Club membership scheme?

[Fuzzy Orange]

This idea has been tossed around a bit between the staff for a while, so I thought I'd get you guys/gals opinions on it

We have 2 directions we could take the club in

1) We can carry on the way things are at the moment which is basically a community site. The forum, gallery and garge is free for everyone use. Stickers and merchandise will be available to buy online and group buys will be setup for cheap purchases.

2) We can introduce a paid membership scheme. Paying members would receive a membership card with a unique member number on it. This would give them access to an official club discount scheme which would offer up to 20% at some major companies when the card/number is given.
Members would receive free stickers and possibly a tax disc holder. Merchandise would be available to all but with 10% off for members.
There would also be a members only forum for more "private" discussions.

The cost of the membership scheme would likely be around £10 a year, or maybe less. The money would go directly towards stickers, flyers, banners for shows and running the forum. The gallery, garage and main forum would still be accessible to all. None of the club staff including myself would make any profit or salary from this at all, we do all the work on a volunteer basis :D and if the club did dissapear at any point during your 12 month membership a full refund (minus the cost of the card and stickers) would be given.

So what do you guys think? Replying here with opinions would be greatly appreciated :D

[Rallye James]

Yes, and I would pay to be a member. It works well on the Rallye Register and the private forum is a definately a good idea IMO ;)

But I don't think you should get barred after 100 posts if you haven't paid (like the RR does)

[gazz]

Think it sounds like a great idea! Will be good to raise some money to get more advertising things such as flyers. Also won't the forum sound pretty much the same, just the members will get more "bonuses"? As in it will still stay a community site, with free garages, just paying members will have access to more things, eg a members forum? So if the membership scheme does happen both options 1 and 2 will be avaible depending on wheather you want to pay or not if you understand what i mean?

[Fuzzy Orange]

Yes there is NO WAY anyone will get banned - everything will stay the same its just that the £10 you pay will get you money off merchandise, a private forum and some really decent discounts

Im not just saying this in a biased way - the discounts are pretty special, may even involve money off car insurance which will save a LOT more than £10 a year :)

[Quiksilver_TR]

A big fat yes.

[Nick]

It's 50-50..

206Online.com, which i'm an active member of, crumbled when they introduced the paid membership scheme. This was an essential however..

As long as it's not an essential, and non paying members are still welcome, then I'm totally for the idea.. I'd happily pay £10 a year for masses of advice, information and other things..

I think you should leave it a few months though, until the community is thriving!

[Fuzzy Orange]

10,000 posts a month is pretty busy :)

My only concern is shows are coming up (especially French Car Show) and without a membership scheme we cant afford to buy flyers. If we could get 10,000 flyers out at the shows I reckon we could see the forum triple in size again. And the bigger the forum the better discounts I can negotiate with companies etc...

In my opinion sometimes membership is a necessity for a club to grow :)

[Quiksilver_TR]

The sooner the better.
membership schemes seem to work well on some of the other forums. Just take a look at GTiOwners.

[mikey_b]

yea its a good idea, i trust the admins on this site to not do a qpc!

i payed for 2 years on pgac for their member/insurance discounts and i dont even post on there.

thumbs up from me

[Fuzzy Orange]

LOL well you can trust me cos you know where I live ;)

[mikey_b]

i do indeed :p

[kimmy]

i think its a good idea.

having membership packs would be a good thing, RR you get a keyring tax disc holder, club card stickers for car etc.

it makes you feel part of something after you get something back.

hey FUZZY for shows etc are we gona have club t-shirts.
i think this would be good for big shows like FCS, shows we are a serious forum, you can get t-shirts made for like £5 discounted on multi buys, maybe you could add this onto the membership pack for an extra cost or sumint.

Just an idea!!!!!!!:confused:

[Fuzzy Orange]

We have had some made up as samples and they ROCK

Was going to suggest this for FCS - basically with your name or forum name on the front and then the 106owners logo across the back

Would be good introductions in the pub too ;)

[mikey_b]

i like that idea!

[kimmy]

i think its a good idea.
if you did you ahead with the membership maybe you could have 2 types, 1 price with a t-shirt and 1 without.

what they look like???????

[Fuzzy Orange]

Kinda like these -

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r169/jireid/IMG_0038.jpg

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r169/jireid/IMG_0040.jpg

Just a sample we had made as an idea :D

[Lacey]

count me in! :)

[kimmy]

i think polo shirts would be better??????

[Luke]

Im all for this membership scheme, would happily pay, love to see the forum go big places!

[Jack_Pug]

:) Yeh i am with everyone else so far i think it's a great idea and £10 isn't a lot of money i am sure most people can afford this.

As with the T-shirts i think they would be a great idea for shows etc. Also i think a polo shirt would be better as not do they look better i personally think they look better and better uality etc. giving the 106forum a good quality look lol(if that makes sense

[Fuzzy Orange]

Yeah the t-shirts were literally just a sample from our printers

If we go ahead with the membership scheme (which looks likely with the 90% vote so far LOL) I'll get some polo ones made too

[Dan C]

Yes all the way!

Some great ideas!

[106nick]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Im a fully paid member on the RR but i use this forum more often.

I dont agree with the RR 100+ post freeloader thing i think that's a load of wnak!

I will definatley be up for supporting the club, helping out organise things etc etc.


I think this club is going to be a loooooot bigger than you first anticipated Phil.

[106nick]

Ps i think shirts with our names on the back would look F-ing ace!!

