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Guest gazza1591

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Guest gazza1591

Hi

 

Hopefully the powers that be will see this as I have messaged a few about it now but no reply or they need help from other admin, I joined as member last year on October 15th, back then I never realised that membership does not run for a year from when u pay your fee onky found this out last month when I tried to click on one of the protected forums on here and it said I don't have access to it, nor can I remember it stating that when I paid via PayPal. If I would have know I would not have joined as I have now paid the members fee for just over a month of membership how can this be right ?

Surely if you join so late in the year you shouldn't pay the full amount, and why does memberships run from December to December or Jan to Jan what ever it is ? Why not a year from the join date as per nearly every other club out there kit car related or not.

 

There is more than enough admin with in the group to make this happen isn't there ?

Surely the current way (very old fashioned) is/will put a lot of potential new members off if they only come across the forum later in the year, they will juat think I will wait till next year as I'm losing out. Yes it's only a small amount of money but it's more the principle I think of it. This has put me off paying for anymore memberships as I feel I have been robbed for last years as only got just over months membership for my fee. so why should u have to pay again for this year and again not realised till march so would only get 7 months anyway.

 

If any admin can message me about it or reply in here to answer a few if the above comments I would aprichiate it, don't mins sending my number to anyone who wants to talk it over via phone

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Guest gazza1591

Cheers for the reply, I see the above message now but can honestly say at the time of paying I never see it once or I would not have paid the money for just a few weeks of membership, not saying it was not there, yes it's in red again it sure if this was the case when I paid, but in this day and age you could have a pop up box/message to say you will be paying the fee for less than 12 months cover.

 

As you have said it may have allways been done this way but that doesn't mean it's the correct way in this day and age where people. Like to get the most of there money when they spend

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Iam sure the commitee will be along to sort explain the issue gazz

I understand your issue but can i just add the membership fee is nothing compared to all the knowledge/help and events etc is invaluable i know i used it and still do

Ok i heard the sighs

So gazza hopefully someone will be along to sort this out for you dont get wound up as they are all fair and nice guys and girls

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Guest gazza1591

Cheers for the reply, not getting wound up over it at all. It is what it is I guess and I can't change how the club is run just seems odd way to do it in this day and age, I have run many of clubs and forums over the years with the biggest at 10k members and it was run as I stated above membership for 12 months the day u pay not how this is run. Just to me it does not make sense to limit your membership numbers as this is what will/is happening I would say

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Guest gazza1591

To be honest it looks from what I have seen to be stuck in time, and the people on power on the committee don't talk to each other, and as I said before why would I want to spend another £20 for only 7 months membership now. Would love to know where all the money is spent or not as the case may be as to me there must be a big pot of it sitting there doing. Nothing, perhaps who ever is in charge of that could message me. And tell me or even better show me where its all going as by the looks of things it's not on the members?

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Hi Gaz,

 

I've not bothered running this passed the committee as they'll probably just spend a fortnight arguing amongst themselves over how to respond :help:

Whilst I've been chairman for the last 4 years, I've tried my best to ensure the money put into the club is given back to the members in one way or another - to the point where our bank balance has been gradually going down year on year and the committee may need to throttle back a little on spending - this is up to the new committee as I'll be standing down in May.

 

Just to give you an idea, in broad brushstrokes the club spends;

£1500 on magazine (actual costs are closer to £3k but we get some back through advertising)

about £750 (5 lots of £150) given to individual members to support any event / attendance to show that they organised.

£750 to provide a hog roast to members after the agm at stoneleigh

£750 forum costs

around £600 out of club funds towards the clubs annual end of season bash

 

other costs are things like club insurance, membership cards etc....

 

As said, I'm current chairman and my wife Kirsty is membership sec - and to be honest I'm not sure how your situation slipped through the net as we normally email members who join close to the end of the year to give them the heads-up regards the old-fashion annual membership.

 

FYI - the membership renewal thing is being looked at, but without writing chapter and verse, there are a few complications that need resolving first.

 

anyway, to hopefully make amends for your situation slipping through the net, I'll ask Kirsty to renew your membership tonight FOC for 2018 - and if the committee disagree with this decision, I'll personally put the money in myself to cover it as I can't be ar5ed with the arguing.

