Hi,
I am posting this message to this list on behalf of a colleague, who has
been frustrated with her experience with ACM over the past few years. We
want to know whether there are others out there, who order their
subscriptions directly with ACM, who have experienced similar problems?
She has just sent the following email to ACM customer relations, which she
has said I can share with you, in the hope that ACM might improve the way it
handles its customers and its orders/renewals, as well as consider the
introduction of a gracing period, which might have given us chance to deal
with this problem, without inconveniencing our users, rather than cutting us
off without notice.:
"Digital Library Special Interest Group Master package
Institutional Membership including Digital Library Core Publications Package
We have been denied access to ACM DL Special Interest Group Master
publications since 1 June 2005, although University of Hertfordshire Finance
are insisting ACM received payment on 2nd June.
Staff and students are frustrated by loss of access; coursework is being
disrupted. Many staff hours have been spent on maintaining this
subscription since 2003. It took 5 months to set up the subscription in
2003. We have been denied access 70plus days in 2004; and 21 days to date
in 2005. Please can you advise if there are alternative subscription
options? eg UK Consortia? and whether there is anything we can do to
improve the high maintenance overhead of this subscription. Also, I would
ask that ACM does not immediately deny access pending payment when they
themselves have repeatedly failed to supply renewal invoice in advance of
expiry.
History:
We have subscribed to ACM digital library core package for many years;
annual subscription period ending August.
In January 2003 we proceeded with an additional subscription to ACM Digital
Master SIG package. Unfortunately due to confusion ACM were unable to
invoice us until April 2003 or grant access until end of May 2003 following
receipt of payment.
In 2004 we did not receive a three months advance renewal invoice from ACM
for this subscription, which expired on 30 April 2004. On 2 June 2004 we
therefore requested renewal invoice for the period ending April 05. We were
denied access from 1 May to 12 July pending receipt of payment by ACM on 15
July 2004 for the subscription period now ending May05.
In April 2005 we again had to request a renewal invoice for year ending
May06. ACM responded that expiry was August 2005. UH clarified 2 separate
subscriptions (see top). On 29 April 2005 ACM emailed correct invoice as
attachment. We were again denied access from 1 June and are still denied
access today (21 June). ACM deny receipt of payment, although UH Finance
state payment received by ACM on 2 June 2005".
Cheers
Lesley
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Lesley Crawshaw, Faculty Information Consultant,
Learning and Information Services,
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK
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e-mail: [log in to unmask]
phone: 01707 284662 fax: 01707 284666
web: http://www.herts.ac.uk/lis/subjects/natsci/ejournal/
list owner: [log in to unmask]
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