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Hands up if you received the OCK renewal email today.
Yeah, so did I. And it is SO FULL OF SHIT. This whole scheme is nothing but a rip-off. They're basically telling us that giving them more money over a longer period of time, and getting all our friends to give them (note: NOT THE BAND OR THE LABEL - THE FAN CLUB) money is what makes us the worthiest fans. Well, I call shenanigans and decided to haul them up on their bullshit.
Hey guys! So check it...
Overcast Kids is extending your chance to upgrade your status another 2
months as you know we have been trying something new by implementing
tiered membership levels. We’ve got Gold (new members), Platinum, and
Diamond status. Now I’m sure some of you are kinda bummed out because you
feel like you’re not going to get a chance to do cool stuff if you’re only
at the gold level – but don’t be!!!
Here’s why:
We (meaning myself, artist arena AND the FOB dudes) decided to break
memberships up into these different levels to protect not just the oldest
OCKs, but to protect ALL OCKs!! And the way we have it set up is so that
EVERYONE has a chance to move up the ranks to Platinum or Diamond status.
There are two ways to do this:
1. sort of like high school, every year you renew your membership, you
will automatically be bumped up a level. Just like you’re graduating from
freshman to sophomore year.
2. want to move up quicker? We’ve set up a program where you can refer
your friends/family/teachers (wait, no.. That would be kind of creepy) to
OCK. You will get credit every time you refer someone who signs up, and
after 10 credits, you get bumped up a rank! See, it ain’t so bad. There’s
tons of prizes and cool opportunities to go around for everyone, and I
promise that everyone will get a chance to take part in them!
Until the next time....
Xo danielle
My response:
I actually panic-bought my membership renewal a few months ago and was charged an extortionate amount of postage for an appallingly poor-quality bandana and a pathetic, out of focus re-printed photograph from years and years ago. You couldn't even be bothered to have it signed. From what I recall, I was charged $20 or so (almost as much as the membership) for postage and packing for an envelope that had $4.50 on the front. What did the rest of the money go on? Because it sure as hell wasn't the rest of that rubbish you sent in it. I guess the only option left is that it's a quick way of profiteering from the fans even more. Given the choice, you could have kept the cheap tat and I would have kept my postage.
The majority of fans I know gave up their memberships because of the new tiered scheme and I wish I hadn't bothered myself. It's a rip-off and I'm guessing this is why you've had to extend your offer period. The fact that you're now playing the, "Oh, but the band think it's cool" card to win the rest of the fans over is actually pretty insulting and makes me question whether they either a) really understand what you're doing or b) if they are more concerned about ripping off the kids than I ever expected.
What you provide for this money is pitiful. A website with content which is always leaked within a day of it being posted and the remote possibility that you might, one day, get 30 seconds across a table with the band? You don't even allow individual pictures anymore! Is that the best that can be done? Do you really think that this kind of clap-trap doesn't go unnoticed? It's even worse for the people outside of the US. We don't even have the option of being involved in the flyaways and videos and yet we still pay the same amount.
This entire concept and email smacks of desperation. It's unprofessionally, inarticulately written and offensive to anyone with any intelligence (do I need to remind you that not all of the band's fans are under fifteen?). You are actually implying that the 'best' fans are the ones who can con friends into spending money on your company, rather than the ones who will actually get their friends to go to concerts, buy the actual records and support them in the way a band should be supported. That's frankly disgusting.
I really hope that the band aren't involved the way you say they are, because I will have lost a lot of respect for them. I've certainly lost all respect for the Overcast Kids as an organisation and won't be renewing next year. Not unless something sincere is done to rectify the absolute crap we're being palmed off with at the moment.
I have worked in Business Development (Customer Service and Marketing) as an account manager for years and I'm actually starting to wonder if you have a single individual experienced in either field employed to work on this. If you do, I strongly suggest you show them the door and find a replacement, or this whole ship is going to sink pretty fast.
Sincerely,
Rosie.
----
If you're an OCK who got the email and is as pissed off as some of us are, don't just take it - TELL THEM SO. They are only going to get away with this is we let them. The fact that they're using the boys and saying they're all for it to make people think it's okay isn't okay.
What they give us for our money - especially non-Americans - is absolutely shit and they're going to keep on ripping us off because they can and we'll take it.
Don't just sit there complaining to your friends - say something to the people who need to hear it.
Edit:
I'm only giving you this link because there isn't room to post the whole thing in the Question field:
http://icedmaple.livejournal.com/325605.html
Are you seriously supporting this? From the point of view of someone with a lot of years' experience in customer service and marketing, this is an insult to your fans and really poor PR. Do you seriously want the fans thinking that you guys are encouraging the fanclub to rip them off and sell you for what amounts to prizes? It's telling people that the most worthy fans are the ones who can get their friends to spend money on the fanclub, rather than being able to get people to shows or buy the records.
Come ON, dude. That isn't the band I fell in love with. The quality of the stuff they send us is so low I'd rather they kept it and saved me the extortionate postage anyway.
Can you really encourage people to shell out for this when you guys aren't even touring and there are no meet and greets to go to (which we all know is the main pull of the fanclub anyway - because overseas fans can't even be included in flyaways)?
I want to believe in you guys' credibility but this kind of casting you in a bad light right now.
Say it ain't so...
---
Edit 2: This is from my credit card statement - copied and pasted:
16 Apr 2008 ARTIST ARENA LLC - £25.89
Bearing in mind that the dollar is routinely equivalent to just under half the pound. That means they charged me around $50 for my membership, which should cost $29.24 (and that is all they sent me a receipt for). The other $20 was just postage on something that cost them $4.50 to send me. Julie will confirm this - she was here when I received the envelope (yep, envelope).
