Subscription only

[flytilbroke]

I used to get my RCM&E from Menzies, now WHSmih. I have direct subscription for some years now. I have not received any of the subscribe freebies, yet I still get the mag as I happen to like it. I have no problem with a "subscribers only" section on this forum and also no sympathy for access demand for very limited areas from non-subscribers. Enjoy what you have, it does not cost anything.

[Andrew Thomson]

Apart from upsetting all those who support your distribution network via model shops and newsagents , you display an overwhelmingly unseemly money grabbing first attitude with little or no thought for actual service provision ! It would seem that those who wish to subscribe are not being furnished with the necessary info to gain the advertised benefits - not good practice at all !
I would urge all newsagents and modelshops to stop stocking this mag as it now looks to bite the very hand that feeds it. The mag would be nowhere without newsagents and modelshops stocking it.
Nearly everything on this website has been or is very delayed . How long have we all been waiting for the plans service to resume online after so many promises ?
It seems from all the comments you are offering too litle to the majority , too much to the minority , mostly done late or badly , or not at all.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

What is it about modelflying that gets folks so angry?

I'm not sure why this should get you so hot under the collar Andrew...but it really shouldn't you know.

We're offering a little extra to subscribers that's all, but no less to those who have always bought the mag.

[Bladerunner]

Seems a simple solution - subscribe and the pain goes away... Oh and quit whining.

[winchweight]

How are we doing with getting membership / subscription numbers before next months mag comes out?

[Phils]

Err, just a thought chaps but for those wanting thier membership number, I seem to remember getting mine confirmed on the phone when I made a query about my membership subscription once. Perhaps I am wrong but it seems to ring a bell (if nothing else).

[Ian Jones]

I'm happy that there is a little extra for subscribers, it's a fair return for my loyalty. Furthermore it's a fact that many magazines would go under if it wasn't for subcriptions.

As for the moan from people who buy it retail every single week without fail and then complain, well it's your choice! I can see the argument about supporting your local retailers & that's good - I exercise that preference too with some things - BUT it is by CHOICE and the other option is to subscribe and what do you get for it?
1. You pay less for a very good magazine due to the subscription discount
2. Often there is some sort of freebie (my knife set is in frequent use)
3. You get a little extra content on this site (though to be honest I haven't seen it yet but I doubt it's worth falling out about).

Mutual benefits all around so far as I'm concerned.

The way I see it I have made my choice and I am satisfied that I have selected the option that is right for me.

[Ian Jones]

I've just had a look at the Oxalys articles - are the others the same? i.e. just a slight rework of the magazine articles.

If so, what's all the fuss about and why bother doing it?

[RCM&E]

Ian: some of the subscriber-only pieces will indeed be pieces from the magazine, which will act as an archive service of sorts for subscribers. We'll also be adding web-exclusive content too, of course – we have some good stuff lined up. For instance, we'll have a web-exclusive Ultrafly Sukhoi 27 review up over the next couple of days and others are on the way.

[Rich]

This seems to be a common issue with the Magicalia forums. On the Model Boats forum there are exactly the same arguments for and against. The only thing I haven't seen sugested here is a forum only subscription say £10-15 per year. That would give access to forum without full magazine subs. Also has the bonus of making Magicalia more money!!

Rich

[Ian Jones]

Tom,
Thanks for the info & look forward to the articles.

Rich,
Would it make more money if would be subscribers were paying only a third of the subscription price?
I like the web site and I like to be able to read the magazine at my leisure so I don't really see one as a substitute for the other. Still if that's what people want...

[the unmagnificent man]

Just a quickie for those waiting for subscription numbers, mine was sent to me in a welcome to RCM&E subscriptions email. A quick check of your inbox may reveal it! (suppose it depends how long ago you joined though. Al

[mfin]

Subscriber content? Let's get it right... it is not a 'reward' for subscribers, not at all, that's like selling a rubik's cube on the premise that 'it keeps your fingers fit', you could claim it, but it would be complete rubbish.

What it actually is is pure and simply a way of getting people tempted into subscribing, that's all. Just the same as free subscriber gifts, and its an effective and easily deployed way of you doing so, so well done.

