The print media publishing business is getting tougher every day; I was just notified by the publisher (Amos Automotive Publishing) that all their existing titles (Cars & Parts, Chevy Enthusiast, Corvette Enthusiast, Mopar Enthusiast, Mustang Enthusiast, and Pontiac Enthusiast) are being consolidated into one new title, "Auto Enthusiast", with an enhanced internet presence to allow more immediate dissemination of material dealing with news, events, columns, etc. -- from the Corvette Forum
So...................Are you telling me that I just renewed to a magazine that is going to stop coming???
Print media is fast making themselves irrelevent. Instead of embracing their niche they have reduced the quantity and watered down the quality of their content. I really enjoy sitting down to read a newspaper or magazine, but in many cases I'm not getting what I pay for anymore. There are exceptions, and those publications will continue to be successful.
I just received my copy of their new magazine and am extremely disappointed with it. Lots of fluff, very little substance, little having anythinig to do with musclecars. I called to cancel my subscription. I was informed that Amos Autromotive does not refund subscriptions (unlike most magazines). This fact is not-so-prominently stated in their masthead. Get out your magnifying glass if you want to find it. I pointed out that just a couple months ago they sold me a new subscription to one magazine and are now sending me another -- and nowhere on that subscription form did it state that it was non-refundable. The somewhat pleasant woman on the other end of the phone repeatedly emphasized that they have the legal right to not refund my money. I repeatedly emphasized that they don't have the moral/ethical right to keep my money. Didn't seem to phase her. I cancelled anyways and told her I will never subsribe to an Amos publication again. This really is theft. I paid for one product; they provided something completely different. Any business which cares about their customers would offer a refund in such a situation. :rant:
What about Musclecar Enthusiast? Rhonda renewed my suscription and I have not recieved anything except this toilet rag Auto Enth. She just renewed at the 2 year deal, I'll be PISSED if they took me .
Recieved my first issue of auto enth. last wk. Today I get a renewal notice. Guess where I'll file that POS.:moonu:
Yep, ya got took, Tim. Got my new rag about 3 weeks ago or so. dont care for it. The renewal came in the mail yesterday, tossed it in the trash. Guess I'll be going MCR now. Too bad, I really liked MCE.
My MCE subscription went through this month and I kept hearing the rumors that Amos would be consolidating things. I never could find anything concrete on that. Several weeks ago I finally got my answer when the first issue of Auto Enthusiast came in the mail. Nice magazine, but 2/3rd of it I could really care less about. They also included a renewal notice if I'm interested. Going by memory I think it was $16.95 for a year. I was curious of other peoples feedback on this new consolidated mag as I was tempted to just try it out for a year. Well, I think I get the general vibe. The subscription notice is still sitting on my table. Really not sure if I'll try it out for a year or not. REALLY glad I didn't renew early and get the shaft. MCE was the best one out there in my opinion. Looks like it's Hemmings Muscle Machines and Muscle Car Review only now. Of course there are a few specialty mags out there too, High Performance Pontiac and Pontiac Enthusiast which give me my Pontiac fix, but I enjoy the musclecars in general.
Hey, I got a renewal notice too, my Dad was getting Car&Parts and now got this and I was getting MCE, mom tried to give the new mag, had to tell her, already seen it and passed it on to The Old Guy. I'm not going to renew, as doesn't expire till March, so will see how it goes.
I'm smart enough to not renew early, but my renewal (to MCE), starting last September, cost me $25 which is now all down the toilet. If you don't like the new rag, cancel your subscription even though you won't get a refund. While on the surface that looks like you're letting Amos make more profit, the reality is that they can no longer claim you as a paid subscription, which means they will receive less revenue from their advertisers. Hit 'em where it hurts.
doh!!! I get too many magazines as it is. guess this is one way to pare down what appears in the mailbox. another way happens to be the mail carrier doesn't deliver me all my mail and puts it in someone elses mailbox.
I thought the new Auto Enthusiast had more advertising in it than articles! Actually the magazine sucks so bad that the ads were probably the best part of this POS they are sending out. Like you, I renewed in September and got ripped off since they won't refund our money even though they are not delivering what we bought and paid for.
Primedia did that trick numerous times over the years where they'd shut down a magazine and transfer the unused subscription balance to Hot Rod. I think I'm going to get it until the year 2064 now... Difference is, Primedia was buying up other magazines and doing it, here they already owned them... We got a lot of really good coverage of our races there. Sad to see it go.
I quit MCE a couple years back. I felt I was not getting my moneys worth and I like the Hemming s Muscle car mag better. A friend of mine subscribed to a mag at the pure stocks one year and it went under before it even came out. never got his money back.
