Autosport Website

This is a rant. I am aggrieved that as a haymarket customer (I've bought Autosport every week for over 20 years ) I am barred from full access to their website bacause I won't take out a subscription.

I would like to subscribe, this would save me driving from my rural home to purchase every thursday, but I did a couple of years ago and usually received the mag on Saturday at the earliest, sometimes Monday and a few times not at all. I know friends who subscribe still have the same problem.

I know the magazines editor views these forums, I hope someone from the website or subscriptions does too....

Perhaps if you save up 51 tokens from the last year they should give you access for the following year?

You can buy an online subscription wthout a magazine subscription.

You can't really blame Haymarket if your local postal service isn't up to scratch. Very occasionally my copy will arrive on Friday and maybe twice in the last five or so years has it not turned up at all.

You can buy an online subscription wthout a magazine subscription.

You can't really blame Haymarket if your local postal service isn't up to scratch. Very occasionally my copy will arrive on Friday and maybe twice in the last five or so years has it not turned up at all.

When I had the subscription, all other mail was on time, so I did rightly blame haymarket.

Why should I buy an online subscription to the website when I pay more for the mag than those that get free access. That was part of my point really.

When you say you all your other mail was on time what else did you have that was regularly mailed on a Wednesday, or do you just mean that you got some mail every Thursday.

Why should they give you free access, what makes you so special. If you want access then buy a subscription, it's as simple as that.

I have about the same ratio as you redshoes. They've sent me a new copy when it didn't turn up too. Only happened twice and one time it did just come very late (and I suspect after the replacement!).

I think you are the unluckiest person ever. Haymarketing must have singled you out, PK. :eek: Where is Autosport posted from? I can't tell from the packaging of mine (there is a return address, but this may not be the same - it is Haywards Heath RH16).

mine's sometimes here on friday, but it's not really the end of the world, is it?

and if it doesn't turn up on a Thursday you can always read autosport.com. ;)

Actually they tried a few years ago to put the whole magazine edition on-line. I really liked that and you got it on Wednesday. Some pictures were embargoed (which was always fun). I'm not sure why they abandonded it. No one used it? Too much effort? :Shrug:

Mine arrives every thursday - between 9am and 1pm depending on the postie.

Trouble is I don't have time to read most of it!

Some pictures were embargoed (which was always fun). I'm not sure why they abandonded it. No one used it? Too much effort? :Shrug:
More fun was when they embargoed one story but forgot to edit another story on the same page that referred to the embagoed story.

As I recall, lack of use vs time/cost taken to produce was the reason they gave for stopping it.

Going back to PK's original point, what realistically is the alternative solution? I assume Adam's suggestion of collecting 51 tokens was a little tongue in check. They couldn't simple publish a weekly access code/password as you wouldn't need to buy a copy, just go to your local newsagent and make a note of the number. Allowing access on the basis that you don't want a subscription but promise to buy a copy locally is hardly likely.

The token comment was a little joke, although one based on a theory I had about pub lunches a few years back. Everyone goes on Friday, but I went every day so why was it hard for me to get a seat on Friday? ;)

What about a kind of subscription that gives you a token for each week. You get you sub, but also the joy of going to the newsagent. Newspapers do a similar thing. It would probably cost a bit in admin, so that will bump up the cost. However PK Kart is paying cover price anyway.

When you say you all your other mail was on time what else did you have that was regularly mailed on a Wednesday, or do you just mean that you got some mail every Thursday.

Why should they give you free access, what makes you so special. If you want access then buy a subscription, it's as simple as that.

I was running a business from home, so had a very good idea what was being sent to me and when.

I'm not asking for free access.

I'm not special.

It's not as simple as that, if the subscription service had worked for me the last time I tried it I would do so again. It didn't work, so the only alternative is to buy the mag from the shops. This means that as a loyal customer I am unable to access a service automatically given to johnny come latelys.

Thats the reason for my moan and the point I was trying to make.

I'll go away now redshoes, in case you feel the need to talk to me like I am stupid again.

i think, in defence of Redshoes, you werent very clear in your earlier posts.

