membership

[The Mechanic]

I cannot find a definition of the term "unwaged" in respect of membership on the main boards. There is one on the forum.

...Unwaged means someone who's currently receiving income support. So yes, it could mean someone who's currently unemployed, or perhaps somebody that's receiving incapacity benefit. ...

Clearly it's not intended to include "unwaged" Company Directors who receive income by way of Share Dividend rather than wages, thereby avoiding income tax; nor the Cameron's who were offered their family membership for free.

I'd hasten to add that I'd not blame anybody who took advantage of this bit of daftness.

I'd blame whoever was daft enough not to include a definition of "unwaged" on the application form.

You can't avoid income tax on dividends. They are taxed at source at the basic rate and you them declare them on your tax return and pay any additional tax if required.

[R_nger]

You can't avoid income tax on dividends. They are taxed at source at the basic rate and you them declare them on your tax return and pay any additional tax if required.

Basic rate is 20%. The page below suggests 10%, or 32.5% if you're lucky enough to earn a dividend over 150K, and I guess NI doesn't get paid on this ?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/taxes/taxonsavingsandinvestments/dg_4016453

[roblever]

I enquired about the legal service provided by CTC after I smashed my hip in a pot hole accident. Was told if I joined for 5 years RJW would handle my claim so I did. And then RJW told me they woudnt ! I had been a member for 10 years in my 20s and 30s Im now 60
So dont think you will get cover automatically.
And Iv been told I will get my £156 back but for the last 6 months and after several letters and emails have heard nothing since
And an email to Kevin Mayne following the CTC link in their complaint procedure has just been returned advising he has left - so even the web site is out of date !

I would just ask CTC to get organised and provide a basic service well which I am sure they can

So can I ask a moderator to pass this on to the appropriate department ?

Robert Lever

[thirdcrank]

I enquired about the legal service provided by CTC after I smashed my hip in a pot hole accident. Was told if I joined for 5 years RJW would handle my claim so I did. And then RJW told me they woudnt

I'd heard about the "join up for five years" thing before, but I'd never come across an actual case of it happening.

All that this "bargain" offers is access to the solicitors via the CTC rather than as a member of the public, where the legal representation should be of the same standard, just that the initial funding would be different.

What's probably been the problem here is that it was a pothole case. These are particularly difficult to win because of the special defence available to the highway authority. The whole point about the no win, no fee type of representation (whether or not somebody is a member of the CTC) is that the lawyer has to believe the case is winnable before proceeding and that's frequently not the case with pothole claims.

I'll leave comment on the standard of "service" to others.

[roblever]

Surely if CTC use one Solicitor this company should have more experience of handling cycling injury claims in general and pot hole claims in particular - even if this has been gained solely from an increased number of referrals - and if this benefit of membership is no better than the legal representation available elsewhere then should this be advertised as a membership benefit ?
My other point was that my request for the promised refund seems lost in a black hole within the CTC - So where does all my correspondence go to and what else goes unanswered?

[thirdcrank]

roblever

Part of the expertise of a good solicitor is knowing when to advise that a case would be unlikely to succeed. IMO there has been some sort of misunderstanding when the five year membership offer was made to you. From your earlier post, you were lead to believe that it would mean your case would be purused, when all it could ever mean was that RJW would look at it and then, based on its chances of success might pursue it.

The rest of your post is not for me to answer, although I wonder if a personal letter to the new Director might attract some attention.

[iron legs]

Just caught this thread. I have to agree with some of the earlier posts about the CTC from disillusioned members. Current 'Cycle' magazine does not compare well with club magazine when I joined and like other correspondents, I don't even bother to read it anymore. I will not be renewing my membership.

The new 'Local' section of the website is interesting, as the paucity of information about cycling related activity for Northern Ireland (should read Belfast D.A.) at last honestly reflected, will put a spotlight on and present the challenge to justify the tag 'National Cycling Organization', particularly if the level of activity/schemes in the 6 counties outside Belfast for the past 27 years is anything to go on. Sustrans seems to have done a lot more to promote cycling outside Belfast than the CTC and were first to get involved in contesting the compulsory cycle helmet legislation.

Don't believe £39 membership fee was value for money, nor do I believe the increase to £41 (at the last AGM) in these tough economic conditions represents any better value and I suspect the CTC will keep coming back at frequent intervals to hike the membership fee further. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this new charity.

[Velocio]

I received a letter from the CTC yesterday saying my existing method of paying my CTC subs is no longer available. No reason given!

