----------(1)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 10:00:13 -0800
From: PATRICIA THORNE <anpgt@UAA.ALASKA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Centrobe / Neodata of Boulder,
CO: A Plea for Responses (Stephen Perisho)
We have never been satisfied with the "service" from Neodata. They are
not serivce oriented in any way shape or form. We use Faxon as our
agent, so I don't think your agent has anything to do with the lack of
concern on the part of Neodata.
Patricia Thorne, Serials Manager
University of Alaska Anchorage
Consortium Library
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 12:30:55 -0400
> From: Stephen Perisho <sperisho@IAS.EDU>
> Subject: Centrobe / Neodata of Boulder, CO: A Plea for Responses
>
> Subscribers to SERIALST:
>
> Aware that this has been in the past a topic of some concern, I am
> nevertheless anxious to hear from as many of you as possible on the subject
> of the fulfillment service Centrobe / Neodata of Boulder (?), Colorado.
>
> Personally, I have had about all I can take of the "service" they
> supposedly provide. Nevertheless I am determined to remain open to
> alternative accounts, including those Centrobe / Neodata may itself decide
> to provide.
>
> I can't tell you how many times, or in the case of how many
> different titles, I have had to wait five or six months into a new year
> for my Centrobe / Neodata renewals to kick in, not to mention how much
> time has been spent attempting to fill in the gaps via BACKSERV and/or
> EUROBACK; not to mention how much time has been spent calling agents (in
> my case Swets Blackwell, and sometimes, I think, EBSCO Subscription
> Services), Centrobe / Neodata itself, editors, and publishers (the latter
> in a futile attempt to get Centrobe / Neodata contracts dropped); etc.
>
> Am I missing something here? Could the problem be really my agent?
> Personally, I don't think so. Or does someone out there have something
> personal against just only the Institute? Am I alone in this?
>
> I look forward to hearing from you. (But do post to the list.)
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Steve Perisho, Serials
> Historical Studies-Social Science Library
> Institute for Advanced Study
> Einstein Drive
> Princeton, New Jersey 08540
> United States of America
>
> Tel.: 609 734 8378; Fax: 609 951 4515
> E-mail: sperisho@ias.edu
----------(2)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 15:04:39 -0400
From: "Feustel, Carol (FEUSTECS)" <FEUSTECS@UCMAIL.UC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Centrobe / Neodata of Boulder,
CO: A Plea for Responses (Ste phen Perisho)
Dear Steve and fellow Serialsters,
No, you're not alone.
This group is a major pain in the neck. I could complain for hours about
the postcards they send after you claim an issue, basically wanting you to
do the entire claim all over again. My theory on claims is that with the
first one they send the postcard and pitch the claim. If you bother to
reclaim, they keep the claim and send another postcard. If you are stubborn
and persistent (like me) you continue to claim. Then they usually just
extend the subscription. Not good if you bind these periodicals.
The latest stunt was with our subscription to Economist. Our agent sent the
order for the year 2000 in Nov, 1999. They cashed the check immediately,
but didn't process the order until DECEMBER 2000!!!!!! We weren't getting
issues all through 2000, which I kept claiming. Our vendor kept sending
them copies of the cancelled check, and they kept giving a song & dance
routine that there was no order but couldn't explain the check. I requested
a refund for the 2000 subscription year since we didn't receive any issues.
They not only refunded, they cancelled our current order!!
If there was another way to subscribe to the popular periodicals than them
I'd do it in a minute. There's always hope that someone from there in a
decision making position monitors this list and will take action.
Carol, the Journal Goddess
GO BEARCATS!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wise People Still Seek Him
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carol S. Feustel phone:
513-558-0179
Serials Specialist fax:
513-558-1709
Health Sciences Library email:
carol.feustel@uc.edu
University of Cincinnati
231 Albert Sabin Way, Box 670574
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0574
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Original Journal Goddess. Accept no imitations!!
Opinions expressed are mine, not my employers
A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand. (Hershy)
----------(3)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 13:56:23 -0500
From: "Piesbergen, Frances R." <sfrpies@UMSL.EDU>
Subject: Re: Centrobe / Neodata of Boulder,
CO: A Plea for Responses (Ste phen Perisho)
Stephen:
It was explained to me a number of years ago, that the way these
fulfillment houses operate is based pretty much on being able to exactly
match the information on a subscription/mailing label. This affects both
the ordering and claiming processes. When an order is placed, the houses
look to see if there is an existing subscription/mailing label. If there
is an exact match, then the order is treated as a renewal and the
subscription is extended for the payment period. If no match is found -
even if it is only one letter off !!!- then the order is treated as new
and the fulfillment house can begin the order whenever they choose - 4-6
weeks later. In many instances, the name of the library and/or the
institution name get reversed when the renewal orders are placed, whether
by the library directly or the vendor. The houses don't find a 'match'
and the order is handled as new. That can cause all the problems of
duplicate issues when a subscription is renewed early, or the problem of
gaps when the order is placed later. Unless the vendors ask for a copy of
the mailing label, they don't know what they have on them, so they can't
always be sure that the order will be renewed properly. This is the same
for claims. Many fulfillment houses want a copy of the mailing label in
order to verify a subscription to fill a claim. Unless you provide the
vendor with a label or send a label to the house yourself, the normal
response is "sorry". Complaining to the publisher doesn't work because
once the order is passed along to the fulfillment house, they wash their
collective hands of it. Complaining to the vendor may or may not have any
better success. If the situation has changed, I would love to hear.
Frances Piesbergen sfrpies@umsl.edu
Documents Librarian ph:(314) 516-5084
Thomas Jefferson Library/dep. 0326 fx: (314) 516-5853
Univ. of MO-St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63121
