While Bauer Media representatives said to the ACCC last they want to help newsagents with a fairer magazine supply model, back at the office the people reporting to them scaled out HOME ENTERTAINMENT: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE to newsagents. This publication was tagged New for 2014. Seriously, new for 2014. What happened yesterday is that newsagents received this title for the second time. Bauer send back out for another go around this old title.
Sending it a few days before the end of the month as they have, it is fair for newsagents to see this as a cash grab by Bauer. many newsagents will not be able to return it in enough time for it to NOT be charged this month.
This is appalling behaviour by Bauer Media. Shame on them. I think this supply is socially irresponsible. It makes small business newsagents less competitive than the supermarkets chasing our magazine revenue.
Four newsagents contacted me about this. each was angry at the treatment they received from Bauer.
Mark,
Interested in your comment “many newsagents will not be able to return it in enough time for it to NOT be charged this month”.
Whilst not a retailer and I accept our operational systems are different, I wasn’t sure what was meant by the above. Did you mean not enough hours in the day or not a “spare” Network Returns Form Number in the Newsagents system, or both?
Again we operate differently, but I always keep a couple (currently 3) Network Returns Forms numbers in our XIT system area – same with G&G. Then if we are overloaded with anything, I just use one of these “spare” Form Numbers and send back immediately. I always use the oldest Form Number first.
Not sure if this helps anyone or not.
John
John,
My comment only related to that it has been supped late in the month and some newsagents will not have found time to do an early returns cycle. Nothing to do with technology.
NZ Rugby
2-2
2-2
1-1
1-1
5-WTF
yep have a whole lot of faith in magazine companies
warhammer from IPS sold 2 copies since August 14 were supplying 3 now increased to 5 .I continue to email my standing order changes they continue to ignore my requests
Don’t pay them Mark, they will then contact you. You may then get somewhere.
They have told us it is in our contract that they can supply what they want, but we don’ even have a contract with them!
Shaun, Mark – what is really galling is that this behaviour continues while the MPA says this is what it wants to resolve. The very cops who book and sentence us speed themselves and give themselves a pat on the back for doing it.
Kitchen and bathroom 6 return 5 so let’s send 11 bloody clowns , so I ask publisher why print so many delayed billing or not tops ripped off and sending back
Nuts Shaun and they wonder why newsagents early return – because it is the only management tool we have.
For the last 4 weeks have been writing down all Network titles that we send straight back.
Up to 94 titles so far.
Since the ACCC conference I have been counting new titles added to my range by NDC. Over 20 in May alone.
Good idea Bill, I will start a spreadsheet on new titles to go with the returns data.