Beano "lite" for subscribers

[meherenow]

Forgive me if this sounds like a bit of a rant, but I cannot help but feel a bit miffed when my sons and I spotted the latest bagtastic Beano (26th July) in the supermarket last night.

Clearly there is now one Beano for loyal subscribers - the comic only - and another for shop buyers, bagged with gifts.

This only seems to have started this year as previously the Beano through the door was the same as the one in the shop - indeed, that is what we expect when we subscribe, the same comic that is available on the Wednesday, just that little bit earlier and delivered to our door.

I know it now says in miniscule print that "cover gifts may vary", well they don't vary very much if you subscribe, there simply aren't any! No word from DC Thomson to explain this, just info that has been slipped onto the new subs page that "from time to time, the Beano may be sold at retail containing a covermount gift...significant savings...blahblah" - well this seems to be back to being every other week or so (an exaggeration I know, but you try explaining corporate shenanigans to my 8 and 5 year old who wonder why they are not getting the same comic that is in the shop).

My main gripe however is that this weeks "news-stand promotion(s) only" is not just any old plastic tat.....

There is a rather spiffy looking "Where's Dennis" poster. As my 8 year old said to me, "Why could they not have just slipped the poster in for subscribers?"

How do I answer that? Needless to say I did not shell out £2.99 for the same actual comic content, albeit bagged, and of course now I am the bad guy - the buck stops here.

I'm afraid that my buck may be stopping before it reaches DC Thomson in the future. They should have informed subscribers that cover mounted gifts were no longer to be available to them. I can't be the only parent out there experiencing this? I'd rather pay a bit extra for the sub to ensure my boys get the same comic that shop buyers get.

Rant over.


P.S. Naturally we all love the Beano so I won't be depriving my(self) sons of it any time soon, but it does seem a bit mean of DCT, living up to that VIZ spoof quite well....

[AndyB]

We discussed that on another thread a couple of months ago, the first time it happened. I wrote to Mike Stirling on the subject, who explained that from time to time they will do a retail only promotional edition with covermounts but subscribers will get only get the comic - without mention of the covermounts the previous week (presumably the edition they use for overseas distribution). At a minimum, the Christmas edition will be still posted out with full covermounts.

I agree that we should have been told, since it was a fair shock to read on this forum that there were cover mounts on the retail edition without any warning.

The other side of it is that the subscription rate has been fixed at £17 per quarter for several years now - although if I were a father I would rather have paid a small extra sum each quarter to get the full cover mounts rather than have a child disappointed to be missing out.

My (strictly my wife's) nephews get most of the Dennis and Gnasher cover mounts with the exception of the sweets, and if the content doesn't improve, they won't get those.

[Digifiend]

I think that they should offer two subscription rates. Current price for one without the covermounts, and a more expensive rate which would be cheaper than buying it in the shops, but expensive enough to cover postage and packing, which would include the covermounts. Offer people a choice. Full savings, or full package.

[big bad bri]

I dont care for the plastic tat personally as i am rather miffed that as i have been subscribing for about 2 months now every copy i have received has arrived bent/ creased & damaged so i can only imagine how they would arrive with all the tat but needless to say i doubt i will renew my sub because of damage even the holiday specials & replacements arrived damaged

[AndyB]

Unfortunately, Bri, there are two companies at fault for that, Royal Mail (possible) and TNT (far more likely as they carry it for longer) - it's rare even for the Dennis and Gnasher magazine, which I really ought to cancel as it's got so little content for the money, to arrive here damaged, so it's not DC Thomson.