mvigod

Anybody get the new AMA Ultimate Model Video Volume I? Just came in my mail today.

tail strike

My Feedback: (1)

No i didn't know AMA sent out videos[sm=surprised.gif]

mvigod

They didn't until now. They sent a letter with it. Seems like a Columbia House sort of thing where you can get each new DVD or send it back if you don't want it. The first DVD is free though.

J_R

It has been discussed here before. The EC approved the affinty program months ago. The first DVD's were also recieved a couple of months ago. A small number (15,000 IIRC) were being sent in the first round to gauge the market.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Vide...2388491/tm.htm

BCoston

My Feedback: (7)

Actually, my letter requires you to send the AMA $9.00 if you decide to keep it.

GAP-RCU

Brian, read your letter again carefully, line by line. I was among the first round to receive a DVD a few months back. Buried in the text was a statement to the effect that "since I didn't ask for it, I could take no action and keep the DVD." I just received a follow-up letter a few weeks ago and it said the same thing. I haven't sent a dime, and don't plan to.

Gary

BCoston

My Feedback: (7)

Gary,

You are right, the letter states in the second paragraph to send $9.00 if you like the DVD and want to keep it, then again in paragraph 5 it says to send in $9.00 if you like it. Buried in paragraph 6 it states that "...you didn't ask for this special DVD, you don't have to participate or send it back and you could consider it a free gift, but returning it will give another member the same opportunity".

Even though I don't like some things the AMA does I will send $9.00 back because it seems to be a pretty good video and I would like to continue getting the videos and return the ones I do not like.

PiedmontQC

How much will the future DVD's cost? I liked the first one, but if
the next one is $39.99 or something I'd rather spend the money
on glow fuel.

mvigod

I think just 9 bux each it said

CrashBurn69

My Feedback: (1)

I got mine. It was pretty good, but seemed like some of the material was dated in video, and I am wondering if JR helped pay for it. Just about every thing I seen was JR from transmitters to stickers on the planes. I really liked the extras segments and the fact that they tried to include a little something for everyone on it. I am curious will the future DVD's have such a cross section of material or will they be more focused on one or two subjects? And the P-51 medalion was a nice touch also. I wonder if you purchase so many of these, and they have more medalions, will you get a free holder for them? I just hated trying to explane to my wife that I had not ordered it over the internet.

beachflier

I just got mine and I do not plan on sending any $$. This looks like a scam. How many will just automatically send the 9 bucks because they think they order it?

They do not tell you the cost of the next volume but I would guess it will be more than 9 bucks. I thinks this is a waste of the AMA's (read our) money. I think it is fine that they may offer these but should not automatically send these out. You have the cost of making the DVD's and shipping and all involved with getting these out. I feel we as AMA members loose out with things like this. Just another reason for our dues to go up.[:@]

J_R

Yes, isn't it nice that the progam costs the AMA nothing. The costs are borne by the company sending the disks. The AMA gets some of the proceeds, though. Apparently, at least some of the membership see some value in it, but, it is left to you do decide if it has value to you.

Neat, huh?

J_R

While I am on the subject, the AMA has a similar program with U.S. Bancorp for Visa credit cards. Apparently, some members also find this of value.

It's all like money from home.

Perhaps the EC will see fit to put some of it toward scholarships and some toward the general budegt. In any case, these programs cost the membership nothing, with the potential to offset some expenses.

beachflier

J R,

How do you know that this is not costing the membership anything?

J_R

First, from the July 2004 EC minutes. Secondly, from asking questions of AMA leaders.

Taken from the minutes:

T. Schwyn has been working with various groups offering affinity programs. Of the proposals he has reviewed, he thought the TN proposal would produce the most favorable results and not cost the Academy anything to participate. A handout was offered and a brief presentation given. Schwyn did visit the facility in Minneapolis/St. Paul area and found it to be very professional. Schwyn proposes that AMA proceed to the sampling stage of the program.
When asked who owns the copyright to the DVDs/tapes/books of the product, Schwyn thought TN would hold it for the first 18 months after which the AMA would own it. He would however, get confirmation of this. The members would be contacted and asked if they would like to receive this product; only those who choose to would receive it. AMA would not give up any rights to the membership list and they only have access to the database if AMA allows. As far as content, AMA has full input over the content and the right of refusal of any content. AMA would insist that mailings be done through a third party mailing house; T. Schwyn thought TN would be agreeable to this. Length of the sampling video would be around 10-20 minutes with the full production video being anywhere from 45 minutes to one and one half hours. Average price for production per piece is $17.00-$19.95. If AMA chooses, the video would contain trailers leading individuals not already AMA members to the organization. TN would look for direction from AMA in marketing to those outside the existing membership.
T. Schwyn will develop a plan to market this video to the general masses in an effort to generate interest and membership in AMA. A straw poll of Council showed that T. Schwyn should proceed with the project.

beachflier

J R,

Thanks for the quick response. In your response you indicated the following.

I am not aware of anyone contacting me to see if I wanted to receive this mailing.

I still feel this is in very poor taste to subject the members to unsolicited mailings that may cost some members $$ because they did not understand that they don't have to send in the money for the DVD.

J_R

You have your opinion and I have mine, relative to unsolicited offers. I hold a different opinion than you do, but, certainly, each individual views these things differently. If the producer of the video, or the Visa card company wants to invest their money in a effort to make a profit, while at the same time, providing what some believe is a service to the membership, AND the AMA stands to benefit (without cost), I view it as capitalism at it’s best.

