An email exchange with singletrack after I commented on a tuesday treats that the prizes were getting “lamer”

Hi XXXX,

I’ve deleted your comment on our Tuesday treats giveaway story because it’s frankly rude.

The prizes are offered up for free by bike shops. There’s a very real cost behind all the prizes and although this week’s prize may not be to your taste I don’t think that gives you the right to post your rather insulting comment on the story. Tuesday treats happens every week and entry is exclusively for subscribers like yourself. Entry is optional and I expect that you would be hard pressed to find any other magazine in the world that works as hard to provide free prizes every week to its subscribers. If you don’t like this weeks prize then I’m sure there will be one along in the next few weeks that you do like. Either way, no need for your comment, so it’s been removed.

Cheers

XXXX

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to singletrack employee
Hi XXXX,

Firstly, there was nothing to take offence about in my post, it was clearly my own opinion and more importantly valid. I admit I could have used the term cheaper, poorer or less desirable but I felt the term “lamer” far more succinct in expressing my views of a prize that you value at a laughable £260 (far better accredited courses are available cheaper) and be lets be honest the quality of the prizes has markedly declined over time. Do you disagree?

Secondly, as you have stated I am a subscriber. I subscribed (at considerable expense, being the most expensive mtb magazine available) to a mountain bike magazine, not a sustainable transport magazine, not a cyclocross magazine, not a government initiative magazine or a lefty quinoa munching knit your own sandles magazine so please do inform me what place this article has on a “mountain bike magazine” website?

Thirdly, you state “The prizes are offered up for free by bike shops”, so this has nothing to do with the massive advert attached to the tuesday treats article? Not a tax dodge for advertising, you’d definitely be writing that article, because everyone is so interested in what bobs bikes has just cobbled together for its last punter… please!

Cheers
Singletrack employee

to me

XXXX,

Our records show that your sub was bought for you as a gift.
I’d like to refund you the remainder of your subscription.
If you have a Paypal account we will happily deposit the remaining value of your sub in there. Otherwise I’m going to assume you will be fine with a cheque posted to your home address.
If you can let me know which option you prefer I’ll get that sorted asap. If I don’t hear from you I’ll assume a cheque is fine and I’ll get that in the post to you tomorrow.
We’ve suspended your account.

Cheers

XXXX

So if you don’t like customer complaints, get rid of your customers -the new singletrack marketing initiative.

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Dear singletrack

The stuff you’re giving away for free isn’t up to the standards I demand! I want something better

Nope…. Can’t see why they’ve an issue

Did you used to have the same problem with birthday presents from your parents if they weren’t deemed acceptable?

I’ll scweam and I’ll scweam and I’ll scweam until I make myself thick!

Me too!

Lol… sometimes, your opinion is not worth voicing. Or to put it like my wise Mother in Law, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”.

Not even time to put the kettle on I reckon..

No need to XXXX out my name really.

You’ve bought me a pony?!!! I wanted a unicorn!!!!

If that’s the true sequence of events, it’s amazing that they’d want to lose a customer that easily.
Maybe we haven’t seen all the emails?

SPICY! 😈

They totally owned you on the subscriber bit didn’t they

You: I subscribed, it cost me LOADS
Them: Er, no – you were bought it as a gift

Classified only user in throwing hissy fit shocka

They can get a bit touchy…

Rmember these two facts: The customer is always right; and it takes a long time to build a reputation, but only a short time to lose it.

The refund of remaining subs is a nice gesture but why have you suspended the account Mark?

Rmember these two facts: The customer is always right; and it takes a long time to build a reputation, but only a short time to lose it.

Bollocks! I actually admire them more for saying a big F-off and giving him his money back. If he’s going to be a ****t about things then I think they’re taking the right stance.

Part of his sub was Premier. That needs to be stopped too.

You’re both right, have a fight to sort it out.
Do we get a prize if we’re the last one I have no useful contribution to make down?

er sorry, lamer is a shite word.
see ya later classifieds only loser.

It changed automatically, cool.

*feeling a bit inadequate without my ‘P’

Settle this like men: To the common at dawn!

If they can afford to lose customers that easily they must be rolling in it!

I thought the past few prizes have been alright. This months isn’t my cup of tea so I haven’t bothered entering but i’m sure someone will be more than happy to win it.

The customer is always right

He isn’t a customer (sub was a gift), and he is wrong. Correct response from STW IMO

STW gives away free stuff on Tuesdays? I’ll seek that out, cheers for the PSA.

I wouldn’t slate the prize to be fair, if you don’t rate it don’t enter, but why slag it off on the fourm?

Im not sure that banning people and chucking their money back at them is a good way to deal with it either though??

EDIT

I judge their comments posted on our site to be rude and unfair. The response we received above just convinced me that it’s for the best if both parties go their own ways.

Actually fair enough.

I’ve always tended to take the view that comments in the ‘editorial’ side of the site need to be self moderated much more than those in the forum.

To use a pub analogy, you *might* get away with slagging off the landlord’s wife sat at your table but it’s probably best to avoid doing it at the bar where the landlord can hear you.

This thread will likely get closed at some point as it’s pretty negative all round. But I didn’t want anyone thinking we’d got anything to hide here. I stand by the decision. Knowing how much work goes in to these competition stories, both on our side at Singletrack and on the part of the LBS involved each week I reserve the right to choose who we do custom with where I judge their comments posted on our site to be rude and unfair. The response we received above just convinced me that it’s for the best if both parties go their own ways.

right response, this is also the real world, not just teh internetz, play nicely please

It’s free and a bit of fun, what’s not to like?
For most STW is very free – infact many make money from it an contribute very little IMO.

Is this setting a precedent, say something the owners/bosses don’t like and get shown down the road? Slippery slope IMO

say something the owners/bosses don’t like and get shown down the road

it’s always been like that here.

plenty of short and long term bannings of people who’ve broken whatever rules the owners choose to apply?

Mark, you missed out the bit that says, “…and don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out!” 😆

I knew there was a reason I never bought the magazine. 😀

Totally agree with the STW side on this one. You got told off, do you NEED the last word OP? Grow up.

Personally like the regular little prizes 🙂 Can’t say I want this one, entered the previous one for the wheels though.

Is this setting a precedent, say something the owners/bosses don’t like and get shown down the road? Slippery slope IMO

if a pub offers free beer, and someone, who’s mate bought him a drink, starts shouting round and outside the pub how ‘lame’ the free beer is, how long will the landlord/owner/resident grumpy put up with it?

I haven’t often agreed with Mark in the past but I think he’s bang on in this case. Good work.