David BASC Posted March 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2011 Within a week max - depends on the post David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) It's £4.00 more and I joined today! I am getting a little confused here. At the show I was told it would be ten dd payments of £6. There was no mention of any extra fee for paying by dd and indeed at £6 a month it is £6 cheaper than paying annually. I didn't question this as it is not abnormal to get a discount for paying by dd. Looking at the copy of the form given tome at the show it makes no mention of any further charges. There is a note that says each dd t/a is charged at £0.50 but makes no mention of if this is borne by BASC or by the member. In large bold writing across the top of the page in capitals it states that "DIRECT DEBIT IS OUR PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT Surely it is somewhat perverse that if a member uses a company's preferred method of payment the member is charged extra for the privilege? Do the bank's really charge £0.50 per t/a? I would like to see some evidence of that if it is available. I know that debit card charges are only around £0.26 per t/a so why not offer that as an option? Barclays Business Charges are: Non-automated credit (per credit) 75pCheques paid in 25p via Cheque Advantage. 21p via Business Postal Cheque Credits. 30p over the counter. Cash paid in 56p per £100 via Cash Advantage. 85p per £100 over the counter. Automated credit (per credit) Free RBS charges are: Non-automated credit (per credit) 76pCheques paid in 33p Cash paid in 57p per £100 Automated credit (per credit) 22p If you are really paying £0.50 per dd then maybe you want to have a chat to your bankers as it sounds well expensive. Sorry to be a pain......... :unsure: Edited March 3, 2011 by wildgoose1uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixhills 69 Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 I think more peole will take up the chance as due to the current goverment crack down on familys it will make it more affordable as £66 is a lot in one go for some peole well done BASC ive Re joined Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 It's £4.00 more and I joined today! If so then it was so very nearly a nice idea, asking for £4 extra isn't going to be a good pr effort compared to the benefit in retaining membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 If so then it was so very nearly a nice idea, asking for £4 extra isn't going to be a good pr effort compared to the benefit in retaining membership. and in gaining new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 I am getting a little confused here. At the show I was told it would be ten dd payments of £6. There was no mention of any extra fee for paying by dd and indeed at £6 a month it is £6 cheaper than paying annually. I didn't question this as it is not abnormal to get a discount for paying by dd. Looking at the copy of the form given tome at the show it makes no mention of any further charges. There is a note that says each dd t/a is charged at £0.50 but makes no mention of if this is borne by BASC or by the member. In large bold writing across the top of the page in capitals it states that "DIRECT DEBIT IS OUR PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT Surely it is somewhat perverse that if a member uses a company's preferred method of payment the member is charged extra for the privilege? Do the bank's really charge £0.50 per t/a? I would like to see some evidence of that if it is available. I know that debit card charges are only around £0.26 per t/a so why not offer that as an option? Barclays Business Charges are: RBS charges are: If you are really paying £0.50 per dd then maybe you want to have a chat to your bankers as it sounds well expensive. Sorry to be a pain......... :unsure: David BASC........now is the time for a response/explanation, not silence! Whilst some may well find it easier to pay smaller monthly payments rather than a lump sum, stiffing them for the privilege is more than cheeky, especially as it seems some have been misled or ill advised already... Your response will be appreciated, with factual comments and figures, not sales pitch! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted March 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 I have been without access to a PC / Internet for most of the day - hence a late reply, so cut me some slack... don't assume I am simply ignoring you. I am not trying to 'stiff' anybody or simply deliver a sales pitch. Yes we pass the cost of DD payments on - would you rather your BASC sub be spent on bank charges or political / media lobbying? I will get more exact figures on the charges if you wish, we bank with Nat West Payments are £7 X10 monthly or £17 x 4 quarterly of £66 for a one off David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) I have been without access to a PC / Internet for most of the day - hence a late reply, so cut me some slack... don't assume I am simply ignoring you. I am not trying to 'stiff' anybody or simply deliver a sales pitch. Yes we pass the cost of DD payments on - would you rather your BASC sub be spent on bank charges or political / media lobbying? I will get more exact figures on the charges if you wish, we bank with Nat West Payments are £7 X10 monthly or £17 x 4 quarterly of £66 for a one off David David, I come at this from a realistic standpoint, it