Memberships Hawthorn 2025 Membership discussion

[cryptor]

Just got a reply from membership.

... Thanks for taking the time to email us regarding free shipping vouchers. Unfortunately for 2025 we will not be supplying members with these vouchers. This brings us in line with most other AFL clubs who don’t supply free shipping vouchers to members. ...

Basically a corporate F.U.
36 years full membership. Don't get to many games. None for 3 years. And this is the penny-pinching bs they serve up. Time to bring my membership "in line with most other AFL clubs" I guess and stop being a member.

Not trying to have a go at you here, but just wondering what your thought process is when you're paying to be a full member but haven't gone to any games for 3 years?

Assuming you don't just have the worst luck with scheduling it does sound like you've just been treating your club membership as a donation to the club over this period - which is admirable - but are now hung up on an $11 postage fee that if the club did happen to comp for you then it would effectively just be coming from the funds you've already given to support the club financially. And if 80k+ members were also given free delivery it would cost the club many hundreds of thousands.

Why not consider just downgrading to a 3 game membership if you don't expect you'll be attending many games and then with the difference saved you can cover the postage and probably pick up an extra item or two of merch which still supports the club?

 

[Glenhope]

Seriously?

An $11 fee will make you stop buying a membership in support of the club?

It would. Not because it is $11. It's the casual treatment of all members. 80,000+ each year must make a judgement already on the membership price for whatever level they choose. The price is known. The choice is made. Pay your money. Receive the benefits listed. This is the transaction. Membership's decision to add a hidden fee to the membership is a kind of fraud. If this had been advertised then fine, that's part of your decision. I don't like being treated like this. Your mileage may differ.

 

[offtherails9]

I was told I could have received any membership I wanted. Hopefully you'll get the call

I got told that too, found it pretty weird.

 

[Glenhope]

Not trying to have a go at you here, but just wondering what your thought process is when you're paying to be a full member but haven't gone to any games for 3 years?

Assuming you don't just have the worst luck with scheduling it does sound like you've just been treating your club membership as a donation to the club over this period - which is admirable - but are now hung up on an $11 postage fee that if the club did happen to comp for you then it would effectively just be coming from the funds you've already given to support the club financially. And if 80k+ members were also given free delivery it would cost the club many hundreds of thousands.

Why not consider just downgrading to a 3 game membership if you don't expect you'll be attending many games and then with the difference saved you can cover the postage and probably pick up an extra item or two of merch which still supports the club?

Membership sets the price for each year. They set up the mechanism to send out the scarf. Remember it used to come with your card. They decided to post it separately. This was included in membership up to this year. Adding $11 after the signup is a kind of fraud. Good orgs don't do this.

I did consider the 3-game option years ago but, as you say, it was effectively a donation.

 

[cryptor]

Membership sets the price for each year. They set up the mechanism to send out the scarf. Remember it used to come with your card. They decided to post it separately. This was included in membership up to this year. Adding $11 after the signup is a kind of fraud. Good orgs don't do this.

I did consider the 3-game option years ago but, as you say, it was effectively a donation.

You've been a member of this club for a bloody long time and spent thousands on membership along the journey. In return you've seen this club win more premierships than a number of other club's members could even dream of - combined! That's the real value proposition here, not some cheap polyester scarf.

And I'll add just to be clear, this doesn't mean you have to be happy about or accept what you feel is poor treatment from the club. Maybe they should have considered informing members about this change ahead of renewals. Though consider even that comes with a cost and the whole point of reducing their costs would be to free funds up towards the KCC project which will help the club win more of those premierships in the future.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

It would. Not because it is $11. It's the casual treatment of all members. 80,000+ each year must make a judgement already on the membership price for whatever level they choose. The price is known. The choice is made. Pay your money. Receive the benefits listed. This is the transaction. Membership's decision to add a hidden fee to the membership is a kind of fraud. If this had been advertised then fine, that's part of your decision. I don't like being treated like this. Your mileage may differ.

Your 36 years doesn’t make you bigger than the organisation. If memberships that don’t include the scarf by default now have to pay postage to get it but my Gold membership hasn’t skyrocketed the past 3-4 years despite the inflationary environment then I can live with that.

If you have a membership tier that doesn’t include the scarf being sent by default then it’s not hidden nor is it fraud. I honestly thought all memberships got one - turns out they don’t and the memberships that don’t are clearly marked. Again I don’t mind the club doing this because financial responsibility isn’t something I’m going to get mad at the club at. The club has massive financial headwinds in front of it - a few less trinkets come membership time is really fine by me. I’d be happy with just the membership card and scarf - I don’t need the stickers just like I didn’t need the lanyard. I was happy to forego the paper version of the members magazine also because it was a sensible cost saving for the club.

If the clubs wants to keep being prudent and keep costs as low as possible for reserved seat members then I salute the club.

 

[Glenhope]

Your 36 years doesn’t make you bigger than the organisation. If memberships that don’t include the scarf by default now have to pay postage to get it but my Gold membership hasn’t skyrocketed the past 3-4 years despite the inflationary environment then I can live with that.

If you have a membership tier that doesn’t include the scarf being sent by default then it’s not hidden nor is it fraud. I honestly thought all memberships got one - turns out they don’t and the memberships that don’t are clearly marked. Again I don’t mind the club doing this because financial responsibility isn’t something I’m going to get mad at the club at. The club has massive financial headwinds in front of it - a few less trinkets come membership time is really fine by me. I’d be happy with just the membership card and scarf - I don’t need the stickers just like I didn’t need the lanyard. I was happy to forego the paper version of the members magazine also because it was a sensible cost saving for the club.

If the clubs wants to keep being prudent and keep costs as low as possible for reserved seat members then I salute the club.

The membership I have includes the scarf.

 

[Glenhope]

You've been a member of this club for a bloody long time and spent thousands on membership along the journey. In return you've seen this club win more premierships than a number of other club's members could even dream of - combined! That's the real value proposition here, not some cheap polyester scarf.

And I'll add just to be clear, this doesn't mean you have to be happy about or accept what you feel is poor treatment from the club. Maybe they should have considered informing members about this change ahead of renewals. Though consider even that comes with a cost and the whole point of reducing their costs would be to free funds up towards the KCC project which will help the club win more of those premierships in the future.

Sure, fine. The cheap polyester scarf that's probably cost them $1 and they provide a voucher code for $25 to cover the list price but still ask for more for postage for an item pre-promised to be included in the membership cost.

Long term membership through many lean periods is reward for some great success but that doesn't warrant dropping the ball like this. Treat your members as you want them to treat you.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

$11. That’s two take away coffees.


Mountain being made out of a molehill for mine.

 

[Steven Tyler]

I haven’t gone to the footy since 2018, because I work 6 days a week

My 1 day off is Saturday and I want to spend that whole day with my 4 year old daughter ( and my wife too I guess )

I still buy a membership each year and see it as a donation to the club

This year will be 33 year’s consecutive proud passionate and paid up!