AFL members

[footy75]

Anyone know what is happening with AFL members memberships...

 

[teknodeejay]

They’ll continue to debit you on your monthly plan unless you tell them to stop.

I offered to pay just the equivalent of the amount that goes to CFC (I have 2 memberships) but they said all or nothing

I chose nothing until there’s a product.
The AFL doesn’t need my coin they’re flush. I’m fine to give to my club, though.

 

[Kwality]

They’ll continue to debit you on your monthly plan unless you tell them to stop.

I offered to pay just the equivalent of the amount that goes to CFC (I have 2 memberships) but they said all or nothing

I chose nothing until there’s a product.
The AFL doesn’t need my coin they’re flush. I’m fine to give to my club, though.

Did you pick up a club membership of the same value, if indeed they have one that $cheeep.

 

[Mjs94]

They’ll continue to debit you on your monthly plan unless you tell them to stop.

I offered to pay just the equivalent of the amount that goes to CFC (I have 2 memberships) but they said all or nothing

I chose nothing until there’s a product.
The AFL doesn’t need my coin they’re flush. I’m fine to give to my club, though.

Do you know what happens to your waitlist number and whether it resets?

 

[footyfan1978]

Anyone know what is happening with AFL members memberships...

Nobody does, including the AFL. Most of the staff of AFL membership department have been stood down.
Our memberships still exist but no games for a few months. They will try to add in some extra value in some form for missed games at some point down track, no doubt but for now it is essentially a waiting game until start of June at the earliest.

 

[footyfan1978]

They’ll continue to debit you on your monthly plan unless you tell them to stop.

I offered to pay just the equivalent of the amount that goes to CFC (I have 2 memberships) but they said all or nothing

I chose nothing until there’s a product.
The AFL doesn’t need my coin they’re flush. I’m fine to give to my club, though.

So you cancelled your AFL membership. Interesting choice.
Still kept mine but will re-visit mid year and see where our whole industry is at then.

 

[Baggers]

The emails they've sent are basically a long winded way of saying "watch this space".

Happy for CFC to keep my club support portion of the fees, but expect a little something back from the AFL in general.

 

[footyfan1978]

The emails they've sent are basically a long winded way of saying "watch this space".

Happy for CFC to keep my club support portion of the fees, but expect a little something back from the AFL in general.

Yep. looking into the club support part of it more...

13. Club Support Packages
13.1. AFL Members may nominate a club of support as part of their AFL Membership application or renewal (Club Support Package). Your Club Support Package covers the cost of entry for your club’s home matches. Your club (or your club’s home venue(s)) will determine seating requirements and may require you to reserve a seat at an additional cost (either seasonally through your club of support or for individual matches through a nominated ticket agency).

13.2. Unless you advise otherwise in your Membership application or renewal, by nominating a club of support you are agreeing to your personal details being forwarded to your club of support so that it may contact you for club or commercial purposes, including fulfilment packs, upgrade products and Finals Series access.

AFL Members will not be able to change their nominated club of support after 27 March 2020, but may opt out of receiving that club’s communications at any time.

 

[teknodeejay]

So you cancelled your AFL membership. Interesting choice.
Still kept mine but will re-visit mid year and see where our whole industry is at then.

Not canceled

paused the direct debit

I’m still a member 2 X gold / full

 

[footyfan1978]

So my club sells entry to our 11 home designated home matches at $220.

You can pay $350 for entry to all our home and away games within Melbourne ( Docklands or MCG) for $350

So if you cancel your AFL membership, which is a big call considering the access it gives to finals series and cricket concessions at MCG, your club membership is those two options, and that is without even having a reserved seat.

So basically $220 of my membership costs to AFL go towards the Carlton support package part of it and the other $400 or so if for the rest.

 

[teknodeejay]

Do you know what happens to your waitlist number and whether it resets?

