Greg,
Did you get the same DVD again? When I got the first one last year I thought for about 2 seconds about returning it. Never watched it, it just sat on my book case. Then the second DVD came out, like the first one unannounced, and I got all excited hoping it was a different DVD. Nope! So now I've got 2 free DVD's sitting on my bookcase... I'm wondering if some fool on Ebay will pay for my free DVD's and I can make some money out of the deal.
I've never gotten a second notice about paying for the DVD. But I still get tons of ads from Kalmbach.
Craig

Yeah, the second notice was the turning point.... you get one letter with the DVD... then another later... here is the third letter.

Big box with the words:

TIME TO LET US KNOW
YOUR DECISION

yeah, my decision is to not return it because I threw it away 2 months ago!

Now, reading the letter, it implies that if you don't return it, you will receive MORE DVD's

Granted, there is a smaller box in MUCH smaller type saying you don't have to return the DVD... at the very end of the letter...

By the way, the letter is signed by Terry Thompson ....

Not appreciating this marketing technique at all...

Greg

Several years ago when Terry Thompson first took over at Model Railroader he sent out DVD’s.  I got one and sent it back.  I continued getting notices to pay for it or send it back.  I never renewed my membership in MR.  Looks like he’s trying the same thing with GR now.  When I got the second letter I opened it thinking it probably was a letter of apology for the way they tried to screw people.  When I saw what it was I just tossed it without reading the whole thing.  I didn’t ask for the DVD.  I never opened the DVD.  I don’t want the DVD but I threw it on a shelf in case Mr. Thompson wants to come pick it up some day.  I’ll gladly give it back to him along with a piece of my mind.

I got that bill also, never had received a dvd. I called the phone #, girl was nice and I told her I didn't want any dvd's, anyway.

Many years ago I tried to set it up so that my 2 renewals were due 6 months apart, March and September, with their ultimate wisdom they changed it to both on January. This year Santa renewed a tad late, gifts for others had priority and now Trains starts on March and they didn't send the two back issues as they had before..... I'm now missing Jan and Feb.
I got a DVD Coal a while back, never opened it, got a dunning just the other day.

I wish there was another publisher of equal content, I'd like a little more respect for my money.
John

John you're dealing with big business. You're not only not going to get any respect from them because they don't even know what the word respect means. Obviously they don't teach about respect in business and marketing classes at universitys today.

Now, reading the letter, it implies that if you don't return it, you will receive MORE DVD's

I thought it was a stupid marketing trick, but I noticed that you could check the box when returning it to say NO MORE DVDS. For that reason alone, I returned it!

I'm not spending the cost of a stamp to tell them to stop. There should be a web site to do this. They'll get the message eventually.

Greg

Oh boy...more to look forward too...and my shredder is right next to me....oh boy.

Best way to send a message is to do nothing. No call. No returned form. Nothing.

Keep the DVD. Watch it. If you enjoy it, do nothing. You didn't order it and need have no "guilt" over keeping it. Consider it a gift for subscribing to GR.

I can't recall if I ever watched the DVD - my 2-yr old granddaughter seems to have slipped it under the player or something. I got a letter this week, which I promptly tossed into the recycling bin, unopened.

Worse than getting something unsolicited from a business is getting something unsolicited from a charity. I have tons of little address labels that various charities have sent me. Sorry, it makes no sense to send a check to each of them. To me, it makes more sense to give a more meaningful amount to one or two charities than send a check for ten bucks to everyone who asks. But the labels come in handy - I just wish they didn't always have to put puppies and stars and forests on them. Not very manly.

The worst is when some charity sends me a solicitation with a nickel or a dime inside. They're not on my list of outfits I'll be giving to, and I'm certainly not going to waste a 45 cent stamp to return their nickel. So I open the envelope, take out the coin, and toss the paper into the aforementioned recycling bin. I feel juuuusst a bit guilty for about one second per penny.

All this is funny to me because...I work for a non-profit and we're in the middle of our fundraising season.

JackM

Always remember, if you didn't ask for it, you don't have to pay for it, you don't have to send it back. And they know it!

I sure hope that folks at Klambake take notice as to who is NOT responding to their offer....so they can take action to remove those folks from their mailing lists. I treated this mailing just as I treat all junk mail...it never made it into my house...went straight into the recycle bin in my shop...as does about 80% of what comes in my mail.  The only good they're doing using this process...is to help fund the USPS...which is a good thing in my book.

I like having train engraved coasters for my drinks.

I need more coasters, but it looks like it will take years to get enough!!!!!

It would be nice if they were uv protected so I could use these coasters outdoors when I run my trains!! :-)

Their creation costs are nil as the have taken the old Allen Keller series which were on VHS and are putting them on DVD, Allen is no longer making his Great Model Railroad seiries so it looks like the have bought the rights to his series.

Got another dunning notice this week from Great Layouts CS ... a.k.a. the people that Klambake sicced on us.

Getting a little stronger in wording... and of course the return envelope needs postage and the 2 boxes to check on my response are either I enjoyed it and here is my money, or not I am returning it.

Either response requires you to pay postage for an item unsolicited..

The letter is signed by Terry Thompson... shame on you sir for endorsing this harrassment.. you should at least make a postage paid envelope for returning it, or pay for my response to tell you to lay off.

In a small box at the bottom of the letter, after Terry's signature, in smaller type it does indicate that I am under no obligation to participate or send it back.

This kind of advertising and chicanery is beneath the status of the magazine.

If the current climate continues, I will cancel my subscription, and vote with my pocketbook.

GR / Klambake, I hope you are listening to your customers.

Greg