Minimum time between "under contract" and "anticipated release date"

Due to budgeting concerns, I watch my Pre-Pub orders under My Account tab very closely to see when new resources are about to be released. With the L4 release underway, I understand more resources will be popping out as available very soon. So my question is - Should there be a "minimum time period" for these resources to be held before release?

I currently have several hundred dollars worth of Pre-Pubs ordered, but after shelling out several dollars to upgrade my base package in L4, I do not have the budget to handle all of the Pre-Pubs that I have had on order for several months (some over a year) to all come out at one time.

Does anyone else see the "danger" in this? And have some wisdom to give freely?

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J. Morris

I'm in the same boat. I had to cancel most of my pre-pub orders because I upgraded from Leaders to Gold. There is no minimum time. It is possible (and has happened to me) to have 3 or more pre-pubs all come out the same week. It gets a little frustrating. In the past, I've actually had to cancel more than one order because of multiple shipments the same week... then to find out the day before they were supposed to ship that one or more of my now canceled orders got pushed back.... [:(] I called to get some info on what could be done to better prepare and was told "sorry it is out of our hands" because the data entry and editing was/is done out of house... (not sure if this is still the case)

Mark Smith

Does anyone else see the "danger" in this?

There are many folks who see 'danger' in this. The trouble is that there is no discernible pattern to the releases.

And have some wisdom to give freely?

Don't know if it's wisdom, but it's free:

1. Keep an eye on the pre-pub page for announcements about the expected date of shipping. Often these slip, but can give you a month or more of advance notice.

2. Watch for an email notice that your pre-pub is about to ship. These usually go out about a day before your credit card will be charged. If you can't afford it at that point you usually have about a day to cancel. (Unfortunately Logos has had some problems getting those notices out in the past, so there might be a miss.)

None of this free wisdom helps you with future planning. You don't know when you decide to accept the charge for a pre-pub if another one you want more isn't going to pop up a few weeks later, but it is the best we can do.

Lots of complaints have been made about the current system, but it seems no one knows how to fix it in a way that Logos can live with.

Mark Watson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/91239#Comment_91239

1. Keep an eye on the pre-pub page for announcements about the expected date of shipping. Often these slip, but can give you a month or more of advance notice.

I do this reguarly. (Once per week), And I was "hit" on the Holiness Collection (8 vols) that will be shipping out on 2/19/2010. Last week, there was no anticipated ship date.

2. Watch for an email notice that your pre-pub is about to ship. These usually go out about a day before your credit card will be charged. If you can't afford it at that point you usually have about a day to cancel. (Unfortunately Logos has had some problems getting those notices out in the past, so there might be a miss.)

I do get these emails in time.

None of this free wisdom helps you with future planning. You don't know when you decide to accept the charge for a pre-pub if another one you want more isn't going to pop up a few weeks later, but it is the best we can do.

Lots of complaints have been made about the current system, but it seems no one knows how to fix it in a way that Logos can live with.

Perhaps Logos could institute a "one month rule" between announcement of anticipated ship date and actual ship date. Then at least I wouldn't have to worry about several coming without my have a chance to cancel - or at least pick the ones I want and can afford at the time!

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/91241#Comment_91241

Perhaps Logos could institute a "one month rule" between announcement of anticipated ship date and actual ship date.

It seems to me that your rule either assumes that Logos has the item ready
to ship, then gives at least a one month notice, or it comes in during
the month and Logos holds the item until the one month expires. I would guess that would not please some who want it as fast as possible.

Perhaps what could be instituted is a one month window in which to schedule delivery or cancel it. I don't see how that could function well, however, and would probably add expense to the program for the extra trouble it caused Logos, but maybe it is possible. (The next question will be, why not make it two months?)

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/91245#Comment_91245

Let me make one other observation not aimed at you, Mark, or anyone else who'd like to see a change in how pre-pubs are released.

Maybe the trouble is not with Logos but with some of us. We are committing to a pre-pub then hoping to be able to afford it. Is this what we should be doing? Couldn't we all find a way to put away the money we are going to need rather than hope it will be around when the need arises? Are we living too close to the edge financially and only creating more stress by our pre-pub 'lusting'? Would it not be better at times to realize our situation may not permit the enjoyment of some pre-pub pricing and accept that as God's will at that point?

Again, I am not supposing this of you, Mark, or anyone else in particular. I'm just raising the issue. Desire often finds spiritual robes to wrap itself in in my life.

Mark Watson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/91247#Comment_91247

Maybe the trouble is not with Logos but with some of us. We are committing to a pre-pub then hoping to be able to afford it. Is this what we should be doing? Couldn't we all find a way to put away the money we are going to need rather than hope it will be around when the need arises? Are we living too close to the edge financially and only creating more stress by our pre-pub 'lusting'? Would it not be better at times to realize our situation may not permit the enjoyment of some pre-pub pricing and accept that as God's will at that point?

I believe I understand your point and can agree with it.

But, take the following for instance, (and it is real, because I have these on Pre-Pub). The Harvard Classics would be a great addition to my library for homeschooling purposes. I Pre-Pubbed it back on 04/30/2008 and put the money aside. Then I Pre-Pubbed Mark Driscoll's Sermon Collection back on 2/11/2009 because I could afford it at that time (and Logos had an anticipated ship date of very soon), then neither one of these items comes to being available to ship recently. I see a couple of other items that I might take at a "discount" price when they become available - for example the Wesleyan Commentary or the Holiness Collection to try and stretch my dollars - and they come through suddenly as available. I use the money set aside for the Mark Driscoll Collection and the Harvard Classics Collection and purchase the ones that come through faster. Budget gone for the short time. Now all of the sudden - without warning - one of my older Pre-Pubs becomes available and I lose out on it due to not being able to see "a month" or so into the future at Logos and having used up my budget for items that weren't the tops on my list but moved faster. -- Does this make sense to you as a problem with the current system?

If Logos can offer payment plans on purchases to almost all of it's users on bigger ticket items, surely they can handle delaying the billing for a pre-pub for one month if they "release" an item without warning.

Especially after how many new users they have received with the launch of L4 and how many of the L3 users spent significant sums of money (in this economy) on an upgrade that was by their own words - not fully completed.

Mark Watson

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/91238#Comment_91238

I'm in the same boat. I had to cancel most of my pre-pub orders because I upgraded from Leaders to Gold. There is no minimum time. It is possible (and has happened to me) to have 3 or more pre-pubs all come out the same week. It gets a little frustrating. In the past, I've actually had to cancel more than one order because of multiple shipments the same week... then to find out the day before they were supposed to ship that one or more of my now canceled orders got pushed back.... I called to get some info on what could be done to better prepare and was told "sorry it is out of our hands" because the data entry and editing was/is done out of house... (not sure if this is still the case)

Jeremiah, I agree with your post completely! How can you plan around variables such as these?

Below is a link which shows my complaint about changes to timing. This one is only a week delay right now.

http://community.logos.com/forums/t/11537.aspx