[Leica] Re: LHSA catalogue and other beefs

["Emanuel Lowi" <mano@proxyma.net>]

John Collier wrote:

"We get that damn catalogue weeks after you get it in the US. Pretty much
useless by the time I see it. I have called on a number of items and always
the item is already gone. FINALLY they will have an electronic version which
they have promised to delay sending until they figure mail delivery has
occurred in the US. Possibly an improvement, we will have to wait and see.

Great magazine but the rest is useless unless you reside in the US. That is
no problem but they should make an effort to no to annoy us foreigners
unduly. The only benefit I receive is the magazine which ends up costing me
$25US an issue."

Here here, Brother John. I have shared this beef for a number of years and have taken
it up with several of the LHSA big-wigs a few times at the annual meeting. They say
Canadian memberships are considered foreign and their mailings are turned over to
some kind of postal mailing consolidation company (dunno what these are really
termed, sounds suspicious though) as a way of cutting costs.

To add insult to injury, Canadian members are charged considerably more than USA
members for the privilege of this very late mail delivery - despite the fact that
using the usual USPS system direct would cost only a little more to Canada.

Until the LHSA fixes this situation, Canadian and other "foreign" membership is a
mixed blessing. Reading about what juicy Leica bargains HAD been available doesn't
really turn me on the way it used to, and the $25 per issue "Viewfinder" is not a big
enough draw at this point.

Funny how Americans are so adamant about viewing everybody else as foreigners, while
for the rest of the world, dealing with other countries is an everyday normal affair.

Emanuel Lowi
Montreal
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