Arghhhh! Excuse me whilst i scream and throw general toddler tantrum. I am having such major probs trying to get copies of TGO in local newsagents. I can't afford to subscribe just yet so have to partake in teh monthly newsagent dash and grab. However, i never found a single May issue so i've had to go without and then decided to ask newsagents to get me a copy from June onwards so i can go in and pick it up, well, i've not had my June copy yet. Could any knights in shining armour tell me how often the mag comes out (I assumed it was every 4 weeks) and what date did June's edition come out and anybody know when July's is due out? I've sent an email to staff at TGO but i'm getting desperate here and surely cannot survive another week without my dose of TGO.
Hi Folks, TGO is a monthly magazine and each new issue is delivered to newsagents between the 4th and 8th of the month preceding cover date. eg the July issue hit the shelves yesterday, the 8th June. Our digital version of the magazine is normally delivered to subscribers' in-box about a week before that. That early delivery occurs because we don't have to wait for the magazine to be printed, bound and delivered to wholesalers etc. etc. Some months ago I wrote an editorial in the magazine pointing out that things were changing rapidly in the newsagent industry and that specialist, niche titles like TGO would suffer. The only way a title like TGO can survive is by selling subscriptions - indeed, in the USA similar titles like Backpacker have a subscription rate of about 90%. Over here, many newsagents are cutting the numbers of magazines they stock and are charging large amounts of money to stock the magazine. A comparatively small title like TGO simply can't afford to pay the amounts of money asked. If we did we'd have to pass that charge on to you, the readers, and we don't want to do that, for obvious reasons. The only way to make sure you get your TGO monthly is by either buying a subscription, or filling in the little coupon on P16 of the July issue and handing it to your local newsagent. Currently we are trying our best to get the magazine into as many shops as possible - we are in selected Tesco's and Morrison's stores at the moment and we are in discussion with large outdoor retailers too. We are very aware it must be very frustrating for many of you. I can only apologise sincerely – we are doing our best in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Right oh, thought i'd update you all on this saga! I finally decided to threaten to make a complaint about the manager of the newsagents as i'd now missed 2 copies of TGO and he hadn't contacted me to advise as to what was going on and if i'd ever indeed see a copy! So, as i was saying, threw a grand tantrum at sales assistant, got head office address and told her to paas a message to the manager that he has to ring me within 24 hours or else! HA! Well, i went into the shop the next day and saw the manager! (For once he was in the shop, doesn't usually seem to be in there doing any work), anyway, he said he "didn't realise it was me!" haha What did that mean anyway, would he have got me my TGO if it was me or does it mean he would have had a go at me earlier?! Well, he was very nice and said that his newsagents had taken TGO off their lists! This may have cancelled out my order! So he said he'd get onto it right away! Well, 2 days later i go in and he presents me with my TGO! HURRAH!!! He says there will be no more problems getting it now (yeah right!).
So hopefully i'll be sorted now! Thankyou everyone for all your help and especially to Brenda who has posted her copies of TGO to me (you're a star!).
By the way, i also noticed that WHSmith didn't have it either, seems like TGO is becoming a rare species!
