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SmallAnimalChannel.com Moderator
 
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 10/26/2010 9:57:24 AM
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| The March/April 2008 issue of Ferrets will soon reach subscribers. It is the final print issue of Ferrets. We're transitioning the magazine to online beginning in April when we launch www.SmallAnimalChannel.com. The new Ferrets magazine will be located at www.FerretsMagazine.com, and it will be free. We're still going to be an information resource about ferrets, only in a different format. Our plan is to offer new articles and columns every month, weekly news updates, polls, contests and more. It will be more interactive and readers will get more frequent updates than with our bimonthly print issue -- and we'll be saving trees by going digital. Subscribers will soon receive a letter/postcard from our Consumer Marketing Department that will detail what choices they have concerning the balance of their subscription. Our annual ferret magazine, Ferrets USA, will continue to be printed and new issues are available in stores every November. Please note that the current look at SmallAnimalChannel.com and FerretsMagazine.com will all change in April. For an idea of how it will look, please visit our other BowTie websites: www.DogChannel.com, www.CatChannel.com, www.ReptileChannel.com, www.BirdChannel.com, www.HorseChannel.com. - Critters Moderator
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/28/2008 4:42:04 PM
Posts: 6,
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| This is bull. What about people who do not have the Internet? Obviously, I do but not EVERYONE does. When everyone calls to get their refunds, you guys are going to lose a lot of money - maybe that will make you change your minds...? In any case, I was going to get a few gift subscriptions of other magazines for people but I guess not now. Thanks. After just celebrating its 10th year, here's to Ferrets Mag. 
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 3/7/2008 9:32:37 AM
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| I need to change my address so that i get the last few editions, but i do want money back if i am not getting a full year subscription as the only time that i can do personal work on the computer is in the morning once a week, so i will be unable to read ferret articles as the only time i have to do so is at home and being poor, i can not afford the internet. I understand the reasoning, but what about those poor people and those who just aren't computer savvy, shouldn't they know about ferrets too???? I have actually talked to alot of people about ferrets because they see my magazine. Thank you Jillian
The PACK
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 4/11/2008 11:46:54 AM
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Well I am very disappointed with this decision. I can only hope that the online version contains the same quality of information and that you will offer a downloadable version as I have saved every copy for reference
Mom to Pheelia, Lielah, Tauvi, Sir Woozle, Quizzy, Parker and Liberty. Grandferrent to Cassie
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/29/2008 9:19:14 AM
Posts: 9,
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| As a ferret rescue we are constantly looking for fund raising ideas. We found one recently in the way of a magazine drive. We sold over 45 subscriptions to Ferrets in the last 3 weeks and now we find out you are discontinuing. Now what do we do? Are you going to refund ALL of the money including the commission we got for the sale or do we have to cancel the 2 surgeries we have scheduled and give the folks back the balance out of the fuzzy account. We waisted alot of hours selling these subscriptions when we could have done something else. I do not see a happy ending to this and now these poor little fuzzbuts can't get the adrenal surgery they so desperately need because no one at your magazine can give me an answer. I tried to contact one of the executives today but was stone-walled and then put on hold with no one picking up. We are very angry with your staff that there was no better warning given till "the last edition is March". Please can someone answer our questions.
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 1/25/2008 12:42:34 PM
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I read about this on the FML, & quite frankly, I'm extremely disappointed about this decision. Yes, I have internet access; yes, the info will still be online. But it won't be available for everyone anymore. My kids look forward to getting each issue of Ferrets Magazine. My kids have only been in the US for 4 yrs, & we limit their internet access. They will no longer be able to pick up & read your magazine whenever they want, so that they can educate themselves about our ferrets & improve their English & their reading skills.They'll now only be able to do it when my husband or I have time to sit nearby & monitor their internet time.
My kids are on their way home from school right now. They're going to be really upset when I tell them this in a few min. Then we'll all have to be upset together. [ ]
Bad decision. Bad, bad decision.
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/25/2008 2:26:48 PM
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I am dissapointed in the handleling of this. I got my letter notification today and my options were to chose one of their other magazines. Well, I am not interested in their other magazines. I have been with this magazine since it released its first issue. I will sorley miss hard copy that I can hand carry to my vets to show him an article. How sad also for those who do not have acess to internet. Not every one has a computer and librarys during school year are rather busy. They should have given more than one months notice to its customers prior. 
