2018 Membership Thread

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

42 minutes ago, hardtack said:

Seriously???  That's a 150% increase on the cost of the GF guarantee last year!!!!  I was angry enough over the fact that they automatically renewed that guarantee that I paid $120 for earlier this year, with my membership, but now I'm absolutely seething!!

Sorry hardtack but that is what the mfc website says.

For mine, on my (non-automatic) renewal they added a $99 AFLW membership on the basis of my Demon AFLW Foundation Member last year which I thought was a once off 'donation'.  I would have preferred the club sent an email to say it would be added to my Redlegs membership renewal or allowed me to opt out, on the on-line renewal process.  From what I could see the on-line renewal screen did not allow changes to existing memberships. 

There is a lesson for the club from your and my experiences:  Membership renewal notices should tell members what price or feature changes have occurred.  It isn't hard - a standard email to tell all members of the new charges/features, is all it takes.  Currently, it is quite difficult to compare membership options and features on the club website.  In fact it would help it there was a 'compare' feature on the website.  Things for the membership team to think about for next year.

It would save some member angst and earn some goodwill if the club communicated changes better and made it easier for people to evaluate their options. 

Edited November 1, 2017 by Lucifer's Hero

[daisycutter 29,614]

33 minutes ago, hardtack said:

Seriously???  That's a 150% increase on the cost of the GF guarantee last year!!!!  I was angry enough over the fact that they automatically renewed that guarantee that I paid $120 for earlier this year, with my membership, but now I'm absolutely seething!!

ht, that sort of increase coupled with automatic renewal is just indefensible. not only that it is just pure economic gouging of the sort you see from arrogant large unaccountable monopolies It would also seem to be a "shoot yourself in the foot" action just as mfc memberships are finally starting to rise

i don't have the gfg but if i did i would be ringing the club to cancel the gfg , demand a refund, and give them a right earful

the fact the club has done this without warning/explanation only compounds their poor decision making

[hardtack 10,537]

45 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

ht, that sort of increase coupled with automatic renewal is just indefensible. not only that it is just pure economic gouging of the sort you see from arrogant large unaccountable monopolies It would also seem to be a "shoot yourself in the foot" action just as mfc memberships are finally starting to rise

i don't have the gfg but if i did i would be ringing the club to cancel the gfg , demand a refund, and give them a right earful

the fact the club has done this without warning/explanation only compounds their poor decision making

I phoned them DC and gave them an earful over the fact it was taken for granted that I would be happy to part with $458 as opposed to the $240 I parted with this year - plus my usual membership fees. 

I was offered a refund, but as I explained to the membership person on the other end of the line, they had put me in a very difficult position with regards to the promise I made to my son (and now I can add the fact that after round 1 it increases to $299 each). Now, if I opted out (took the refund) and then decided to opt back in later, it would be even more expensive. 

I suppose the price increase is the thing that really rankled me - I wouldn't have minded so much if I had a steady income, but I don't.

Edited November 1, 2017 by hardtack

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

There is a lesson for the club from your and my experiences:  Membership renewal notices should tell members what price or feature changes have occurred.  It isn't hard - a standard email to tell all members of the new charges/features, is all it takes.  Currently, it is quite difficult to compare membership options and features on the club website.  In fact it would help it there was a 'compare' feature on the website.  Things for the membership team to think about for next year.

It would save some member angst and earn some goodwill if the club communicated changes better and made it easier for people to evaluate their options. 

Sorry to quote myself but that post prompted me to look more closely at options. 

The club added two new membership packages!  Who knew?

These new packages are:

• Demon Seats Plus Open Air https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/499/Demon-Seats-Plus-Open-Air  Cost (Adult Home Games): $429
• Demon Seats Plus Undercover  https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/85/Demon-Seats-Plus-Undercover Cost (Adult Home Games): $479

After some labourious manual comparisons I found other combos that include the GF guarantee!  Compare above to these:

• Redlegs:  Cost (Adult Home Games): $479 (incl Reserved seat and it has more benefits)
• General Admission: Cost (Adult Home Games): $221 plus GF Guarantee option $229 ie $450!   (This will go up to $520 after round 1).  Note: there is no Reserved seat attached to this membership combo!!

