View Camera - Foreign Subscriptions

[steve simmons]

We are going to have a meeting with our printing vompany to try and resolve the problem with the foreign subscriptions. I apologize that this service has not gone well and we will do whatever we can to solve the problem.

steve simmons

[jose angel]

Thank you Steve. Does it means we could receive directly the magazine without mediators? It would be convenient - and cheaper-, I hope.

[steve simmons]

We will mail directly to Canada. Robert White in England and Mainline Photo in Australia will continue to distribute for us. Canada seems to be the problem.

steve

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

I was a loyal subscriber to Mr.Simmons View Camera magazine for some
13+ years and a subscriber to his Camera Arts for a year. 2002 he charged me
$70 for six issues but sent me only one. Of my year subscription to Camera Arts
there were two issues missing ... "because there were not many enough copies
printed" said the girl on the phone. When I wrote to Mr. Simmons and told him
that I thought his distribution system was "shit" , he was of course offended and
said he did not care for my business. This is about how it feels to be his foreign
subscriber an now he blames it on his "printing vompany"

P.S He also uses this forum frequently for his free advertising.

[Joseph O'Neil]

Living in Canada, I am not surprized you have a problem mailing here. Despite the world's longest undefended border, and treaties such as NAFTA, it is extremely problematic in many odd areas moving items accross the boarder. My 14 year old son has a hard time getting his Dungeon & Dragons mag subscription on time many months. I could list many other examples. It isn't just you or VC magazine.

I think *part* of the problem is you are perceived to be an American only magazine, a cultural import that is depriving some Canadian magazine of it's ability to present a Canadian point of view. Never mind the fact that in my memory, I have never, ever seen *any* Canadian photo magazine cover anything about large format cameras in the past ten years or so, and darn little even before that.

There is a cynical side of me that thinks you should fill one issue full of nekkid male models, then if customs gives you a hassle, simply threaten with with a formal complaint that they are blocking your gay porn that was ordered as a present for a gay wedding. The fear of being seen and non- PC will probally make the government jump through hoops to get your magainzes here on time.

(see - we have a sense of humour up here. Maybe not a good one mind you, but still a snese of humour. :)

Personally I live downtown in my city, and the one news stand that carries View Camera is a short walk away, close to StarBucks, so once every two months I have an excuse to indulge in a magazine and an expensive but tasty latte. Decadent, but what the heck.

But for most of my country, the population is spread far and wide, and mail is about the best an donly way to get magazines to many LF shooters. So don't give up.

good luck

joe

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

I might be showing my ignorance in the subject, but isnt it the distribution vompany the one to blame instead of the printing vompany?

[David Luttmann]

Ditto Joseph.

In Victoria & Vancouver, many of the book stores & mag shops carry VC. Never had a problem buying it off the rack.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I live in Coquitlam, which is connected to Vancouver, B.C. I get my VC at a big bookstore, too. I don't understand. If bookstores can get it, how come subscribers can't? Doesn't make sense to me. Doesn't the distribution company, which I'm assuming is in the States, mail directly to the subscriber?

[Joseph O'Neil]

Hi Andrew et all;
The actual mechanics of this typeof situaiton were once explained to me, and it's mind boggling. In short - politics. Our government has decided to protect "Canadian Culture". this is why Time magazine in Canada is a special "Canadian " edition, and why although 39 of the top 40 TV shows in Canada are from the USA, it is sitll illegal to purchase US statelleite TV in Canada, but it's okay if you watch those exact same shows on Canadian cable or sattellite. The list goes on and on.

Anyhow, I am not sure of the exact situation with VC, but two things spring to mind. First, the specialty newstands and bookstores that carry VC - if you look carefully, you will see they carry many other specialty magazines from around the world, everything from quilting to gun collectiong, and more.

My guess is they import VC and other magazines perhaps under a different classification for distribution than if they were mailed. Example - i run a small mail order business,a nd when I get a product form the USA sent via UPS or FedEx, it comes in without provincial sales taxes, because it is for reslae.

But if that exact same company mails product to me, even thought it is packaged and marked exactly the same paper work, same packaging, same company name, etc, etc, they nail me provincial sales tax, then I have to fight to get my money back. Just happened agian to me yesterday, and this has been going on for years now, even though I wrote and complained to my MP and MPP about, but it still happens.

Same product, same company, but all the difference in the world solely based on how the item is imported.

