Was $62/year, now $70. And with first-class shipping for the "Sport Rocketry" magazine's an EXTRA $17.

Try to negotiate a price without the magazine. If they won't then drop the membership. Eventually they will negotiate a price without the magazine. I have done this before with other organizations.

First year ... lower the price by $30 or I leave, they won't lower, I leave.
Second year ... I left last year, you did not think I would, lower the price by $30 or I stay gone.

Usually on that second year they lower the price. If not then I on the third year they get the same proposition.

They need you worse than you need them, always remember that.

Thanks, Lufo. We'll see what happens.

Originally Posted by Lufo

Try to negotiate a price without the magazine. If they won't then drop the membership. Eventually they will negotiate a price without the magazine. I have done this before with other organizations.

First year ... lower the price by $30 or I leave, they won't lower, I leave.
Second year ... I left last year, you did not think I would, lower the price by $30 or I stay gone.

Usually on that second year they lower the price. If not then I on the third year they get the same proposition.

They need you worse than you need them, always remember that.

Thanks. I wish someone told me this back when I left a plastic-modeling clique that DIDN'T work out for me. You'll just have to BELIEVE me on that one. I can't elaborate because this is a family-friendly website.

There have been a time or two in the past I have had problems with clubs or professional organizations. The organizations forget they exist only because of the members.

What I usually do on that second year, or the first year if they reduce the price, I will shoot them an offer of something like $35 a year and I extend my membership for the next 3 years. This usually excites them because these organizations generally want a guaranteed membership. It also keeps me from needing to negotiate on a yearly basis. Of course I could die after the first year but the money for the next two years would not matter to me at that point.

I used to do this with Comcast, negotiate the price. Everyone else would be paying $70 a month and I was paying $40 a month. Comcast, at one time, and probably still does, had phone CSR that are trained to handle people like me. One CSR told me that I was on a list of 'negotiators' and my calls automatically routed to her group.

Sounds like you're PRETTY smart on how to negotiate a deal. Let's just say there's A LOT MORE going on between those "winners" than plastic-modeling. It might be the hobby that lead them to visit for the first/second/third/fourth time. I'm a little 50/50 as to why they joined, but I KNOW it's NOT the hobby that keeps them renewing YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, since 1968.