56 replies to this topic

[proviz]

Delivery terms for Autosport's non-UK subscribers have deteriorated beyond belief. I just got a reply (after four days of waiting) to my e-mail about a recent missing issue, and it said this: "Please note you must ensure you are allowing up to 21 days from the UK on sale date for delivery to Europe." And also this: "...please allow up to 28 days for it (replacement issue) to arrive".

So if an issue goes missing - a frequent occurrence in the past 18 months or so - it may take up to 49 days before you get the replacement! That is far, far longer than it ever took in the days we stuck a letter in an envelope and took it to a mailbox...

This is simply outrageous. I know there are not many of us European subscribers left, but apparently the publisher wants to get rid of us all a.s.a.p.

 

[Stephen W]

Given the lack of reporting on grass routes motorsport in both Autosport & Motorsport News I no longer purchase either. As the decline in coverage has slowly seen less and less coverage so the number of copies sold in the UK has declined. 

 

I do not see "the decline of Autosport" per se but I do see the cessation of the printed version within the next 12 months. After all we all have laptops, tablets and/or smart phones? (NB for information I have none of these useless and expensive devices.)

[F1matt]

Back in the day I bought Autosport on a weekly basis and my Father bought Motorsport, it worked perfectly for both of us, we had the latest results from F1 to Indycar down to club events and national rallying long before the internet and the latest goings on and then Motorsport for the more in depth stuff. I haven't bought Autosport for several years but I took over the Motorsport subscription when my Father died, my Son who loves the sport as much as I do gets the results on his phone when the winning car crosses the line, he has this for WEC, F1, BTCC, WRC, and IndyCar as well as F2, F3, and GP3 so I get the results in general conversation with him so there is no need to purchase Autosport.

 

There has to be an argument for a magazine to cover national racing and rallying as well as Historic series who don't have the resources to have full time social media and app developers. 

[KWSN - DSM]

Anything in the world being send via regular surface mail is much, much slower than it used to be, this one you can not blame Autosport for, talk to Royal Mail and the Postal service in which ever country you live in.

 

[Vitesse2]

Anything in the world being send via regular surface mail is much, much slower than it used to be, this one you can not blame Autosport for, talk to Royal Mail and the Postal service in which ever country you live in.

 

I think it's probably a case of it being an 'all-purpose one size fits all answer'. Within Europe, some postal services are without doubt less efficient than others, especially outside the big cities. I'm looking at you, Poste Italiane, Ukrposhta, ELTA ...

 

Equally I've known items sent economy from the UK to rural Western Australia or Tasmania arrive in a week while one to Sydney took a month!

[john aston]

There has to be an argument for a magazine to cover national racing and rallying as well as Historic series who don't have the resources to have full time social media and app developers. 

 

 

 

 

I deprecate Autosport's decline to an F1 fanzine but it only reflects the market . If you want results, they are available in staggering detail (look at HSCC race results as an example ). But very few attend live motorsport now - most prefer to watch the pap on TV  . Rallying is virtually dead as a spectator sport- last one I attended cost me £10 to be kettled  in tiny area  by jobsworths who looked after my safety as cars went by at speeds of up to..crikey ....up to 40mph ?   

 

I've been doing colour reporting (if that is the term ?) for CSCC website on their meetings this year where I concentrate on the cars and the people   - that seems to be a model people like. 

[pete53]

Back in the day I bought Autosport on a weekly basis and my Father bought Motorsport, it worked perfectly for both of us, we had the latest results from F1 to Indycar down to club events and national rallying long before the internet and the latest goings on and then Motorsport for the more in depth stuff. I haven't bought Autosport for several years but I took over the Motorsport subscription when my Father died, my Son who loves the sport as much as I do gets the results on his phone when the winning car crosses the line, he has this for WEC, F1, BTCC, WRC, and IndyCar as well as F2, F3, and GP3 so I get the results in general conversation with him so there is no need to purchase Autosport.

 

There has to be an argument for a magazine to cover national racing and rallying as well as Historic series who don't have the resources to have full time social media and app developers. 

In respect of your last sentence Matt -

 

"There has to be an argument for a magazine to cover national racing and rallying as well as Historic series who don't have the resources to have full time social media and app developers."

