Dear Debbie,
Problems started for us last October when Artnet raised their price from $39.95 per month to $3,000.00 annually. I spoke with them, and told them that my library could not afford this subscription price. I also felt free to say that other (museum) libraries would probably have to cancel this subscription because of the high rate (even if we would be able to afford it I thought the subscription rate was ridiculous). I asked them if they could come up with an institutional subscription price. They told me that they would be able to keep the old monthly subscription rate but that we were only able to do 9 searches per month. I responded that under those terms we would cancel our subscription because we would need it much more often. I called them 2 months later to see if they changed their mind. NO. But then one month ago, I called again, I spoke with Lucille Blair, Product Manager (1-800-427-8638) and we came up with the following rate: for the next six months they will charge us $79.95 per month for unlimited usage, for the African auction database $39.95 per month unlimited usage (regular subscription rate). This sounded very reasonable, and I started an institutional subscription again. They said that it is kind of a test to see how much we will use the database. Since I am back from the conference, I found out that we had not received a password yet. I am calling them daily to get one (in fact when your e-mail came in this morning I was just on the phone with Lucille, she promised me again that by the end of the day we will be connected). It is really getting frustrating and is very time consuming.
I know that this subject briefly came up at the museum directors meeting but somehow was not discussed further.
I will keep you and other interested (museum) colleagues informed about Artnet's dealing with institutional rates.
Thank you again for organizing a great conference.
Best regards,
Ursula
Ursula Kolmstetter
Head Librarian, Stout Reference Library
Indianapolis Museum of Art
1200 West 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
USA
Tel.: 317-920-2662, ext. 225
Fax: 317-926-8931
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>> "Smedstad, Deborah Barlow" <[log in to unmask]> 04/11/01 09:14AM >>>
Dear Colleagues,
We are continuing to have problems with ArtNet customer service. They cut
off access to our account a few months ago and we have been getting the
royal run-around in trying to get it re-instated. We were sent a letter in
July which stated that due to our usage, we would be able to remain at the
individual members rate. This was personally signed by Hans Neuendorf. We
had to fax them a copy of this before they stopped telling us that we were
now responsible for $199 per month. They promised to set our account back
up and even gave one of my staff a temporary password - which I found out
today does not work. Since their customer support hours run on east coast
time only, the hours per day which we can talk to them is quite limited.
Does anyone out there have a magic name for someone who can resolve this
problem for us? I recall the subject of Artnet came up at one of the
conference meetings I attended but I don't recall how this institution got
this problem resolved.
Thanks for any advice.
Debbie Smedstad
Deborah Barlow Smedstad
Head Librarian
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
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__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
Administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
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