Tantrum about RNLI membership renewal - some forum flak will hit me I'm sure

[Amulet]

Dear Friends,

You are sending me renewal reminders.

I have said verbally, and now say it again. I will renew my membership when you have set up an online renewal system. I cannot imagine why you haven't done so, and even harbour a thought that, by making it so difficult to do each year, you are trying to push people to set up direct debits to remove the hassle. This might be in your interest because the fact that it requires active termination would encourage people to continue paying absentmindedly without thinking whether they want to.

In the meanwhile, I suggest that you amend the text on your form which reads "THREE EASY WAYS TO RENEW" to read "THREE DIFFICULT WAYS TO RENEW AND NO EASY WAY TO RENEW".

I am a strong supporter of the RNLI, but I'm not willing to be messed around like this, be it through incompetence or design.

It saddens me not to give you my support, but this way of handling my generosity is insulting.

Sincerely,

Graham Cameron.

 

[[70521]]

I ceased my Offshore Membership as I was totally pi$$ed off with the RNLI PR department. I make a contribution to local stations after asking if the money will be spent at that station.

 

[RichardS]

Direct debit or standing order?

It doesn't really bother me if it's something I intend to subscribe to long-term.

Richard

 

[neilf39]

I reckon it's just as quick to call them up and provide your credit/debit card details as it is to complete an online form. Strange you reckon using the phone so difficult. My parents think filling anything online is the work of the devil.

 

[prv]

"THREE DIFFICULT WAYS TO RENEW"

I'm curious - what are the ways they offer?

I assume we're not talking taking a pillowcase of pennies to Poole in person?

Pete

 

[Amulet]

Cheque, direct debit, phone.

If somebody gives me a web address to renew I can do it when I like where I like. Day or night. It's done and reflected in my bank straight away.

 

[lpdsn]

Why do you have to renew annually. I just have a dd that was set up in about 2001 or 2002 and has continued ever since.

I'm not exactly comfortable with what the PR dept puts out, or with some of the crew disputes they're having, but continuing for now.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

I have the DD but the RNLI does inform me each year before taking the money. However, in general, I avoid DD’s as much as possible since they are often used to extract money by default.

 

[Amulet]

Why do you have to renew annually. I just have a dd that was set up in about 2001 or 2002 and has continued ever since.

I'm not exactly comfortable with what the PR dept puts out, or with some of the crew disputes they're having, but continuing for now.

I may change my mind about joint membership. I don't want to die with my family having umpteen fiddly things to tidy up. My wife is terminally ill and joint membership may soon make no sense. But I agree that it's probably stubbornness. There's not really any serious reason for avoiding DD.

 

[dunedin]

But I agree that it's probably stubbornness. There's not really any serious reason for avoiding DD.

You are right, it is stubbornness

A Direct Debit is simple and easy. If don’t like that then use one of the other two options, phone or cheque. It must be a very narrow subset of the membership that is keen on using online but not keen on direct debits.

Agree also about the concerns about RNLI heavy handed management approaches, but also renewing for now for the benefit of the crews

 

[MM5AHO]

DD might be simple and easy, but it's not foolproof or trusty (in my opinion)
I've had 2 lots of trouble with DDs (not RNLI), to the extent I have lost all trust in the DD system and won't use it.

 

[RIBW]

....."THREE DIFFICULT WAYS TO RENEW AND NO EASY WAY TO RENEW"......Graham Cameron.

I happen to agree with Graham for the simple reason that one of the most important rules of selling, which the RNLI is effectively doing, is to make it as easy as you possibly can for your 'customer' to say yes to your offer. All they need do for many of us is publish their sort code and receiving account number.

Anyone tried to buy a new car for cash recently? - try escaping the salesman's pathetic attempts to sell PCP.

Why do these so-called salesmen, including the RNLI equivalent, do it ? It is to get you hooked. For cars it is your return for the renewal of the car at the end of the deal, for the RNLI it is to put the onus on the donor to make a decision to cease donating which many will not bring to the top of a day's task list.

