Upgrading to digital access

[Martin Whybrow]

Well I've just found this thread when I discovered I no longer had access to the digital archive. I think it's a bit rich removing something our subscription previously covered (I've been a subscriber for several years now). My print mags are all archived (in a box buried in a distant corner of the loft) and I needed to look something up from an old issue which I can no longer do

The cost of serving up the digital subscrip[tion is basically nil; the printing process generates the digital pages anyway and providing access to them is an insignificant cost; oh yes, the print subscribers are the ones that paid for the images to be generated in the first place, I don't think RCM&E would exist without its print subscribers.

Come on RCM&E, let us print subscribers have access to the digital archive again.

[John Privett]

This is beginning to get a bit tedious...

I took out a digital subscription a week ago which will run alongside my print subscription until that expires in 3 months. The new digital subscription would supposedly give me access "straight away" to the digital archive. (That's the one I used to have access to before.) It didn't. But I assumed this was because I didn't yet have my new subscription number to use in my profile.

This morning the subscription and direct debit confirmation letter arrived, and my subscription number is the same as before. Yet still when I try to enter the digital archive I'm told that my Print subscription no longer gets me access.

So, what additional hoops do I now have to jump through to get back what I previously had?

[PaulH]

John,

My answer is three letters to subscriptions explaining that you simply want PC access, not smart phones, or tablets, or Ipads, etc. Finally in my case and after a week of waiting they got the message and I can now access the archive as I always did. Of course I'm still waiting to have my subscription date restored to where it was before this fiasco.

[Nigel Day]

Two and a half weeks gone, still no digital access. Thanks to David A at least I've had a response now and, to his credit, he's promised to help further if no action soon.

[David...]

My original Print+Digitial Subscription was downgraded to Print only without my knowledge and MyTime Media will not reinstate this even though that is the contract that has stood for a good number of years, the result is I have cancelled my subscription and will continue to receive the print copies until June 2015.

This is no way to treat loyal customers and shows a flagrant disregard for contracts so I'm taking the only action I can without recourse to an expensive legal process, I can't help but now think this is the beginning of the end for RCM&E and it seems MyTimeMedia don't care!

[John Privett]

The saga continues...

I've just spent a while sitting in a queue and eventually speaking to somebody at Timemedia. He pointed out that I should be trying to view the mags through the pocketmags.com website, though whilst on the phone to him there seemed to be no obvious way to log-on to that using my subscriber number. He said he'd check it out and call me back later to talk me through it. Subsequently I've found that by registering an account on pocketmags.com and then "Activate Subscription" it prompts for the subscriber id.

So I can now see the October issue online. How I get to download it for offline reading and how I get to see the Digital Archive is anybody's guess... The FAQ's seem to raise more questions than they answer.

Ah, wait a minute, there seems to be more info here that I hadn't seen. And there it gives info on the offline reader. Ye gods, this is all very fragmented! So it looks like I might be able to read and/or download issues onto my Android devices.

OK, I've now successfully downloaded the October issue onto the PC as well as viewing it online. Still can't see where the Archive is though... And slightly worryingly issues on the Android app that I've downloaded have a £3.99 price tag, even though I've logged-in with my pocketmag account. Maybe it's just the back-issues they want to charge for, so where is the archive? Heck it's lucky I work in IT otherwise I might be even more confused!

[David Ashby - Moderator]

John, forgive me, I'm still feeling my way a bit here too but the digital archive remains via this website (magazines tab at the top of the page).

[Nigel Day]

Do you have access to the digital archive John?

I wonder if anyone can work out what's going on at MyTimeMedia and, David A apart, I'm not sure that they do care either.

After having sent all the requested proof of print and digital subscription a week ago I finally got a phone call yesterday late afternoon. This was only after David A gave the MTM/RCM&E subs people another prod. It seems that they wanted to speak to me but didn't have my phone number. You'd ask why they didn't e-mail me back to ask? That's another silly part of the story - to which I've not yet had any explanation.

The call yesterday sounded as though it was intended for a print-only subscriber who'd made the right kind of fuss and was being given the digital archive access back. Only my guess though. There was a very embarrassed membership exec when I explained the history (see above) and that I was always a print and digital subscriber but that my initial subscription had been processed incorrectly. To his credit, he was very sympathetic and professional.

From what I can see, apart from little communication with me, there is little communication between the various bits of RCM&E/MyTimeMedia/Pocketmags and anyone else in the group.

Anyway, as of about 7 O'clock last night, and after a frustrating 3-week slog, I finally got access again to the digital archive - and a three-month subscription extension as some compensation for the shambles I'd experienced.

I'm not holding my breath for any explanation and wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to hear here of further issues with access to the digital archive and/or digital/digital and print subscriptions.

Will I renew my subscription in 3-4 month's time or revert to buying issues when the mood takes? The jury's out.

If anyone's in a similar position and/or wants to know the full story, pm me.

Edited By Nigel Day on 29/08/2014 18:08:45

[John Privett]

Thanks David, but that's the link I've been trying and it just tells me that access is now restricted to those having Digital or Print+Digital subscriptions! And I do have a Digital subscription.

Liam has just called me back as he promised and is investigating further. It appears that perhaps the problem is that I currently have two subscriptions overlapping. So for the next three months until it expires I still have my old Print subscription as well as the new Digital one. Liam is going to make a change somewhere in my account data and is hopeful that that will fix it. Fingers crossed!

[Nigel Day]

Did you get resolution John? If yes, did you get an explanation?

[John Privett]

No, it still just tells me that "Your Print subscription to RCM&E Magazine no longer allows you access to the Digital archive." when I try to view the archive.

If I can summon up the enthusiasm I may try calling again and giving them a prod...

[PaulH]

Yesterday.

I received a long email from MyTime management, explaining their recent problems and an apology.

My orignal contract has been honoured and I have digital access until 2015 at my original renewal date.

I have now renewed with a combined print and digital subscription until 2017. However still having print delivery problems.

Paul.

[David...]

Thanks for letting us know, I wonder if this is on a case by case basis on a more general outcome, actually it puts things back as they should be contractually, so why don't they write to their customers, if nothing else through this forum.

I have cancelled my direct debit because of their initial intransigent attitude, clearly that has mellowed now they realise what they have done (wrong) and finally common sense prevails, so I will call them tomorrow and see how they handle me! Hopefully we will return to where we were and that way we both win.

[John Privett]

I had a call from them today (well 2 actually - the first was at work 2 mins before I was going into a meeting, so they rang back this evening) and have been assured that the problem is understood. It's a clash with the overlapping seperate subscriptions for Print and also Digital, and it should be sorted out when I logon tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

[Martin Whybrow]

I also received a very polite email from the subscriptions department, apologising for the delay in responding; it was explained that we were all notified last year that they were going to remove the digital access unless you subscribed to the new print + digital access. Apparently they had considered keeping exisitng subscribers on the original deal, i.e. access to online digital issues and back issues, but apparently that's too complicated for their computers, so they decided it was easier to remove our access unless we fancy paying an extra £9:00 to get something I don't need which is the ability to download an issue to a tablet to keep. Thanks for the polite email, but zero thanks for the message it conveyed! David..., I think you're going to find you're in the same boat as me.

[Nigel Day]

I got the same e-mail - which wasn't relevant. They'd taken my print and digital subscription cash and given me only a print subscription. At no stage has anyone there registered this fact properly (except the support guy I spoke to on the phone) and it doesn't seem to have made it onto any support/customer database.

The apology is pretty worthless as it's not in the least personal or relevant. Nor does it make up for the (lack of) communications fiasco I had to put up with over a three week period.

The only consolation I have is that it all works as it should do and I gained three month's additional subs. I've no confidence that this sort of thing won't happen in the future though.

[John Privett]

Posted by John Privett on 16/09/2014 19:09:49:

...and it should be sorted out when I logon tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Just found myself logged-off (I used to remain logged-on for days at at time, now I have to logon at least once a day) and after logging on checked the archive. And I can now see the archived issues again. Fingers crossed it remains that way!

[David...]

Posted by Martin Whybrow on 16/09/2014 19:11:42:

I also received a very polite email from the subscriptions department, apologising for the delay in responding; it was explained that we were all notified last year that they were going to remove the digital access unless you subscribed to the new print + digital access. Apparently they had considered keeping exisitng subscribers on the original deal, i.e. access to online digital issues and back issues, but apparently that's too complicated for their computers, so they decided it was easier to remove our access unless we fancy paying an extra £9:00 to get something I don't need which is the ability to download an issue to a tablet to keep. Thanks for the polite email, but zero thanks for the message it conveyed! David..., I think you're going to find you're in the same boat as me.

Thanks Martin, a useful insight. I'll let you know what they say. My issue is derived from a point of contract principle.

[Martin Whybrow]

David, I agree with your point; it's worth noting this message on the digital archive page:

'Your Print subscription to RCM&E Magazine no longer allows you access to the Digital archive.

The Print + Digital Subscription costs only a few pence more per issue and entitles you to your print copies, access to this Online Archive as well as digital downloads of all of your subscriptions issues to enjoy wherever you go and to keep even after your subscription ends. '

The words 'no longer' are the crucial ones. The 'few pence' is actually 69p and that's about 25% of the subscription price; in other words, I need to pay a 25% increase to get what I had previously; sorry, but that is not good enough.

[David...]

I tried many times to get through to the subscription department today, all I get is 'all our staff are all busy right now, please call back' type message. Very frustrating.

[Brian Lambert]

When they dropped the access to the digital archive from print subscribers I decided to not renew my subscription.

I hope I don't miss the magazine too much, I think not it's only full of ARTF reviews these days anyway.

[Kris S]

I finally got access to the digital archive after multiple emails but issues from April 2013 to present don't work.

Older issues are fine. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[John Privett]

No Kris, I can see them all - well all the ones I've checked have opened ok anyway!

[Kris S]

Thanks John,

I have just discovered that they all work fine on my PC but only some work on my smart phone

[David...]

Out of interest and following up on this discussion, my subscription has now come up for renewal and because MyTimeMedia (MTM) removed the Digital element from my combined Print + Digital subscription I cancelled my Direct Debit mandate.

Needless to say MTM called me to ask why, so I told them again, they can't change the terms of a contract they entered into with me (and I suspect most of us!) as the contract was for both variants at £37.80 per year, they now want £51 for the same,

It's a point of principle not the money that they either re-instate the print + digital for £37.80 or my subscription is cancelled, it was referred to the RCM&E Account manager for a decision - I'll let you know the outcome.