Update on the TAPS Paramagaizine Problem Pt. Two

Well, I didn't think I'd be updating my readers on this situation so soon, but I did just receive an e-mail from the editor, Scotty Roberts. While he started off in a cordial manner, even saying he would make sure I get my refund for the remaining issues of the subscription, he ended up sounding like an unprofessional jerk. This is the kind of "customer service" you can expect if you plan on asking any questions or criticizing anything that anyone on the magazine staff does.

I won't copy and past the entire e-mail he sent, but I will just give you a sampling of some of the things he said that angered me greatly.

"Regarding your review, I did see and read it. I even attempted a good response that got truncated by technology. While I understand what you had to say, I found your words to be less informative about what was actually happening, and more based in your feelings that came as a result of having to deal with a company that was being mismanaged. If your article was meant simply as a means to vent your frustration, you accomplished that. If it was meant to represent a journalistic approach to the matter, you failed miserably. And your criticism of the typos, grammatical and syntax errors you encountered in the Mag was difficult to take seriously when your own article was rife with the same. Of course, you were not putting yourself out there as a "professional" writer or publication, so typos and errors made on your part are much more forgivable."

My words were not based on feelings. My words were based on the poor customer service I was receiving from the magazine. $59.00 is a lot of money, and I didn't just give it to TAPS Paramagazine so that they could piss it away and not even put out damned magazines. Yes, he explained that the whole magazine was almost run into the ground in 2009, but a courtesy e-mail could have been sent out. How long does it to take to send an e-mail? What would have happened had it actually run into the ground anyway? Would my remaining balance had just been ignored?

Moving on.

Also, yes, I wanted to express my feelings--of disappointment, distrust, and disgust. However, it was, indeed, a journalistic approach--an approach to warn people of the disorganization and absolutely terrible customer service that TAPS Paramagazine puts forth.

Finally, in this paragraph, he was just mad at me for criticizing his beloved magazine, so he was trying to find anything he could to criticize me in return. If there were a few errors, it was nothing compared to what was in the terrible magazines I received. Also, I may not be a professional writer, but I am trying to report true things about what's really going on. I did not write an ill-informed review at all. I wrote what I experienced.

Continuing...

"You mention excuses and "cover ups." There were neither. When a company encounters problems and nearly closes it's doors as a result, that's not a cover up. No company owes the general public a full disclosure of its internal problems when in these sorts of situations, and in light of that fact, I think we've done a damned decent job at being forthright and upfront with our fans and subscribers. The fact that you use the term "cover up" leads me to think you have more of an axe to grind than simply being angry over missing two issues of the Mag. The inference is actually pretty damned silly."

There were PLENTY of excuses. Maybe "cover up" wasn't the right term, and for that, I apologize. There, were however a lot of excuses. Also, even though a company may not want to divulge all of its problems to their consumers, it sure as hell owes its consumers an explanation of why they are not receiving the products that the purchased. Also, if he had even heeded any of the complaints I had sent, he would know that it was more than two damned issues that I didn't receive. However, he's apparently too occupied with defending the magazine that almost plummeted without taking its customers into consideration. That is pretty silly to me.

"I am sorry to see you go, but I suspect that by the tone of your article, the Mag was simply not your cup of tea, typos notwithstanding. You'll be missing some great new things: new writers, expanded base of journalism, lifestyle features, an expanded web presence that ties into the Mag, an iPhone/Droid app that links everything all together. The Mag is not only moving into greater success, it has the increasing support of those who find it part of their knowledge base, as well as those who feel they are part of the "TAPS family" - as corny as that might sound, it's a very real thing we all live, here. Funny as it may seem, despite the problems you and many others encountered with the Mag, it has just experienced its greatest period of growth over the last two months. People know when something is bad, but they also know when something is good.

I will pass your request on to the powers that be. Again, I hate to lose you, but perhaps you will one day be drawn back. You don't even know, yet, what you'll be missing."

Actually, he's just assuming. It wasn't that the magazine wasn't my cup of tea. I could have looked past some of the things I seemed ridiculous. However, it was that I was sick of waiting half a year for the next issue. They may be trying to get their act together, but I just can't trust them--especially not after the manner in which I have been treated by the editor. I feel like he was very rude with me. If others want to continue to be hopeful, only to be let down. I will not be one of these people.

Also, I do not care what I will be missing. If this is how people on the magazine staff, even the editor, are going to talk to me, I don't want any parts of it. I hope there are others, for the sake of the magazine he so loves, that like to be verbally kicked around.

That, my readers, is the latest on the TAPS Paramagazine situation. I urge you to consider all that I have said before deciding to subscribe to this magazine, no matter what "rays of sunshine" the rude editor may throw out.