Hi Ros and everyone,

I just wanted to reply to this message to say you are not alone! 
However, perhaps the poor customer service you have received is not only 
because you are not a ScienceDirect customer.

We are currently negotiating with Elsevier for our 2003 renewal of our 
ScienceDirect package, this is further complicated this year with the 
inclusion of the transition licence arrangements covering our Academic 
Press titles. I was sent an original quotation by Elsevier in June and 
after many hours of digesting their excessively compex pricing system I 
thought I'd got to grips with it. I merrily proceeded to use the figures 
I had been supplied as the basis for all my negotiations and discussions 
regarding renewal of this deal with the various library decision making 
bodies.

A chance query two weeks ago propmted Elsevier to send me confirmation 
of our 2003 quote - surprise surprise this bore no resemblance to the 
one I had been previously sent. It noted a totally different Academic 
Press base price and used a 'different' exchange rate (Dollar to Euro). 
The final result is that my original pricing for the AP deal worked out 
in June is now wrong by almost £4000 (underestimated of course!)

Elsevier themselves have admitted they are confused and 'don't know 
where the figures came from for our first quote' and have said 'the 
wrong exchange rate was used'. This kind of excuse simply confirms my 
displeasure with their customer services.

To offer a warning to others I will say that I think I have finally got 
to the bottom of this - I suppose I should be glad that at least I seem 
to get responses to my emails from our sales rep. Elsevier are using a 
set 2002 Dollar/Euro exchange rate for calculating their 2003 deal, in 
line with what AP invoiced in 2002. My main grumble is that this fact 
was never mentioned in the original communications between Elsevier and 
ourselves, indeed our original quote suspiciously all makes perfect 
sense if the exchange rates of the time are used.

Has anyone else seen sight of this exhange rate clause in the small 
print of their documentation or had a similar experience? I would advise 
anyone who is working on quotes supplied earlier in the year to double 
check with Elsevier else you could be in for a nasty surprise.

I find Elsevier pricing strategies confusing at the best of times but 
the last few weeks have just been a joke. Sorry for droning on but I 
hope that this may help others to clarify their own positions.

Best wishes
Jackie

M Ros Doig wrote:
> Dear All
> I am sure there are many of you out there like us  who  are having/have had extreme difficulty trying to work out exactly what you can afford to take vis a vis Elsevier print and electronic next year.
> The process has been going on for months here and has become extremely frustrating because the person we are dealing with takes weeks to answer emails.
> I very much feel that because we can't afford to take Science Direct in its entirety then we are by default unimportant to Elsevier as a customer and get treated accordingly.
> I am very angry about the slowness of communication and the lack of response to emails. I also asked if we could have a visit and it was agreed in principle with some suggested dates but have I have heard nothing since and the day has passed.
> We are potentially prepared to spend around £45,000 pounds with them.  We do not spend anywhere near this amount with any other publisher and this in fact is nearly 15% of our total print spend.
> The problem is really that since we can't do without their journals and they know it, they have us over a barrel with no incentive to good customer relations because they  know we'll have to pay up.
> If the decison was mine I'd cancel everything tomorrow because I've run out of patience. 
> Has anyone any suggestions as to how we might proceed? or indeed has a similar experience.
> Perhaps this list could have a Customer Service award each year for best and worse service. I'd nominate Ingenta for the best - they've been brilliant with anything I've asked and so prompt. No prizes for guessing who's at the bottom of my list.......
> 
> Best Wishes to all
> Ros Doig
> 
> 
> Ros Doig
> Serials & Inter-lending Librarian
> University of Derby
> Learning Centre
> Kedleston Road
> Derby 
> DE22 1GB
> 
> Tel. +44 1332 591204 
> Fax. +44 1332 622773
> Email M.R.Doig@Derby .ac.uk


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Jackie Knowles
Electronic Resources Librarian
Durham University Library, Stockton Road, Durham. DH1 3LY
Tel. No.: 0191 374 3218
Fax. No.: 0191 374 7481
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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