Yeah, so did I. And it is SO FULL OF SHIT. This whole scheme is nothing but a rip-off. They're basically telling us that giving them more money over a longer period of time, and getting all our friends to give them (note: NOT THE BAND OR THE LABEL - THE FAN CLUB) money is what makes us the worthiest fans. Well, I call shenanigans and decided to haul them up on their bullshit.
Hey guys! So check it...
Overcast Kids is extending your chance to upgrade your status another 2
months as you know we have been trying something new by implementing
tiered membership levels. We’ve got Gold (new members), Platinum, and
Diamond status. Now I’m sure some of you are kinda bummed out because you
feel like you’re not going to get a chance to do cool stuff if you’re only
at the gold level – but don’t be!!!
Here’s why:
We (meaning myself, artist arena AND the FOB dudes) decided to break
memberships up into these different levels to protect not just the oldest
OCKs, but to protect ALL OCKs!! And the way we have it set up is so that
EVERYONE has a chance to move up the ranks to Platinum or Diamond status.
There are two ways to do this:
1. sort of like high school, every year you renew your membership, you
will automatically be bumped up a level. Just like you’re graduating from
freshman to sophomore year.
2. want to move up quicker? We’ve set up a program where you can refer
your friends/family/teachers (wait, no.. That would be kind of creepy) to
OCK. You will get credit every time you refer someone who signs up, and
after 10 credits, you get bumped up a rank! See, it ain’t so bad. There’s
tons of prizes and cool opportunities to go around for everyone, and I
promise that everyone will get a chance to take part in them!
Until the next time....
Xo danielle
My response:
I actually panic-bought my membership renewal a few months ago and was charged an extortionate amount of postage for an appallingly poor-quality bandana and a pathetic, out of focus re-printed photograph from years and years ago. You couldn't even be bothered to have it signed. From what I recall, I was charged $20 or so (almost as much as the membership) for postage and packing for an envelope that had $4.50 on the front. What did the rest of the money go on? Because it sure as hell wasn't the rest of that rubbish you sent in it. I guess the only option left is that it's a quick way of profiteering from the fans even more. Given the choice, you could have kept the cheap tat and I would have kept my postage.
The majority of fans I know gave up their memberships because of the new tiered scheme and I wish I hadn't bothered myself. It's a rip-off and I'm guessing this is why you've had to extend your offer period. The fact that you're now playing the, "Oh, but the band think it's cool" card to win the rest of the fans over is actually pretty insulting and makes me question whether they either a) really understand what you're doing or b) if they are more concerned about ripping off the kids than I ever expected.
What you provide for this money is pitiful. A website with content which is always leaked within a day of it being posted and the remote possibility that you might, one day, get 30 seconds across a table with the band? You don't even allow individual pictures anymore! Is that the best that can be done? Do you really think that this kind of clap-trap doesn't go unnoticed? It's even worse for the people outside of the US. We don't even have the option of being involved in the flyaways and videos and yet we still pay the same amount.
This entire concept and email smacks of desperation. It's unprofessionally, inarticulately written and offensive to anyone with any intelligence (do I need to remind you that not all of the band's fans are under fifteen?). You are actually implying that the 'best' fans are the ones who can con friends into spending money on your company, rather than the ones who will actually get their friends to go to concerts, buy the actual records and support them in the way a band should be supported. That's frankly disgusting.
I really hope that the band aren't involved the way you say they are, because I will have lost a lot of respect for them. I've certainly lost all respect for the Overcast Kids as an organisation and won't be renewing next year. Not unless something sincere is done to rectify the absolute crap we're being palmed off with at the moment.
I have worked in Business Development (Customer Service and Marketing) as an account manager for years and I'm actually starting to wonder if you have a single individual experienced in either field employed to work on this. If you do, I strongly suggest you show them the door and find a replacement, or this whole ship is going to sink pretty fast.
Sincerely,
Rosie.
----
If you're an OCK who got the email and is as pissed off as some of us are, don't just take it - TELL THEM SO. They are only going to get away with this is we let them. The fact that they're using the boys and saying they're all for it to make people think it's okay isn't okay.
What they give us for our money - especially non-Americans - is absolutely shit and they're going to keep on ripping us off because they can and we'll take it.
Don't just sit there complaining to your friends - say something to the people who need to hear it.
Edit:
I'm only giving you this link because there isn't room to post the whole thing in the Question field:
http://icedmaple.livejournal.com/325605.html
Are you seriously supporting this? From the point of view of someone with a lot of years' experience in customer service and marketing, this is an insult to your fans and really poor PR. Do you seriously want the fans thinking that you guys are encouraging the fanclub to rip them off and sell you for what amounts to prizes? It's telling people that the most worthy fans are the ones who can get their friends to spend money on the fanclub, rather than being able to get people to shows or buy the records.
Come ON, dude. That isn't the band I fell in love with. The quality of the stuff they send us is so low I'd rather they kept it and saved me the extortionate postage anyway.
Can you really encourage people to shell out for this when you guys aren't even touring and there are no meet and greets to go to (which we all know is the main pull of the fanclub anyway - because overseas fans can't even be included in flyaways)?
I want to believe in you guys' credibility but this kind of casting you in a bad light right now.
Say it ain't so...
---
Edit 2: This is from my credit card statement - copied and pasted:
16 Apr 2008 ARTIST ARENA LLC - £25.89
Bearing in mind that the dollar is routinely equivalent to just under half the pound. That means they charged me around $50 for my membership, which should cost $29.24 (and that is all they sent me a receipt for). The other $20 was just postage on something that cost them $4.50 to send me. Julie will confirm this - she was here when I received the envelope (yep, envelope).