Uni Magazine

[Sanne.Kj]

Originally Posted by Klaas Bil

Back on topic. I've been subscribed to Uni from the start, paying upfront for 6 issues, then for another 6 issues. I love(d) the magazine. There have been massive delays in the past, so until I saw this thread I chalked it up as just another one of those big delays. I've met Mike Penton several times, and emailed a lot with him (I've written two articles). He always came across as a good guy, and I would not call him a thief or fraudster. While it seems unacceptable to just vanish without any explanation, I hold my judgment until I know more. For now I assume that the responsibility grew over his head. Maybe he somehow lost the opportunity to give us that explanation, I can think of several scenarios.

I also very much like the magazine. I have also met Mike a couple of times, and I agree on what Klaas writes here.

About 3 or 4 months ago I offered another article to Mike, unknowing of the current situation. He never responded which I can now fit in the bigger picture. This is all very sad, and people who paid and got little or nothing have all the right to be upset. But let's stay reasonable until we know more, rather than jump to conclusions.

In fact I have also written an article which I delivered to Mike in the autumn of 2009 and I had some correspondance with him about it. At that time he told me that he had difficulties about financing the printing. But I would have liked to see my article printed in issue 12 ...

I think a paper magazine has a quality of it's own - the look and feel of the paper, photos etc. is very attractive. But if it is too expensive or whatever the explanation is, a web-based magazine might be the solution (if somebody can and will make it).

Best regards,
Sanne

[GizmoDuck]

It's a shame with what happened, but I guess at the end of the day we are still not at the stage of being able to support a special interest magazine. It was something I really looked forward to receiving.

As for Mike...he does a great deal for unicycling- not just from the Magazine but helping out at Unicons and the IUF.

I too have a subscription, but if you only ever lose $70 when a company goes out of business, count yourself lucky. I suspect that Mike has lost a lot more money that any one of his subscribers.

I hope one day we can help resurrect Uni magazine. In fact, we should be doing a thread "Save Uni Magazine"

Ken

[anso]

Originally Posted by johnfoss

Does anyone know if the French unicycle magazine Switch is still being published?

on the French forum, in June, Arthur was saying he was working on the next issue

[tomblackwood]

Yeah,as in the "paid and got nothing" category too. It's too bad things didn't work out with the USA connection. The Uni subscription was the only thing keeping me in that org, and when it went I went.

Well, that seems like quite enough whining for one weekend. Think I'll fill up the camelpack and get a 20 miler in before the rain starts.

[Catboy]

Doesn't this situation qualify as 1st degree scheme to defraud and 4th degree grand larceny? Whether or noth he's a good guy, what he's doing is a crime.

[daretodream]

I am really sad to hear that unimag may be a thing of the past. I loved that magazine.

I am one of the people that subscribed during unicon. At the time I received 1 issue and a purple bag.

This week I learnt a very important lesson from a very good friend of mine. Do not make comments till you are absolutely sure and have all your facts.I think the world of my friend, would do anything for him and yet i made a bad decision and unintentionally insulted him. Although i was in the wrong and he had every right to be angry with me he forgave me and we continue to be great friends. The sort of person that will continue be there for you when you least deserve it is the sort of person you can truly call a friend.

No doubt Mike is in need of his friends right now.

I met Mike during Unicon. I didnt know who he was at the time but during my 10km race when i was riding on my own and battling the winds and my discouragement he rode on his bike for a while next to me and encouraged me on. Then on our last day he saw me on the street and handed me an extra uni bag. It was a random act of kindness and Im sure a reflection of the sort of person he truly is.

I do not feel the need to have to have a paper copy of uni mag or a refund of my money. I would be more then happy to be able to view the photos Mike took at Unicon online and for an online mag to happen in the future.

I hope that Mike does explain to everyone his current situation with the unimag; simply because i think until he does that his friends wont be able to help him. I hope that everyone will be supportive and that what will come out of this is a newer and better online version of unimag.

[MuniOrBust]

Originally Posted by daretodream

This week I learnt a very important lesson from a very good friend of mine. Do not make comments till you are absolutely sure and have all your facts.

I felt like I was patient for months, respectably emailed Mike several times and posted the forums. It's clear that Mike has decided not to communicate. So how long do we wait to make comments?
Say I watch my friend neighbor take my uni out of my garage and bring it into his house. I walk over there, ring the doorbell... no response. Call him, email, send a letter... no response. After 9 months of no response and waiting, what should I do?

