[supa-dupa-cooper]

As most of you probably know I had an issue with the Stop/Start system on my new car which caused it to not always restart.

Now during the same week as it all kicked off and finally got booked into the garage, there was an article in Autocar, regarding their long term Cooper D Clubman and how it has also had stop/start issues. So I thought I'd send them an email to see what info they could give me if any as I kept being told no-one had heard of the problem.

The email I sent was this :

Hi,

I have just read with interest Richard Bremner's 6300 mile report on his Cooper D Clubman in this weeks issue. I am also suffering problems with the Auto Stop/Start system on my Cooper D. On 7 occasions in the last 2 weeks, my car has failed to restart, sometimes it will eventually start on the button, but ive also had to take out the key and start over again.

I am very concious of making a single clutch operation in traffic and not a double clutch operation, and the problems still persists. Do you have any other information that could help resolve the problem, as my car is only 7 weeks old?

Thanks

Jo Dainton

I never got a reply to that email after a week I chased it with another asking if they had received it. Still got no reply at all.

Today sat on the desk opposite me at work was a copy of this weeks Autocar which I browsed through. And to my horror I came accross the email I had sent in on the Letters page!!

Not only was it not intended to be published, it was merly a question to the journalist who is drivng the particular car, but also what they have published is a mis-representation of what I sent in!

This is what they have put :

HATE MAIL
'Reader is living in fear of stop-start'

MINI HAS GLITCHES. STOP
I read with interest Richard Bremners 6000 miles report on his Mini Clubman. I am suffering big problems with the stop-start system on my Cooper D. On seven occasions in the pat two weeks the car has failed to restart. Ive even had to take out the key and start again. My car is only seven weeks old and im scared of dipping the clutch!
Jo Dainton
Via e-mail

Someone tell me where in my original email have I said im scared of it or that im living in fear? And where have I put im having big problems?!

If someone had bothered to reply to my emails they would know that the problem was now resolved (hopefully).

Im now trying desperatly to get hold of someone there as im not happy with what they have done and they need telling that the problem is sorted! My original email was a question not something to be published. Bunch of monkeys springs to mind, and journalist up to the usual tricks of mis-representation!! (sorry to any journalists around here!)

[Shaun]

Hate journalists hear one thing say something else, I sent a really good picture to EVO with an email regarding some motor racing didn't hear anything back they ran an article this month and the pictures they used were of very poor quality.

[Ant FR]

ha ha i hate journos too, even more so are reporters.

I just done my usuall trick past sky news who were doing a live report ( like they and all the others do everyday) as my office is right opposite the old bailey. So as i walked past ( get phone out pretend talkin on it as walking past say rather loudly into the phone " he said his f***ing doing what!!" they hate it ...lol

[hoojkel]

I thought that someone had to expressly state in any letter they send to a mag/ paper that they give their permission for that article/ letter to be printed and for your name to be included. The fact that they've also stretched what you've said Jo is also without justification. You could email the director or take it to the Press complaints commission.
They are bang out of order according to this:

Press Complaints Commission >> Code of Practice >> The Code

[hoojkel]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ant FR (original)

ha ha i hate journos too, even more so are reporters.

I just done my usuall trick past sky news who were doing a live report ( like they and all the others do everyday) as my office is right opposite the old bailey. So as i walked past ( get phone out pretend talkin on it as walking past say rather loudly into the phone " he said his f***ing doing what!!" they hate it ...lol

PMSL

[femstar]

Prob a mistake that it was published Jo although the headings are pushing the boundaries of artistic licence, not owned by the Sun is it Autocar? HA!

[Crammy]

I think they could always claim it was someone else with the same name who sent in the email as they have changed the wording slightly so it is not your exact words

[tommo13]

Small print from their own website before everyone gets on their legal soapbox.

1.3 Haymarket may publish any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to them or to the Site at their sole discretion and they shall be entitled to make additions or deletions to any such material prior to publication.

1.4 You hereby grant Haymarket a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual and worldwide licence to republish any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to them or to the Site in any format, including without limitation print and electronic format.

1.5 You hereby waive all of the moral rights that you have under Chapter IV of the of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 in respect of any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to Haymarket or to the Site.

Always read the legal stuff !

[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by tommo13 (original)

Small print from their own website before everyone gets on their legal soapbox.

1.3 Haymarket may publish any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to them or to the Site at their sole discretion and they shall be entitled to make additions or deletions to any such material prior to publication.

1.4 You hereby grant Haymarket a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual and worldwide licence to republish any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to them or to the Site in any format, including without limitation print and electronic format.