Tracy and all my furry friends
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SmallAnimalChannel.com Moderator
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 10/26/2010 9:57:24 AM
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Although we are emphasizing the positives to going digital with Ferrets magazine, there were also other factors that forced the transition at this time. Economic factors, such as escalating costs for paper, postage and printing, plus the trend toward people getting more and more information from websites compelled us to look at the best way to publish Ferrets. Please believe that this decision was not arbitrary and not taken lightly. I'm *very* sorry that anyone wishing to read the magazine won't be able to if they lack Internet access. I really hope those that do have access will give the website a chance in April. We're working hard to make the new face of Ferrets magazine informative and fun, just as our print edition was. *Permission is NOT given to cross-post this message anywhere.* If someone wants to read this, I'd like them to visit our site to do it. The lack of traffic on our site was yet another reason it seemed there wasn't too great an interest in our magazine. Marylou Zarbock, editor
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 1/25/2008 4:31:51 PM
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| Wow...this is the jumbo-sized bad decision of bad decisions. As the only remaining ferret magazine in print here in the US, you are completely disregarding a VERY large fan base, and making many, many people unhappy. I am appalled that you not only have given very little notice to your loyal fan base, but you think that by moving the magazine to digital format, you will make it all better. Personally, I don't *like* reading magazines or books digitally; I enjoy the good old fashioned solidity of paper. I seriously doubt I'll even check out the new format at all; I can't carry the copy with me to the doc's office, or the post office line, or when I leave town...Maybe it's "more convenient" for you, but that isn't the case for scores and scores of your now-disenfranchised readers! I understand that you feel the need for a change due to "econmonic reasons" -- but come on -- have some concern for your loyal readers. Stop thinking of the almighty buck and think "customer". Try thinking OUTSIDE the box. TWO THUMBS DOWN, Ferrets Magazine!! BOOOOOO! ~Eri and three very unhappy ferrets in Texas
~Eri in Texas
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1/28/2008 4:42:04 PM
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| Yes, I am the one who cross posted it. Just like everyone else, I think the way it was done wasn't right. It is poor customer service to say 'oh hey guys, one more issue and then we're done!' Lack of traffic on the web site means there is little interest in the magazine? So you move the magazine to the web site? Does that make as much sense to everyone else as it does me...?? 1) Lack of interest in a web site does NOT mean there is a lack of interest in the magazine. Just as pretty much everyone who has posted here says, there will now most likely be a lack of interest in the magazine because it was moved online, not the other way around. 2) Economic factors - ok, I understand this one, the price of EVERYTHING is going up, believe me, I know this - I work in the oil industry. HOWEVER, why not give us a warning and say something to the effect of 'hey guys, prices are going up, here are the options - we stop printing the magazine and go online or we raise subscription prices'. I would have paid more and I'm not the only one who (in private conversation with me) has agreed with that. Sure, you may have lost a few people but now you're losing A LOT of people and you're going to be refunding a lot of money. 3) People get information from web sites, yes. But do you get the FML? When the new issues come out, do you see how much conversation is generated from the actual hard copies of FM and how much information we get from it and then share online? I understand that you guys all probably talked about all of this for a very long time, as business decisions like this are not made overnight. However, the way you sprung it on us makes it seem like someone just woke up one day and said 'oh, hey, let's stop printing FM' I'm sorry and I am repeating myself but this just screams poor customer service. I called and was given a refund of my money. I was given a phone number, I still don't know where this person found it but I called it and will get my money. I think it should have been printed on the letters that were sent out that if we weren't interested in any of the other magazines, we could get a refund. Did you want that kept secret too, so you wouldn't be losing as much money? *tsk tsk tsk* FatherNature, I'm really sorry to hear about what happened with you guys. Do you get the FML? Maybe you could post on there and get some donations or something to help you with your surgeries? I know quite a few shelters have raffles on the FML and I guess they raise pretty good money through that. In closing, I guess this explains why you weren't at the York show in Dec. It's funny I didn't put 2 & 2 together when you weren't there - The Ferret Store wasn't at the last show they could have attended right before Fosters & Smith bought them out. Fool me once, shame on you - fool me twice, shame on me. I guess not realizing that was my bad. By the way, aside from 'more frequent updates than a bi-monthly print issue', what are the positives of going online, again? A bunch of angry ferret owners? You guys may be excited by this but we're not.
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