Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

From the ashes of the DFC rises... the Phoenix.

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Lew Stringer
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Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

Is anyone else having problems renewing their subscription to The Phoenix?

I tried to renew last week online. Submitted my card details but received no confirmation by email so I contacted their help desk.

A week passed. No reply.

Last night I received an email from them claiming my credit card had been declined! I could see no reason why this would be so, so I contacted my credit card company who told me nothing had been declined, no transaction from The Phoenix had been attempted and my status was fine.

I should also mention that this isn't the first time I've had problems subscribing. The reason I stopped buying The DFC after issue 30 or so was due to missing issues and renewals not starting from the issue they should have. Also, when I initially subscribed to The Phoenix I was notified I'd subscribed twice! (Fortunately I managed to cancel one.)

The problem seems to be with The Phoenix's online subscription system so I'm reluctant to give them my card details again even though I'd like to support the comic.

Like The DFC before it, I fear The Phoenix is doomed if it doesn't have a reliable system for its main source of sales.

Anyone else had similar problems with them?
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felneymike
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by felneymike »

I bought a full year, so I'll keep my eyes open next Jan. Mind you, I did "subscribe from" issue 1, but the actual first issue I recieved was 2, so I wonder if that will be reflected in my last issue?
Oh well, at least this time around, if a renewal does "skip" an issue there's an easy way to get the missing one! (Though maybe Swirlythingy can give us another anecdote? XD)

Lew Stringer
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

felneymike wrote: Oh well, at least this time around, if a renewal does "skip" an issue there's an easy way to get the missing one! (Though maybe Swirlythingy can give us another anecdote? XD)
There's no Waitrose anywhere around here and I'm certainly not traveling miles every week for a comic.

I like The Phoenix but not enough for it to waste my time. Too bad they never set up a PayPal system.
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philcom55
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by philcom55 »

Last time I was in Manchester's Traveling Man store they had all of the first thirteen issues for sale off the shelf.

- Phil R.

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swirlythingy
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by swirlythingy »

Gosh! also has a generous supply of back issues. Either they've been deliberately ordering them or they haven't been selling as well as they'd hoped. (I suspect the former, because I swear they didn't have so many a few weeks ago.)
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big bad bri
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by big bad bri »

Gosh told me they are selling quite well & they have had to reorder quite a few times.But phoenix is going the same way as my american comics ie. unread, as i have still to read iss 6-13 but for some reason i read dandy & beano straight away even though i have hundreds of back issues of dandy from ebay which will prob never be read.

Lew Stringer
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

swirlythingy wrote:Gosh! also has a generous supply of back issues. Either they've been deliberately ordering them or they haven't been selling as well as they'd hoped. (I suspect the former, because I swear they didn't have so many a few weeks ago.)
Thanks. Unfortunately both Manchester and London are a fair distance from here so I won't be dropping into those shops anytime soon. Perhaps if Gosh still has them in stock when I visit London for art supplies in a month or two I might pick up issues I've missed.
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philcom55
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by philcom55 »

Lew Stringer wrote:Perhaps if Gosh still has them in stock when I visit London for art supplies in a month or two I might pick up issues I've missed.
If you don't mind me asking Lew, who do you buy your art supplies from?

- Phil R.

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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

philcom55 wrote:
Lew Stringer wrote:Perhaps if Gosh still has them in stock when I visit London for art supplies in a month or two I might pick up issues I've missed.
If you don't mind me asking Lew, who do you buy your art supplies from?

- Phil R.
London Graphic Centre, not far from Covent Garden and Long Acre, although I understand they've moved to King's Cross recently. (Unless they have two shops now. I'll check before I visit.)

I buy my pens from the local Rymans though.
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NP
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by NP »

I too have had insurmountable problems attempting to subscribe and have never been granted even one email reply to my numerous queries. I've held off commenting before but either their system is not up to the job or they don't care. Perhaps they just don't want me buying it!