I’m still a member just the direct debit is paused until we all come out of this mess

 

[footyfan1978]

Not canceled

paused the direct debit

I’m still a member 2 X gold / full

Your wife or other family member has the second AFL gold membership I assume.

 

[footyfan1978]

I’m still a member just the direct debit is paused until we all come out of this mess

So when it comes off pause it pays for the months instalment you did pause on, later ?

 

[kriles76]

Imagine the shitfight for tickets if the GF is Richmond vs. Collingwood at Marvel - particularly if AFL Members are still debited cash during the lockdown just to keep the AFL going.

They might have to make it a best of three GF series just so everyone entitled to entry can get see at least one of the matches.

As an aside, my company has 4 Medallion Club memberships - I don't know what the arrangement is with them regarding suspension of payments.

 

[teknodeejay]

So when it comes off pause it pays for the months instalment you did paused on later ?

I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
My expectation is that I won’t be paying for the time no product was available.

 

[kriles76]

I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
My expectation is that I won’t be paying for the time no product was available.

Not sure that will cut it.

There's an annual membership fee and you can choose to pay it in one hit or in installments. The one hit members would be disadvantaged if the installment payments were cancelled by the AFL for the time the competition was suspended.

It's more likely that those who chose to suspend installment payments might be declared Absentee members for the remainder of the season.

 

[footyfan1978]

Not sure that will cut it.

There's an annual membership fee and you can choose to pay it in one hit or in installments. The one hit members would be disadvantaged if the installment payments were cancelled by the AFL for the time the competition was suspended.

It's more likely that those who chose to suspend installment payments might be declared Absentee members for the remainder of the season.

Probably, which costs around $300 dollars for year I think.

 

[Senor M]

Not sure that will cut it.

There's an annual membership fee and you can choose to pay it in one hit or in installments. The one hit members would be disadvantaged if the installment payments were cancelled by the AFL for the time the competition was suspended.

It's more likely that those who chose to suspend installment payments might be declared Absentee members for the remainder of the season.

Does that make the members who suspended their accounts ineligible to attend more than 2 games (and no finals) IF the AFL does somehow find a way to continue the competition--- even if it is in a shortened format??

I know this will be a controversial view--- but I personally believe that anyone who suspends their accounts/asks for a refund SHOULD lose either their Gold membership or their place in the waitlist. They are not being loyal to an agreement that they made at the start of the season either (regardless of the AFL's situation).

If I got an AFL membership in December and then couldn't attend any games for the season due to my personal health, would it still be ok for me to ask for a refund of my AFL membership and keep my place in the waitlist??

 

[kriles76]

Does that make the members who suspended their accounts ineligible to attend more than 2 games (and no finals) IF the AFL does somehow find a way to continue the competition--- even if it is in a shortened format??

I know this will be a controversial view--- but I personally believe that anyone who suspends their accounts/asks for a refund SHOULD lose either their Gold membership or their place in the waitlist. They are not being loyal to an agreement that they made at the start of the season either (regardless of the AFL's situation).

If I got an AFL membership in December and then couldn't attend any games for the season due to my personal health, would it still be ok for me to ask for a refund of my AFL membership and keep my place in the waitlist??

Yes, they would allow you to become an Absentee Member, but you would probably need to pay the Absentee Member fee. It's not free.

To your second point, I've never been Absentee myself, but I believe you lose Gold status while you're absent and a Silver Member is made an offer to upgrade to Gold in your place. While Absent, you get placed first on the waiting list so when you're ready to take up your membership again, you're first cab off the rank - provided there's a vacancy.

I'm only projecting here because in the last few seasons, there have been remarkably low numbers of upgrades from Silver to Gold - allegedly because an unusually large number of Absentee members wanted to return to the fold.

 

[Bring-Back-Powell]

I've paid in full my gold membership and am not expecting a refund.

HOWEVER

If the entire season is played behind closed doors or doesn't even resume, I'll be expecting next year's fee to be waived.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Couldn’t speak more highly of AFL Membership in this instance.

