New CP Books delay again

[Carnivine]

I have today been told that the new Carnivorous Plants of Australia 3 volume set has again been delayed, and will not be available until the new year.

I know alot of work etc goes into producing these books, printing, proof reading etc etc, but why advertise a publication date that is just unachievable? Second year running my xmas pressies wont be here on time

[Ares]

I share your frustration.

[Carnivine]

Unbelievable! Yet again Redfern have let us down by advertising the new books would be ready in time for Christmas, and yet they weren't. I am then told they will be ready for January 15th 2014, as this is (I am lead to believe) what the distributor had been told by Redfern. Surprise surprise, they aren't ready. And to my amazement, Redfern are UNABLE to give me any indication as to when they will be ready! Interestingly, I have also pre-ordered a set of 5 book combo, which I am told will be available May 2014. Really? I am not holding my breath on that one, but assume it will be more like December 2014 at this rate!

I am absolutely fuming that this publisher does this everytime. Yes, the books are amazing, and yes, alot of work goes into them...but why tell people they will be available when in actual fact they have no real chance of publishing them in time!

I was told that his new orchid books were available as this is "what he's been concentrating on". Very good, but I aint wanting books on orchids!

There is one simple way of avoiding annoying potential customers...DON'T advertise a publication date until you are CERTAIN it can be met.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Carnivine

[will T]

I agree, no comment, thy take people for idiots doing it... Problem is that people will buy it do they won't change their ways to act and it will continu

[Guest paul y]

a couple of months isn't so bad, try being a Robert Jordan fan, series started in 98, 10 books in Robert Jordan dies, it took till 2013 to get the last book published, 15 years to conclude a story Is a long time, nearly 50% of my existence waiting

[Ares]

And what annoys me the most, is that payment was taken last April.....

[Nigel H-C]

Hi All,

I spoke to Stewart the other morning. The issue was the fact he was waiting for a few final images which had been held up, and which he now has.

Those of us who have been around long enough will recall the inordinate wait between Allen's volume 2 in '89 and the long anticipated volume 3 in '98.

Frustrating yes, but worth the wait? Undoubtedly yes again.

Nigel HC

[Ares]

Nigel,

I can appreciate that there are delays.

Some things can't be helped.

But then don't take payment in April, with delivery date due in July, if, he was clearly not in a position to keep to the expected delivery date. Here we are 6 months later and still no sign of the books, but I had to pay my credit card bill 9 months ago. Imo it's not right.

Rather take credit card details from potential customers, but then only process the payment when you post the books off.

[eeh by gum]

I would never buy anything from redfern . They take the money way too early and always have delays and the most important you can buy cheaper elsewhere . So why do people buy from them puzzles me .

[Marcel van den Broek]

I'm getting very sad about all the remarks about the delays of Redfern books. I would like to point out that NOBODY forces people to do pre-orders! If a book is not printed yet, you know it can be delayed. When printed books don't arrive within 7 to 10 days you can complain but so far delivery has always been fast and accurate. If you don't want to pay several months before that actual delivery...wait till the book is in stock!

Specific for the Lowrie books: I won't go into details on a public forum, but I know for a fact that the current delay is NOT Stewarts fault.

As for the idea that you can get the books cheaper elsewhere....that only tells me that you don't buy through your society.

[werds]

[Nigel H-C]

Well said Marcel. The same thing happens with us nurseries-how many times have I heard people complaining that the nurseries are expensive, when you can go on ebay and buy a plant for sod-all?

Who introduces plants to cultivation? Who has the trial and error process to go through to succeed in growing a particular plant? The same people who have the high overheads as we are effectively businesses, rather than someone with a couple of surplus plants to get shot of.

I'd like to see someone run my operation and sell plants for a couple of pounds per shot!

Nigel HC

[eeh by gum]

That's business . A person buys things on price not keeping anyone in business .

[Nigel H-C]

Exactly my point. I've run both of my businesses for a number of years, and fortunately there are still people out there who recognise the bigger picture as I mentioned above.

Still we can't expect everybody to see beyond the ends of their noses.

Nigel HC

[mantrid]

A sucessful business always puts its customers first regardless. Redfern clearly isnt doing this. No excuses, customers are not interested in excuses.

If you paid upfront for a fridge or a car or a builder to do a job by a certain date it would be totally unacceptable not to have received the goods or servivce 6 months or more after the promised date. A book company is no exception.

Edited January 21, 2014 by mantrid

[Nigel H-C]

Of course, then don't pre-order.

Nigel HC

[eeh by gum]

Don't buy . Buy were it's cheaper and honest and don't treat you like dirt .

[Carnivine]

going slightly off point here...the main reason for posting this was yet another delay in redfern books. They should not publicise a date for publication until they are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN the books will be ready for that date. Simple.

[mantrid]

Its to a companies advantage to get your money up front. Companies employ a number of strategies for doing this, discounts, free gifts etc. But once you pay your money much of your power as a consume, eg choice, is lost. And you then risk losing your money if the comany goes bust or ar subjected to annoying delays that you can do nothing about.

Nigel offers excellent advice, be patient and don't pre-order, that in itself will be incentive enough for the company to get its act together.

[FredG]

There is always the other option. If people don't put money up front ( pre-order) the books may not get published at all.

[Carnivine]

I dont pre order with redfern, I use another comany that does not take money until the book is available to send out.

[Marcel van den Broek]

Don't buy . Buy were it's cheaper and honest and don't treat you like dirt .

This actually P me off! Perhaps you can get books cheaper (doubtfull if you order through a society as Stew gives a good discount for grouporders) but Stewart is a good candidate for the most honest person you are likely to meet in your lifetime. The only treating as dirt I'm seeing is from people throwing mud around because they don't have the patience to wait for a book to be printed and can't see the difference between a solid actual date and a projected date. If you buy a car from a company that produces a dozen of that type each day and the only wait is for it to be sprayed in the color you ordered you can pin someone on a delivery date, not a small private company that I would like to remined everyone Stewart founded with his own money because the so called big, reliable publisher he worked with for his first book kept moving the completly finished book back for more than a year every time he got in a more lucrative book (larger numbers) to print.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Marcel van den Broek

[Nigel H-C]

Fred-Absolutely, the costs associated with producing these kinds of publications are huge and a degree or pre-orders will help offset that expense. It's especially important as we're not dealing with a large publishing house here, rather a small number of dedicated and hardworking individuals who have the balls to put large sums of their own money in to the kind of projects that most companies wouldn't touch with a barge pole, as there is such a limited market and therefore minimal print run.

Nigel HC

[Carnivine]

My books are in fact purchased direct from Redferns distributor, which is exactly where they come from if you order through Redferns website.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Carnivine

[Dave Evans]

As long as they are working on the books, there is plenty good reason for the delays. I have the upmost respect for Stewart McPherson's devotion to making the highest quality work possible. That, quite often, involves delays. The more people you work with, the more issues come up, but the more people you involve also helps make the quality of the work that much better, but slower going with more effort being expended organizing it all.