NPPL memberships?

[Baca Loco]

Right, I've been checking into this 'cus a) I'm naturally curious and b) we're planning on playing. Now everything sounds good so far (assuming the packed sand proves to be suitably packed sand) but I gotta say I find the compulsory memberships at $35 a player troubling.
The entry fee per player is already higher than PSP but not extraordinarily so. However, with the compulsory membership and no established track record it seems to me to be little more than a surcharge on our entry. No guarantee at this stage that we will play all the NPPL events or that all the events will actually happen--tho I believe they will.
Also the announced purpose of the membership is essentially promotion of the league--and frankly, while I certainly want the league to succeed whether I play it regularly or not--I am not pleased to be told I must help pay for their promotion through an add on charge.
I would be much happier if I knew my "membership" was going to an actual player and team database, perhaps the PanAm system, for regulation of players and teams, and--
Since this is all brand new charge me per event. Once I'm satisfied this is what I want to play then I'm willing to pay. Until then it's a sour note in what has otherwise sounded sweet so far.

 

[Beaker]

I agree that it should be included

And talking of memberships...........

http://www.forceofnature.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=404&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

 

[paintpimp]

If the membership goes to an ID system which will be tracked and enforced and provides benefits like it has in the past, I don't have a problem. I keep getting new mag subsriptions out of the blue from last years ID, crossfire, p2extremes, Jerry's rag (though I doubt that will happen with the new NPPL ID), hell the only mag I pay for now is PGI thanks to last year's ID card.

Hopefully they'll become a member of PanAm's system which has recently gone global (if other leagues outside of NA wish to use the system).

Everything is not written in stone yet, hopefully. They may return to the old system of purchasing a yearly ID, or purchasing a temp for each event. Stay tuned to their site, if they receive a lot of backlash about the new fee they may offer temp IDs.


Chris

 

[JTHM]

::cough:: Bull**** ::cough:: Not cool......

 

[raehl]

Well...

If the NPPL ID includes a Pan-Am ID, that's $15 of the $35 right there. As for the other $20, since your entry fees are going to the for-profit promotions company, S7 has to make their money to pay Chuck and Camille from somewhere, and your $35 is it. It also buys a little consumer loyalty, since you have to fork over the $35 for the first event, but nothing for the rest.

I think that starting this year, you won't be able to play a national circuit (S7 or PSP) without a photo ID card.


That said, if S7 were doing their own events instead of sanctioning someone else to do it, they wouldn't have to charge a separate membership fee. If you're going to sanction events done by a promoter under the theory that the sanctioning league is going to protect the player's interest, it's totally reasonable to expect the players to pay dues for that service.


- Chris

 

[Baca Loco]

Well...

Originally posted by raehl
If the NPPL ID includes a Pan-Am ID, that's $15 of the $35 right there. As for the other $20, since your entry fees are going to the for-profit promotions company, S7 has to make their money to pay Chuck and Camille from somewhere, and your $35 is it. It also buys a little consumer loyalty, since you have to fork over the $35 for the first event, but nothing for the rest.

Perhaps you might look at the NPPL site before commenting. Nowhere is the IPPI system or association with it mentioned--yet. Hence that ain't part of the $35 unless they change plans.

And that surcharge doesn't buy any loyalty at all--in fact just the opposite.

 

[raehl]

Uhm...

Maybe you didn't read the part of the post where I said "If." But yeah, pretend I didn't say anything about that.


But the membership dues DO buy loyalty - loyalty is a measure of a customer's desire to stay with a certain product. It presumes you have the customers to begin with - I didn't say anything about barrier to entry, which is what I think you're getting at: $35 up front is likely to have an adverse effect on customers' desire to try your product in the first place.

But if S7 is going to have attendence caps, and they can charge $35 memberships and still meet their attendence caps, then they're definitely justified in doing so.

It's really a question of how much you're willing to pay per year to have a player's organization that makes sure you get what you want.


- Chris

 

[Baca Loco]

Chris, I love you, man

You are the Mr. Spock of paintball. On a planet of humans you are a Vulcan which explains how you see things the way you do. In your little universe everything is reduced to simple equations and when you're satisfied with your calculations nothing can sway your opinion.
Amongst us humans however lots of other factors intrude which have nothing whatsoever to do with rationality.
Right now S7 has an abundance of goodwill not because of what they've done but because of what it is hoped they will do and how they will prove to be different. I realize you don't get this but adding a charge just 'cus they think enough people will still play squanders some measure of that goodwill and that goodwill has a higher value, or should have, 'cus it's that goodwill which will see them thru rough spots and that lack of goodwill directed at PSP that has given impetus to S7's very existence.

 

[raehl]

I just don't believe that S7 or PSP is obligated to make their money in a way that every player aproves of. They only need to make their money in a way that satisfies enough customers for them to be a profitable business, and they'll probably try to satisfy as many customers as needed to be the most profitable business possible.

People keep acting like the paintball leagues OWE them something, and they don't. The sooner everyone gets it through their head that this is about profit, the better you'll be able to get what you want out of the leagues.

Do you WANT to pay for membership? Of course not. Is it reasonable to have a NPPL without membership dues? No. NPPL needs money to operate, and it either gets that through membership dues or sanctioning fees (which just get passed on to the player as higher entry). You don't get NPPL for free, and while you're more than welcome to be pissed about not getting it fo free, that's hardly a reasonable expectation.


Now, whether NPPL is actually worth $35 to you - that's another matter entirely. But if you don't like paying the dues, in today's paintball market, you have an alternative: Go play PSP. If you think the $35 is worth what NPPL/S7 provides, play S7.

Or maybe pay your $35, then get together with everyone else who paid the $35, vote out the NPPL leadership, and give everyone a refund. Of course, then your players league will be severely strapped for cash,


Anyway, I'm not saying that the membership dues arn't an added cost that people arn't going to like, I agree with you there, but I just don't think they constitute something unexpected given the way the NPPL/S7 thing is set up.


- Chris

 

[Toxic Dave]

Is the NPPL going to use the membership fee the same way they did in the past by essentially pocketing it?? I've paid at least 50 bucks in the past 5 years of NPPL/ PSP play without seeing one dime of it used for something other than flying Chuck and Camille to events. The promoters paid for the ID system, that was never enforced anyway.

Who exactly owns the promotions company that is alledgedly getting all the money from the Super 7??

dave