Got an email late last week saying I could pause my monthly payments if I wished. Just a link to do so and it was done within minutes.

Emailed them to ask if it impacts memberships status / wait list etc and got a reply with an hour, confirming no it doesn’t.

You’re still the same member, just the payments are paused.

If and when they know more about the season starting, they’ll come up with whatever the revised fee is going to be, and everybody will pay that in total. It will include a catchup amount if necessary then revert to your usual monthly payment.

Perfect, simple, fair system that the clubs should be implementing.

 

[kriles76]

Couldn’t speak more highly of AFL Membership in this instance.

Got an email late last week saying I could pause my monthly payments if I wished. Just a link to do so and it was done within minutes.

Emailed them to ask if it impacts memberships status / wait list etc and got a reply with an hour, confirming no it doesn’t.

You’re still the same member, just the payments are paused.

If and when they know more about the season starting, they’ll come up with whatever the revised fee is going to be, and everybody will pay that in total. It will include a catchup amount if necessary then revert to your usual monthly payment.

Perfect, simple, fair system that the clubs should be implementing.

Thanks for clearing this up. It might put a few members’ minds at ease.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

If the season is cancelled, or games resume without the ability for supporters to attend, I would expect the AFL to credit members next year with the difference between an absentee membership and a full membership (effectively making this year an absentee membership year)

I am happy for the club support portion to go to the clubs as they need the money at the moment but that is only about $150 out of $620 annual fee

 

[Sixpence]

Does that make the members who suspended their accounts ineligible to attend more than 2 games (and no finals) IF the AFL does somehow find a way to continue the competition--- even if it is in a shortened format??

I know this will be a controversial view--- but I personally believe that anyone who suspends their accounts/asks for a refund SHOULD lose either their Gold membership or their place in the waitlist. They are not being loyal to an agreement that they made at the start of the season either (regardless of the AFL's situation).

If I got an AFL membership in December and then couldn't attend any games for the season due to my personal health, would it still be ok for me to ask for a refund of my AFL membership and keep my place in the waitlist??

Not being loyal to an agreement?? What the **** is that? You pay a membership of x amount of dollars with the expectation that you get access to y amount of games. If the AFL can't provide those games, then they have broken that agreement and you should be entitled to a refund. It is also not the AFL's situation but absolutely everyone in the whole world at the moment. It's a global pandemic FFS. People have lost their jobs, lives and/or family members and you want to accuse them of 'not being loyal to an agreement'? Some perspective mate!

And yes, if you couldn't attend games due to health reasons, I'd absolutely expect the AFL to refund your membership without penalty on compassionate grounds.

 

[Senor M]

Not being loyal to an agreement?? What the fu** is that? You pay a membership of x amount of dollars with the expectation that you get access to y amount of games. If the AFL can't provide those games, then they have broken that agreement and you should be entitled to a refund. It is also not the AFL's situation but absolutely everyone in the whole world at the moment. It's a global pandemic FFS. People have lost their jobs, lives and/or family members and you want to accuse them of 'not being loyal to an agreement'? Some perspective mate!

And yes, if you couldn't attend games due to health reasons, I'd absolutely expect the AFL to refund your membership without penalty on compassionate grounds.

As I said in my original post---I'm aware this is a super controversial view; but I think your last line demonstrates it all.

There's been a massive change on the perspective of situations like this because it has effected a wider percentage of the population. People lose their jobs/lives/family members every year, but I would guarantee you that if someone posted in the 'AFL Silver Members Waitlist' thread 12 months ago that "I've lost my job, the AFL members is refusing to give me a refund unless I lose my waitlist spot-- that's unfair" that NO ONE would've been on my side and everyone would've said to suck it up and that's reality.

I understand both sides-- but to tell me to 'get some perspective' when I said that I acknowledged it was a controversial view demonstrates that you're just letting out some frustrations on me and not looking at this logically.