AMHR RAISING MEMBERSHIP FEES???

[HaazeMinis]

:saludando:

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I must admit I wondered why they just voted to raise these fees a month or so before convention..

but that said.. I will pay the 65 bucks I do love the registry and have seen some strides in breed promotion although there is farther to go- it does include the Journal which I really like and I know takes lots of hard work and effort and money to put out but one of those things it is what it is and reallY i dont think it has been raised in quite a while (that I can remember) so guess reality is everything has to go up.

 

[HaazeMinis]

Yep, I will pay that too. It is just that I didnt expect it at the end of the year?

:

Jeri

 

[Heart L Ranch]

I don't know about where you live but the cost of living has gone up, minimum wage and just about everything else. It's not like they raise dues every year and nickle and dime you like many of the other registries. I think ASPC/AMHR is still a bargain! No one likes to pay more but think of everything involved and you will see that the additional cost is minimal. JMHO

 

[CLC Stables]

At least in my Judges/Stewards letter.................the officials dues haven't been raised since 1994............I think I can handle 10 extra dollars, they do a ton for me.

 

[Minimor]

That's $76 for us Canadians. I'll pay it as long as I have paperwork to do, but the first year I have no paperwork that needs to be done? Nope. Not paying those fees. The Journal isn't worth it.

Unless of course the US dollar keeps dropping. Maybe in another year or so $76 US will be only about $40 Canadian?

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[CLC Stables]

The Canadian dollar and US dollar are pretty much equal..............so why does it make it more for Canadians, I guess my math skills are incorrect on this one..................

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I don't know, I don't very much like the idea even paying more then AMHA!! Not saying AMHA is expensive, I love there World Mag. I think its just funny that they raise the price once when everybody is starting to renew their membership. I wish they had something like AMHA does, once your a member you price goes down on membership. Fortunatly for them I'm willing to pay for it, I just don't like it lol. Sorry not to sound neg. I'm sure they can use every cent, but boy it's going to be hard paying for membership on two registeries now.

 

[Minimor]

Rob, the current membership fee is $45, $56 for Canadians. Nothing to do with the exchange rate, we pay $56 US for our membership. The new fee is $65, $76 for Canadians. I assume the difference is supposed to cover the higher cost of mailing the Journal to Canada.

Personally I'd be happy to just pay a lower fee for membership for registry purposes & never mind the Journal. I'd suggest separating the membership from the Journal....set a membership fee & then anyone wanting the magazine can pay a subscription fee.

What's really a shame is for the new owner to have to pay $65 (or $76) just to get their new Mini transferred into their name. There were plenty who just didn't bother at the old rate. Now I predict there will be even more since the fee has jumped by $20. There ought to be a non-member rate, especially on transfers- $15 for members, $30 for non-members? That's way cheaper than the $15 + $65 that person will have to pay now. People complain about selling horses that never get transferred into the new owners' name....not surprising that it happens!

 

[Jill]

That doesn't sound too bad to me. A drop in the bucket compared to the "regular" expenses of having even one horse and both Registries provide good service IMO.

 

[HaazeMinis]

I don't know, I don't very much like the idea even paying more then AMHA!! Not saying AMHA is expensive, I love there World Mag. I think its just funny that they raise the price once when everybody is starting to renew their membership. I wish they had something like AMHA does, once your a member you price goes down on membership. Fortunatly for them I'm willing to pay for it, I just don't like it lol. Sorry not to sound neg. I'm sure they can use every cent, but boy it's going to be hard paying for membership on two registeries now.

I agree with JMS on this aspect

Rob, the current membership fee is $45, $56 for Canadians. Nothing to do with the exchange rate, we pay $56 US for our membership. The new fee is $65, $76 for Canadians. I assume the difference is supposed to cover the higher cost of mailing the Journal to Canada.

Personally I'd be happy to just pay a lower fee for membership for registry purposes & never mind the Journal. I'd suggest separating the membership from the Journal....set a membership fee & then anyone wanting the magazine can pay a subscription fee.

What's really a shame is for the new owner to have to pay $65 (or $76) just to get their new Mini transferred into their name. There were plenty who just didn't bother at the old rate. Now I predict there will be even more since the fee has jumped by $20. There ought to be a non-member rate, especially on transfers- $15 for members, $30 for non-members? That's way cheaper than the $15 + $65 that person will have to pay now. People complain about selling horses that never get transferred into the new owners' name....not surprising that it happens!

I agree with this statement too.

:

Dont get me wrong I like both registries very much and do understand they have to pay for their new computer software, which I am assuming is one of the reasons for the hike in membership and some other fees.

:

Jeri

 

[SHANA]

I have not been a member of AMHA due to the high costs. Since I only have 4 AMHA horses it is cheaper just to do the non-member rate. As for AMHR $56 was good. The journal I look at once and then it just sits here collecting dust. I think they should put it so that if you want the journal you have to pay extra. I was planning on becoming a member of AMHA, AMHR and MHCO for 2008 but now probably will only go AMHR and MHCO as I just can't afford it. The end of the year is bad for me as I have to pay numerous membership fees and buy christmas gifts.

:

 

[sfmini]

From what I have heard, the price hike is to cover the new computer system. AMHA will be working on covering those costs as well. We haven't discussed what the new fee structure will be just yet.

Folks, these registries are businesses and have costs to cover the building, employee salaries and benefits, general overhead member services, world/national/regional shows, marketing, etc, etc, etc.

 

[kaykay]

I thought there was a membership you could get at a lower price and exclude the Journal? did i dream that?

 

[stormy]

I guess with the price of horses declining and costs to register going up I feel like I am being nickel and dimed to death. The journal has 0 value for me as it has few informative articles and the greater part is devoted to shetlands. Also I spent over $300 in photos and processing this year, with the very strict requirements on % of photo your horse fills and having no other horse anywhere in the photo (Even way off and unrecognizable in the distance!) being without digital cameras and computers to edit photos means I had to retake photos on all at least once and some more than that. And I thought AMHA was tough, AMHA accepted all the origional photos AMHR refused! I am beginning to understand why several farms around here have ceased to register at all!

And don't get me wrong I think photos are a step in the right direction just be reasonable!

 

[Fred]

I was told it was due to office costs not just the system. However that said I DO think it was not right to just get a letter with no warning about this. Darn it, I'm one of the last ones to get the Journal and I was one of the first ones to get the hike increase letter! The Journal is always late and not only that I got at least seven letters stating I must attend a stewards clinic this year! One would have been sufficient! That said I have horses registered in both registries and will continue to support both I just don't like how this was done!

 

[Jill]

I thought there was a membership you could get at a lower price and exclude the Journal? did i dream that?

I think that is correct, with at least one of the registries if not both. I'm sure I remember seeing a price with the magazine, and without.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I thought there was a membership you could get at a lower price and exclude the Journal? did i dream that?

I think that is correct, with at least one of the registries if not both. I'm sure I remember seeing a price with the magazine, and without.

They do have a subscription offer for the Journal, but I do not see anywhere in the new work order where it offers you just the membership and not the Journal. I never remeber seeing that in the past either. If they do offer where you can just get the membership and not the Journal I think people won't complain as much. The Journal is good reading material, but I don't see the comparison at all to the AMHA Mag., I'm sorry I don't. The Journal is nice, but I still don't see the reason to pay a whole lot extra for it, if that is the case the money hike is going towards "The Journal".

I was told it was due to office costs not just the system. However that said I DO think it was not right to just get a letter with no warning about this. Darn it, I'm one of the last ones to get the Journal and I was one of the first ones to get the hike increase letter! The Journal is always late and not only that I got at least seven letters stating I must attend a stewards clinic this year! One would have been sufficient! That said I have horses registered in both registries and will continue to support both I just don't like how this was done!

Just like the prefix/suffix last year wasn't it, no warning? I still find it to be funny that they did this when everyone is just starting to renew their memberships.

 

[HaazeMinis]

I also, like Fred said got no warning....No letter, no nothing. The only reason I found out was I noticed right away that the Work Order form was different, so when I was looking through it I noticed that not only the Membership Fee hike which I assumed would take effect in January, however on the Work Order it plainly states that this is effective October 1st 2007.

Jeri

 

[Jill]

I'm probably being dense, but what difference would a warning that membership fees are increasing do to help?