All good fun - thank goodness we are all different.
Cheers
Bob

 

[dunedin]

DD might be simple and easy, but it's not foolproof or trusty (in my opinion)
I've had 2 lots of trouble with DDs (not RNLI), to the extent I have lost all trust in the DD system and won't use it.

What were your problems with the direct debits? You will be aware of the Direct Debit Guarantee / indemnity scheme, which makes it one of the safest forms of payments ....
https://gocardless.com/guides/intro-to-direct-debit/guarantee/

All charges must be pre-notified, and if any dispute you should immediately get your money back whilst investigated.
Scheme works on the basis that Direct Debit Originators need to be approved, to some degree, before being allowed to use this scheme.

 

[Hot Property]

What were your problems with the direct debits? You will be aware of the Direct Debit Guarantee / indemnity scheme, which makes it one of the safest forms of payments ....
https://gocardless.com/guides/intro-to-direct-debit/guarantee/

All charges must be pre-notified, and if any dispute you should immediately get your money back whilst investigated.
Scheme works on the basis that Direct Debit Originators need to be approved, to some degree, before being allowed to use this scheme.

Yep it works!

I called the AA to cancel my fathers membership, recorded the date and time on the renewal form they sent through and "filed" it thinking job done. Looking through bank statement saw AA membership fees charged 2 months later.

Popped into Barclays - all I had to do was identify the payment in question on the account. Nice phone call from the lady the next day saying money had been refunded.

That gave/gives me confidence with DD's in the future

 

[Amulet]

I guess I'm just more of an online fan than most. If I come out of my senile stupor and think of it at 10:30 at night. I can do the job in a few seconds to completion and tick it off my to-do-list.

In truth I use direct debits for dozens of things, but not things where I'm likely to change my mind or, in this case where my circumstances might change.

Mostly I don't favour them for sparse payments, such as annually. Maybe I'm too dopey, but the truth is I'd be liable to forget to change it if it wasn't due for 9 months after a change of circumstances, and be caught by surprise. For all my direct debits it does no harm to review them, say every year, and it's certainly no hassle to do a quick renewal from the computer - it is, after all, where I do all my financial business anyway. If I sit down to clear the crap that has accumulated on my desk I expect to be able to do so, even if it is not office hours. I accept that many may not work that way, but I do, and the RNLI is about the only organisation I deal with that hasn't taken the simple step of allowing that. I therefore suspect that they are being perverse.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Yep it works!

I called the AA to cancel my fathers membership, recorded the date and time on the renewal form they sent through and "filed" it thinking job done. Looking through bank statement saw AA membership fees charged 2 months later.

Popped into Barclays - all I had to do was identify the payment in question on the account. Nice phone call from the lady the next day saying money had been refunded.

That gave/gives me confidence with DD's in the future

That's exactly why I don't like DDs. You have to cancel with the recipient and rely on them to stop taking the money. If they don't and you forget to check there is loss or hassle. I don't need that at all. I don't need to "Pop into Barclays" to sort it out assuming I have noticed. I want to click a mouse once and the bank stops paying, end of story.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I believe the option of cancelling direct debits from your end is open to you, my bank certainly offers this.

 

[Daydream believer]

I believe the option of cancelling direct debits from your end is open to you, my bank certainly offers this.

I stopped doing direct debits when O2 emptied my account whilst i was sailing abroad for 6 months. I had not received the advance notification as I was not at home & did not use the account for 5 months as I had cash. When suddenly i went to draw out cash in an emergency i found I had none.
Try dealing with that from abroad in an emergency with no phone & little money
Took me 11 months to get the cash back.

 

[Biggles Wader]

I believe the option of cancelling direct debits from your end is open to you, my bank certainly offers this.

Its been a good few years since but when I tried to cancel one the bank said I had to do it via the recipient. Maybe the rules have changed but Ive avoided them as a result of that.

 

[Plum]

Cheque, direct debit, phone.

If somebody gives me a web address to renew I can do it when I like where I like. Day or night. It's done and reflected in my bank straight away.

I find paying by direct debit is far easier than paying on-line (if they were to provide that option) as I don't have to do anything at all.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk