Lost customer

[Smiffy]

So they give me a dozen golf balls to stay with them. That's one a month. If I fire one ball deep into the trees or into a pond, I'll kiss it goodbye without a second thought.
Hardly reason enough to give up on my subscription....

 

[bobmac]

I wonder how much it would cost to give every subscriber a free gift every time they renew?
As you have now unsubscribed, you are just one step away from taking out a new membership and getting the free gift.
Aren't you cutting off your nose a bit?

 

[Dodger]

Not subscribing because you can't be arsed to go that little bit extra to get yourself the best deal seems strange to me,it is hardly hard work doing what you would need to to take advantage is it??

You can't be arsed to do this yet you are more than prepared to be served up sh1te by the team you support.....bizzare.

 

[FaldosJumper]

As far as I can see the best offer is 15% and a box of balls worth £40 that I don't use and if did would find cheaper elsewhere no doubt. I'd prefer the £40 off then 15% off that'd make me think about coming back as a subscriber. I too never buy the mags off the shelf as I find the price of magazines disgusting especially when you can get the type of article they produce free from the clubhouse from magazines and papers that lie around there.

Toon! Toon!

 

[Matty]

I had a nightmare taking up my original subscription and Michael Harris (the GM Editor) was a true legend in helping get things sorted. He even put magazines in the post to me, for free, that I'd missed out on because IPC has messed up.

While I tend to agree that the new subscriber enticements are a better deal than the renewals for existing subscribers this is IPCs decision, not GMs. I also can't see a great deal of hardship in cancelling and renewing to get a free gift if you are so annoyed that you are missing out.

 

[Imurg]

If the deal is 46 quid for a year + (in real terms) 35 quids worth of balls then a year costs 11 quid...??

All for the sake of 5 minutes on the computer/phone...

If you can't spare that amount of time then you haven't got time to read the magazine in the first place.

 

[toonarmy]

If the deal is 46 quid for a year + (in real terms) 35 quids worth of balls then a year costs 11 quid...??

All for the sake of 5 minutes on the computer/phone...

If you can't spare that amount of time then you haven't got time to read the magazine in the first place.

Not a question of time; it's a question of principle and customer service.

New subscriber offer in mag - £40 + dozen balls
New subscriber via web - £46 no gift
Renewal - £42.60 no gift

Have we become so accustomed to being treated like an inconvenience by businesses in this country that we just accept paying more for our loyalty than some newbie?

 

[toonarmy]

Your obviously a tit with a name like toonarmy. So no loss, bye bye.

And you're obviously a very bright individual that we would all hope to share a dinner party with. Thank you for your priceless input.

 

[toonarmy]

I also can't see a great deal of hardship in cancelling and renewing to get a free gift if you are so annoyed that you are missing out.

Just to reiterate to everyone who seems to have the wrong idea here. It is not the absence of a gift that I find wrong, it is the fact that my renewal rate is more expensive than a new subscriber's. The fact that they also get a gift is just rubbing salt into the wound.

 

[Imurg]

If the deal is 46 quid for a year + (in real terms) 35 quids worth of balls then a year costs 11 quid...??

All for the sake of 5 minutes on the computer/phone...

If you can't spare that amount of time then you haven't got time to read the magazine in the first place.

Not a question of time; it's a question of principle and customer service.

New subscriber offer in mag - £40 + dozen balls
New subscriber via web - £46 no gift
Renewal - £42.60 no gift

Have we become so accustomed to being treated like an inconvenience by businesses in this country that we just accept paying more for our loyalty than some newbie?

Hey, you pays yer money and takes yer choice. To me it's a no-brainer.

 

[chris661]

I also can't see a great deal of hardship in cancelling and renewing to get a free gift if you are so annoyed that you are missing out.

Just to reiterate to everyone who seems to have the wrong idea here. It is not the absence of a gift that I find wrong, it is the fact that my renewal rate is more expensive than a new subscriber's. The fact that they also get a gift is just rubbing salt into the wound.

