English Chess Forum

Just received an email inviting renewal of my ECF membership.

The options include Gold and Platinum membership.

The benefits of Gold membership are given as :

Benefits
Free grading of results in Club competitions, Leagues, County championships, Congresses, FIDE-rated events
Receive the monthly ECF e-newsletter
Eligibility for ECF Master Points Scheme and inclusion in the ECF Grand Prix

and the benefits of Platinum membership are :

Benefits
Free grading of results in Club competitions, Leagues, County championships, Congresses, FIDE-rated events
Receive the monthly ECF e-newsletter
Eligibility for ECF Master Points Scheme and inclusion in the ECF Grand Prix

Au is £39 and Pt is £75 : it that the only difference ?

I've just tried to renew. Hhmm.... It's been three years, but my p/w is the same. Computer says No though. OK, follow instructions, and send for p/w renewal. Email promised. Ninety minutes later, I'm still waiting, no further forward. Sorry to grumble. But I don't need the faff

Should I just re-register with the new system? Or have my details been auto-transferred?

[later edit - much later: email finally appeared after three hours]

what about setting up a D/D?

John Upham wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:00 pm

Au is £39 and Pt is £75 : it that the only difference ?

The difference between Gold and Platinum was always envisaged as a form of patronage so no additional benefits. There's a different representative on the ECF Council.

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 5:58 pm

John Upham wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:00 pm

Au is £39 and Pt is £75 : it that the only difference ?

The difference between Gold and Platinum was always envisaged as a form of patronage so no additional benefits. There's a different representative on the ECF Council.

Thanks Roger. Am I able to chose Pt and then make a claim against Income Tax as I am making a donation ?

John Upham wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:32 pm

Am I able to chose Pt and then make a claim against Income Tax as I am making a donation ?

The ECF isn't a charity, so no. There is however the Chess Trust.

I vaguely recall the ECF wondering if it could somehow split the Platinum membership cost into ECF and Chess Trust so part was eligible for Gift Aid. Perhaps it was all too complicated for the relatively small amount of potential tax reclaim.

It's the "supporting professionals" aspect of the British Championship and the International teams that prevents the ECF becoming a charity.

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:43 pm

I vaguely recall the ECF wondering if it could somehow split the Platinum membership cost into ECF and Chess Trust so part was eligible for Gift Aid. Perhaps it was all too complicated for the relatively small amount of potential tax reclaim.

The proposal was strongly opposed by many Platinum members, including me.

I am a Platinum member in order to make a donation to the ECF. If I wished to donate to the Chess Trust instead, I would downgrade to Gold and make the relevant donation.

If the ECF were to seek to force me to donate to the Chess Trust by reallocating part of my Platinum subscription, I would downgrade to Gold and make no donation to either the ECF or the Chess Trust.

Platinum members used to get one benefit - a free Yearbook. I have lost track as to whether the Yearbook still exists, but it seems that that benefit does not.

Edit: According to the information at https://www.englishchess.org.uk/members ... -benefits/, Platinum members do still receive a free Yearbook. John Upham's original post appears to be incorrect.

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:05 pm

Edit: According to the information at https://www.englishchess.org.uk/members ... -benefits/, Platinum members do still receive a free Yearbook. John Upham's original post appears to be incorrect.

David,

The information I quoted came from the third party membership system and from nowhere else.

When comparing membership benefits I would (perhaps naively) trust the membership system attempting to my funds to be accurate.

I would not be in the habit of comparing multiple sources seeking inconsistencies.

If someone on this forum could highlight how one sets up a direct debit via the online renewal site then there may be more take-up of that option. I admit I wasn’t actively looking for the direct debit option since experience has taught me that any deviation from the straightforward renewal route is likely to cause problems but I don’t think it was obvious.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:38 pm

By the way, the Yearbook has been deprecated and therefor Pt members do not receive a free yearbook on the simple grounds that it does not exist.

Really? See https://www.englishchess.org.uk/ecf-yearbook-2019/ and http://2gqpi.r.ca.d.sendibm2.com/mk/cl/ ... a7oku50trQ

John Upham wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:38 pm

By the way, the Yearbook has been deprecated and therefor Pt members do not receive a free yearbook on the simple grounds that it does not exist.

Ian Thompson wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:35 pm

Really? See https://www.englishchess.org.uk/ecf-yearbook-2019/ and http://2gqpi.r.ca.d.sendibm2.com/mk/cl/ ... a7oku50trQ

There is a 2019 Yearbook which 2018 - 2019 Platinum members have received free, but whether there will be a 2020 Yearbook for 2019 - 2020 Platinum members to receive is anyone's guess.

John, it was for that reason that I was careful to say that your post appeared to be incorrect, not that it was incorrect.

I hold my hands up and offer my apologies by suggesting that the Yearbook had been deprecated.

I now realise that receiving the Yearbook is the tacit difference between Au and Pt memberships.

Might I respectfully suggest that this information be added to the membership renewal system ?

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 11:49 pm

There is a 2019 Yearbook which 2018 - 2019 Platinum members have received free, but whether there will be a 2020 Yearbook for 2019 - 2020 Platinum members to receive is anyone's guess.

Mike Truran has contacted me to confirm that the Yearbook will continue to be published and that it will continue to be free to Platinum members.

It is five pounds up on last year so looks like gold is worse value than last year. my response is whether they go down in 20-21 and asked them to send a direct debit form so I an put in via my bank.
Last year a phone call but at least not getting a call charge in excess of 3 pounds.
I think gold has a pdf of the yea

Allan Hodgkinson wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 09, 2019 8:30 pm

If someone on this forum could highlight how one sets up a direct debit via the online renewal site then there may be more take-up of that option. I admit I wasn’t actively looking for the direct debit option since experience has taught me that any deviation from the straightforward renewal route is likely to cause problems but I don’t think it was obvious.

I've just renewed; you go through the process until you get to the payment options bit, then click on "Pay via Bank"

You then get a screen where you can enter your bank details, and set up a DDM

It is done via GoCardless, which I use to pay a couple of regular bills via my business, so I know it works ok

I've received 2 emails now; a Membership confirmation and a Payment confirmation