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In another motor club I'm involved with, we run a similar thing (March 1st membership date). It's motorsport-related so it tends to have memberships run against the "season", so it makes sense in that context (less happens over the winter years). It keeps paperwork and processing simple for the membership secretary, and the printed membership cards cost effective. But we don't have online forums to worry about.

 

When something like this happens, and a member joins towards the end of the calendar year, we do the same - we just give them the final portion of the finishing year's membership for free. It's down to committee discretion, of course, as to how long but in general any membership from November/December onwards, we tend to allow it. Gives them 3 or 4 months of membership free.

 

Just saying, if it helps so see what other clubs do, that's all. Not trying to achieve anything, just putting it out there.

Edited by brumster
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Guest gazza1591

Hi Gaz,

 

I've not bothered running this passed the committee as they'll probably just spend a fortnight arguing amongst themselves over how to respond :help:

Whilst I've been chairman for the last 4 years, I've tried my best to ensure the money put into the club is given back to the members in one way or another - to the point where our bank balance has been gradually going down year on year and the committee may need to throttle back a little on spending - this is up to the new committee as I'll be standing down in May.

 

Just to give you an idea, in broad brushstrokes the club spends;

£1500 on magazine (actual costs are closer to £3k but we get some back through advertising)

about £750 (5 lots of £150) given to individual members to support any event / attendance to show that they organised.

£750 to provide a hog roast to members after the agm at stoneleigh

£750 forum costs

around £600 out of club funds towards the clubs annual end of season bash

 

other costs are things like club insurance, membership cards etc....

 

As said, I'm current chairman and my wife Kirsty is membership sec - and to be honest I'm not sure how your situation slipped through the net as we normally email members who join close to the end of the year to give them the heads-up regards the old-fashion annual membership.

 

FYI - the membership renewal thing is being looked at, but without writing chapter and verse, there are a few complications that need resolving first.

 

anyway, to hopefully make amends for your situation slipping through the net, I'll ask Kirsty to renew your membership tonight FOC for 2018 - and if the committee disagree with this decision, I'll personally put the money in myself to cover it as I can't be ar5ed with the arguing.

 

Hi

 

Thanks for. The reply to this, also aprichiate you braking down a bit where the money is going each year, not taking anything away from. Anyone but some of the figures above seem very high for a club that's been running for so many years but that's not for me to question.

With regards to looking at how the current membership is run its good to know that it's being looked at hopefully it will be a bit more members friendly in future then.

I aprichiate the offer of extending my membership for this year that's very good of you, but if the other committee members do kick up a fuss about please do not use you own money as that is not right at all, as a club committee you should. All agree and in a timely manner I think. I Will happily discuss this at Stoneleigh or before with anyone if needs be as I said above not trying to start arguments about this. Not sure if I'm the only one who feels the membership method is currently way out of date and not the way to Do it but I guess not if its all ready being discussed by the committee??

Edited by gazza1591
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Hi Gaz,

I am also member of other clubs and agree the payment method and timescales is old fashion not in keeping with modern technologies and all things in the web. Whilst I did not like the first year payment for less than a annual membership I am now 5 years in and renew annually.

As said before the benefits are worth it, insurance, Eurocarparts discounts and my favourite by far support from others members either answering questions or coming to the house to swap gearbox a few days before car show (priceless, you know who you are).

Unfortunately the club can only change with support from members and more active volunteers on the committee, they have all committed a lot of personal time and effort. But the day job must come first, if I was not a volunteer on other charities or was at home more I would like to be more involved.

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Guest gazza1591

Hi

 

Think you may have hit the nail on the head there, not sure how many are on the committee, but so far only 2 have messaged me asking if they can help or advised me on what to do for the best, to me when I used to run clubs and sites you allways tried to get the most active members on the admin team so the site is monitored as much as possible yes everyone has there day to day lives to live I get that but 5 mins out of the day isn't much to ask. I agree I have shad a lot of good advice over last few months with my kit via some members on here and I'm sure that will continue if I'm a paid up member or not.

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Guest gazza1591

Yes it's public Richard as I can no longer see the restricted forums as no longer a paid member after such a short time.

As you say seem to be an ideal time to make a decision on this so non members that may be thinking the same as me why join and not get a full year to see the outcome

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Guest gazza1591

That would be more hassle to run than just running 12 months from the date u join if u ask me, it may have been done in the past and successfully, but juat make it easy 12 months from payment date.

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