New Avengers #4: Subscription Heck

[sparky828]

It's not bad enough to call it "Subscription Hell," but I notice that the issue appears to be out, and I have not yet received my subscription copy. This will be the second issue of the subscription, so this may be normal for all I know, but I remember the last issue came the day before it arrived in shops. I sent Marvel an email on Thursday, but have yet to hear back.

Anyone else still waiting? Anyone else have similar situations with subscriptions?

I can just see some of you scratching your heads thinking, what are these "sub-scrip-tions" of which you speak? Have you not heard of a pull-list? :)

So sue me -- it's the only monthly book I get.

[Nightcrawler]

It's not bad enough to call it "Subscription Hell," but I notice that the issue appears to be out, and I have not yet received my subscription copy. This will be the second issue of the subscription, so this may be normal for all I know, but I remember the last issue came the day before it arrived in shops. I sent Marvel an email on Thursday, but have yet to hear back.

Anyone else still waiting? Anyone else have similar situations with subscriptions?

I can just see some of you scratching your heads thinking, what are these "sub-scrip-tions" of which you speak? Have you not heard of a pull-list? :)

So sue me -- it's the only monthly book I get.

I subsribe to New Avengers, because I know it is one of only books I'll be getting every month. I always receive my issue several days early, but I was out of town the last week, so I had to stop my mail. Hopefully, I will get NA #4 on Monday, unles it is sold out, like you say.

[Jake V]

God bless the US postal service. :)

[sparky828]

I subsribe to New Avengers, because I know it is one of only books I'll be getting every month. I always receive my issue several days early, but I was out of town the last week, so I had to stop my mail. Hopefully, I will get NA #4 on Monday, unles it is sold out, like you say.

Just to clarify, I meant "out" as in "released" not "out" as in "sold out." It's funny that I meant "out" to say "in" (stores, that is).

[olympichero62]

I would get a subscription, but I change homes and move around too much to get a subscription to any comic. So I think i'll stay in my comic shops. It helps to support em.

[thik_3rd]

hey, i've been having trouble with my marvel subs lately too.
in the last 2 weeks, i should've gotten 6 books from them (3 each week).
last week - uncanny x-men 457, ultimate x-men 57, captain america 4.
this week - x-men 168, excalibur 11, and new avengers 4.

i didnt get any of last week's books last week. i got captain america this week, i think wednesday, making it a full week late. i got ultimate x-men friday, so it was 9 days late. im still waiting on uncanny x-men.

i jest received exclibur today, it's the only book i've gotten from this week's batch so far.

i've had my subs since last summer, and this is pretty irregular. in general (and these are rough figures) i've received books early (the week before they drop in stores) about 10% of the time. i've received books on time (mon - sat of the week they drop in stores) about 85% of the time. and i've received books late (the week after they dropped in stores, or even later in 1 extreme case) about the remaining 5% of the time.

i've noticed something though, on the last 2 weeks worth of books. they've apparently switched their subscription distribution center. the new boards have a return address of salt lake city, utah. the old boards have a return address of newburgh, ny.
i guess theyre having difficulties during the relocation process, and seeing as i live on the east coast (pittsburgh), it makes sense that books from utah would take longer to reach me.

as far as your e-mail to marvel, i probably won't get you anything. i think they have a policy of books having to be a few weeks late (at least 2) before theyre considered late and a replacement copy was sent.

when i first started subscribing, a book was late about a week. i sent an e-mail to marvel. in the next couple days i got a book. the email was never responded to.

several months later, a book was like 2 weeks late. i sent an e-mail, and this time they responded saying they will send a replacement copy. the next day or so i got the book. then a few days later i got another copy of it, the replacememt copy. it came in a white envelope instead of the usual packing.

[cosmicspidey]

This is why I don't do subscriptions. I buy so many damn titles i could save a bunch of money by going that way. But then theres' the trouble of the issues coming late sometimes or not showing up at all. I like to know that every Wednesday, I will get new comics. Subscriptions just aren't that reliable.

[thik_3rd]

i still think its worth it. last summer had marvel had a deal where any sub was $13.50. thats half off the $2.25 titles. more than half off the $2.99 titles.
i subscribed to 10 titles.
since then, and before these last 2 weeks, i've had maybe 3 or 4 comics come the week after they were due in stores or in 1 case later. and i never missed an issue.
i saved close to $150. and i got comics early far more often than i got them late.
thats mad worth it to me.

edit - i just calculated it out, i saved $197.

[Luigi]

This is why I don't do subscriptions. I buy so many damn titles i could save a bunch of money by going that way. But then theres' the trouble of the issues coming late sometimes or not showing up at all. I like to know that every Wednesday, I will get new comics. Subscriptions just aren't that reliable.

Yeah, agreed! That's why I have a file at my local comic store! Gotta support my store! :D

[cholizo]

I'd rather spend more and get the new comic every Wednesday than once in a while have it ship to me a week late and come to websites like this and say "damnit everyone loves this issue and I have to wait a full f'ing week."

[Paradox]

Marvel's had subscription problems for years (possibly decades). I thought they were going to clear that up. Has it gotten any better? I still see people complaining, but it DOES seem like their mess-ups are happening less frequently.

[thik_3rd]

like i said, in the past year of having subs to 10 titles, before the past week i've had maybe 3-4 issues a week late, about 20-30 come before the wednesday theyre due in shops, and the rest the wednesday through saturday of the week theyre due in shops.
all at half off (or more) of the cover price and with boards.
i'd hardly say their subscription service is having problems.
and now their problems are explained because they apparently moved their distribution center cross-country.

[Paradox]

thik_3rd gives his example:

like i said, in the past year of having subs to 10 titles, before the past week i've had maybe 3-4 issues a week late,

A few years back, that would have been considered "early" for most Marvel subscriptions, from the reports I've seen on the boards.

about 20-30 come before the wednesday theyre due in shops, and the rest the wednesday through saturday of the week theyre due in shops.
all at half off (or more) of the cover price and with boards.
i'd hardly say their subscription service is having problems.
and now their problems are explained because they apparently moved their distribution center cross-country.

**nods** Sounds like they've cleaned up their act quite a bit, then. Good job, Joe.

[thik_3rd]

got home today and new avengers 4 and xmen 168 were in the mailbox (both from last week).
so was fantastic four (drops this wednesday).
im content.

[Den]

Still no sign of New Avengers #4 in my mailbox :(

[Crimson]

Still no sign of New Avengers #4 in my mailbox :(

I sometimes waited weeks for my issues to show up... thats why I canned em all and went with a comic store service.

[Siddon]

Lets see

Ultimates 2 13 days late
Exiles 13 days late
Excalibur 9 days late
New Avengers 9 days late


Ultimate X-men 12 days late showed up yesterday

I don't have a lot of confidence that Astonishing X-men will show up on time

On the plus side a Graphic Novel I ordered from Amazon on Dec 30 will finally show up next week, after I emailed them asking what was up with that.

[Den]

Perhaps where it says "Direct Edition" it should instead say "Meandering"? :)

[thik_3rd]

got astonishing xmen 9 today.

1 day early.