I also lied the old pdf of the magazine, they were great. Shame it went away as Autosport takes a few weeks to arrive over here and is over $11 CAD (ouch) a copy, so I tend to use the shop as a library ( I do buy other mags, its just its even older news then)

er, I think redshoes was just pointing out the difficulty in deciphering the performance of the post with only part of the measurement.

Thank you Adam, that was my point entirely. My internet connection has been playing up this week, which means I haven't always been able to access autosport.com, should I blame Haymarket for that as well?

PK, just in case you are still reading let me throw my previous question back at you. What would be your proposal to allow non-subscribers to view the website without extra cost to themselves and without excessive admin for Autosport? People from Autosport do read these forums and I'm sure you'd get a much better response if you could come up with a viable solution rather than just moaning about how unfair things are.

Thank you Adam, that was my point entirely. My internet connection has been playing up this week, which means I haven't always been able to access autosport.com, should I blame Haymarket for that as well?

PK, just in case you are still reading let me throw my previous question back at you. What would be your proposal to allow non-subscribers to view the website without extra cost to themselves and without excessive admin for Autosport? People from Autosport do read these forums and I'm sure you'd get a much better response if you could come up with a viable solution rather than just moaning about how unfair things are.

To answer your first question, your isp company or pc is clearly at fault, so it would be wrong to blame Haymarket, obviously. If Autosport was the only site you couldn't access it would be fair to assume the problem was theirs.

To clarify the above point, when I had a subscription, I knew that my post usually arrived the day after it was sent. As I said earlier I rarely received the mag before saturday and regularly later. This is a fact. Do you think I am being unfair to assume that the problem was not with my local post service?

I don't think autosport should allow non subscribers to access the site for free. My viable solution is that they provide a reliable subscription service to ALL their customers. Do you think I am wrong in pointing out that I didn't receive the service I paid for so am losing out?

Sorry if I had not made the reasons for my post clear before and caused confusion.

With the bashing autosport received on another thread it is pleasing to see people still buying it, I have always loved the mag and still think it's a great read. I think it is clear I have no problem with the magazine which I will continue to buy and enjoy, unlike the website!

I don't think autosport should allow non subscribers to access the site for free. My viable solution is that they provide a reliable subscription service to ALL their customers. Do you think I am wrong in pointing out that I didn't receive the service I paid for so am losing out?

Sorry if I had not made the reasons for my post clear before and caused confusion.I must admit I thought it was about access to Autosport.com. :bag: :)

So, did Autosport post your copy and my copy on different days? Why does it consistently take longer for you to get your copy than it does for me to get mine? Does this vary across the country depending on where you live? Where do the others you see having this problem live? (all over I suspect!). I've had no problem at two long term addresses. Do you live in Liverpool?

Adam,
I clearly can't answer most of your questions, maybe someone at haymarket can. When I had the subscription I lived in London. I'm glad you've never had a problem with your subscription, I did not say I saw others having this problem, merely that I did.

Not sure what else I can add, as I suspect from the tone of your post that you for some reason doubt what I have said.
I actually quite like the Liverpool gag, very sharp.

Magazine subscribers don't get internet subscription as part of the deal, do they? I thought it was a separate subscription?

It may well be that I am utterly confused, of course.

Well I get it, dunno about everyone else.

Very enjoyable it is too, the site has some articles often superior to the magazine.

Magazine subscribers don't get internet subscription as part of the deal, do they? I thought it was a separate subscription?

It may well be that I am utterly confused, of course.

It always used to be the case that Magazine subscribers got free access, I presume that is still the case.

I too, may well be utterly confused.

I did not say I saw others having this problem, merely that I did. I would like to subscribe, this would save me driving from my rural home to purchase every thursday, but I did a couple of years ago and usually received the mag on Saturday at the earliest, sometimes Monday and a few times not at all. I know friends who subscribe still have the same problem.You can see where I misunderstood.
Not sure what else I can add, as I suspect from the tone of your post that you for some reason doubt what I have said.I don't doubt what you've said, merely your reasoning that you can apply that to something that Haymarket did.

There is no tone to my post, what would be the point?
I actually quite like the Liverpool gag, very sharp.:beer: Although I did also mean it as an example of how one area can have postal problems!