Beyond The Blue - Important Announcement

decoweenie

Matt,

I understand what you are saying, and can't believe one day that I would act as a defender for Ron... but as I understood, the reason of 9/90 went under wasn't entirely Ron's fault (as mentioned by a previous post from someone else).

And he had done everything within reason to make up and complete the transaction (i.e. magazine subscription) when contacted.

So IMHO, he kept up his end principly... but yes, he could be a little more pro-active in getting the replacement issues to the subscribers, but he is not ducking the issue when contacted.

And yes, I spent more time/effort to contact Ron out of principle as well since the money was negligible.

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

svekke_s

Just be persistent to try and contact him? I have send numorous emails to him and to the offices of BTB. Never got an answer back.
I can understand that he is a busy man, but doesn't he have a secretary or somebody else who can answer or help us out?
Don't understand me wrong, I really liked BTB after the demise of 990 (a nice alternative). But I don't like the way I was treated by them.
Lucky for me I got to lay my hands on approx 20 backissues of 990. Got to read something now.

Johnny Christensen

As one who is somewhat in the dive magazine business, I can tell you that most specialty publications, like dive magazines, are made by very few people. It's not uncommon that the entire staff consist of only two or three people. On some mag's it is a one man show that pull it all together and it still looks proffecionally made. So I consider it a small miracle that magazines actually find time to respond to e-mails at all.

As for Ron's plans for a web based magazine, I can defintly understand the financial logic behind it. Cost of printing and distribution may in fact be equal to the income from subscribers and news stands sales can generate. Any business needs to earn more than they spend, so cutting away a huge cost like printing and distribution will highten the chance of survival. And in general may increase the circulation of the magazine, now that it's free.

The days where a divemag had the ability to pay a photographer and writer a decent amount of money for their work, seems to be far gone. If somebody knows otherwise, then please point me in the right direction. I would really appriciate to be proven wrong.

__________________
www.johnnychristensen.com
Wreckphotography from the cold north

decoweenie

I am just relating my own experience...

The original PM I sent to Ron was 1 year ago, followed up by more PM's a few months later each time when I think about it. Nothing...

Then I found the BTB website and sent an email as well as a voice mail. And that did it, Ron replied within a week explained that he hasn't been on Rebreather World for a while.

Again, I am not defending for Ron but just relating my own experience. I was as mad at him as you are now, but once I made contact and he came thru, that action changed my view-point.

As long as people make it right when given the opportunity, I don't hold grudges.

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

Ron Mahoney

Wow!!!

I know how Alfred The Great felt - you spend your life defending the realm, developing an education system putting in place the country's first legal system and all you get remembered for is you forgot to watch some friggin' cakes!

Seriously though to make a responce to a couple of points - first we've not got the first issue uploaded yet. It's at the PDF stage and now they turn it into the animated version - don't ask me how! As you'll see shortly a few of the advertisers are quite excited by the new format and rather than just run their normal advert they've wanted to jazz things up a little.

With regard to not answering e.mail or the telephone - I don't know if this is the done thing and I'm sure I'll be told if it isn't but anyone with any problems can speak to me directly on +44 (0) 7745 914 255.

I pay for a serviced office in Liverpool that should either take a message or pass you through to the office where if I'm not in you either get the answerphone or go back to the switchboard if its full/in use. If you leave a message I will get back to you but once again I've now listed a number you can always (virtually) get me on.

As far as 990 - well I think a few others have described in their own words what went on - if any of you are out of pocket by £18 or more then please let me know where Don McGregor lives and I'll try and get your money after Tony Perrin and I recoup the £45K that was awarded us in court.

When BTB was set up we offered anyone that got in touch to switch their subscription - we didn't need to but we did. Don't ask me how many got in touch but I know there were quite a few - judging by the numbers I spoke to at various dive shows.

I've also gone on various forums stating that if you think you missed out then send me an addressed A4 envelope with how many magazines you think you missed out on and I'd make them up with BTB back issues. This was (and still is) a TRUST thing as the 990 databases ended up in Fort William, but if you tell me you missed out on X copies then I'll believe you. So Matt and anyone else - pick up the phone.

As far as advertiser paid for magazines - I think you'll find every magazine (certainly diving ones) are reliant on advertisers money - to me it makes no odd's. Your subscription payments and magazine sales counted for about 18% of revenue.

So if you think that we'll be running adverts for and giving gushing reports on crap manufacturers gear well I think our track record speaks for itself - and yes it would be very easy to flood the magazine with crap equipment, crap dive centres and full of holiday dive destinations - but if thats what you want you know where to get it.

Lets see what the future holds eh?

Ron

__________________
Editor Beyond The Blue Magazine

www.beyondmagazine.co.uk

Scubascooby

I have only just spotted this thread (There is too much good stuff to read on Rebreather World)

I was a 9-90 subscriber although I think I only missed out on 1 issue when it sadly went west. I never met Ron although I did use to Ashton shop now and again.

I did try to subscribe to BTB on at least 2 occasions and never got anything, although I am sure the cheques were never cashed. I assumed it had also folded.

Good luck with eBTB although I would avoid the proprietary format and stay with more open formats.

__________________
"dove" is NOT the past tense of "dive"

Phil Ennis

Has anyone actually got their money back?

I last heard from Ron about a year ago when he just told me to be patient and that I would get a refund. Well I haven't, and now don't even get a reply to my e-mails.

If Ron has gone bust again, then I wish he just had the balls to tell us that we will not be getting our money back.

Has anyone got any info?

__________________
Phil Ennis.



My Website

Johnny Christensen

I would not expect to see any money. Given that he failed to pay the agreed price for a picture he used as a covershot, when he wanted to launch an electronic version of BTB, I would say he is out of business.
When I asked for his VAT number for my invoice, he did not have any.

__________________
www.johnnychristensen.com
Wreckphotography from the cold north

Phil Ennis

Thanks Johnny,

When I saw that the website was still active I thought that there might still be hope.

I appreciate that anyone can have a business fail, but two in an almost identical way, both times owing money is not good.

I just wish he would have the decency to acknowledge what has happened, let us know and then I can just write the money off.

I am keeping this going in the hopes that he might just do the decent thing!

__________________
Phil Ennis.



My Website

Johnny Christensen

I kinda just thought "you win some, you loose some"

The magazine business ain't easy. You have to feature more than the usual BS stories about another dive at a cozy location. Otherwise people just won't pay any attention to your product.

__________________
www.johnnychristensen.com
Wreckphotography from the cold north