So anyone wanting a GF guarantee should buy one of the packages instead because they get a Reserved seat (really important for potential high attendance games like Anzac Eve and QB when premiums might be charged/reservation fee could be charged).

The downside appears to be that members can no longer buy a Membership with Reserved seat without the Grand Final Guarantee option kicking in.  (It may be there but I haven't been able to find it on the website).  I wonder what people who had the Gen Admiss plus Reserved seat option in 2017 saw on their renewal notice?

This could really hurt families who like to have a reserved seat so they sit in 'their seat' within a Demon crowd.  It is the most traditional of Club membership and some people would have had the same reserved seats for years.  Maybe theseare the 'diehards' that have not renewed because they want a Reserved Seat but not a GF guarantee.  I would be interested to know if anyone can find a General Admission plus Reserved Seat option on our website.

But who knew about the new packages/chages?  How on earth is anyone supposed to easily compare?  

I'm not having a go at the club here - I genuinely believe there is an issue with the club communicating price and feature changes in a way that is easy for members to work out where they stand and what their options are. 

Edited November 1, 2017 by Lucifer's Hero

[faultydet 7,594]

Myself and the Princess are on auto renew, so sooking and canning it isn't really an option.

I was as furious as anyone about our last round failure, but I'm not at the point of cancelling the auto renew just yet.

Miss finals this year, and I would consider pulling out, as I don't get to see any games live, so our memberships are donations only.

The thing that gives me heart is the obviously strong attempts by the footy department to change our clubs culture to a more hard nosed one. Trading out club favourite Watts, and bringing in the biggest fish of the trade period in Lever has me thinking Goody is on the right track.

If the final game capitulation was the catalyst for many not renewing, I completely understand. I haven't been so angry in years, but if it's the Watts exit, I worry that many of our supporters prefer "good blokes", to a premiership.

[hardtack 10,537]

4 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

I'm not having a go at the club here - I genuinely believe there is an issue with the club communicating price and feature changes in a way that is easy for members to work out where they stand and what their options are. 

I think you SHOULD be having a go at the club here... without members the club would be in dire financial straits, so if they want to ensure members stay within the fold, then it is their responsibility to keep us informed of any changes that are going to affect us financially; particularly in the case where memberships are set up for automatic renewal. 

Christ, even the emails welcoming my son and I back mention absolutely nothing about the costs (a receipt would be nice) let alone the break up of costs!!  How hard is it???

[Satyriconhome 10,877]

12 hours ago, ding said:

Sure Saty, you are a legend who all the boys love...... *chortle. 

You are in fact ridiculed (behind your back) by some you think you are respected by.  

P.S. your membership entitles you to a seat, a scarf, and not much else. All of us can have an opinion. Yours is no more important than anyone elses. If you didnt care what others thought you wouldnt keep replying.  

P.P.S, i thought you said "bye" ? You sure are clingy for an older guy. 

Go Dees.

 

Gee you are a very sad individual, I reply to see what level you are prepared to stoop to, to win an argument, pretty low it would seem

My beef with you, you are not buying a membership, cool who needs fairweather supporters like you

But to encoursge others to do the same, not on

The other drivel you put is just playground stuff, no wonder you have issues with age

 

[drdrake 3,163]

There will be a lot of members that would have opted out of dedicated Demon program, that will explain the difference between this time last year to now.  Will be a few that will be wait and see how preseason unfolds and you can't blame them, all we have heard from the club over the past 11 years it the hype of youth and potential, you know what a lot of members aren't buying in on that anymore, we are a laughing stock of the AFL, even the AFL treats us like that.  I have lost my kids to other clubs so really for me no point renewing as I won't go to the matches with out them.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,394]

42 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Sorry to quote myself but that post prompted me to look more closely at options. 

