RE: AMA Video scheme
I also recieved this free DVD, and like others who posted here,
I was initally confused by the wording of the invoices that followed.
The issue is that the wording is deliberately intended to confuse the
reader into thinking that they are deliquent in their payment.
First, you get the DVD and medallion in the box with no accompanying
description of what it is, and you think "cool, a free DVD". Then, after
you break the shrink wrap and watch it a few times, an invoice arrives
and you think, "Crap, i didn't realize I had to pay for it, and now it's a
used DVD. Guess I can't return it so I'll just send in the 9 bucks."
The invoice has the phrases:
"we were suprised when your name came up on the "No Response" list"
"please send your member reply form and payment in the enclosed envelop, or return the DVD"
"If you have already mailed your payment or returned the DVD - thank you - we must have crossed in the mail"
Which naturally lends the reader to think that they are overdue for payment.
It's not until the fourth paragraph (2/3rds down the page) that you read the
words "because you didn't ask for this special DVD, you don't have to
participate or send it back and you could consider it as a free gift". Granted,
the words are there telling you its a free gift, but by the time you get to them,
you've read all about how you're late on your payment, and you begin to
wonder if you've mistunderstood something about this "free gift".
The problem with this scheme is that it targets honest (if not legal-savy)
people who just want to do the right thing and pay their bills on time.
This sort of tactic can quite often be found in your everyday junk mail,
but like pt40crasher, I was also bothered that an organization that I pay
yearly dues to would try to market products to me in what i consider to be
a dishonest practice. This sort of marketing weakens support for the AMA
at a time when it needs increased support. I genuinely have less trust in
the AMA as a result of this scheme.
My bottom line
The free DVD is wonderful, and I'm sure the other volumes are of the
same quality, but I was immediately turned off by the offer as a matter
of principle. If instead, they would have approached me with a more
straight-forward offer to accompany the DVD, I would have been much
more inclined to buy more of them based on the quality of the first DVD.
Why just not send the free DVD, then just make the simple point that
"this one is yours to keep free. And included is our catalogue if you want
to buy more of them". That's the standard approach to sell things right?
Why would Tom Schwyn, Marketing Director for AMA, try instead to sell
these DVDs in sucha confusing and convulted way? The answer is clear:
he was was trying to intentionally confuse AMA members into thinking that
they were wrongfully in debt to the non-profit organization that
protects their sport. Any decent member under that impression would
of course do the right thing.