 

I'm not sure there is an adequate market for such a magazine . How many people now follow the sport from national level downwards. Probably not that many going by the attendance at events. When I started watching car racing in the 1960s, and on into the 70s, humble club meetings across the country could still attract several thousand spectators. These were the people who bought Autosport and Motoring News with both publications giving good coverage of the sport at grass roots level. However, sadly, I don't think that audience is there any more.

[JHSingo]

I've been an avid reader of Autosport for over 10 years, but feel that they really need to change things a bit. I used to buy the magazine nearly every week - now it's only once or twice a month. I feel that, for the price, it doesn't offer great value, there's not an awful lot of content for what you're paying for.

 

I think they need to change to being a fortnightly or monthly publication. I'm not that bothered about reading race reports - you can get results instantly at a weekend on the internet anyway. I'd like to see more in depth features - make it similar to RACER magazine over in the States that I've heard good things about.

 

No doubt there would be difficulties in switching from being a weekly magazine, but ultimately I feel it would be the change that could ultimately benefit Autosport. Rather than just tinkering around the edges as they have done in recent years, it needs something different.

Edited by JHSingo, 03 December 2018 - 13:36.

[RA Historian]

I do see the cessation of the printed version within the next 12 months. After all we all have laptops, tablets and/or smart phones? (NB for information I have none of these useless and expensive devices.)

Sadly, you may be right. I am one of the few people on earth who does not have a tablet or smart phone. Don't care for them. I abhor reading on line, simply hate having to scroll back and forth, up and down, etc., plus have nothing to hold in  the hand, flip pages back and forth, and store on a shelf for future reference. As a result, I have stopped reading some mags to which I had subscribed for years when they ditched print for on line only. 

[KWSN - DSM]

I think it's probably a case of it being an 'all-purpose one size fits all answer'. Within Europe, some postal services are without doubt less efficient than others, especially outside the big cities. I'm looking at you, Poste Italiane, Ukrposhta, ELTA ...

 

Equally I've known items sent economy from the UK to rural Western Australia or Tasmania arrive in a week while one to Sydney took a month!

 

I do not live in Denmark anymore, however Royal Danish Mail was sold of to some Swedish enterprise - When I was young mail was delivered twice daily in the big cities, when I was a trainee in 1985 every single document dropped at the post office by 06:00PM - Would be delivered next day between 08:00 and 10:30AM any place in Denmark - They had class A and Class B mail, now there is no Class A, only Class B with an expected delivery time of 7 days - There are no longer post offices in Denmark, it is handled from the Supermarkets.

 

So... what worked for +300 years do not work anymore, including delivery of printed Autosport.

 

[YoungGun]

Sometimes it takes people that long to reply to a PM.  It does get confusing at times.  

[Bob Riebe]

Sadly, you may be right. I am one of the few people on earth who does not have a tablet or smart phone. Don't care for them. I abhor reading on line, simply hate having to scroll back and forth, up and down, etc., plus have nothing to hold in  the hand, flip pages back and forth, and store on a shelf for future reference. As a result, I have stopped reading some mags to which I had subscribed for years when they ditched print for on line only. 

It is getting very , very sad.

Engine Masters was an engine building competition partly put on by and covered by Popular Hotrodding.

Peterson bough PHR and killed it then coverage was in both Engine Masters magazine and Hot Rod.

Engine Masters magazine is gone and now the even is no longer covered by Hot Rod magazine.

There are very few magazine I now subscribe to and even fewer in a mag. rack worth the time to check out.

I do not use a computer other than for forums and as a large card catalog.

Sadly it is not getting any better.

 

On a matter related in a generic sense:

There is now only one camera magazine , consumer type, printed in the U.S. now where there once was many,   yet the magazine racks here are loaded down with those from the U.K. .

Things get curiouser and curiouser.

[Stephen W]

 

 

There has to be an argument for a magazine to cover national racing and rallying as well as Historic series who don't have the resources to have full time social media and app developers. 