I honestly respect and appreciate your point of view. Mine's just different.

No doubt Mike is in need of his friends right now.

And this is a great community for standing by our friends.
But that's hard to do when he has disappeared.

Though I see at LinkedIn that Mike is still alive. And he claims 18,000 readers for Uni. Maybe only 10 of those readers have subscriptions and lost. (~$700) Maybe 1,000. (~$70,000) Maybe more. I have no idea.

[DSchmitt]

lol, yeah it's not like he's sleeping in some culvert under newspapers, homeless. he could at least get on the forum and explain what happened, which would take 5 mins.

[Klaas Bil]

Originally Posted by MuniOrBust

Though I see at LinkedIn that Mike is still alive.

"The requested URL could not be retrieved."

[Peripatet]

Wow. Seems like every month I check these threads on Uni, hoping for some more info, and the completer issue for my collection.

And I would at least like an explanation.

At least I'm only out the money for 1 issue. . .

[MuniOrBust]

Originally Posted by Klaas Bil

"The requested URL could not be retrieved."

Hmm. Works for me. It doesn't look like I'm logged in to LinkedIn either.
Well, you can always search LinkedIn for Mike Penton.

[Catboy]

The right thing for Mike to do would have been to A) File Bankruptcy and B) Send every subscriber a letter explaining that issues would not be produced and that money would not be refunded.

He did not.

Now the right thing for subscribers to do would be to A) Get an attorney to take the case, B) File a class action lawsuit against Mike, C) Make formal complaints with Mike's local authorities so he is charged with the crimes he's committed.

Things like this happen FAR too often, where people become established and offer a service then disappear with a lot of money and never return. A few years back a VW engine builder was selling his Serrano engines super cheap and was making a killing in his first year or so of business. Then one day the man disappeared with over $300,000USD and a TON of paid for unproduced orders. He's now a ghost.

What I don't understand is why Mike would disappear with such a small amount of cash? ~$70,000? That's barely enough to live meagerly on for a year!


Regardless of whether we're in a close-knit loving community, what he did was a crime and just plain wrong. Had he done the right thing and notified everyone, nobody would want to chase this but something is very fishy here and the consumer is getting the shaft. That just don't fly in the good ol' US of A , my friends.

Mike,
You need to come forward and make everything right, for your own sake! A new issue, refunds, or even just a formal apology would suffice. Disappearing with everyone's money and falling out of contact makes us want to burn you at the stake!

[SmellyGeekBoy]

It's a shame to hear about Mike's troubles with the magazine - it really was a good read. I never met the guy but did have a few email exchanges with him and he always seemed very genuine and friendly. He still owes me 5 issues, but if the company is going through bankruptcy or whatever I understand that these things can take time to resolve.

If anything I'd be happy just to take issues 1-5 and be done with it (I started at 6, so was going to get around to getting them eventually anyway). I'm not joining the lynchmob just yet as I don't know the full story, but he really should make an appearance and explain the situation sooner rather than later.

[MuniOrBust]

Besides magazine sales, didn't Mike get money from advertising?

Issue Eleven Advertisements:
Full Page
KH, Coker, Patagonia, FireToys, UDC, Torker
Half Page
QU-AX, Schlumpf, Koxx

I have zero knowledge of advertising prices for such a niche magazine. Looking on the net, I'd estimate something like $400 for half page and $800 for full.
That would be $6000 for issue eleven. If two issues a year were typical, $12,000 / year.

I don't have much of a point, other than he must have been getting some money from advertisers.

[daretodream]

The problem is when your having financial difficulties that your often between a rock and a hard place. Mike needs some good financial/business/legal advice probably and its the time he can probably least afford it.

He may have been hoping to secure new advertising sponsors/ memberships or a new job to keep things afloat. As none of these things have eventuated and time has ticked by hes probably felt its all become too difficult and because hes not sure of how to handle things now maybe thats why we havent heard from him. Of course this is only conjecture on my part because we dont have his side of the story.

If Mike has friends on these forums that are able to contact him then i hope they advise him to get on the forums and let his subscribers know what the situation is now. Even if all he is able to say now is that the business is in financial difficulties and he is working on finding a solution or that the business is going into liquidation. The problem is that once that is said it becomes very difficult to get future advertising and subscribers and in effect you deal the final death blow to your own business.

Mike does need to come forward before someone gets so angry they take it to the authorities and then it will be out of everyones hands. I really hope this doesnt happen.