I’m new to Facebook, and having only joined for communication with relatives in Italy during my recent trip, all I use FB for now is to read those highly addictive Reddit stories (clickbait) about people who have toxic relatives or bosses (this takes up quite a lot of my time, given I find such stories fascinating).
On the rare occasions I read some other FB matters, I have a peak at the various Western Bulldogs fan pages. I am mostly not impressed by the content of those, as there are some rather toxic people who spend their time complaining about everything around the current status of the Club, including demanding the sacking of Luke Beveridge, our senior coach (memo – to these rocket scientists, we have had a premiership in 2016 and a 2021 grand final appearance under this coach, which makes this our Golden Age).
One thing that has triggered me a little is seeing those people who have traditional memberships posting about the arrival of their membership kits, complete with 2024 membership scarves. My own brother has received his kit.
I opted this year for digital membership, which entitles me to a $40 egift card instead of a $20 egift card in the Bulldogs Shop, and no scarf or physical membership card or stickers.
The egift card arrived this week about 6 weeks after I renewed and later than all these non-digital members get their kit of goodies.
Let me make it clear that I do not worry too much about scarves or stickers, and I mostly just pay my $92 or so in membership fees each year as a limited game day member due to my desire to support my Club financially.
But I would say, as a value proposition, the $40 egift card is not great. The extra $20 worth is due to not having the scarf mailed out to me with the kit. The email with the egift card suggested that I could use the egift card to buy a $20 scarf and then use the remainder to buy other merchandise.
Where this is annoying is that postage of merchandise represents a cost of $12.50 – an additional cost to members who, like me, try to buy merchandise online.
Which means that instead of giving digital members a $40 egift card, they should have given us a $52.50 egift card.
But this is a minor grumble. This year, for the first time ever, a long sleeved polo/rugby shirt is available as an option for current members. So I have put the $40 and another $40 (including the postage) into ordering one of those.
When that arrives, I will feel the instant gratification of receiving a new piece of fan gear, one which I will value more than yet another hat or scarf, particularly as my preferred casual wear involves polo shirts.
Lost For Words! 