Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Diamond Comics is a Souless Corporate Machine

I know this is not a newsflash. I am righteously pissed right now. For the SIXTH time in EIGHT weeks, my local retailer has only gotten a partial shipment. I wrote a second letter to Diamond as follows:

"December 13, 2006

Diamond Comics Distributors, Inc.
1966 Greenspring Drive
Suite 300
Timonium, MD 21093


Dear Diamond Comics Distributors, Inc.,

For the second time in a month I find myself compelled to communicate with you. For the last SIX out of EIGHT weeks, my local comic book retailer, Ron’s Coin and Collectibles of Yakima, Washington, has not received their orders on time, or has only received partial shipments. Once again, your company is blaming UPS without taking action. Nothing has changed since I wrote my first letter, and I am beginning to suspect it won’t change after this one either.

So why I am writing to you? Because I want you to know how much the lack of service is inconveniencing me, as well as turning my beloved hobby into a liability instead of the joy it used to be. I dread every Wednesday now because I KNOW I am going to walk into Ron’s and there are going to be problems. You have made each week a scheduling nightmare for me. I have a busy career filled with many obligations. I can’t just drop everything I am doing to go pick up books that should have been there.

As a result of this, my retailer is losing money. When I don’t have time to go back to the shop, they don’t get paid for the books that they have already written a check for. Interestingly, the owner of the shop informs me that not once has UPS not brought the box with the COD slip on it, ensuring that they are paying for merchandise they haven’t even received. How ridiculous is that? How can my retailer hope to stay in business when this keeps happening?

I have come to the conclusion that Diamond Comics Distributors, Inc. does not care about its customers or the end user. It is disheartening to see that your company is a soulless corporate machine whose only interest is the bottom line. If indeed you did care, this would not continue to happen. Because of your lack of courtesy and professionalism I am ready to drop comics altogether.

Sincerely,
Heidi Meeley"


Why did I bother to send a second letter that will get a lot of lip service but maybe just one week of results? I want Diamond to know that I am really angry and disapointed. I want to point out that my retailer is losing money. Heck, I guess I want action that isn't going to happen.

I can see it now- "Heidi Meeley fought the big distributor and the big distributor won".

At least I had to try.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

At least you're trying. It may not do anything, the problem being Diamond is pretty much a monopoly, but you at least have to try.

One day someone will come along and give Diamond a run for their money. I wish it was now, but I truly belive someone will sooner or later.

Heidi Meeley said...

John, thank you for the kind words. I appreciate them, as I am pretty well p.o.ed and slightly upset about the run around.

I will tell you this- if I could find a money person, I would go start a competitor today to kick their butts into submission! God forbid that we would put customer satisfaction first!