Sour Taste

[LostDoggy]

I signed up for a Gold Membership with reserved seating and Social Club costing about $500 a year. I pay for this each month costing approx $40 per month. However due to personal circumstances I am currently struggling financially and I cold not make the monthly payment as I simply did not have the money.

The club however has put a stop on my Membership meaning I could not purchase a members ticket for the prelim (which someone had kindly offered to pay for) and the stop means that I cannot register to purchase my guarnteed Grand Final ticket if we happen to make it, which I have paid an extra $100 a year for (social club option).

After pleading my case to the club today they simply didn't care and treated me like a piece of crap. They did not offer any compromise just said I had to pay in full by Wednesday or my ability to buy a Grand Final ticket would lapse.

I think this is an absolute disgrace especially considering where the club has come from and how it managed to survive in its hour of need 1989. Talk about kicking a guy when he is down. I have Followed the club for ever and been a member when ever I could and the last two years I have been on my current membership approx $500 a year. Yet I am shown no compassion or emparthy when I am down on my luck. It isn't like I am not going to pay the money owed I just don't have it right now.

The club left me with no option other than to cease being a member and I will now spend my $500 a year on Foxtel and watch the games at home on TV. This way I am at least guarnteed to be able to see all the games I want to.

I am sure as next year rolls around we will get David Smorgan doing his usuall once a year plea for Members to sign up, please get on board, we are doing everything we can we just need supporters to sign up etc well I am sorry but for this little black duck, I will never be a member of the club again and am ashamed to be associatted with the club in any manner. After the way I was treated today I almost hope they lose on friday night because if they make I won't be able to go and watch them play in the Grand Final after following them my whole life and with my family helping out in 1989.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sour Taste

Sleep on it mate.
Hope ya feel better tomorrow..

[GVGjr]

Re: Sour Taste

Slapper, sorry to hear you are in such a predicament. What do you think would have been reasonable for the club to have done?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sour Taste

Thats pretty screwed up, how you were treated and all, but i'm sure it can be resolved?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sour Taste

The membership department really does need to be reviewed though. I had a lot of trouble with them at the start of the year with my membership.

[AndrewP6]

Re: Sour Taste

Tough break Slapper... really feel for anyone struggling for $$$ to spend on their beloved club in the current economic climate. Understand your anger at the perceived lack of empathy from the club. Not sure, though, if they could make exceptions. I'm sure they don't go out to alienate people, but they are running a business. Not sure of a solution, as your current arrangements already involve paying the fees monthly... Hope things turn round for you...

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sour Taste

Tough break Slapper... really feel for anyone struggling for $$$ to spend on their beloved club in the current economic climate. Understand your anger at the perceived lack of empathy from the club. Not sure, though, if they could make exceptions. I'm sure they don't go out to alienate people, but they are running a business. Not sure of a solution, as your current arrangements already involve paying the fees monthly... Hope things turn round for you...

But they are running a business that survives because of us members. When the club treats members poorly and doesn't go out of their way to give some extra assistance to someone struggling, then they are the losers in the long run.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sour Taste

You said it they are running a business, a cold hearted corporate. Only problem is a business doesn't send out raffle tickets for you to sell every year!!!! Or ask for donations when they can't balance the books. The club has also not paid players for a period of time and forced players to take pay cuts when they were crying poor(in the past). They cannot have it both ways what are they a club or a business!!!

[AndrewP6]

Re: Sour Taste

But they are running a business that survives because of us members. When the club treats members poorly and doesn't go out of their way to give some extra assistance to someone struggling, then they are the losers in the long run.

Agree in principle, but if they do it for one, do they then do it for everyone else that asks? Opens them up to being exploited -ie- people fabricating stories of hardship in order to get in on the cheap. Sadly, there are people like this around...

[AndrewP6]

Re: Sour Taste

You said it they are running a business, a cold hearted corporate. Only problem is a business doesn't send out raffle tickets for you to sell every year!!!! Or ask for donations when they can't balance the books. The club has also not paid players for a period of time and forced players to take pay cuts when they were crying poor(in the past). They cannot have it both ways what are they a club or a business!!!

Fair points... I'm on your side, remember

[Dry Rot]

Re: Sour Taste

But they are running a business that survives because of us members. When the club treats members poorly and doesn't go out of their way to give some extra assistance to someone struggling, then they are the losers in the long run.

They're particularly thick treating a longstanding high value member like that.

Slapper, I suggest you type up that story with your full details and send two copies tomorrow, one to Rose and one to Smorgon. Send it in good quality typed address envelopes marked "PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL"

Let us know how you go.

[Bornadog]

Re: Sour Taste

They're particularly thick treating a longstanding high value member like that.

Slapper, I suggest you type up that story with your full details and send two copies tomorrow, one to Rose and one to Smorgon. Send it in good quality typed address envelopes marked "PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL"

Let us know how you go.

Agree.

The membership department is outsourced to the AFL and they don't give a shit about the bulldogs or their members. Slapper you need to talk to the club as DR has said.

[boydogs]

Re: Sour Taste

Slapper, sorry to hear you are struggling mate.

I'm assuming the Wednesday cut off was today. Did you manage to scrape the money together? Any chance the person that would have spotted you the PF ticket could have covered your payment this month - the $40 would be less than the cost of the PF ticket wouldn't it?

You will still have the GF ticket to pay for though, not sure what you can do - sell something?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sour Taste

Thanks for the advice guys but it will be a bit late to make a difference seeing as GF pre-registration is tomorrow.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Sour Taste

Slapper, sorry to hear you are struggling mate.

I'm assuming the Wednesday cut off was today. Did you manage to scrape the money together? Any chance the person that would have spotted you the PF ticket could have covered your payment this month - the $40 would be less than the cost of the PF ticket wouldn't it?

You will still have the GF ticket to pay for though, not sure what you can do - sell something?

I know this is a sincere and actually a practical post but if the system and or the club reduces a high value member to having to do this, what has happened to other members who have struggled this year? (IIRC there might have been a few economic problems in the world for the last year or two).

On the broader question of the hopelessness of our membership dept, they treat interstate members like crap too.

No wonder our membership numbers are low.