even £60 or £90. I've totally forgotten due to 'sticker shock'. It apparently is just my Co name, e addy, snail, however much I wished to post.
Doesn't that sound wrong? Or is it the norm and you've all just gone along with it?
In TB&F and other overseas mags, I've never been asked to pay for my coverage.It seemed quite underhanded to me to ask a featured artist to take out an ad in this way; dangle the carrot & have it disappear to be replaced by a palm waiting to be greased.
Vent away Bobbie, like you, I find it hugely annoying and as such, my choice is not to work with any mags employing such policies. TBF had a very fair-minded approach to the artists it worked with, much as the early Teddy Bear Times, run under Editor Lyn Vowles used to have and in fact, TBCI itself used to have a far more balanced approach to working with bear artists, but sadly policy seems to have changed over recent years.
I don't know about anyone else, but when I've worked hard to produce something for a magazine I would appreciate being treated with courtesy and also with a degree of recognition for the fact that it takes two to tango. I must say, I haven't come up against this rather mercenary approach to publishing with any of the other magazines I've dealt with.
White Forest BearsI love TBCI! In fact they have always been beyond wonderful to deal with. Plus the exposure I've recieved from being in their mag has always been outstanding.
They're grrrreat! Oh boy I sound like Tony the Tiger. I must really need major amounts of coffee and chocolate. 
Posts: 1,836Huh, I never thought badly about it when asked about that info box at the end of an article. I just figured that collectors could easily find me online anyway with all the info given in the article (my name, business name, etc) but the idea of having the info all neat and complete at the end was a bit of advertising, a benefit to me...with an advertising cost. I'm not made of money but I just applied it to the "advertising budget" and did it. I had 1-2 emails about it and that was pretty much it. I guess if I didn't want to do it I'd just say no thank you and not give it much thought. With the state of the industry if they need to pull in revenue that way I'm not going to take it personally, I'm thrilled they contacted me to begin with!! Serious sticker shock came when I contacted several art/crafting/creative lifestyle magazines to see what they charge for advertising .....talk about us having it good with the bear industry mags!! Wowza
:hug:
~Chrissi
Waggle BearsI have a mail subscription, too, and it seems I'm several issues behind. The subscription was expensive, but I thought for 12 issues, it didn't seem too bad.
This morning I got an e-mail from them about their new imag. Is this going to be the only was to get this magazine now? I really like the magazine in my hand when going through it. Don't like it online only.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)don't hold your breath for a response to your emails.... or any real resolution when you call..... if they haven't gotten on the ball yet I'm not so sure they ever will..... but I suppose there is always hope!
It really is a great magazine and the editor is a sweetheart. There is just some sort of breakdown in the technical dept and in distribution.
In fact, I've been contacted by 5 different ppl. I'm not really sure who's running the ship! I gave the same materials to 2 sets of 2 ppl and don't remember now what the 5th person wanted. I'm not even sure which side of the Pond they were all on!
I felt that there was a lack of communication between all of the depts!!!
The whole thing just left me with the feeling of that old proverbial saying - One hand doesn't know what the other is doing.
That they had several ppl repeating the same tasks seems like such a waste oh time & work hours. I still feel that they're totally unorganized and working so inefficiently, as none of the ppl subsequent to the first contact said "Oh, right. If 'she's' gathered your info, I'll just contact her."
I really object to having to do some other company's work for them; that I should take my time to fill out the same forms any number of times, and that I must call all of the sub-departments to get things on track, etc...
That's why we have 'contracts' with our heat/gas suppliers, why the bank charges the fees it does, and grocery stores pay their checkers.
We shouldn't have to run down every detail that we are PAYING them for, but "if you want something done right....!!"
puca bearsBOBBIE - I just had time to have a quick peek at the latest imag (it's been a busy week) - and you ARE in there!
Four page article, WITH the little "box" of contact details. In fact the magazine looks like a Teddy-talk review.......
huggies
Maria
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Great!! Any chance I can purchase a copy from one of the European TTers????
Pretty Please, with Sugar on top?
Matilda Huggington-beare