The club added two new membership packages!  Who knew?

These new packages are:

• Demon Seats Plus Open Air https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/499/Demon-Seats-Plus-Open-Air  Cost (Adult Home Games): $429
• Demon Seats Plus Undercover  https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/85/Demon-Seats-Plus-Undercover Cost (Adult Home Games): $479

After some labourious manual comparisons I found other combos that include the GF guarantee!  Compare above to these:

• Redlegs:  Cost (Adult Home Games): $479 (incl Reserved seat and it has more benefits)
• General Admission: Cost (Adult Home Games): $221 plus GF Guarantee option $229 ie $450!   (This will go up to $520 after round 1).  Note: there is no Reserved seat attached to this membership combo!!

So anyone wanting a GF guarantee should buy one of the packages instead because they get a Reserved seat (really important for potential high attendance games like Anzac Eve and QB when premiums might be charged/reservation fee could be charged).

The downside appears to be that members can no longer buy a Membership with Reserved seat without the Grand Final Guarantee option kicking in.  (It may be there but I haven't been able to find it on the website).  I wonder what people who had the Gen Admiss plus Reserved seat option in 2017 saw on their renewal notice?

This could really hurt families who like to have a reserved seat so they sit in 'their seat' within a Demon crowd.  It is the most traditional of Club membership and some people would have had the same reserved seats for years.  Maybe theseare the 'diehards' that have not renewed because they want a Reserved Seat but not a GF guarantee.  I would be interested to know if anyone can find a General Admission plus Reserved Seat option on our website.

But who knew about the new packages/chages?  How on earth is anyone supposed to easily compare?  

I'm not having a go at the club here - I genuinely believe there is an issue with the club communicating price and feature changes in a way that is easy for members to work out where they stand and what their options are. 

I just read your post quickly (I'm at work) 2018 marks my 14th year as a Redleg, I was under the impression that a reserved seat cost extra? I thought the standard Redleg allowed you to sit level 2 , Great Southern Stand N1 - N4 first in gets pick of seats. 

N5-N6 is for reserved seats.

Thats what I've thought all this time....

Having said that I'm probably wrong.

[daisycutter 29,614]

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Sorry to quote myself but that post prompted me to look more closely at options. 

The club added two new membership packages!  Who knew?

These new packages are:

• Demon Seats Plus Open Air https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/499/Demon-Seats-Plus-Open-Air  Cost (Adult Home Games): $429
• Demon Seats Plus Undercover  https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/85/Demon-Seats-Plus-Undercover Cost (Adult Home Games): $479

After some labourious manual comparisons I found other combos that include the GF guarantee!  Compare above to these:

• Redlegs:  Cost (Adult Home Games): $479 (incl Reserved seat and it has more benefits)
• General Admission: Cost (Adult Home Games): $221 plus GF Guarantee option $229 ie $450!   (This will go up to $520 after round 1).  Note: there is no Reserved seat attached to this membership combo!!

So anyone wanting a GF guarantee should buy one of the packages instead because they get a Reserved seat (really important for potential high attendance games like Anzac Eve and QB when premiums might be charged/reservation fee could be charged).

The downside appears to be that members can no longer buy a Membership with Reserved seat without the Grand Final Guarantee option kicking in.  (It may be there but I haven't been able to find it on the website).  I wonder what people who had the Gen Admiss plus Reserved seat option in 2017 saw on their renewal notice?

This could really hurt families who like to have a reserved seat so they sit in 'their seat' within a Demon crowd.  It is the most traditional of Club membership and some people would have had the same reserved seats for years.  Maybe theseare the 'diehards' that have not renewed because they want a Reserved Seat but not a GF guarantee.  I would be interested to know if anyone can find a General Admission plus Reserved Seat option on our website.