For the amount of time you have spent whining about it you could have cancelled and started again a dozen times.

 

[bobmac]

Alex, imagine you joined a club and you had to pay a joining fee then years later, people are getting in without paying a joining, would you then leave out of protest?

 

[Imurg]

Just to reiterate to everyone who seems to have the wrong idea here. It is not the absence of a gift that I find wrong, it is the fact that my renewal rate is more expensive than a new subscriber's. The fact that they also get a gift is just rubbing salt into the wound.

Here's an idea...

If it costs more to renew your subscription than to become a new subscriber + you get a free gift as a new subscriber, why not cancel your subscription at the end of your year, then become a new subscriber. get your free gift and be able to read the magazine whilst paying less and getting free stuff..........

Play the game - life's like that these days. It's also too short to worry about things like this.
Any form of insurance works in exactly the same way.
I get the feeling you're not happy unless you've got something to moan about...

 

[toonarmy]

For the amount of time you have spent whining about it you could have cancelled and started again a dozen times.

You may interpret it as whining if you wish. This is a forum and I was letting people know that their renewals cost more than new subscribers (considerably more if you include the gift) and simply stating why I felt that it was wrong.

 

[toonarmy]

Alex, imagine you joined a club and you had to pay a joining fee then years later, people are getting in without paying a joining, would you then leave out of protest?

No, I wouldn't but then that's hardly comparable is it Bob?

But if my golf club started reducing subs for new members and gave them a box of balls as well, I'm pretty sure I'd think about going elsewhere then.

 

[toonarmy]

Play the game - life's like that these days. It's also too short to worry about things like this.
Any form of insurance works in exactly the same way.
I get the feeling you're not happy unless you've got something to moan about...

I know where you're coming from. I just resent accepting that as right when it is easy to remedy.

Believe me, I'd be bleedin' delighted to have nothing to moan about but the modern toss that is life seems to keep serving it up!

 

[bobmac]

Alex, imagine you joined a club and you had to pay a joining fee then years later, people are getting in without paying a joining fee, would you then leave out of protest?

No, I wouldn't but then that's hardly comparable is it Bob?

But if my golf club started reducing subs for new members and gave them a box of balls as well, I'm pretty sure I'd think about going elsewhere then.

So if the club reduced the joing fee from say £100 to £50 and gave them £50 worth of golf balls?

I'm not saying it's right, it's just the way things are.

 

[Matty]

I also can't see a great deal of hardship in cancelling and renewing to get a free gift if you are so annoyed that you are missing out.

Just to reiterate to everyone who seems to have the wrong idea here. It is not the absence of a gift that I find wrong, it is the fact that my renewal rate is more expensive than a new subscriber's. The fact that they also get a gift is just rubbing salt into the wound.

But this is the way of the world at the moment, and it's that same for anything you pay for by Direct Debit - insurance, magazine subscriptions, gas, electric, mortgages, mobile phone etc. They offer a good deal to entice you in and then charge more in subsequent years UNLESS you do some leg work and get yourself a better deal.

I really can't think of anywhere that rewards customer loyalty with a year on year discount.

 

[bluewolf]

I really can't think of anywhere that rewards customer loyalty with a year on year discount.

caddylite are charging 40 notes for the first years membership, then 20 for each subsequent year...Loyalty pays.. Not saying I agree with the OP, but how about if your golf club was charging you £750 a year, but new joiners only paid £600, would you stand for it?

 

[Imurg]

Not saying I agree with the OP, but how about if your golf club was charging you £750 a year, but new joiners only paid £600, would you stand for it?

But you stand for the principle every time you get an insurance renewal - you'll always get a better deal as a newbie. You just have to decide which ones are worth changing supplier for and which are not - and when you can get become a newbie so easily and get the magazine cheaper then there's nothing to lose.