Flight Plan donations in membership fees

[Kong]

Yeah I had a call asking for feedback and to buy raffle tickets.

The guy I spoke to was a nice bloke and so I didn't want to go into too much with him, but I did say how pissed off I was with the club over the disrespect its shown to its members all year.

I then got a call a few days later from someone at the club asking if I'd be interested in some deal with the Melbourne Cup. Oh and then another e-mail about it today.

DONATE TO THE FLIGHT PLAN

 

[rines]

I love my club.. but seriously.. it is getting beyond a joke when I would probably receive some kind of solicitation for money on a monthly basis...

Just starting to leave a sour taste in the mouth..

I know I don't have enough passion/not a true supporter and all that jazz.. but realistically maybe I just don't want to be handing over a pineapple every month for the recovery room and the yoga mats and the boulder trip and the training room and the HPC and the functions and the merchandise and the flight plan and the everything else...

For me it is just the feeling of being hounded all the time.. I deliberately have given the club my old number so they can't call anymore.. seriously sick of it..

Especially after what happened last year.. personally I think they should be ****ing grateful that we all stuck with them last year.. and are sticking by them again this year.. perhaps a THANK YOU would have been nice rather than another clumsy money grab to pay for a centre that they have already got appropriate funding for etc etc.

Poor taste and poor timing.. PR nightmare tbh..

This FlightPlan crap has been an epic fail from start to finish.

 

[Mercurial89]

I'd let the club know your upset guys but I wouldnt shout it from the rooftops. Just gives people more mud to throw and then it becomes an issue and puts the club under more pressure.

It's weird I don't get calls from them, maybe because I'm on a lower membership they don't bother?

 

[mike14]

I'd let the club know your upset guys but I wouldnt shout it from the rooftops. Just gives people more mud to throw and then it becomes an issue and puts the club under more pressure.

It's weird I don't get calls from them, maybe because I'm on a lower membership they don't bother?

I was on a 3 game membership last season and I got all the calls. The one last night about betting on the Cup was the last straw, really not impressed with the club right now

 

[pepsi]

I was on a 3 game membership last season and I got all the calls. The one last night about betting on the Cup was the last straw, really not impressed with the club right now

The only thing i would say is email thr club and let them know. I will. Don't appreciate the way they have gone about trying to raise funds at all after the Crap we have put up with this year.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

Guy, I understand where you are coming from and you don't want to be hounded (neither do I!), but the club still needs to move forward and improve. They have to continue with the programs they would have had planned for a while, so don't get too upset with the club doing "whatever it takes" to succeed...

 

[VelvetSledge]

I've been called four times in five days asking to buy a raffle ticket for this altitude training room.

such moneys
many ca$h
wow
so annoy

 

[rines]

I understand that we don't want to give people more mud.. but seriously the club WILL lose members and supporters if they keep this up..

Only so much average people can take before they just walk away. I am the same as HIMH.. have had 3 calls and an email in one week asking for f**king money.. enough already!!

 

[Mercurial89]

Maybe the club isn't as strong financially as some on here have bragged about. If they are begging for money than maybe it's because they feel they have to.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

I've been called four times in five days asking to buy a raffle ticket for this altitude training room.

such moneys
many ca$h
wow
so annoy

That's slightly excessive. I have only been called once for a raffle ticket since the last big money raising push a couple of years ago.

 

[lemon chicken]

Its not the club members fault for their financial position, we just recorded highest ever membership numbers. For the record the minimum cost for 1 raffle ticket is $200. I found it offensive.

 

[Kong]

For me, I don't mind the club asking for money. I get that that's what all football clubs do, and really, any NFP organisations.

The main issue with The Flight Plan for me has been how aggressive they've been. A call every few months is understandable, but when this first started the club went
mental with its campaign.

Most of us on here donated, and yet the club kept hounding us.

Then there was David Evans' infamous "passionate" speech.

Then this year happened. Aside from the absolute hell that we were put through, we weren't given the promise to hear "the truth", and we were either lied to all year or the club's best intentions were blocked by the AFL, which at the very least should be explained to its members.

And yet here after it's (hopefully) nearly over, the club have shafted us, and they're making absolutely no attempt to make it up to us.

Instead of that, they've got the nerve to start asking us for favours.

Instead of walking on eggshells and trying to mend a relationship, they've returned to aggressively harrassing its members for assistance.

How many times can one person say no?

For me, I'm still waiting for the board to be up for re-election. I'll be voting to have them all removed.

 

[Kong]

Its not the club members fault for their financial position, we just recorded highest ever membership numbers. For the record the minimum cost for 1 raffle ticket is $200. I found it offensive.

My conversations was pretty much:

EFC: "So we've got some really good prizes etc. etc."
Me: "Sorry, I'll be keeping my membership but I'm not ready to go any further than that. I'm still really disappointed with everybody at the club other than the players."
EFC: "This would be helping the players."
Me: "Yeah still, I don't think the club deserves it right now. Sorry."
EFC: "So I can't even interest you in a small ticket for $200 or $300?"
...

 

[CourtzMajora]

I've only ever had one phone call, maybe it's because I'm interstate haha. Trying to sell me a raffle ticket for $200 or something, I said no I have a mortgage sorry!

It's hard enough paying monthly for a membership, I donated money to the flight plan already but at least they warned us I guess.

 

[VelvetSledge]

I'd have no problem with buying a ticket, but $200?!

That is INSANE.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Haven't got a call about the Melbourne Cup yet. When I got a call about the Altitude Room raffle I just went with "15 year High Mark Membership and a Flight Plan jumper with my name on it, I've done my bit".

If there's more calls to come like this Melbourne Cup one, I'll begin to get very unhappy with the club.

 

[ManWithNoName]

So just got an email regarding my membership.

"Includes OPTIONAL donation of $75"

Sorry, when was it changed to $75?

 

[Whispering_Jack]

So just got an email regarding my membership.

"Includes OPTIONAL donation of $75"

Sorry, when was it changed to $75?

I think high mark is optional $75? I noticed mine was $75 and they got me too Bloody advantage payments!

 

[Doss]

I think the general message is, given what went on this year, the club needs to be pretty careful of how they are perceived among the fan base.

Essendon fans have every right to be incredibly disenchanted right now- with both the AFL and also, to an extent, with the club. To quote our favourite journalist, I'm not sure sustained and repetitive pestering of members for yet more money is a "good look".

 

[ManWithNoName]

I think high mark is optional $75? I noticed mine was $75 and they got me too Bloody advantage payments!

I was a High Mark member this year. My letter said $50, as I put in the OP.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

I was a High Mark member this year. My letter said $50, as I put in the OP.

It actually doesn't say that the donation will be automatically $50. This is the following from the email -

"You’ll see we have included an OPTIONAL donation amount on your membership renewal this year, which you will receive in the coming weeks. I want to make it clear that it is your choice as to whether you have this included in your total membership package for 2014.

When you receive your membership renewal there will be clear instructions on how you can remove the donation if you so wish. However, if you can help, then the club will ensure the donation is added directly into our facility fund – helping to move us out of the red and back into the black where we belong. If your donation is above $50, your name will be etched on a commemorative plaque at the new facility. "

It just explains that if it is above $50, your name will be on the plaque...