I listened to the latest podcast today, enjoyed the chat and the topics covered. I also heard the code about membership renewal, free gift etc, but I also heard (I think) that it has to be used by 25th Nov. My membership is due on 6th December, so if I have read things correctly, I will get the next magazine (146), but won’t get any of the other benefits of the code when I renew in December.

Is this another of those deals where new customers get special treatment, prices and free gifts, but existing (loyal, I’ve been a member for 3 years, contributing articles and on the forums) customers get nothing for renewing?  Or have I misread/misheard the deal?

I expect it’s the former and STW have replied to similar comments in the past. It’s a pain but I can see the logic.

If you do nothing and let your membership renew on the 6th December then you will get the next 12 months for the current price of £39. NEW memberships will pay the new higher price of £45 from the 30th November. As an existing member we are not increasing the price of your membership for at least 12 months.

All publishers offer incentives to new members but it’s just not viable to offer those same deals to all members. Put it this way. We are giving away a Timberbell to new members. If we wanted to give a free Timberbell to all our existing members too that would cost us £180,000 – we do actually buy the Timberbells from the supplier. Similarly if we also offered the half price membership offer to all our existing members that would bankrupt us as it would halve our entire next 12months revenue from memberships.

If we didn’t offer new signup deals to encourage new members then we wouldn’t grow our membership numbers, which is something we really really need to do. I am sure you see the pickle here. Our plan from the start has been to keep improving the offering to all members – and we do really appreciate all our members and the loyalty that they show us by sticking around.

Cheers

Mark

Cancel your existing membership and renew as a new customer?

If we didn’t offer new signup deals to encourage new members then we wouldn’t grow our membership numbers, which is something we really really need to do. I am sure you see the pickle here.

Not too dissimilar to the way insurance companies offered cheaper deals to new customers than to existing ones. Which is now illegal. Still seems to happen in other fields though (e.g. broadband, TV streaming).

@pieface unfortunately that won’t work in this case. If you cancel your membership that means your membership ends at the next renewal date. The membership remains active until then. The price of a new membership would then be at the new higher price.

@Mark completely understand your reasoning and the cost implications. It’s just that it never feels right when you have supported any business and they offer the freebies and deals to new customers only. I hadn’t picked up the renewal price saving so thank you for that. Given the current financial issues around the world we should be glad that you are still able to keep STW going and long may you continue to do so.      Cheers

Thanks Gaz 🙂