 

 

 

I'm not sure there is an adequate market for such a magazine . How many people now follow the sport from national level downwards. Probably not that many going by the attendance at events. When I started watching car racing in the 1960s, and on into the 70s, humble club meetings across the country could still attract several thousand spectators. These were the people who bought Autosport and Motoring News with both publications giving good coverage of the sport at grass roots level. However, sadly, I don't think that audience is there any more.

 

Currently in the UK there are 4000 plus people with competition licenses that only allow them to compete in Speed Events, Trials, Autotests etc. If you throw in Rallying then the figures will probably exceed 10,000.

 

You cannot judge the support for grass roots motorsport by "How many people now follow the sport from national level downwards. Probably not that many going by the attendance at events." Having said that interest is definitely regional. Very few people in Scotland would be interested in a sprint, hillclimb or rally in Cornwall or vice versa. The days when lots of "stringers" would submit reports to Autosport &/or Motoring News is long gone. Also getting people to report on events isn't easy to do, I know because I tried! 

 

​Despite the massive amount of interest there wouldn't be enough revenue generated to pay for the thing let alone make a profit!

 

​The Internet isn't all bad however, it, along with the accountants, has driven the final nail into the coffin of the printed word as far as motorsport is concerned.

 

     

[Sterzo]

Have I missed something?

 

I realise the Opening Post is about the delivery service, but others have written as though Autosport doesn't cover club racing. Have pulled September 6th's Autosport from the random pile in my reprehensibly untidy living room and found reports for:

 

Donington 750 Motor Club

BARC Anglesey

MSVR Snetterton

MGCC Oulton Park

BRSCC Mallory Park

Caterhams at Thruxton

[cpbell]

Have I missed something?

 

I realise the Opening Post is about the delivery service, but others have written as though Autosport doesn't cover club racing. Have pulled September 6th's Autosport from the random pile in my reprehensibly untidy living room and found reports for:

 

Donington 750 Motor Club

BARC Anglesey

MSVR Snetterton

MGCC Oulton Park

BRSCC Mallory Park

Caterhams at Thruxton

True, but the National and Club pages were more comprehensive in the past.  I also miss Marcus Pye's column - has he left the magazine altogether?

[KWSN - DSM]

Have I missed something?

 

I realise the Opening Post is about the delivery service, but others have written as though Autosport doesn't cover club racing. Have pulled September 6th's Autosport from the random pile in my reprehensibly untidy living room and found reports for:

 

Donington 750 Motor Club

BARC Anglesey

MSVR Snetterton

MGCC Oulton Park

BRSCC Mallory Park

Caterhams at Thruxton

 

Can I find those as part of my online subscribtion, tried losely just now and got nowhere, which is not any kind of proof they are not there - I would LOVE to read those stories, back in the past almost 20 years worth of printed subscription was amust read for me.

 

[Zmeej]

As José Jimenez sez:
Oh I hope not.

[dwh43scale]

Delivery terms for Autosport's non-UK subscribers have deteriorated beyond belief. I just got a reply (after four days of waiting) to my e-mail about a recent missing issue, and it said this: "Please note you must ensure you are allowing up to 21 days from the UK on sale date for delivery to Europe." And also this: "...please allow up to 28 days for it (replacement issue) to arrive".

So if an issue goes missing - a frequent occurrence in the past 18 months or so - it may take up to 49 days before you get the replacement! That is far, far longer than it ever took in the days we stuck a letter in an envelope and took it to a mailbox...

This is simply outrageous. I know there are not many of us European subscribers left, but apparently the publisher wants to get rid of us all a.s.a.p.

 

Have you explored Readly on iPad or other tablet ? A very wide range of publicaitons available.

 

Yes, it's not paper, but one bonus is that the quality is much better for sister publication Motorsport News.

[Sterzo]

Can I find those as part of my online subscribtion, tried losely just now and got nowhere, which is not any kind of proof they are not there - I would LOVE to read those stories, back in the past almost 20 years worth of printed subscription was amust read for me.

 

No, I don't think those stories are online, which is odd really. You'd think the minority-interest items like club racing would be best catered for online. It's just possible they do go on the website, but are removed after a week, in which case we wouldn't find them now. My favourite Autosport headline was from a club report in the sixties (before the concept of clickbait), and read something like: "Dull racing at wet Snetterton."

