jeremy brotherton Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Yes David it arrived the next day BUT I'm still waiting on the issue you said I should be receiving this month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_henry3 Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 For what it's worth I haven't had any problems receiving subscriptions down here in Tampa. From what I read it seems to be an honest mistake here and there that Spivak tried to correct upon discovery. As the magazine grows he'll probably hire someone to deal with customer service-related issues. I have to believe that none of this is intentions because, as he alluded to, without his customers he doesn't have a magazine. Anyway, enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend gentlemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_jones2 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 All emails have gone unanswered. Still waiting for issue #16. Never received issue #14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_sedwick Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I continue to wait for the April 2008 issue; I've seen it on the magazine rack at Borders for weeks. My other photo magazines arrive promptly, including one from England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 As of today I have not received any issues since I sent in my check in early February. I did receive my special issue but I have not received any of the bi monthlies. I understand issue #16 was mailed but so far I have not received it. I have emailed twice in the past month and NO RESPONSE. I tried one time to call them and whoever picked up the phone was very nasty and told me not to call them but to email them and then the guy hung up on me. VERY RUDE who ever he was. From all these letters it appears that it was probably Davud Spivak. Anyway, he took my money and I have no magazine and I cannot communicate with them - at least they dont answer the emails. And I cannot call since they yell at you and then hang up. This morning I tried to get on their web page and google keeps coming back saying it cannot find it. SO now I am wondering is Focus out of business? It is sad because it is a really fine art photo mag - the best I have seen but what good is it when you cannot get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_dingley Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 John, I think that you are lucky to have received the special issue. I subscribed in November 2007 and have still not received any magazine even though I still see them in my local newsagents but then again I suppose living in Australia means that the post is a bit slower although in reality it probably means that I've done my money like most other subscribers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_thompson1 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Can anyone give me David Spivach's e-mail so I can contact him to cancel my subscription? We tried the e-mail on the website and got no reply. I still haven't received the issue that hit the shelves at Barnes and Noble on April 1, and I don't want to wait any longer for a magazine that seems to make customers its last priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy brotherton Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 his email is david@focusmag.info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 well the email you supposed to use for questions regarding subs. is subscriptions@focusmag.info but that one I have written to twice now and after two weeks I have no response I too will cancel my subs and just take my chances at BN - it is sad that it is a fine mag and it appears this guy David is just making excuses for why his customer service in the pits - he says he is too busy - well then hire someone to do it for you - bottom line - poor customer service and NO magazine is just unacceptable John ( Johny ) Alives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy brotherton Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Ok I just got off the phone with David. Here's what he said as I understand it. The reason we have yet to receive the most recent issue (April) is due to him waiting for the summer issue to go to print. Now the goal from my understanding is to fix the problem of when the magazine is released. We as subscribers are suppose to receive 6 magazines a year. And this delay in us receiving the April issue is to fix the whole mess of when magazines are released. He knows some of us are mad. But he hopes from what he told me this will fix some of the problems he is having at this time with his magazine... He also told me he is going to be sending me the back issues I've not received since I subscribed to the magazine a year ago. I'll post if I get them or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy brotherton Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Also if you need to call him to hear yourself what his reasoning is email me and I'll give you the number to call him. I can't promise you'll get a hold of him but you can try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Well it would be nice if someone would respond to our emails - and from what you are saying does that mean now I wont get my latest issue ? - or is that being shipped with the summer issue? I dont want to miss one and I certainly dont want to go buy one and then get a second one later - the whole purpose for me to subscribe was NOT to miss an issue because my BN doesnt always have one. John (Johny) Alives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I also want to mention that I had planned on putting a one page ad in a few issues for my photo business but now that I cannot get my magazines and get no repsonses to my emails, I will not spend that kind of money - what if I have a problem with the ad or I want to change something on the proof etc etc - how do I communicate with them - I cannot risk that kind of money - their loose and mine too since I think Focus is a good place for my art work BUT with my low budget I cannot take that chance. John Johny Alives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy brotherton Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 This is how I understand it. Once the summer issue has gone to print the April will be sent out to everyone. That is how I understood what he said. Now as for him sending me the issues I never got. I only got one. I'm still missing the April issue and the issue that had the Jerry Uelsmann photo on the cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarks Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 David won't stay true to his word Jeremy.He's promised me a number of them and I never received them.The one he was supposed to have shipped to me March 8th never did arrive.That's almost 3 months.He was supposed to have all his shipping issues ironed out by then or so he said.He'll keep spinning lies to try and throw everybody off his back till he can create his newest lie.It's an ongoing cycle with David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I now have sent emails to four different email addresses at focus - no response to any of them I appreciate Jeremy's offer for the phone number but I am afraid to call him - the last time he yelled at me and hung up on me - I really dont need that crap from anyone. Lets face it, HE has the problem - I just want my magazine - I paid for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_spivak2 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I made a post here last night and now it's gone -- no idea why. Jeremy, the December '07 issue was newsstand only as I said above. John, I sent you an e-mail to call me. Everyone else: We are decreasing the amount of time left in between issues that subscribers receive per issue starting with the last issue. By the time everyone has received that issue, the next issue will be sent out. By the time everyone has received that issue -- the next one will be sent out after that. About 8 weeks in between issues starting with the last issue we published. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I just got off the phone with David Spivak. He was very nice and took his time to explain that he is still experiencing problems with mailing to subscribers and that the April issue should be mailed for us all to receive sometimes at the latest in July followed by the summer issue not too long after - he expects that we all should have the the last issue and the summer issue all before end of July or early August. He further said that he is working to resolve the late mailings. I also understand that not to expect - even in the future - that we will get our magazines in the mail the same time as it hits the newsstand - it sounds like form his discussion that we will see places like BN having the issue long before we see it in the mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_spivak2 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Slight mis-understanding, John. I apologize, NYC can get very loud and sometimes it's difficult to have a conversation on the phone while walking around. As soon as the Summer issue goes to my printer's, I will mail out the last issue. That could be this week or next week. We will be mailing out the magazines at the same time our trucker comes to pick up the magazines and delivers it to the distributors for distribution on newsstands. I have no control over how long it takes for them to deliver the magazines, nor how long it takes to get the magazine on newsstands. For instance, if the Summer issue is picked up July 5 from the trucking company, that is the day they go out to subscribers. If it takes 3 weeks to arrive to you via USPS and two weeks to get the magazine on newsstands, then that will be an instance when it's on newsstands before it's in your mailbox. As soon as the magazines are off the press and bindery, we bag them and send them out. This is NOT an automated process like it is with most other magazines... we are not printed by a magazine printer -- we are printed by a sheetfed high-end photography-book printer. That is why there's a drastic difference in quality between Focus and other magazines. Sometimes in exchange for quality, you have to wait a little longer. But not as long as you have been waiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnya Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I hope for all of the subscribers, that David will get a handle on his mailing problems. I am sure that the rest of you feel the same way about the quality of the magazine David is publishing. My opinion is that it is the finest photo art publication that I have come across in this country as well as overseas. I have a number of US, French and German art photo mags and Focus tops them all. I hope to some day even have some of my work published in Focus. So having said that, I really don't want to miss one single issue and I subscribed because I could not depend on my BN stores locally to stock enough copies for me to always find one. I love the magazine and that is way I am so frustrated. I have re- read each issue I have many times and each time I see something I missed or I get a new idea for my work. They never get old. I cannot wait to see the next issues. I just hope I will get to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_spivak2 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Hello all. Thank you, once again, for your patience. The August 2008 issue has been uploaded to the printer, which means all subscriptions will go out this week. When the August issue has finished printing, we will mail this issue out as well. It should be finished in 3-4 weeks from now. However -- I will give all of you a beautiful PDF preview of this issue to tide you over. www.focusmag.info/August2008.pdf This link should be active within the next 15 minutes. So around 11:15 P.M. EST on Sunday, 6/15/08. Please, let me know what you think of this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_spivak2 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 http://www.focusmag.info/August2008.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_jones2 Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Followup on my May 28, 2008 post above. David finally contacted me by email because of my post here and not from specifically answering any emails I had sent (which were never answered). He said he would send me issue #14 right away. Never arrived and all followup emails except one continue to be unanswered even when using the email address that he used to email me (so I know that it is a working email address). Issue #16 has not arrived as of today. I have given up and consider my subscription a complete loss. Perhaps more issues of my subscription will show up; God only knows if and when.... Buyer beware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarks Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 No suprises.David can't keep his word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_thompson1 Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Clearly Mr. Spivach, you read this blog, so one would be led to believe that you probably check and ignore your e-mail. My wife and I have tried no less than 5 times by phone and e-mail to contact you, initially wondering about the delay in our subscription, and now demanding a refund. We have had enough. We don't want any more excuses about printers, or how the mail is at fault for failing to deliver our magazine. We have not received a magazine since February, and that was a duplicate of the magazine we received in late December. WE WANT A REFUND! And We want a full refund, because I think the magazine you sent (twice) is not even enough compensation for the failure to deliver your product. We are reasonable, undemanding, "Minnesota Nice" people, but when we pay for something, we expect to receive it, or at least receive an explanation for why it is delayed. Had I not found this blog, I would be totally in the dark about the status of your magazine. You may consider yourself an artist, and you do indeed have a very appealing magazine, but even a great artist working on a commission knows he must DELIVER the work, or his skill means nothing. Please reply to my wife's e-mail and give us our money back, we dont' want to deal with you or this situation any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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