I could either contact the Membership Dept or renew my membership on line.

I try online and am told:

You have no memberships that need payment at this time

Notes:

1) If you are a direct debit payer you will see a message above saying that there are no payments due. If this is the case you do not need to do anything and your payment will be taken automatically on or around your renewal date as in previous years.

...confused...! ...you bet!

I contact the Membership Dept and am told I can no longer pay my Family membership by direct debit in 12 monthly instalments and will have an annual membership taken out of my bank account next month in one hit! I am not pleased. I did not agree to this. I tell the CTC rep that if my mortgage, electricity, gas etc direct debit payments were dealt with similarly I would go 'under'...!

Not a happy member and do not like CTC's overbearing stance in this matter

...I continually hear ...'do they want members?' ...we are considering our position

[Velocio]

Further to your telephone call yesterday, I can confirm that CTC are no longer able to provide monthly Direct Debit membership types. You currently hold a Monthly Family membership. This is due for renewal on 1.10.2012 and the cost for the annual renewal is £££.

The letter you received recently was to advise members who have a Direct Debit set up for monthly installments to contact the membership department in order for us to change the membership to annual renewal. This is a decision made by head office and not the membership department and if you have a concerns regarding this, then you can contact them directly on 0844 736 8450 or I would be happy to forward any comments on to them on your behalf.

I have changed your membership for annual renewal and can confirm that we will debit £££ on 1.10.2012. Renewal will be on an annual basis thereafter and you will receive a confirmation renewal letter each year with your new membership card. If you would like to make any changes to your payment method or membership, please contact the membership department as soon as possible on the number quoted below.

I am sorry for any confusion caused with regard the message you received when checking your membership online. I understand it advised you that there was no membership due for renewal. This was because your membership is still set to the monthly Direct Debit payment plan. However, it is still necessary that you contact the membership department as it is not possible to change this online.

I hope this information is helpful and I look forward to hearing from you regarding the renewal of your membership.

Kind regards
Michael Dunsdon
Membership Advisor
Phone: 0844 736 8451

[Velocio]

The CTC is my club. You work for me.

The tone of your message is one of an organisation which does not value it’s members and has become detached, authoritarian and bureaucratic.

My wife and I have decided regrettably to leave the CTC

Please do NOT renew our membership

[meic]

You had better contact your bank and cancel the direct debit to make sure the money isnt debited automatically by a system that can not cope with this situation.

It may well be that this new system does not start until October, it could still be possible to join this month as a monthly direct debit member (at the cheaper 2011/12 rate than you would pay in October) and it lasts for 12 months from the day you start.

Though I imagine you are now too annoyed to bother.

[cardiac]

No renewal for me either after many years as a member, in my view the Cycle Touring Club no longer exists.
Many thanks for the last few years.

[Si]

There _may_ be very good reasons why they can no longer offer monthly DD, but I have to agree, based upon your description of your dealings with them, the way that they have handled it is very disappointing. One would have hoped that any such change would have been communicated to the members concerned in a clear and concise way, giving a full explanation of why such changes were required, and putting the ball into the member's court as to what they would like to do rather than just going ahead and making changes that could easily see people going into the red on their accounts and thus incurring excessive bank charges.

Velocio, your decision to depart from the CTC is understandable but I'd urge you to make an official complaint* to National Office or to your local Councillor before you go so that someone learns from this incident.

* I say 'official complaint' not because I want to get anyone into trouble, but because sadly we have seen before now that the only membership issues that seem to filter up to the top level are those that are made known by the official complaints procedure....in the past, all of those people who have made some sort of complaint about membership issues on the forum haven't necessarily been noticed by National Office, who have assumed that everything is tickerty-boo according to the incident stats.

[Velocio]

...a very nice man from the CTC ...apologies I didn't catch his name ...has rung me

We discussed how the CTC is becoming more 'corporate' ...and more of a 'business' ...and sadly becoming more remote from its membership ...especially with actions like those referred to above

He says that the Club's executive committee are meeting this afternoon and he will bring our concerns up

He says that we are still members should we wish to reconsider by 1st October

We shall see

[Velocio]

...the very nice man from the CTC ...is called Tim ...and he has contacted me ...twice ...to offer sincere apologies for the way I had been treated by their 'outsourced' membership staff

...after much consideration ...soul-searching ...forgiveness ...and appreciative gentle persuasion from Tim ...I decided to renew my membership with the CTC

WELCOME BACK!