[KWSN - DSM]

No, I don't think those stories are online, which is odd really. You'd think the minority-interest items like club racing would be best catered for online. It's just possible they do go on the website, but are removed after a week, in which case we wouldn't find them now. My favourite Autosport headline was from a club report in the sixties (before the concept of clickbait), and read something like: "Dull racing at wet Snetterton."

 

Sad... yet another example of development, new and better often do not mean development nor new and better.

 

[paulstevens56]

There also several hundred drivers who compete in non MSA motorsport who have never really been served by Autosport, that is why I stopped reading it abroad more than 15 years ago. And I am not missing much judging by the odd supermarket glance!

[BMWTeamBigazzi]

Like a lot of folk, am pretty old fashioned, I still swear by my Filofax and love a good Magazine to read......but lets face it, times have changed and sometimes sadly you have to move with them, as much as you hate it! I stopped buying Autosport and MotorSpoort magazines years ago, whats the point? the decline in content has been shocking to say the least, but then it's nothing that you can't find online anymore, their days are numbered am afraid.

Am just more annoyed at Motorsport TV disappearing form SKY! Grrrrrr!

[BMWTeamBigazzi]

Picked up a copy today, had quick glance while the missus was doing her shopping I rest my case  

[DutchQuicksilver]

Why has the website cut the number of free articles to read down even more? It used to be 25 for a registered user. Now it’s been cut down to just 10.

A real shame

[Sterzo]

Picked up a copy today, had quick glance while the missus was doing her shopping I rest my case

 

 

Why has the website cut the number of free articles to read down even more? It used to be 25 for a registered user. Now it’s been cut down to just 10.

A real shame

 

I subscribe to Autosport, and read the paper edition virtually cover to cover. Two other members of the household will read parts of it too. Two of us look regularly at the subscription-only parts of the website; in my case I log in every day.

 

To some extent I sympathise with you guys, but there's an underlying reality here. Autosport is part of a business that spends millions on producing a magazine and website. It's February, which in Europe is the off season. Nothing's happening. The price of a paper copy is a piddly £3.99. (Less than two cups of Starbucks cheapest coffee). I do have my criticisms of Autosport, but then the first issue from 1950 wasn't perfect either. There's a bit of a myth on the forum that it no longer covers club racing, whereas it does, including off-season news this week.

 

So if you don't want to pay because it's not worth it for you, that's fine. But let's not blame Autosport. Is there a better UK motor racing source?

[JHSingo]

I've just tried reading something on the Autosport front page to discover the limit for "free" stories for a month is now three. THREE?! My god, whose bright idea was that? I'm sure it used to be 10 not that long ago, which was still poor. 

 

It's doubly laughable that you can read the exact same story, word-for-word identical, on motorsport.com without such limits. 

 

Is it Autosport's desire to piss people off so much that they eventually stop using their website altogether? Is Bernie Ecclestone now running Autosport or something? 

[KWSN - DSM]

Their plan is for you to pay for their services.

 

[JHSingo]

Their plan is for you to pay for their services.

 

 

What's the point, when you can read the exact same story on another site for free? Bizarre.

[paulstevens56]

I would imagine motorsort.com will also become paid for in the near future.

Meaning people will gravitate towards another source, if the site is busy it will generate plenty of ad revenue, they employ a vast amount of staff to literally translate press releases, which is all most magazines have done for many years.  I know I worked for them a bit.

 

You can't blame the magazine, they are under pressure from Hayshed to make money and if they don't they will be closed, it has happened to numerous titles, trends can even mean they get shot, look at CCC, a great magazine for years changed its direction and was done within a few years, people make decisions based on lots of thins.

 

Right now Hayshed think you ought to pay for the site, I never have and never will, I haven't bought the magazine for a decade, why?  Spartan features, woeful news, not enough to read, full of pictures and rubbish designers and style people want, not actual content.

 

I remember it taking days to read MN in the 90's. 3 pages of mostly text for F1 and WRC reports, huge local rally reports.  I know it's not modern, but it's what my generation want to read. And they are the people that would still buy magazines.

Edited by paulstevens56, 12 February 2019 - 12:02.