seems some were not aware this was costing more as is apparent from responses here, hence why my first question above was HOW MUCH does this cost! PS Help me out, in just what capacity are you involved with the BASC? Cheers Edited March 3, 2011 by Dekers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 David, I come at this from a realistic standpoint, it seems some were not aware this was costing more as is apparent from responses here, hence why my first question above was HOW MUCH does this cost! PS Help me out, in just what capacity are you involved with the BASC? Cheers The RSPB: How can I pay for membership? You can pay for your membership online by Direct Debit or by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Maestro – we regret that at present we are unable to take payment by other card types). Direct Debit Paying by Direct Debit helps us ensure that every pound possible is spent on birds, wildlife and the places where they live. If you pay by Direct Debit, the full membership payment can be debited from your account once a year, or in quarterly or monthly instalments. For quarterly and monthly payments for Wildlife Explorer memberships, we adjust the final payment so you only pay the exact annual amount. To be honest I have never heard of people getting charged extra to pay by direct debit. I have had a quick look at the Natwest business account charges on their website and cannt see anything that would make it come close to £0.50 per dd claimed. It seems very high for a dd charge and is double what we were charged for debit cards in my last job. Do we expect you to swallow the charges for dd? In a word yes. It gains you more members and you do not have to chase them for renewal each year. It also gives you steady predictable income every month so yo uare betetr able to forecast your cashflow. Strewth! Surely your marketing bods must realise that the benefits of this scheme far outweigh the charges? I would really like to know where the £0.50 figure comes from. I suspect you have outsourced the collection of the dd's to an external organisation. David: Can you name any other campaigning organisations that charge you extra to pay by direct debit? In fact just any other organisation at all will do. Also why was it not made clear to me when I signed up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted March 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) Thank you for the feedback, I thought I had made it clear above the costs of phased payments by DD against the basic full price of individual membership of £66, but for clarity; For 1 payment it costs no extra For 4 payments it costs £2 more For 10 payments it costs £5 more On renewals we are printing the exact costs for the different phased payment options, as some members pay £66, some £22 some £56, plus putting in bold that there is a maximum charge of 50p per transaction for phased payments. On the show application forms it clearly says there is a hare of 50p per transaction for phased payments, but if as you say, some find this confusing I will certainly look at altering the text. I have worked for BASC for 15 years, I am in charge of marketing and membership services, and also takes responsibility for our web site. I am also responsible on a day to day basis for managing the members insurance portfolio, and I am registered with the FSA for this purpose. If you want more info on my role at BASC please ask. David Edited March 7, 2011 by David BASC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
308dave Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Renewed my membership today by monthly instalments, and i dont mind the extra charge of £4 to pay monthly. They charge a lot more for your car insurance if you pay monthly. Keep up the good work david i for one am a pleased member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Can't say it looks impressive charging. Do you charge if you pay by cheque or credit card as surely the latter is the most expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted March 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Like DD ,for one of payments by card or cheque we do not make any additional charge. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agjm Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) For 1 payment it costs no extra For 4 payments it costs £2 more For 10 payments it costs £4 more I think David & BASC deserve a little bit of slack here, its fairly common practice to have to pay slightly more for monthly payment than annual payment as anyone who has compared car insurance will know. I payed my BASC membership online today and, although not on the first list of prices you come to, it did show the differing prices when you get to the point of filling in the dd. EDIT: Dave308 you beat me to the car insurance point Edited March 3, 2011 by agjm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 3, 2011 Report Share Posted March 3, 2011 Like DD ,for one of payments by card or cheque we do not make any additional charge. David I have just looked at the form I was given at the show. Apparently I am paying 10 monthly payments by debit card. In any case if each t/a is charged at 50p and there are 10 t/a's where in earth does £4 come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 The max cost is 50p per transaction, in the case of 10 montly its 40p per transaction David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I'm amazed at some of the petty comments over the modest cost of paying for the privilige of not only spreading payments which surely attract some kind of handling fee each time a payment is drawn, but also for the credit afforded by extending the final payment time. Puh-lease guys grow up ***. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I'm amazed at some of the petty comments over the modest cost of paying for the privilige of not only spreading payments which surely attract some kind of handling fee each time a payment is drawn, but also for the credit afforded by extending the final payment time. Puh-lease guys grow up ***. why? car insurance isn't increased for the cost of the DD it is for the cost of credit. Drawing the funds from a credit card I would suggest is the most expensive way of receiving money for BASC, indeed I can pay by card and get 1.5% back on the transaction that I assume means the handling costs them more than that. Rolling DD's at a low rate mean more people will join and also that more people will just leave it as it isn't a significant cost so the plus points of membership retention are high. There is an element of it which is principle and another side that usually paying by DD gets you a discount not penalized. I know on my fuel bill I get 10% off because its easier for them to process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 The max cost is 50p per transaction, in the case of 10 montly its 40p per transaction David Hi David: can you tell me which Natwest business account charges 40p for a direct debit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Hi David: can you tell me which Natwest business account charges 40p for a direct debit? DD's aren't the same as the automated credits you've looked up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I'm amazed at some of the petty comments over the modest cost of paying for the privilige of not only spreading payments which surely attract some kind of handling fee each time a payment is drawn, but also for the credit afforded by extending the final payment time. Puh-lease guys grow up ***. I don't think it is petty. It is all over BASC paperwork that direct debit is their preferred method of payment but it is not until you reach the second last screen on joining online that you are told that you will be penalised financially for using their preferred method of payment. At the shooting show I was asked if I wanted to pay by dd or in full. I opted for dd. At no point was it explained to me that this method would incur extra charges. To be perfectly honest most business bank accounts charge between zero and 18p for receiving money by direct debit so for ten payments it would cost at most £1.80. To be honest I am surprised we are even having this conversation. This is a membership organisation on a recruitment drive ....... Can't believe they are trying to charge for dd's. I asked earlier if David could supply details of any other memberhsip organisation penalising their members for paying for dd..... still waiting for a reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 (edited) DD's aren't the same as the automated credits you've looked up Agreed ... I didn't spot that till after I posted but if you can show me any bank that charges more than 22p for a direct debit I will be very surprised.... but will happily learn. Edited March 4, 2011 by wildgoose1uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted March 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 To be perfectly blunt I have more things to do than to spend my time surfing the internet looking at loads of other organisations payment schedules, and see little benefit to me or anyone else in doing so. I think it is now blatantly clear that if you want to spread the BASC membership fee by 4 or 10 payments there is a small premium to pay to cover the costs we incur. If you don’t want to pay this small admin fee then pay in one go. It’s as simple as that. Personally, when my membership is up for renewal next month I will be going for the 10 month option. My regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildgoose1uk Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 To be perfectly blunt I have more things to do than to spend my time surfing the internet looking at loads of other organisations payment schedules, and see little benefit to me or anyone else in doing so. I think it is now blatantly clear that if you want to spread the BASC membership fee by 4 or 10 payments there is a small premium to pay to cover the costs we incur. If you don’t want to pay this small admin fee then pay in one go. It’s as simple as that. Personally, when my membership is up for renewal next month I will be going for the 10 month option. My regards David Fair enough..... or don't pay at all and join one of the other campaigning organisations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 (edited) or cancel and pay by credit card get some cash back and cost the organisation far more, it was so close to being a very good idea and well implemented. I can however understand from a business perspective that there must be a concern if you make it as easy as paying in one lump that cashflow will be a serious concern. Once again saying *****ks to members when you don't like an opinion is interesting. Edited March 4, 2011 by al4x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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