Unexpected suprises...

[Losttheplot]

I went to sign on the dotted line today for a full 7 day membership at my local course, this comes after weeks of 'umming and arring' on whether the course was suitable.
So, I filled in the forms and was willing to pay the monthly direct debit when I was informed that I only pay until October and I don't pay for November and December. At this point I was told I have to pay for them 2 months in my monthly fees to make up for it.
So what was a reasonable monthly fee has now increased by roughly 75%. Going from £45 to £72.
At this point I decided to walk away, now with mixed feelings on the hidden smallprint and unsure on the next club to try.

 

[0]

Lost the plot - which course was this ? And please don't say its mine !

 

[brendy]

What a daft situation. We £80 a month all year round with the only blip being in january where the first payment of the year comes out a few days later than the rest.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

Sorry but the maths do not add up. 12 x £45 = £540, and 10 x £72 = £720. I think your figures maybe wrong.

 

[Losttheplot]

No mate it was Perton. Looking at Shifnal now.... What's Oxley Park like??

 

[0]

Oxley is pretty good mate to be fair. Not the longest by any means but much better than Perton. You should come down for a knock and try it out. The bunkers have been bad for years BUT we are having a big Staffs AM comp in the summer so they are re doing all the bunkers and have spent some money redoing the drainage on some holes as well. I reckon come the summer it will be absolutely mint. We need members so you should be ok to get in dependng on your budget. Phone Julie Bayliss the secretary and ask for some info. Good luck. PS I have mate at work who says while Shifnal is a really nice course you can't get near the car park on a saturday or sunday !

 

[Leftie]

Seems to me that you have actually lost the plot.

Sort yourself out over the figures. You haven't really explained the fee structure on here and I suspect that you haven't sorted it out in your head.

From what you have said, it seems that the basic fees are around £540. If paid monthly by direct debit, there will be an "admin" charge plus a bit to make up for the loss of interest the club would have made if you had paid up front. I would guess that this extra charge would be in the region of £50 - 60. Making the total about £600, give or take.

I can't quite make out from your post as to how many months at how much. What do you think the annual fee would actually be if you hadn't walked away?

 

[Losttheplot]

Sorry but the maths do not add up. 12 x £45 = £540, and 10 x £72 = £720. I think your figures maybe wrong.

because you don't pay anything in nov and dec you have to pay them in your monthly bills thru the year. So... March to December is 10months @£45 each =£540. So they wanted march to Decembers £540 paid in monthly from april to Octobers direct debits 7x72=504. (We negotiated the shortfall of 504 to 540 in discount.)

it started to confuse me and when he said £72 I could of died. If it was a top course I could understand but it's not. It's half decent and friendly but not a £72 a month course at all. Gobsmacked...

 

[Leftie]

Sorry mate but you have definitely lost the plot.

Look at your last couple of posts in the cold light of the morning, use a calculator if you can't work it out on your fingers .....

 

[Imurg]

Are you paying the same either way - the maths doesn't seem to work out to me. If you are then there's not rally a problem is there. Just paying more per month for fewer months.

What idiot came up with that way of doing things?
For crying out loud, life's complicated enough without this rubbish.

We pay £42 per month (5 day) every month. What could be simpler? No DD charge, its the same as if you handed over £504 on 31st March.

 

[Losttheplot]

Just read my last few posts.... It's getting really late and my maths has just had a moment!!!

I'll sleep on it and wake up fresh and clear things up then!!

Apologies for the late night maths blunder, it's been a long day....!!!!

 

[Leftie]

Thats when the night hawks come out and pick over the entrails

 

[Smiffy]

Just read my last few posts.... It's getting really late and my maths has just had a moment!!!

I'll sleep on it and wake up fresh and clear things up then!!

Apologies for the late night maths blunder, it's been a long day....!!!!

So you're joining after all?

 

[need_my_wedge]

so you're just paying the same £540 over a shorter period of time, i.e. 8 months instead of the usual 10 months, right?

Do they not discount you for the Jan/ Feb if you haven't been playing til now?

 

[viscount17]

your maths still don't work, unless dyslexic fingers are also involved?
£540 over 12 months = £45/month
as with Council tax, paid over 10 months, so should be £54/month. just what were you going to be paying an extra £18/month for?

 

[Losttheplot]

Right I hope your all ready for this. I have no excuses for my maths being wrong at 16.15 in the afternoon...!!!

Here goes...
£588 per year @ £49 a month for 12 months.
So I have to pay march to Decembers fees which is £449 in 10 months. But they don't pay anything November and December so it's now £449 in 8 months, bearing in mind I've missed this months payment for march so I now have £449 to pay in 7 monthly direct debits. This works out as follows: £449/7=£64.14.
And for the arrangement fees @17.5% (bollocks I know) comes to £75 per month.

Hope this clears it all up!

So to sum up, ask for the smallprint before setting your heart on your membership. They lost 7 of us who were prepared to join before that little stunt!! Ho-hum.

 

[DCB]

So, apart from the "arrangement fee" which seems a rip off IMO, you're only paying the annual subs in this manner in your first year. Next year it would be all tickety boo wouldn't it ?


I thought clubs liked the DD system because it brought in cashflow all year instead of a glut in March/April at membership renewal time. How many other folks have to pay an "arrangement fee" for using DD to help the club out ? I know I dont have that extra to pay to use DD.

 

[andiritchie]

How many other folks have to pay an "arrangement fee" for using DD to help the club out ? I know I dont have that extra to pay to use DD.

Myself its 6% which is reasonable for the convenience of drip

 

[Losttheplot]

It would be the same next year. Membership renewal at january would be full price paid within 10 months (so not paying nov or dec again) and again an arrangement fee of 17.5% again for the convenience.

Never mind. New club it is then.

 

[need_my_wedge]

How many other folks have to pay an "arrangement fee" for using DD to help the club out ? I know I dont have that extra to pay to use DD.

Myself its 6% which is reasonable for the convenience of drip

About the same for mine. Basically because its a credit agreement, not DD. The club is paid the money in full in Jan/ Feb, we pay monthly back to the credit company.