The Dog and Lemon Guide is no longer a print product. Instead, yesterday we received a single sheet with a code for accessing their website. I am not about to put this in the shelf priced at $19.95. The risk of theft is too great – especially for a car title. It would be easy to slip this into a bag unnoticed. While I appreciate that the publisher is continuing an association with newsagents for the online product, there has to be a better way than this theft inviting approach.
do you have to return this title as a full or a cover
I have had a couple of people chasing this for months now , i called them up and said it was in BUT it is no longer a book or a magazine it is a website or cd . they were not interested in them any more so i sent them back
now you really getting lemon for this
Oooops! In the turmoil of receiving a huge amount of magazines yesterday I mistakenly thought that we had only received posters from Dog & Lemon (didnt read the detail) & reported them as short supplied! I wonder if I was the only person that made that boo boo?
When I recieved this title, I suddenly had a vision of every magazine in the shop looking just like this one, with the cover only and an access code. A step towards the future? My gut feel is that most publishers won’t go through the newsagency channel for future “digital” products. I do hope I’m wrong.
Trying to look at the future in an optomistic (probably overly)way, could this be a viable future for news and some mags where we sell activation to an issue on the web(similar to activating gift cards). The issue would pe promoted on afrontpageonly basis. The downside is that browsing by customers would not generate sales as it does now. Is this practical for publishers? No returns, theft not an issue, this might be a win, win,win situation for publishers, retailers and customers if the technology is practical.
Brendan,
Online customers simply wont go to a retail store to make the purchase. It completely cancels out a number of the major benefits of moving online (ie, reduced cost and being able to make the purchase anywhere at any time.) Clearly D&LG doesn’t understand the digital medium or the habits of those who consume digital media.
Jarryd, you are so right, the publisher thought they doing a good thing but actually not. They don’t understand their customer needs.
A bit like ordering something online & then having to go to a retail outlet & pay for it. They have NO idea.
I just sold the new Dog and Lemon Guide to a customer who bought the print version last year.
One way of increasing the value of the 2010 Dog and Lemon Guide
I’m just a customer, but my opinion is that this is a (very) stupid move. I stupidly lent out my last D&L, and never got it back.
When I saw the ‘new improved’ model D&L I told my newsagent there was NO WAY I’d pay $20 for THAT.
I want a BOOK!
She agreed and told me that she figured that, and sent all but ONE straight back.
I have three computers (4 if you count an iPad), but I prefer to take a book to bed…
Mike
Mike good to hear there are people out there that will always prefer print ,and you have an ipad :}
I think that a title like Don and Lemon needs to be in print given how consumers interact with it.
I would much, much prefer a book. I discovered Dog & Lemon in 2004 and have been buying it since then. I think it is the best car review book around. I only care about practical aspects of car ownership, and I have come to appreciate the D&L distance from the run of the mill car review crap, usually produced by the so called enthusiasts.
1I will accept the online product as a substitute, and if this was the only way to keep D&L going, good on you Clive, but if this was some way of looking into the future, then I give thumbs down. Internet may be a good thing but does not replace books, nor printed car guides.
I prefer print and I just purchased the dog and lemon guide in BOOK format on their website.
Super quick delivery
to my door.
YAH!
Just found out tonight that it’s no longer in print after spending hours ringing around and searching everywhere. Bitterly disappointed. No way will I be purchasing a disc. Give me the hard copy any day.
I am really disappointed to learn the D&LG is no longer available in print version.
When looking at a replacement car it has been great to look at all of the options and the issues associated with different models in a convenient format.
You have lost me.