While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
brother's name or something.
If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)
Wetherspoon's Beer Vouchers (£20 worth)
Three months' free membership (about £5?)
Pint of beer (worth about £3 at the GBBF)

So for a £20 direct debit you could get £43 of goodies back.

Any thought on the maths, ethics or mathematics of that?

In article 
, 
Offramp  writes
>While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
>brother's name or something.
>If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
>Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)
But it is much less than that to members, and its cost price is even 
lower. And if you joined now and got one, it is almost remaindered 
stock.

>Wetherspoon's Beer Vouchers (£20 worth)
These give a 50p per pint reduction, so it encourages people to use 
Wetherspoons' pubs. They probably pay CAMRA for the promotion, or it 
encourages them to take advertising or a stand at the Festival.

>Three months' free membership (about £5?)
Doesn't cost the Campaign anything, especially if you decide to stay on 
as a member.

>Pint of beer (worth about £3 at the GBBF)
But that is not the cost price to CAMRA.
>
>So for a £20 direct debit you could get £43 of goodies back.
>
You could say that, and one hopes that there are plenty of people like 
you who think the same.

>Any thought on the maths, ethics or mathematics of that?
The maths (which is the same as the mathematics) obviously makes sense 
or CAMRA's NE would not allow it. And I see nothing unethical in it. My 
father had a saying for this sort of thing - 'A sprat to catch a 
mackerel.' Good business practice.

Roy.
-- 
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.

In message 
, 
Offramp  wrote
>While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
>brother's name or something.
>If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
>Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)

This years good beer guide or last years?
2010 GBG £10.39 from Amazon

>Wetherspoon's Beer Vouchers (£20 worth)

My vouchers went in the bin. Around my way the two JDW pubs are not 
places I would recommend

>Three months' free membership (about £5?)

It takes CAMRA at least 3 months to actually process your membership.

>Pint of beer (worth about £3 at the GBBF)

That's cheap seeing it was free to get in :)

>
>So for a £20 direct debit you could get £43 of goodies back.

Why else would you join these days?


-- 
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article <h+LrzeB9ubeKFwVd@amac.f2s.com>, Alan 
 writes
>In message 
>, 
>Offramp  wrote
>>While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
>>brother's name or something.
>>If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
>>Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)
>
>This years good beer guide or last years?
>2010 GBG £10.39 from Amazon
>
You can order it but you can't get it yet. It will only be delivered 
after it is published. I buy my copy directly from CAMRA, and last year 
the Direct Debit was taken on 9 September.

Roy.
-- 
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.

On 5 Aug, 14:11, Roy Bailey  wrote:
> In article
> ,
> Offramp  writes>While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
> >brother's name or something.
> >If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
> >Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)
>
> But it is much less than that to members, and its cost price is even
> lower. And if you joined now and got one, it is almost remaindered
> stock.
>
> >Wetherspoon's Beer Vouchers (£20 worth)
>
> These give a 50p per pint reduction, so it encourages people to use
> Wetherspoons' pubs. They probably pay CAMRA for the promotion, or it
> encourages them to take advertising or a stand at the Festival.
>
> >Three months' free membership (about £5?)
>
> Doesn't cost the Campaign anything, especially if you decide to stay on
> as a member.
>
> >Pint of beer (worth about £3 at the GBBF)
>
> But that is not the cost price to CAMRA.
>
> >So for a £20 direct debit you could get £43 of goodies back.
>
> You could say that, and one hopes that there are plenty of people like
> you who think the same.
>
> >Any thought on the maths, ethics or mathematics of that?
>
> The maths (which is the same as the mathematics) obviously makes sense
> or CAMRA's NE would not allow it. And I see nothing unethical in it. My
> father had a saying for this sort of thing - 'A sprat to catch a
> mackerel.' Good business practice.
>
> Roy.
> --
> Roy Bailey
> West Berkshire.

But of necessity - if the nefarious scheme is to succeed - I would
have to cancel either my original or faux membership after 12-15
months. Howzabout that then? What are the mass schematics or ethics of
that? Huh?

In message , Roy Bailey 
 wrote
>In article <h+LrzeB9ubeKFwVd@amac.f2s.com>, Alan 
> writes
>>In message 
>>, 
>>Offramp  wrote
>>>While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
>>>brother's name or something.
>>>If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
>>>Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)
>>
>>This years good beer guide or last years?
>>2010 GBG £10.39 from Amazon
>>
>You can order it but you can't get it yet. It will only be delivered 
>after it is published. I buy my copy directly from CAMRA, and last year 
>the Direct Debit was taken on 9 September.
>

But you are being ripped off! The special price CAMRA give to members is 
often far higher than that charged by Amazon, especially if you include 
postage.