But who knew about the new packages/chages?  How on earth is anyone supposed to easily compare?  

I'm not having a go at the club here - I genuinely believe there is an issue with the club communicating price and feature changes in a way that is easy for members to work out where they stand and what their options are. 

i've got ga home games plus reserved seat and that stayed the same (apart from small value increase) at least for renewals

i believe that the only way you can buy any membership package without auto-renewal is to personally ring the club and do it over the phone

[Purple77 1,001]

...

Edited November 1, 2017 by Purple77
want to delete post...

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

44 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

i've got ga home games plus reserved seat and that stayed the same (apart from small value increase) at least for renewals

i believe that the only way you can buy any membership package without auto-renewal is to personally ring the club and do it over the phone

That's good to know.  Thanks

I couldn't find on the website if someone wanted to buy a new GA Home + Reserved seat membership.  Will have another look when I have more time.

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

1 hour ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

I just read your post quickly (I'm at work) 2018 marks my 14th year as a Redleg, I was under the impression that a reserved seat cost extra? I thought the standard Redleg allowed you to sit level 2 , Great Southern Stand N1 - N4 first in gets pick of seats. 

N5-N6 is for reserved seats.

Thats what I've thought all this time....

Having said that I'm probably wrong.

Website says Redlegs includes Reserved Seat at the package cost of $479.  https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/82/Redlegs.  I've had the same seat for 16 years.  The seat number is on the renewal advice and is automatically allocated to me if renewed before a certain date.  If your membership is different maybe contact the club to clarify.

This map shows Redleg Reserve as N1 to N9.

Cheers

[Grapeviney 9,718]

2 hours ago, hardtack said:

 

I suppose the price increase is the thing that really rankled me - I wouldn't have minded so much if I had a steady income, but I don't.

It's a tough one hardtack, because the new cost of it is no doubt much closer to its real value than the cheap add-on it's been the past, when we had absolutely no chance of making finals, let alone the GF. The club could have basically given everyone the GFG for free without any risk at all. 

But with clubs allocated so few GF tickets, it's a matter of supply and demand and this is the only way to control demand. An alternative might be for the club to use part of its GF allocation in a ballot system, where members pay a smaller fee to go in the ballot rather than the high cost of the GFG?  

Edited November 1, 2017 by Grapeviney

[Rogue 585]

3 minutes ago, Grapeviney said:

An alternative might be for the club to use part of its GF allocation in a ballot system, where members pay a smaller fee to go in the ballot rather than the high cost of the GFG?  

Isn't that a core benefit of a membership?

[Grapeviney 9,718]

9 minutes ago, Rogue said:

Isn't that a core benefit of a membership?

Only the premium memberships, AFAIK.

A ballot system gives people the option to avoid the cost f the GFG but still have some chance of getting a ticket. And I'm not saying everyone goes in it, but the if the club gets 15,000 tickets, it could set aside 2500 for a ballot and the remaining 12500 go to the premium members with the GFG. Dunno. Just thinking out loud.  

[Diamond_Jim 12,585]

17 minutes ago, Grapeviney said:

It's a tough one hardtack, because the new cost of it is no doubt much closer to its real value than the cheap add-on it's been the past, when we had absolutely no chance of making finals, let alone the GF. The club could have basically given everyone the GFG for free without any risk at all. 

But with clubs allocated so few GF tickets, it's a matter of supply and demand and this is the only way to control demand. An alternative might be for the club to use part of its GF allocation in a ballot system, where members pay a smaller fee to go in the ballot rather than the high cost of the GFG?  

do the clubs publish how many of these they have sold?

If for example I was a Collingwood supporter (god help me) does it mean that of the 20k or whatever number is available to club members that it is likely that say 15k have already been allocated via the GFG scheme?

