Chris:
Thanks for the reply to my comments.
I would first of all study which areas (of the world) are the ones with greater difficulties and actually, to be precise, often repeated difficulties. I personally have had the delivery problem several times and only complained last time and you sent me a new copy of the Video Journal. Therefore we can assume that a lot of people who have not posted any comments have also suffered this problem and have just "lived" with it...
Once it is determined that the US and/ or certain areas or other countries are the ones most affected in the past, it would be appropriate to request quotations by the most efficient companies such as Fedex, DHL (Former Airborne which used to be excellent)and UPS. Burlington North used to be great for deliveries between Canada and the USA and vice versa----during years and years and was also bought out I believe by DHL. I would also seriously study the option of sending a stack of Video Journals into the USA and having someone distribute it, probably using the USPS which works very well here. It's the easier of the options in my humble opinion.
The Postal shipping is obviously necessary for those who do not wish to pay an extra fee for faster service but it is and always has been an inexplicable and dismaying fiasco between the Canadian Post and the USPS.
Other delivery options or really one other option should be incorporated in the site as a choice for the purchaser. In order to facilitate the back office work, you can even specify that the shipping option chosen is applicable to all the issues until renewal.
It has been suggested on other threads here by several people, to offer a new shipping option, with an additional cost. There does not seem to be much resistance to an extra cost: standard, two day shipping at that cost, next day or International, whatever. This is almost standard procedure for online purchases, from the largest (Amazon etc) to the smallest supplier of photographic equipment.
I'm positive you guys have already studied most options and obviously there is a price to be paid for better service. If I may, I would say that you have preferred to stay away from extra administrative issues, accounting issues, shipping issues. It's understood that you have all worked very hard at making this site work! But, growth has its price and now that the Video Journal has become known extensively throughout the world, and the interest has grown, the work grows as well. It was evidently much easier to ship the Video Journal a year or two ago than it is now. However, by the same token... the hosting was changed and the servers were updated etc etc, and now...the shipping of the Video Journal needs a supreme face lift! I do wish to add though, that once you have settled into a better pattern of delivery, you will be much happier and have a less stressful time--having avoided the unbearable work tied to delivery investigations, re-shipping etc. That's why several people have commented that they received two copies instead of one and others (like me) have received none. It gets to be a huge mess which can easily get out of control. Reorganizing the shipping is going to be a huge endeavor but the results will simplify the lives of many...
Some people, as has been written in the links, are not interested in paying more to get the issue faster, and they are very happy or seemingly happy waiting for the package to arrive. However, for most of us, it has come down to needing other options because the negativity involved in the whole "time" issue and "non arrival" comments on this website warrant it.
Just look for a moment at any site on eBay- and read the feedback comments- how many of the comments say that the merchandise is great, beautiful, better than expected-- but... that the delivery was terrible...that is part of the feedback system and somehow this site has its own threads where the issue of delivery has become almost a "chat room"!
It seems to me a tremendous pity to have such a trivial, although vital detail about the Video Journal delivery saga, put a black mark--- regularly or continuously---- on the record of the efforts of such a special crew of people.
