AOPA Renewals

M

MacFlier

Line Up and Wait
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Apr 5, 2018
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MacFlier
<rant>
Why is that AOPA keeps sending me renewal notices several months prior to my annual expiration date?
My current membership expires on 12/31/2021 yet I have received 3 renewal notices already, starting in June... come on...
</rant>
 
They do it perpetually after you cancel your membership too. I canceled mine over two years ago and still get the ‘FINAL NOTICE’ emails...
 
MacFlier said:
<rant>
Why is that AOPA keeps sending me renewal notices several months prior to my annual expiration date?
My current membership expires on 12/31/2021 yet I have received 3 renewal notices already, starting in June... come on...
</rant>
Click to expand...

Three in three months is nothing. Let your membership expire and watch what happens.

I've gotten as many as three renewal notices in a single day, two by snail mail, one by email. I probably average 15-20 a month, paper and email combined.
 
Before I arrived at PoA, I always held out until they offered me a USB charging device or AA maglite. I always thought I was playing Russian Roulette and that they might stop sending me notices and never offer something "good." Now I see all these posts; shoot I could probably wait and get me a good flight bag or something.


Them caps don't cut it......
 
They’ve spent a lot of money sending me notices that they’re closing out my file and promotionals for ball caps and headset bags. I’ve received at least 20 notices asking me permission to close my file. But today I finally gave in because I couldn’t resist that new headset bag. So I’ve now justified their annoying marketing and we’ll keep getting those notices.
 
They do mention that we should renew early to avoid them wasting resources like paper, postage, etc... :rolleyes:
 
MacFlier said:
They do mention that we should renew early to avoid them wasting resources like paper, postage, etc... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Well then they need to offer me the maglite earlier in the dance!
 
KeepWatch said:
Before I arrived at PoA, I always held out until they offered me a USB charging device or AA maglite. I always thought I was playing Russian Roulette and that they might stop sending me notices and never offer something "good." Now I see all these posts; shoot I could probably wait and get me a good flight bag or something.


Them caps don't cut it......
Click to expand...

I heard if you renew by end of the month, they will give you a free airplane.
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IF, your number is pulled in the lottery.
 
I wonder if you become a life member if their solicitation stops.I could buy a lot of av gas on the postage money they waste.
 
RyanB said:
They do it perpetually after you cancel your membership too. I canceled mine over two years ago and still get the ‘FINAL NOTICE’ emails...
Click to expand...

Been a few days since anyone replied to this thread. So in carousing around I found it again and chuckled at what Ryan had posted as I received my first "FINAL NOTICE" email today.

At some point I'll likely cave but I'm waiting for them to up the ante ...
 
I received about 1,273 final notices.

Now I get about 89 emails a week reminding me that my membership has expired.

The only thing better would be if someone would continuously call me about my car's extended warranty....
 
They're not the only one. The behavior is SOP for many organizations. The ACLU, for example, will keep hounding you for years after your membership expires. Kennedy Center in DC has been hpunding me going on 2 years now. AOPA. Others.
 
The ACLU is particularly vindictive in trying to get you back. They even sell your information to other cause spams. I'll never make that mistake again. Ditto, with Jimmy Carter. They'll someday learn that you can't **** on your donors if you want them to stay.

I'm not going back to AOPA until they decide to start representing their membership rather than their own personal political empire building.
 
I was considering joining EAA...

But honestly, I'm not sure if I get anything from any of these organizations. I didn't get anything from AOPA except a discount on insurance I don't have anymore (went with someone else cheaper/better).

does EAA have any benefit to a person who flies a certified airplane?
 
Deelee said:
I was considering joining EAA...

But honestly, I'm not sure if I get anything from any of these organizations. I didn't get anything from AOPA except a discount on insurance I don't have anymore (went with someone else cheaper/better).

does EAA have any benefit to a person who flies a certified airplane?
Click to expand...