[daisycutter 29,614]

44 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Website says Redlegs includes Reserved Seat at the package cost of $479.  https://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/82/Redlegs.  I've had the same seat for 16 years.  The seat number is on the renewal advice and is automatically allocated to me if renewed before a certain date.  If your membership is different maybe contact the club to clarify.

This map shows Redleg Reserve as N1 to N9.

Cheers

luci, yes, looks like you can't select GA home games + reserved seats without the gfg . Doing so seems to value the gfg at $132 (based on what my renewable GA home + reserved seat costs). Hope it (lack of option) is just an oversight, else they are just cutting off their nose to spite their face

[daisycutter 29,614]

22 minutes ago, Grapeviney said:

It's a tough one hardtack, because the new cost of it is no doubt much closer to its real value than the cheap add-on it's been the past, when we had absolutely no chance of making finals, let alone the GF. The club could have basically given everyone the GFG for free without any risk at all. 

But with clubs allocated so few GF tickets, it's a matter of supply and demand and this is the only way to control demand. An alternative might be for the club to use part of its GF allocation in a ballot system, where members pay a smaller fee to go in the ballot rather than the high cost of the GFG?  

except, gv, the gfg doesn't include any gf ticket, just the right to buy one

[Grapeviney 9,718]

3 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

except, gv, the gfg doesn't include any gf ticket, just the right to buy one

I know, but the cost of the ticket is both separate and irrelevant to the GFG, and the price of the former has no bearing on the latter. You're effectively paying insurance against having to scramble for a ticket when we do make it. 

@Diamond JimDon't know DJ, I have no idea how the allocation thing works at all.   

[P-man 13,366]

I'll be renewing but they can bloody well wait.

Couldn't muster up a win against a hopeless North from two attempts.

Couldn't muster up the prunes to beat a second string Collingwood to give the supporters one measly finals appearance.

Meanwhile Richmond, [censored] RICHMOND, plodded their way to a flag on the back of household names like Nathan Broad - a bloke I had not heard of until he snapchatted a stranger with his premiership medallion between her jugs.

Yeah, last season still stings.

[old dee 23,790]

9 minutes ago, P-man said:

I'll be renewing but they can bloody well wait.

Couldn't muster up a win against a hopeless North from two attempts.

Couldn't muster up the prunes to beat a second string Collingwood to give the supporters one measly finals appearance.

Meanwhile Richmond, [censored] RICHMOND, plodded their way to a flag on the back of household names like Nathan Broad - a bloke I had not heard of until he snapchatted a stranger with his premiership medallion between her jugs.

Yeah, last season still stings.

And I suspect for a fair bit longer P-man

[P-man 13,366]

12 minutes ago, old dee said:

And I suspect for a fair bit longer P-man

Seems likely mate. At least up until reports of houses coming down on the training track.

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

28 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

luci, yes, looks like you can't select GA home games + reserved seats without the gfg . Doing so seems to value the gfg at $132 (based on what my renewable GA home + reserved seat costs). Hope it (lack of option) is just an oversight, else they are just cutting off their nose to spite their face

Thanks for the confirmation dc. 

The lack of a basic GA home game + reserved seat option would be a terrible oversight so one must think it is deliberate!  Like you, I think it will come back and bite them.  Or maybe it already has. 

Including the GF guarantee in what was a basic membership is like the club forcing people to buy a product with an option they may never use and don't want.  

This plus the lack of transparency and information on pricing/product changes is disconcerting. 

[daisycutter 29,614]

55 minutes ago, Grapeviney said:

I know, but the cost of the ticket is both separate and irrelevant to the GFG, and the price of the former has no bearing on the latter. You're effectively paying insurance against having to scramble for a ticket when we do make it. 

@Diamond JimDon't know DJ, I have no idea how the allocation thing works at all.   

but you said "because the new cost of it is no doubt much closer to its real value". So, you think that $299 is a fair price just for the opportunity to purchase a ticket maybe of less value? I think it is a rip off, and doubly so if you have no choice.