Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
Kevin Greenacre
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Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Kevin Greenacre » Sun Sep 09, 2018 6:53 pm

Hi all

I've been a member of the ECF (and the BCF before that) for many years but last season I decided to take a break from playing chess so did not renew my membership. I've decided to play some league chess this season so need to renew/rejoin but currently I'm not able to do this on the ECF site; when I try and log in using my previous details, the system doesn't recognise my password and when I ask for a password reminder, I get an error message to say the system doesn't recognise my user name so I tried to join as a new member but the system recognises my user name as previously registered!

I've emailed the membership email address for the ECF last week but not yet had a reply.

Am I doing something wrong and if so, can anyone point me in the right direction...?!

Thank you.

Regards
Kevin Greenacre

Julie Denning
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Julie Denning » Sun Sep 09, 2018 7:24 pm

Kevin,
I'm not the greatest expert on this, but it will be due to the change of provider of the membership system. Had you been a current (2017 / 18) member you would have been sent an email inviting you to renew and giving you a numerical identifier to use in the new system. I suggest you 'phone the ECF office and they should be able to sort this out for you quite easily.

Kevin Greenacre
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Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 12:42 pm

Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Kevin Greenacre » Sun Sep 09, 2018 7:26 pm

Hi Julie
Thanks for the suggestion, will do so.
Regards
Kevin

Ian Thompson
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Ian Thompson » Sun Sep 09, 2018 8:11 pm

Julie Denning wrote:
Sun Sep 09, 2018 7:24 pm
Had you been a current (2017 / 18) member you would have been sent an email inviting you to renew and giving you a numerical identifier to use in the new system.
I was and I haven't received such an e-mail.

Brian Towers
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Brian Towers » Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:20 pm

A cheque in the post is probably easiest and best, particularly if you feel uncomfortable giving your bank details to a 3rd party. If enough people did this the administrative overhead might spur the ECF to re-institute 3 year membership which would make life easier for everybody.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

Nick Grey
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Nick Grey » Tue Sep 11, 2018 11:08 pm

I would the ECF office this is something they are excellent at dealing with.

That is how I will deal with mine.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Alex Holowczak » Wed Sep 12, 2018 12:16 am

Brian Towers wrote:
Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:20 pm
A cheque in the post is probably easiest and best, particularly if you feel uncomfortable giving your bank details to a 3rd party. If enough people did this the administrative overhead might spur the ECF to re-institute 3 year membership which would make life easier for everybody.
Easiest and best for whom? Who still uses a chequebook? I've never written a cheque, and if I was ever sent a chequebook I've no idea where mine is.

I imagine some older people keep a chequebook, and maybe pay subscriptions to organisations like the ECF, or their local chess club, or their local xxxxx association. But didn't people stop using them to pay for the shopping, or pay the plumber, years and years ago?

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Wed Sep 12, 2018 12:41 am

I wrote out twenty-odd cheques this evening, as it happens.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Alex Holowczak » Wed Sep 12, 2018 1:01 am

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 12:41 am
I wrote out twenty-odd cheques this evening, as it happens.
For Paignton?

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:25 am

Indeed.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Alex Holowczak » Wed Sep 12, 2018 6:42 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:25 am
Indeed.
I can believe that.

I was obviously a bit grumpy after reading
Brian Towers wrote:
Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:20 pm
A cheque in the post is probably easiest and best
But I suspect for the majority of people, this is far from easiest and best.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:54 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 12:16 am
Brian Towers wrote:
Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:20 pm
A cheque in the post is probably easiest and best, particularly if you feel uncomfortable giving your bank details to a 3rd party. If enough people did this the administrative overhead might spur the ECF to re-institute 3 year membership which would make life easier for everybody.
Easiest and best for whom? Who still uses a chequebook? I've never written a cheque, and if I was ever sent a chequebook I've no idea where mine is.

I imagine some older people keep a chequebook, and maybe pay subscriptions to organisations like the ECF, or their local chess club, or their local xxxxx association. But didn't people stop using them to pay for the shopping, or pay the plumber, years and years ago?
For the record, I believe that for two or three years now my ECF subscription has been the sole use for my chequebook.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Mike Gunn
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Mike Gunn » Thu Sep 13, 2018 4:05 pm

Just received one of Jack's cheques in today's post. (A grading prize, presumably - thanks.)

Martin Crichton
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Martin Crichton » Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:05 pm

call the ECF office...took less than 2 minutes for me. Just have your cc details to hand.
Member of "the strongest amateur chess club in London" (Cavendish)

my views are not representative of any clubs or organisations.

Nick Grey
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Re: Renewing ECF membership after a year - advise please

Post by Nick Grey » Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:38 pm

90 seconds has been standard for as long as I can remember. I have no complaints on that part of the ECF service whoever answers is fantastic & thanks.