So, I am not sure exaclty what Steve is up against as far as mailing VC magazine is concerned, but just seeing my little corner of hell in regards to dealing with a brian dead government mindset that often tends to ignore reality (as far as I know, there never, ever was a Canadian magazine devoted solely to LF photography, and even mags like PhotoLife seem to go out of their way to ignore anything LF), Steve is probally caught up in the same web.

So Steve, hold your head up high - you are likely considered part of the imperialistic American cultural steam roller set on destroying Canadian identity, even though the civil servants who made this call likely haven't the foggiest idea of what a view camera is to begin with.

:)

joe

[Henry Carter]

Other US based speciality photo publications have no issues with their Canadian subscribers. I have been a subscriber to LensWork for many years and to B&W since the first issue. I have never had a problem with either of these publications reaching me in Canada. I have never read about problems with these publications, but problems with View Camera subscriptions appear repeatedly on this forum. This has discouraged me from subscribing to View Camera.

What do LensWork and B&W do that View Camera is missing (and I mean in terms of distribution, not content...)?

[Don Wallace]

Joe said (or ranted)

" The actual mechanics of this typeof situaiton were once explained to me, and it's mind boggling. In short - politics. Our government has decided to protect "Canadian Culture". this is why Time magazine in Canada is a special "Canadian " edition, and why although 39 of the top 40 TV shows in Canada are from the USA, it is sitll illegal to purchase US statelleite TV in Canada, but it's okay if you watch those exact same shows on Canadian cable or sattellite. The list goes on and on"

Joe, calm down, have drink (I'll buy). I get VC in Canada all the time, except for the last issue (which never seemed to arrive). The problem is not cultural but simply one of the mechanics of distrubution.

[Ross Chambers]

Mainline in Sydney Australia are reliable agents for distribution. Unfortunately when the subscriber password of the issue does not work (twice this year) they are put in the position of making excuses for the publisher, who does NOT respond to e-mails requesting clarification, in fact who does not respond to e-mails about anything including back issues.

BTW what's a "vompany"?

[André Michaud]

United States borders are : Canada at North and Mexico at South. It is not so far ....but
It is very frustating to receive only 2 copies of V.C. when we paid subscription in «January»
and we are now in September. I live in Quebec, a French country in Canada. in a small community
and we can't found a single copy of V.C. magasine in news stand.

[darr]

I have a small on-line business that sells to Canadians as well as Americans (http://crateart.com). I ship to Canadian addresses about every two weeks via USPS Global Priority Mail. I have been doing this for five years and have not received a single complaint. What is the problem with shipping a magazine to Canada? I know the Canadian Postal Service has been slow at times, but honestly can't someone just mail our fellow Canadian's their subscriptions through their home office and by-pass the whole printer-distributor process since it seems to be unsuccessful? I have bought many items off eBay from Canadians and have not had any hassles besides having to wait an extra week or two. I just hate to hear people paying for their subscriptions and not receiving them. This seems very unfair and not the way to do business.

[Christopher Nisperos]

Like André Michaud, I live in a French country, but it's France. Hi Steve, it's me again. Chris Nisperos. I'm the one who contacted you about ten years ago and then about five years ago and then about three years ago. I told you that I would help you find a major point of distribution for your magazine in France (one of the principle photo bookstores). I was looking for a subscription in exchange for my services. Now I actually have three or four good possibilities. Anyway, I have never, ever received an answer from you. Frankly, that's kind of weird. I mean --me, at least I'd tell somebody to buzz-off if they were bothering me ..But that's off-subject. Bottom line is, I'm obliged to assume you're not looking for a French distributor.

I must also assume that you expect your European continental readers to obtain the magazine from Robert White in England. As I mentioned to you in a previous post on this forum which you never answered, Robert White --as nice as he really is-- offers the magazine to the European continent by mail at a Barbie-sized fortune. I imagine (and hope) it will cost less getting it directly from you. I must say that I have never really understood the difficulty of slipping a magazine into an envelope and addresing it to Paris instead of Philadelphia. The only difference is the amount of postage which, afterall, is paid by the subscriber. Correct me if I'm wrong, if you're up to it.

In spite of all of my sarcasm --which you really quite deserve -- I have to tell you that I have alot of respect for your magazine, and actively support it (by talking about rather than showing it). Again, if I'm off the mark and you have someone in town selling View Camera, just tell me where.

[Christopher Nisperos]

Still no answer.

[Christopher Nisperos]

... and still no answer.

[Radim Sulc]

I would be very happy just with an electronical print of the magazine (PDF) downloaded from view camera site and I would pay for it (even same money as for a real print). It would be much easier to subscribe and much faster to read - anytime and enywhere.