The other thing you're missing in these arguments though is that whilst the majority of readers and users of the site won't be subscribers (I doubt by a long shot), these users are contributing to the success of the site by filling up the forums with content. Them doing so in turn promotes extra sales of the associated magazine so I wouldn't knock them if they did happen to feel a bit annoyed at being left out.

I too buy the mag every month and am not a subscriber so the mag has had a lot of my money.

People are not stupid, why didn't the answer just say something along the lines of ..."we want to encourage people to subscribe - so we thought we'd publish some content for them, making it visible that ordinary, regular users can NOT view it. As was discussed in meetings where this strategy was agreed, we hoped a percentage of these users, when subsequently hit with the suggestion of subscribing to the magazine, would do exactly that. This is seen as an effective marketing strategy to secure valued extra revenue for our publication, whilst at the same time delivering extra content to existing subscribers" ...that would have done fine AND believe it or not, I have not got a problem with that!!

[Phils]

Good point but as a subscriber I still cant find the icon so that I can gain entry to the "exclusive" area. Getting older, getting slow and by tomorrow will have forgotten all about it!

[mfin]

Phil, here's an example ...click on the 'features' tab at the top of the screen, look on the page and there's a red icon with "MF+" next to 2 of the 3 'Kit Reviews'. You need to be a subscriber to access them.
Then click on 'All Kits articles', then you see 10 on a page...
First page you can view 3 out of 10 as a non-subscriber, second page 0 out of 10, third, fourth and fifth pages you can view all of the articles!!! (thats because they were up there already before the subscribers only feature was added, sigh....).

So since the feature was added, non-subscribers can view just 3 of 20 reviews.

But Phil, as a 'valued subscriber' you can see the lot, but on current figures everyone else can view just 15% of what you can.

I've got an idea, why don't the publishers rip 85% of the pages out of the mag too when its to be sold off-the-shelf, these 'shop buyers' need to be punished after all - only joking!!! Mind you, if they did, they could start by ripping out the 40 pages of adverts in last months 122 page issue, that would be a third of the mag gone.

No, I'm joking again, its quite a good mag and I don't mind the adverts... and yes.. if it wasn't for adverts.....

[Phils]

Woo Hoo! Many thanks.
On the mag, yeah I think it aint bad either. Having bought a mag from the competition in a weak moment (and there are many of those) I was a bit dissapointed with some of the content and lack of. But then, perhaps I have become used to the RCM&E content over the years. And a message to David and Tom please keep filling it out I need reading material (and adverts) to last a month . . . . unless I should start looking at the competition again . . . (joke!)

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Tell us what you'd like to see Phil, more of something or less of something? Or just good informative reading?

[Phils]

David,
RCM&E format seems fine. On a personal basis, I really enjoy Brian Winch and Alex Whittaker articles but then I am a balsa bashing, saw and filing practical sort of guy (or so I like to think - when I get time). I am currently starting to go over to the dark side and now have two electric models (Ripmax Spit & Micron Mini-stick) so I also like the nigel Hawes articles - resistance is futile and I have been assimilated! Does that help or hinder?
Phil.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

No that's fine Phil, many thanks. The Ripmax Spit' os a fine model. I rather like the look of their ME109 due this year too.

David.

[Phils]

Oh, not an ME109 as well, I'll loose all me street cred at the field!

[LAN]

Regarding the access of "subscription only" material, I am having absolutely no success when entering my subscription number, it says my number could not be located in the subscription database. I have emailed two times using the link provided in the error message. Two days ago (after 2 weeks of waiting) I finally received a reply that my subscription number seemed to be correct. However, there is still no explanation as to why I cannot access the protected material. Could someone *please* push a button somewhere to let me read those reviews?

Best wishes from an otherwise very happy subscriber from Sweden.

[LAN]

<bump>

[RCM&E]

Hi Leif, apologies for the problems you've been experiencing. You should now be able to read the subscriber-only content; let me know if not.

[Braddock, VC]

Why don't you put the whole mag on the website, I think I mentioned this sometime ago. I used to subscribe to an american mag and subscribers could access the whole of the mag plus past issues, RCM IIRC.
It would stop all the whinging so and so's from complaining.
Just my 2p.

[Johnnie]

Great idea John