+ for the EAA. I think they perhaps do more than AOPA for us GA sorts and the magazine and training sessions they do every month are really good regardless of what you fly and many of them qualify for Wings credits.

I'll drop AOPA before I drop EAA.

The March/April ones are.

Panthers and Beyond
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, AT 7 P.M. CST
Presenters: Dan and Rachel Weseman | Homebuilders Webinar Series

How Mags Fail
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, AT 7 P.M. CST
Presenter: Mike Busch | Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit.

Bong: America’s Ace of Aces
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, AT 7 P.M. CST
Presenter: Chris Henry | Museum Webinar Series

Pushing Past TBO - Running your Rotax Engine "On Condition"
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, AT 7 P.M. CST
Presenter: Prof. H. Paul Shuch | Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit.

Rolling Fear Upside Down with Aerobatics
TUESDAY, MARCH 16, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Cecilia Aragon

Sling Aircraft Kits
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Mike Blyth

SNAGGED! Dealing with Defects Safely and Legally
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Sebastien Seykora | Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit.

Engine Care Items Every Pilot Should Know
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Bill Ross | Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit.

April Webinars
Wittman Tailwind & Buttercup
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Earl Luce | Homebuilders Webinar Series

How Risky is Maintenance
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Mike Busch | Qualifies for FAA WINGS and AMT credit.

The E-1 and the Pursuit of a Record
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Eileen Bjorkman | Museum Webinar Series

Canadian Airspace 101
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: Radek Wyrzykowski | Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit.

Flying Clubs – Getting Started
TUESDAY, APRIL 27, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenter: David Leiting

Flying Safe with BasicMed
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, AT 7 P.M. CDT
Presenters: Dr. Brent Blue and Tom Charpentier | Qualifies for FAA WINGS credit.
 
flyingron said:
The ACLU is particularly vindictive in trying to get you back. They even sell your information to other cause spams. I'll never make that mistake again. Ditto, with Jimmy Carter. They'll someday learn that you can't **** on your donors if you want them to stay.

I'm not going back to AOPA until they decide to start representing their membership rather than their own personal political empire building.
Click to expand...
They all sell it. The "arts" (e.g. Kennedy Center and the like) will also sell to dozens of other arts groups.
 
I won't get into the inevitable aopa bashing, but will say that the "renew now" "final notice" crap, while annoying, must work because EVERY membership organization uses it.

It's kind of like the car warranty calls... every one i know is ****ed of about it, but someone must be falling for it. I think i overestimate the intelligence of the general population because I avoid stupid people. I would think pilots as a group would be intelligent enough to use a different tactic, but maybe not...

I was an nra member for years until it was revealed Wayne Lapierre was using it as his personal piggy bank and blew up the organization when the board tried to oust him. The amount of mail they sent was staggering. Interestingly they must be in real disarray because when my membership lapsed during the kerfuffle I didn't hear a peep from them.
 
Paper... bandwidth... you guys have wasted more of my time bitching on this thread than i spent on junk mail in a month. My bad for not weeding out internet junk fast enough.
 
Stewartb said:
Paper... bandwidth... you guys have wasted more of my time bitching on this thread than i spent on junk mail in a month. My bad for not weeding out internet junk fast enough.
Click to expand...
I don't know about bitching, but for me it was cutting expenses. $60 here and there for magazines that go unread because of my busy schedule. AOPA, Flying, EAA, Smithsonian Air and Space all add up....
 
Yesterday’s mail I got from AOPA is the headset bag.
 
Everyone has their own priorities. Mine is helping to maintain some GA presence in government. I presume the anti-AOPA guys think if we stay quiet government will take care of us, given what a good job they’re doing. I just renewed. I don’t really care if guys support AOPA or don’t but these ***** threads telling us what they hate are a total waste of time. Tell us what you’re for. Change the world.
 
Jim K said:
I won't get into the inevitable aopa bashing, but will say that the "renew now" "final notice" crap, while annoying, must work because EVERY membership organization uses it.
Click to expand...