[Massa_f1]

LOL down to three article views a month without a paying membership.

Utter waste of time. I remember when Autosport used to be the go to for motorsport news. What's the point in it now? You can read similar articles for free elsewhere.

Edited by Massa_f1, 12 February 2019 - 12:44.

[KWSN - DSM]

What's the point, when you can read the exact same story on another site for free? Bizarre.

 

You get more content than just the articles, you get their archive and you do not get any adds.

 

[YoungGun]

LOL down to three article views a month without a paying membership.

Utter waste of time. I remember when Autosport used to be the go to for motorsport news. What's the point in it now? You can read similar articles for free elsewhere.

 

LMAO yet you found time to post! This a strange world we live in, get it for free or get for free elsewhere. 

[JHSingo]

You get more content than just the articles, you get their archive and you do not get any adds.

 

 

I don't get any ads anyway, since I use an ad blocker.

[SenorSjon]

Point is that 3 items limit also counts for standard team press releases, ever rehashed news and the like. Add clickbait titles and you scare everyone from your site.

[KWSN - DSM]

I don't get any ads anyway, since I use an ad blocker.

 

Yeah there is that I guess... out in the real world I hit a 'you are using an add blocker so we will not show anything to you'... since I pay here, did not realize Autosport did not work like that. I have no issue in paying for the content I get from Autosport, and I rather keep them alive than give nothing, and blocking the adds out as well.... once a site goes down and we all cry for it's demise, part of the reason will stare you in the face from the mirror.

 

[KWSN - DSM]

Point is that 3 items limit also counts for standard team press releases, ever rehashed news and the like. Add clickbait titles and you scare everyone from your site.

 

Or entice to pay for giving us as good a coverage of our favorite sport through paying a not too high price per year.

 

[JHSingo]

Yeah there is that I guess... out in the real world I hit a 'you are using an add blocker so we will not show anything to you'... since I pay here, did not realize Autosport did not work like that. I have no issue in paying for the content I get from Autosport, and I rather keep them alive than give nothing, and blocking the adds out as well.... once a site goes down and we all cry for it's demise, part of the reason will stare you in the face from the mirror.

 

 

I disagree. If the content is of high enough quality, people will pay for it. If it's just rehashed press releases, stuff you can read elsewhere, or the same as what's featured in the magazine, they won't.

 

I've supported Autosport for years, right from when I was a teenager. I'd buy the magazine pretty much every week, a fact that was brought home to me recently when I discovered a large pile of Autosport magazines dating back several years at the back of my wardrobe. What I found interesting is that the magazine from 10 years ago featured more content, and was cheaper than it is today. Plus, the website had no limit on the number of articles you could read each month - I know, because for years I had Autosport set as my home page.

 

I get the commercial realities of the world. But when you make it so obvious that you want people to subscribe, the quality of your content is your main selling point. Right now, in my opinion, neither the magazine or the website are of good enough quality to justify me parting with my money.

 

The one thing I will praise is their YouTube stuff, which is really good. Thankfully, it's on a site where you can't limit how much people view before forcing them to pay a subscription.

[Zmeej]

Hmmm. So the one thing you consider commercially viable is the thing you’re glad you don’t have to pay for?

[JHSingo]

Hmmm. So the one thing you consider commercially viable is the thing you’re glad you don’t have to pay for?

 

The one thing that I think is good is the thing they can't limit how much I can view before having to pay. Their videos are not just copy/paste content from elsewhere, or behind a pay-wall.

[YoungGun]

Yeah there is that I guess... out in the real world I hit a 'you are using an add blocker so we will not show anything to you'... since I pay here, did not realize Autosport did not work like that. I have no issue in paying for the content I get from Autosport, and I rather keep them alive than give nothing, and blocking the adds out as well.... once a site goes down and we all cry for it's demise, part of the reason will stare you in the face from the mirror.

 

 

You have the option to white list the site, it's a choice most sites that recognize ad blocking offer you.

[KWSN - DSM]

You have the option to white list the site, it's a choice most sites that recognize ad blocking offer you.