The Waitrose " " near " " me had never heard of Phoenix when I first enquired and on my second visit told me it was only available online, not instore. Whilst in London last week I didn't find it in three of the four Waitrose stores I went to (Canary Wharf, East Sheen, Bayswater- no; Islington- Yes. And what happened to the one in White City?!)So much for it being available 'in Waitrose stores'. It's not. A select few, maybe.

I have bought some from a comic book store, but again none of the local ones stock it or have any intention of stocking it.
So much for it being 'easy' to pick up. It's not.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lew, London Graphic Centre hasn't moved from Shelton Street, Covent Garden, it's main branch, but opened a fourth smaller store up in King's Cross (the others are near Goodge St and in Clerkenwell). I like the main store because a) it's big, the stock is huge, b) it's much better than the nearby store they were in till 1984, and c) it's just up the road from 64 Long Acre which I still get a small kick out of passing by! (Although sadly that delightful Old Man's Pub downstairs but one has been turned into a Rave Night Club!) Cowling and Wilcox in Broadwick street (off Berwick Street where GOSH apparently is now) are also good. Other suppliers are available (but far fewer than they were!)

Lew Stringer
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

A few people I know had problems with The DFC subscriptions but I was led to believe The Phoenix would improve in that area. Seems not, sadly.

Nigel, I thought I was the only one who made a pilgrimage to walk by 64 Long Acre when around that area. I should have known a fellow Power fan such as yourself would do the same. I wonder if the dummy issue of Spitfire (the aborted sixth Power Comic) is lurking in some forgotten filing cabinet in a storeroom up there? :D Thanks for the info re: LGC. I'm glad the large Shelton Street store is still open.
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philcom55
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by philcom55 »

Thanks Lew and Nigel for your information about the London Graphic Centre - I always used to go there whenever I was in London but assumed it closed down when it vanished from the original location. To this day it's the only store I've ever found that actually sold Ames Guides.

Having said that I can't help feeling that good art shops are becoming something of an endangered species in recent times. Years ago most major city centres had at least one first class supplier, yet nowadays even the ones that still exist seem to have a very limited range of materials for sale. For example I can't find anyone who stocks the excellent Copic range of pens and have recently had to resort to mail order for replacement nibs and refills. (Presumably it has something to do with design studios and technical drawing offices getting rid of their drawing boards in favour of electronic pads and keyboards)

- Phil Rushton

Lew Stringer
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

This is getting ridiculous.

After trying to renew my sub two weeks ago and being told by The Phoenix that my credit card had been refused (which my credit card company assured me didn't happen and that The Phoenix hadn't even attempted a transaction, see my earlier post) - I now find that a few days ago The Phoenix have taken a £24 subscription out of my account!

And yet... I've received no comics!

I'll be giving these clowns a call on Monday.

UPDATE 3rd May: The person I spoke to at The Phoenix admitted they've had problems with their renewal system and have promised to send me the three issues they owe me so far. Just a heads up to the rest of you to keep an eye on things when you renew.

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Digifiend
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Digifiend »

Nigel's blogged about it.
http://nigelparkinsoncartoons.blogspot. ... e-but.html

Lew, did those clowns, as you called them, have anything to say?

Lew Stringer
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Re: Anyone having problems renewing their sub?

Post by Lew Stringer »

Digifiend wrote:
Lew, did those clowns, as you called them, have anything to say?
As I said above, they admitted they'd had problems with their renewal system and promised to send me the three outstanding issues.

This morning I received issue 18. I'm still waiting for 16 and 17.

It's things like this, IMHO, that helped kill The DFC. When the Phoenix started I was assured by a contributor that there would be no problems with the subs as it wasn't being handled by the people who dealt with The DFC subscriptions. Yet here we are, with a situation that's even worse!

It's the contributors I feel sorry for. There's some excellent creators working on the comic and it could be (and deserves to be) a huge hit - if more people could see it!

Anyway, just thought I'd better make my experiences public as a heads up to other subscribers.
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