It says "you really WANT to belong to a group with your peers, don't you?"
 
wsuffa said:
It says "you really WANT to belong to a group with your peers, don't you?"
Click to expand...
I wouldn't join any organization that would have me as a member.

Years ago a friend gave me a brochure from the SPEBSQSA (now fortunately barbershop.org). It said membership was open to congenial gentlemen of good character. I pointed that this left me out three ways.
 
Just wait until you start getting all the AARP crap.*



*aimed at the youngsters on the board as most of us already get it.
 
MacFlier said:
<rant>
Why is that AOPA keeps sending me renewal notices several months prior to my annual expiration date?
My current membership expires on 12/31/2021 yet I have received 3 renewal notices already, starting in June... come on...
</rant>
Click to expand...
I think they want you on the automatic renewal and their stuff goes away.
 
Stewartb said:
I presume the anti-AOPA guys think if we stay quiet government will take care of us, given what a good job they’re doing.
Click to expand...

you presume wrong.
 
Daleandee said:
Got some of that (again) just a few days ago. Is there anything about them worth having?
Click to expand...

I'm not a member, but a very frugal buddy of mine is, and only because of the discounts he gets on certain things like hotel stays.
 
Deelee said:
I was considering joining EAA...

But honestly, I'm not sure if I get anything from any of these organizations. I didn't get anything from AOPA except a discount on insurance I don't have anymore (went with someone else cheaper/better).

does EAA have any benefit to a person who flies a certified airplane?
Click to expand...

Yes. EAA was integral in basic med, in the updated understanding of owner produced parts, in developing STC's for Auto Fuel, and for expediting the approval path (or maybe creating one) for things like Trutrak autopilots in certified aircraft.

AOPA mostly shouts at the rain then tells you how they prevented the rainstorm from turning to hail. See: ADSB and numerous airport closures.
 
kyleb said:
Yes. EAA was integral in basic med, in the updated understanding of owner produced parts, in developing STC's for Auto Fuel, and for expediting the approval path (or maybe creating one) for things like Trutrak autopilots in certified aircraft.

AOPA mostly shouts at the rain then tells you how they prevented the rainstorm from turning to hail. See: ADSB and numerous airport closures.
Click to expand...

I was an EAA member and gave it up a few years ago when the whole Hightower nightmare was going on.

Not sure the current course is correctly on track but it does appear to me that EAA is more focused on the needs of us homebuilders and experimental aircraft owners than AOPA is. Neither one is a complete answer but as another noted, I do like to support those that support us.
 
Daleandee said:
I was an EAA member and gave it up a few years ago when the whole Hightower nightmare was going on.
Click to expand...

Hightower. What an odd choice to lead EAA. After his reign turned ugly, we collected proxies at the 2012 convention and presented them at the annual meeting with the intent of getting someone on the board who wasn't hand picked by the existing board. We didn't have enough proxies to make it happen, but there were a ton of volunteers from all up and down the convention volunteer organizations who showed up at the annual meeting to support the effort. Most were wearing their volunteer garb. It was a pretty powerful message. At the same meeting, several members took the microphone when the floor was opened for member comments. The comments were very unfavorable towards Hightower. He left that October.
 
I'm thinking of this being the last year for AOPA for myself . . .I've been an EAA member for 40 years. They have done more for my end of the aviation spectrum than the AOPA. I think the EAA is as active, if not more so, than AOPA in lobbying for GA. The expense of AOPA membership is starting to outpace the benefit. Autorenewal doesn't stop the AOPA junk mail. At least the EAA went to bat for the RC hobby when the FAA pushed into that field this past year.
 
I don’t have an AOPA membership because the organization is far too self serving. The AOPA Air Safety Institute has always had it together and I donate what would be my annual dues to them.
 
EAA member discount tickets for Osh is reason enough for me.

These organizations should have a “do not bother me” level of membership that costs more than the regular membership. Then everyone is happy and they save money in paper, postage, drafting, etc.
 
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