1.5 You hereby waive all of the moral rights that you have under Chapter IV of the of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 in respect of any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to Haymarket or to the Site.

Always read the legal stuff !

Was going to say it's normally in the small print and by uploading / submitting etc... etc... you're agreeing to all the terms and conditions.

After all the truth doesn't normally sell papers, magazines etc... etc... They have to make it sound good, hence the truth gets lost or stretched along the way (it makes you realise when it happens to you yourself , Not nice when it happens though).

Quote: Originally Posted by tommo13 (original)

Always read the legal stuff !

No matter how small (any further post after this one have to pay "Randall Raines" £5, by posting you are agreeing to this) The smaller the print the more rights you're normally signing away . .

[Ant FR]

By Randall Raines reading this post he not only accepts the terms and conditions but is acknowledging the fact that he is not only gay but also has to pay all members of Mini2 57p in 1p pieces before the end of the current month and that post number 9 on this thread is voided with his accpetance of these terms..

God i hate small print!

[Randall Raines]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ant FR (original)

By Randall Raines reading this post he not only accepts the terms and conditions but is acknowledging the fact that he is not only gay but also has to pay all members of Mini2 57p in 1p pieces before the end of the current month and that post number 9 on this thread is voided with his accpetance of these terms..

God i hate small print!

That's what you get for trying to be funny!!!! (Sorry! for the not so serious parts of my posts "supa-dupa-cooper").

My solicitor says that that doesn't count "Ant FR" as you've spelt acceptance wrong, so it's therefore voided (I wouldn't know, I can't spell ).

[Chilli21]

I know your anger i have had the same this really annoyed me.

[mister.t]

I had a huge fall out with Autocar - This was something else but nevertheless, I no longer buy it.

And I don't understand how it's Hate Mail

Hate Mail is normally where a reader writes in complaining about the magazine or its journos - Now you've got a legit reason to write in under Hate Mail

Should have just been under the regular letters

[Lolance]

ROOOOOOBISH!

Have they/you been in contact since?

['wiz']

Go get them Jo..........

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by tommo13 (original)

Small print from their own website before everyone gets on their legal soapbox.

1.3 Haymarket may publish any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to them or to the Site at their sole discretion and they shall be entitled to make additions or deletions to any such material prior to publication.

1.4 You hereby grant Haymarket a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual and worldwide licence to republish any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to them or to the Site in any format, including without limitation print and electronic format.

1.5 You hereby waive all of the moral rights that you have under Chapter IV of the of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 in respect of any material you submit, post, upload, email or otherwise transmit to Haymarket or to the Site.

Always read the legal stuff !

I can't see 1.3 taken precedent over other applicable law, you'd have to get proper advice, but what that effectively means is they can publish anything you send to them, and change it in any way, and still credit it to you. That's SURELY not right.

1.5 is also pretty terrible, not sure again on that, as basically there's no means to contact them without implying you accept these terms?!

[Gristie]

Hmm... think they missed the point of your email there

They also put the usual journalist wording to it as well

Have you tried calling the editor?

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Ive spoken to a guy in the editorial dept this afternoon, he apologised for it being published at all! He knew exactly which letter I was on about as he remembered the stop-start problem. He said the letters that come in are often too long and get sent off to be sub-edited, I wouldnt call this sub-editing, i'd call it re-wording!!

He has said for me to write another letter stating that I am not at all happy that they have re-worded what I wrote and added in bits I didnt even say. He also said to mention that a part has been replaced and the problem is cured. He then said it would be published as a referall back to the original letter.

to be honest after what has already happened, I will believe it when I see it!

*note to self - never write to a magazine again, even to ask the simplest of questions!*

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by supa-dupa-cooper (original)

*note to self - never write to a magazine again, even to ask the simplest of questions!*

Maybe stick with the one make enthusiasts magazines like Modern MINI...........they recently published an email of mine accurately word for word and have also welcomed and acknowledged any help, ideas or comments I have made.
(Car Mechanics and some of the classic car mags from the same publisher (Kelsey) also have good editors and writers.)

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by mab01uk (original)

Maybe stick with the one make enthusiasts magazines like Modern MINI...........they recently published an email of mine accurately word for word and have also welcomed and acknowledged any help, ideas or comments I have made.
(Car Mechanics and some of the classic car mags from the same publisher (Kelsey) also have good editors and writers.)

Normally I would, but the reason behind the email to Autocar was coz their Cooper D Clubman had had a stop/ no start problem the same as mine. I thought a nice quick email to them to ask more info on it would be of use to me (and maybe them), but then they went and messed everything up.