If the AMA were to allow uncontrolled use of the membership list, I would be among the first complaining.

I guess I am from the old school. I also believe it is up to the individual to read any written offer they have an interest in, from anyone, and not make rash decisions. I get enough unsolicited e-mail and snail mail to realize that if an offer appears to good to be true, it probably is, and I look for the fine print... if I have any interest at all. Unfortunately, some do not.

The credit card program is more mature. It is bringing in a substantial number of dollars. It’s likely the video program will do likewise. If enough of these revenue generators can be found, it may well affect our dues in a positive way. That is something I am for.

To put it another way, if an individual can not read the offer and understand it, do you want to be standing next to that individual when he has a new r/c unit in his hands?

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

To look at the other side of the coin though... most of use receive so much junk mail that if we spent the time to read and understand all of it (rather than just tossing it in the trash after a 2 second glance), then it would take an hour or more per day to do so. Scumbags (aka direct marketing people) understand this, and often deliberately design their approach to make it such that a casual glance gives a much different impression than you get when you waste 5 minutes reading through the fine-print. They know that a non-trivial number of people will be caught off gaurd by their tactics. The fact that not everyone chooses to waste that 5 minutes does not in any way detract from the fact that the approach is often deliberately deceitful and IMO shows such people to be of a lower lifeform than pondscum.

You made a comparison to the folks sending out unsolicited credit cards ... I get about 8 or 10 of those per week, yet I've never seen even one that attempts to dupe people by saying things like "You must either send this card back to us, or send us money", with just some small-print later on that says "actually we lied - you don't have to do either of the options we told you about earlier, but we were hoping you wouldn't read this far and would just send us the money instead".

Where you see "capitalism at its best" I see "capitalism at its worst" - where no form of deceit is too low for people who hope to dupe others out of their money.

Gordon

J_R

Hi Gordon

Well, we agree on one thing. Most of it gets to the trash in less than 2 seconds.

I guess I still have some faith that if something comes identified as being from the AMA, I will give it that second look. I have not recieved a disk. I THINK if I did, and it was identified as something from the AMA I would read the contents.

At the same time, it might have been a good idea if the AMA had at least printed something in MA about the offers. I suspect, now that Don Koranda is ED, we will see better communication with the membership.

Hope springs eternal

Live Wire

After reading Don's article's in MA it looks like he may have the right idea's. We can wait and see what happens and give the man a chance! We need some new in put and he may be in line. As far as communications we will still be kept in the dark.
edit
and as far as the vid, what vid??? these offers only go to high $$$$$ members

J_R

I guess it’s time to try and get this straight. One poster felt that the AMA should not spend money on this, and it would raise the dues. Another felt that a few might get sucked in and not read the material that accompanied the offer. And finally, we have your opinion that only the high dollar AMA members are getting the offer.

I suppose that you have drawn the conclusion that only the Turbine Waiver Holders, Life Members, and FAI guys (probably the only subgroups the AMA knows the memberships of) are suckers, or you are in disagreement with Gordon.

Seems “damned if you do and damned of you don’t” might well be the operative phrase.

I am beginning to wonder if the AMA was free, supplied flying sites in every community, and provided fuel to each member, if there would not be those that would complain that they should supply the aircraft as well.

Hossfly

Hey, I'm gonna' kick and scream if all life-members don't get one!! Maybe 2!! They musta' done passed me over!! Drats!

That's right, a chicken in every pot, and that airplane better be my favorite colors and the retracts better be properly installed for rough landings.!! [>:]

By Gar we gonna' get this socialist order straight once and fer all!

J_R

Gordon

Wasn't it you that made a dozen or so posts, with reference to shoot downs, with this statement as their central theme?
Do you see any disconnect in the logic of your opinion in this thread with that statement? Or... do you believe people should be responsible for their actions only when it involves something near and dear to you?

Gordon Mc

My Feedback: (11)

Sorry JR, but I don't see any disconnect at all. Seems to me that for there to be any realistic analogy here:
(a) people would have to choose to receive unsolicited crap in the mail (which is an oxymoron), just as they choose to switch on their TX, and
(b) TXs would have to be deliberately designed to try to confuse and/or deceive users as to whether they are switched on or not, or some company that the AMA hooked up with would need to start mailing unsolicited transmitters to people, and when those people opened the box to see what had been sent to them they found a TX that was turned on and a note that said "This TX is on - you probably just shot someone down, so you need to send us $xxx to pay for the damage you did...", etc

Gordon

P-51B

My Feedback: (5)

Well,

I got this DVD in the mail last night. I put it in and watched it. Here are my impressions;

1. Could they make a worse choice for narrator?
2. The segments are disjointed, meaning there is no flow and the narrator doesn't expain his purpose clearly for each segment.
3. The instructional segments are VERY lacking. I could follow along because I am an experienced modeler, I newbie could get lost and confused easily.
4. Was that packing string he used to hold the SE in place during the "engine tuning" segment?
5. JR logo was very clearly displayed, but no others. (Take a look at the battery segment)
6. Did it ever explain what the AMA is or how to join? Must have missed that.
7. The flying sequences were nice...except maybe for the A-10 that seemed to have problems flying level...and landing.
8. It isn't worth the $9.00 bucks
9. Can't imagine signing up for more of them.
10. The little P-51 coin should be useful for deciding things at the field!
11. Could they make a worse choice for narrator?