Nicknames etc etc :D

[Fuzzy Orange]

Its already bigger than I expected - I just did it because I thought it'd be nice for 106 owners to have a sax-perience style place to hang out - and only expected 50 or 60 people
Not 250 in 2 months LOL

[106nick]

:D wait til i'm driving, flyers going on any nice 106s' i see :D

[hugh_106]

I think the membership idea would be good too. I'm completely skint (student) and I'd still pay.Although I'm going to FCS with the PGAC this year, I'd be up for named merchandise and the wearing of such merchandise at events throughout the year with you guys.

[mat106]

I will be happy to pay to join, i am already a member on two other forums and its not really a lot to pay, it would cost more for a set of valve caps than 1 years membership so that won`t be a problem.

[Jimbo]

I'd be more than happy to pay a membership fee. Just to repay Phil and the Club Staff for all their hardwork. :)

I also think the t-shirts are an awesome idea. Count me in if this goes ahead.

[vicky]

Yup i'd join. :)

[Fuzzy Orange]

90% majority then

This weekend I will roll out membership :)

I cant say how grateful I am for your support - if just the ones here who said they will join actually join - we can easily afford banners and flyers :D

[Chris S]

well up for membership - me wants tshirt and tax disc jobby :D
spose some of us could chat about it on sunday at the yorks meet

[Steve Saunders]

Sounds a good idea to me Phil.... All other forums do it, so why should this forum be any different..?? This club has formed brilliantly, so would be a good idea to step it up another level... :D

I would certainly pay for a yearly club membership.... :D

YES, YES, YES....

[drift_spec04]

Keen, but i would only be using the forums :(

[Anderz]

Yep id pay the membership :D

[N9KKC]

I agree with some, it is a good idea and does alot to introduce a membership so that the club can have more oppurtunites

But i think some forums fall flat on there face.

If its to expensive people aint gonna see spendin that amount of money just to use a forum which isnt always useful

Where as like cliosport it's/or was £5 a membership, its packed and people don't mind payin that just to support the club

Go for it though, i would pay as i know i couldnt put all the effort in to make a forum and promote it and £10 aint really alot

[pugginquik]

Im up for it too, its not asking much just a tenner, just like 2 mags, or 4 pints :p

its naffin!

[Dieselpower]

yer ive only just joined but i would be willing to pay about £10
its nothing

[106nick]

Goooood man.

[GaryPug106]

Yep sounds like a good idea, id be willing to pay! :)

[Tony]

it does sound good for the club, but like N9KKC said it could be a bit early on as the club doesnt have a lot of experienced advice going around for people want to pay and gain access to.

A few sites i have been on have flopped due to fees.

Perhaps things should go the way they are until the forum base grows a lot more with a lot more advice/members that people will want to pay to be a part of?



p.s. this isnt a reply of a "i dont want to pay" its just what i think

[Marcs]

Im definatly in itll be worth it:D:D

[Marcs]

it does sound good for the club, but like N9KKC said it could be a bit early on as the club doesnt have a lot of experienced advice going around for people want to pay and gain access to.

A few sites i have been on have flopped due to fees.

Perhaps things should go the way they are until the forum base grows a lot more with a lot more advice/members that people will want to pay to be a part of?



p.s. this isnt a reply of a "i dont want to pay" its just what i think

Hes kinda got a point there though.
Although Most people who are members now would join, it might not be as attractive to new members.

[Fuzzy Orange]

Yes but the forum as you see it today would 100% be the same for any new people joining up

The membership would just be a way for us to buy banners/flyers for shows that you lads are more likely to be attending rather than us coughing up the cost ourselves

There will NO reduction in what non members can see/use

[kimmy]

i think that you should go with it Phil.

you will find the people who stick around after the membership is in place are the ones that you really want in a forum!!!!!!

[mattblackcustoms]

Sounds ok, but the t-shirts seem a bit AA meeting type, hello my name is joe blogs and i have a problem...... type thing. Maybe it's just me:confused:

I wouldn't mind a t-shirt, just without the username on it, which of course would be cheaper, as you wouldn't have to pay for each different name to be added.

[kimmy]

no i think its good for shows etc because alot of people dont know faces its a good way of reconising someone if you know there user name.

but its up to Fuzzy i suppose, there gona be his shirts

[mikey_b]

i think the tshirts are a good idea with the names on, we all seem useless at remembering who's who :) (inc me!)

[106nick]

Cheapy hoodie's would be better with names on :D

[mikey_b]

true, if yesterdays weather is anything to go by. so glad i left my coat in the car from sat night!

[106nick]

Plus they look a bit cooler.

could always have the option of T-shirt or Hoody.

They do work well.... when i raced mini-mx it's what most of the teams did. Worked well ;)

[Dan C]

Put your hood up when it gets cold aswell!!

[gazz]

Or when you want to mug a granny lol!

Think it would be a good idea to have both available though :)

[mattblackcustoms]

We've sold more hoodies for my stunt website than t-shirts, but they are expensive because they are flocked, not screenprinted:

http://www.anarchyuk.co.uk/S.E.Stunters.html

[Chris S]

Sounds ok, but the t-shirts seem a bit AA meeting type, hello my name is joe blogs and i have a problem...... type thing. Maybe it's just me:confused:

speaking from experience mate? :D hehe

[mattblackcustoms]

speaking from experience mate? :D hehe


Yep, having meetings with the local bike clubs, try and get me off this terrible car driving problem I've got:D :D