Should a membership fee be implemented?

Discussion in 'Board Supporters' started by GS-XNR, Apr 5, 2007.

?

Are you in favor of an annual membership fee?

  1. Are you in favor of a $5.00 annual fee?

    42.7%
  2. Should extra services be offered to paid up members?

    14.1%
  3. This site should be free.

    51.5%
Multiple votes are allowed.
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  1. GS-XNR

    GS-XNR Well-Known Member

    Hi Everyone,
    We have gone through an interesting time this week with the implementation and then discontinuation of "paid classifieds". There have been many suggestions to cover operating costs. The one I like best is to have a small annual fee charged when you log on for the first time each year. By being a paid up member certain privileges could be afforded such as for sale ads. So the poll is:
    Are you in favor of an annual membership fee? Yes or No

    Would you pay $5.00 per year to be a member? Yes or No

    What privileges would you like to see afforded to only paid up members? Write in response.
     
  2. pooods

    pooods Well-Known Member

    I pay much more than $5 so of course I am fine with the fee. I would much rather see a fee than ads streaming all over the place. I hate ads on websites!
     
  3. dsherw00d

    dsherw00d Well-Known Member

    I'm new to this site, but I pay yearly memberships at other similiar sites. I pay $25/year at one site and they send you a t-shirt with selected members rides - kind of cool and gets the word out.

    I'm in for whatever keeps the site up, active, and maintains the quality.

    -Dan
     
  4. GS-XNR

    GS-XNR Well-Known Member

    Sorry about question #2 in the poll. I've never posted a poll before so I didn't know how the results would look. If you have any suggestions for "member only" services just reply with your suggestions.
    Thanks and sorry! :Dou:
    Harvey
     
  5. Truzi

    Truzi Perpetual Student

    I like free (b/c I'm broke), and I like the concept of a "free" exchange of information.

    But I also like the t-shirt idea. Actually, many free programs on the web do this to raise money. For Christmas I was given a Firefox T-shirt.

    It raises money, and people feel they are getting an object in return... plus there is the advertising aspect.
     
  6. GlenL

    GlenL I'm out in the garage

    Similar sites get funding from "site sponsors."

    Besides Buick specialists companies like Summit, Jegs, PartsAmerica.com, TireRack and so on would each pony up for a clickable ad.

    I've got about 130 car related vendors in the my bookmarks. Granted some have no interest in Buicks, but for those that do this site has a lot of guys that work on their cars and spend good $$$ doing it.
     
  7. bladerunner

    bladerunner Well-Known Member

    I think we all might have $5.00 of change in our cars, couches and jars in our houses. Hell you can't even buy a value meal for $5 anymore. I say charge the fee and keep the site the same, anyone who pays the fee can access the extra stuff, everyone else is read only. The days of sites like this on internet being free are long gone, five bucks is not unreasonable. Question would the access thing cause a major administrative nightmare, or could this be automated?

    I am not rich, but this is one of the site I visit daily and can not live without, so I have no problem paying. We also can still ask others to pay more, I know there are a lot of generous buick guys out there who just want to see the hobby live on.

    If I had to give up for example my Hemmings subscription, or this site, Hemmings would loose (Sorry Guys). Enough:Comp:
     
  8. cjp69

    cjp69 Gold Level Contributor

    One thing you could do, which plays along Jim's idea of charging for ads, is charge a membership fee of $5 per year for access to the "How much is the doggy in the window" section of the board. So it would be free to surf for information and post threads anywhere else on the board, and the "how much....." section would be hidden, only could be seen by "members" who paid their $5. If you didn't want to sell or buy cars or parts, you wouldn't need access to that section anyway. But if you did, $5 per year (or more) is nothing to pay for that.
     
  9. 68 Skylark cust

    68 Skylark cust French Canadian Member

    The key is the numbers , fee has to remains low to get at least 1100 peoples(at 5$) . If the fees goes more than that , people gonna get tired of paying here and there where you usually not have to . If every board start collecting money the smaller ones will disappears sooner than later . I allready gave more than that but I'm not sure if I'd pay 5+5+5+5+5+...... for other boards/website . I like Chris' idea :TU:
     
  10. 70aqua_custom

    70aqua_custom Well-Known Member

    I don't know and its clearly none of my business but a small fee seems reasonable. I spend a lot of time here and have learned and located things in seconds that would have taken years if ever. Obviously, the internet itself is what enables this but web hosting is not free and I'd rather pay a few bucks than see ads on a site I go to every day.
     
  11. MikeM

    MikeM Mississippi Buicks

    No. But a lot more people should donate.
     
  12. skylarkroost

    skylarkroost skylarkroost

    I agree with Mike. Out of the multitudes of members shown to be registered you would think at least 2000 of us would buck up and keep her afloat. Where else can you get the amount of info available here?? :Do No:
     
  13. Sturmgewehr

    Sturmgewehr Well-Known Member

    I agree with Mike on this---FREE encourages more participation and a better
    exchange of info,which is where the board really gets the job done!! That
    being said a contribution is nice to ensure the board can remain open. I finally
    got around to a donation:eek: after being here well OVER a year:eek: again. I
    would NOT have a 4spd car IF THIS BOARD WAS NOT AVAILABLE! Pete Gross
    (Sturmgewehr)
     
  14. abodybill

    abodybill Well-Known Member

    Just click on the donate at the top of the page it's easy.
     
  15. ssw

    ssw Well-Known Member

    I am fine with paying a small fee for access to this board. I try to remember to send a donation every year. It is not a $ issue, it is mostly forgetting.

    A thought; maybe the moderators can tell who are the top 1,000 or so users who log on and send them a yearly request for a donation.
     
  16. ss4825

    ss4825 Well-Known Member

    I like the fee over the ads and paid classifieds.
     
  17. GS-XNR

    GS-XNR Well-Known Member

    Interesting info Jim posted in another thread:

    60 Contributors now (April 3/07)

    $2956.82 In total contributions


    60 people supporting 15,000 members.
     
  18. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    i think that out of 15000 only 60 or so donate? thats some poor percentages
    although i dont donate every year i donate more than 5 bucks
    i have learned much here and would like to see it continue without being
    a fee but if thats what need to be then

    it could be worse , full of ads and pop ups for mortgage rates!!:spank:
    :idea2: ??
     
  19. bellaero

    bellaero Active Member

    I think a memebership fee is long overdue. For all the help and tips that I've recieved since becoming a member, sign me up. I don't know if paid up members should recieve anything addtional. Just having this resource at our disposal is payment enough. Thanks................
     
  20. gashog

    gashog GasHog

    I put up a funny link for a $7000 gs basketcase as a joke,and I got a private meessage telling me the add was removed for failure of payment of the fee?
    Sounds pretty cheesy to me.
    :spank: :spank: :spank:
     
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