Last fall, someone, whose name and institution, I forget posted a
question to this listserve about people's experience with W. T. Cox as a
subscription agency.  When I replied to the message originator directly, I
indicated that we had been having a few problems; but more problems have
come to light since, and the Cox organization has made no effort to
address them.  I have become convinced that my earlier response was too
mild, and did not discourage the idea of employing this agency nearly
enough.
    To summarize our problems with Cox: 1.) after we signed with them in
1999 for the 2000 renewals, they waited for months to assign us a contact
person in customer service, so all communications had to go to the vice
president who handled the sign-up; 2.) after we got a contact person in
customer service, we found that their company E-mail service could not
receive or send messages to or from ours, so we have to communicate by
phone or snail mail; 3.) at least three 2000-2001 renewals they billed us
for have never been made, although one of these was brought to their
attention in early September (in October, they blamed it on a computer
glitch), and repeated letters reminding them of the problem go completely
unanswered, as do all other communications.  (The original contact person
did reply, but they seem to have a good deal of turnover, and the present
contact is completely unresponsive --though she may no longer be there; if
so, if past practice is any indication, it would take them quite a while
to get around to telling us so.)
    Our former director ordered a switch from EBSCO to Cox because the
latter promise a single invoice per year, making budgeting easier.
However, I have since been told by an EBSCO company official that they can
make the same arrangement.  When we renew our subscriptions this year, I
am going to do so with EBSCO, and that would be my recommendation to the
previous questioner and to anybody else choosing an agent.
    I have supplied this information at some length in the hope that it
may be of some help to somebody.  If anybody has had any happier
experience with W. T. Cox, or has any suggestions for dealing with them
more smoothly, I'd be glad to hear about it.  Thanks!

--
Werner A. Lind
Reference Librarian
Bluefield College
3000 College Dr.
Bluefield, VA 24605
<wlind@MAIL.BLUEFIELD.EDU>