 

I understand that, since I want Autosport to survive, I think an add blocker should not be used here, I do have an add-blocker, and white-list as I find sites I will frequent, if just a hit based on headline news, I do not white-list, I simply find another place to read the story.

 

[grandmastashi]

I think Autosport need to take a look at other websites from other industries who are thriving under a free / subscription model and work out how they can replicate it. 

 

A great example is the videogame website Giant Bomb. Their entire personality-driven site is based around entertaining the community they serve, and in turn the community support them (myself included) by subscribing to their premium content for a few dollars a month. The site started as a small team a decade ago and has outlived much bigger competitors who have long fallen by the wayside. 

 

As video has become the dominant medium their written content output has become smaller, but everything they do write I think is pretty much free to access (as is a lot of their video content). Gated content tends to be more in-depth series or long-form content. 

 

To me Autosport all feels very 'dry' nowadays, like it needs an injection of personality to kick it back to life. 

[LuckyStrike1]

They are just preparing for Brexit. Preperation is key. 

[Rob29]

Just found this thread-have been reading mag since 1955 when I found it on sale at Crystal Palace meeting Reading this weeks issue am begining to wonder if we have reached the end of the road-when does the british race season start? Thought it was always by the first weekend in March,Autosport manages two line preview of clubbies at Silverstone & Croft today

[proviz]

As it happens, I've just REDISCOVERED a thread I started myself, having initially lost track because it was meant to be in TNF, where I could not find it...

Found out recently that last year there were 538 of us print version subscribers left outside the UK and Ireland. We're definitely an endangered species. And surely Autosport wants to speed up the process.

For the past year approx. one out of ten issues have failed to come through altogether. That and the time of regular delivery must be connected with the deal they do with a distributor - obviously the cheapest possible. At the time of writing a replacement for Feb 14 has not been delivered yet and as a matter of fact neither have the regular March 7 and 14 issues.

No, I will not read a magazine on iPad or even on my laptop. As someone said above, it is infuriating to scroll back and forth etc. Also, I find myself spending far too much time glued to the laptop anyway. Never, ever am I going to subscribe to a magazine in an electronic format.

Edited by proviz, 22 March 2019 - 16:23.

[proviz]

Update on Autosport's recent European delivery times:

-Feb 14 issue: 76 days

-April 4 issue: 32 days

Both arrived in tact, without any signs of detours or misplacement along the way.

The big question is: what kind of deal does the publisher have in place with the distributor? Probably one that simply does not stand the light of day.

There really ought to be some kind of international legislation in place, which would prohibit a publisher from selling overseas subscriptions at all unless he can guarantee delivery of a weekly magazine in, say, 14 days maximum.

[milestone 11]

Update on Autosport's recent European delivery times:

-Feb 14 issue: 76 days

-April 4 issue: 32 days

Both arrived in tact, without any signs of detours or misplacement along the way.

The big question is: what kind of deal does the publisher have in place with the distributor? Probably one that simply does not stand the light of day.

There really ought to be some kind of international legislation in place, which would prohibit a publisher from selling overseas subscriptions at all unless he can guarantee delivery of a weekly magazine in, say, 14 days maximum.

Hi Proviz, I sympathize. All this is nothing new, it started in 2012 as this thread will attest. I seem to recall having one magazine which took around 60 days but your 76 is probably the record.

Sadly, I and many others ultimately gave up and went digital only. I hate it, I like the paper magazine to read, but at least the frustration has gone away.

[proviz]

How did I manage to miss that 2012 thread? Very interesting, beginning with displeasure for not getting the magazine in the same week. What this all illustrates is how the whole infrastructure behind delivering Autosport to its readers has completely crashed down in the last few years. And those in charge simply do not care.

Most infuriating of all is having to correspond with robots. They do have human names, but hardly ever act like ones, merely pushing buttons to send idiotic responses.

[Rob29]

After reading todays issue am wondrering if its time to cancel my subscription-is there any way I can cnacel print magazine but continue to access info on line? mag can't be bothered to print TV details for FW series and seems to think Moto GP is most important event-I would rather see coverage of air racing & powerboats

[proviz]

Autosport Xmas issue 19/26 Dec delivered to a Nordic country on Jan 9th. That's 21 days - potential subscribers, take note!