-- 
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article , Alan 
 writes
>In message , Roy Bailey 
> wrote
>>In article <h+LrzeB9ubeKFwVd@amac.f2s.com>, Alan 
>> writes
>>>In message 
>>>, 
>>>Offramp  wrote
>>>>While at the GBBF I was tempted to join Camra again, perhaps in my
>>>>brother's name or something.
>>>>If you join by direct debit at the GBBF you get the following:
>>>>Free Good Beer Guide (worth c. £14.99)
>>>
>>>This years good beer guide or last years?
>>>2010 GBG £10.39 from Amazon
>>>
>>You can order it but you can't get it yet. It will only be delivered 
>>after it is published. I buy my copy directly from CAMRA, and last 
>>year the Direct Debit was taken on 9 September.
>>
>
>But you are being ripped off! The special price CAMRA give to members 
>is often far higher than that charged by Amazon, especially if you 
>include postage.
>
'Often' being the operative word. Last year I was charged £10 including 
postage, and I bet I got it before it was available through Amazon.

In any case, as a member I would sooner pay the money directly to CAMRA, 
even if it does cost a few extra pence, than to Amazon.

When I get the 2010 issue I will compare the price and availability with 
Amazon.

Roy.
-- 
Roy Bailey
West Berkshire.

In article 
,
 Offramp  wrote:


> But of necessity - if the nefarious scheme is to succeed - I would
> have to cancel either my original or faux membership after 12-15
> months. Howzabout that then? What are the mass schematics or ethics of
> that? Huh?

I think people who resort to such measures against CAMRA of all 
organisations deserve to end up paying twice if they forget. 

I see that CAMRA is reporting over 100,000 members - great news - unless 
a lot of them are doubles.

E.

In message , Roy Bailey 
 wrote
>In article , Alan 
> writes

>>But you are being ripped off! The special price CAMRA give to members 
>>is often far higher than that charged by Amazon, especially if you 
>>include postage.
>>

>'Often' being the operative word. Last year I was charged £10 including 
>postage, and I bet I got it before it was available through Amazon.

Is it that important that you get the book a few days before anyone 
else? The publication is 6+ months after the voting and unless you want 
to try the pub before it closes down then a few days or weeks shouldn't 
matter.

Unless you pay be an ongoing direct debit,  the normal rate special 
discount price (all inclusive) for members is more expensive than that 
at Amazon.

>In any case, as a member I would sooner pay the money directly to 
>CAMRA, even if it does cost a few extra pence, than to Amazon.

I wonder if the profit margin per book is any better when you pay CAMRA 
directly? CAMRA may be still using the inefficient methods of admin and 
posting they had a dozen years ago or they may now have farmed out the 
service to a third party for a fee.

>When I get the 2010 issue I will compare the price and availability 
>with Amazon.

What you need to compare is the priced you paid with the price Amazon 
are charging two or three weeks later. If it's anything like previous 
years the pre-order price of £10.39 may fall.



-- 
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot
} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article <h+LrzeB9ubeKFwVd@amac.f2s.com>,
   Alan  wrote:
> >Wetherspoon's Beer Vouchers (£20 worth)

> My vouchers went in the bin. Around my way the two JDW pubs are not 
> places I would recommend

Oh for heaven's sake!!!

Anyone else - please offer them on here or on the camra forum!!

Someone sent us theirs a while back - we have a great spoons - and we
have enjoyed using them - as well as our own, so far!

Anyone else not using theirs - they'll be gratefully received and
used here!! ( if not by us - by some of our members!!)

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 20th & 21st Nov 2009 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

In article , Roy Bailey
 wrote:
> In any case, as a member I would sooner pay the money directly to
> CAMRA, even if it does cost a few extra pence, than to Amazon.

Quite!

-- 
Chris de Cordova (West Cumbria & Western Lakes) www.westcumbriacamra.org.uk
Whitehaven Beer Festival: 20th & 21st Nov 2009 (www.whitehavenbeerfestival.co.uk)
www.cumbrianbreweries.org.uk for good craic on our beers!

Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.