Restorer32 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 To me it all comes down to money. The question has been asked twice and still no answer so I will ask again. How much will AACA net from each book sale? If it is a substantial amount GREAT but the post card is certainly misleading and apparently intentionally so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Just did a little research. The American Truck Historical Society was involved in the same sort of arrangement with Harris. Apparently they received $10,000 up front plus $5/book after 1500 books were sold. Most members who commented seemed pleased with the books. Could be a good fund raiser for AACA but I wish it had been presented in a more straight forward manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Apparently the word hasn't trickled down. I just spoke with a Harris representative and ask specifically if I could enter a picture of my '34 Ford street rod ( assuming I had one). The response was "any antique car is fine". Hopefully someone will edit the pictures submitted though I fail to see how Harris would have the knowledge to distinguish a rod from an original car. There seems to be an element of multi level marketing involved and I suspect that any pic submitted will be published. I was offered a full page for my business. Nothing necessarily wrong with including rods and customs as long as everyone knows what they are buying, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Lichtfel Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I received the card and called. I like a good roster and use it to track people with a car similar to mine. I was some what amazed with the fee involved and the fact that for an additional $100 I could have a full page to picture all my cars. I asked how big a book or volume of books was this to be? After all there are over 30,000 AACA members with cars, how can you get all of this into one book? Another gimick to make money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovalrace25 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I just got the notice by email. Read it and just about deleted it as spam. I missed reading about it in the newsletter and do not remember getting any notice in the mail.With so much junk mail and spam email, I do not respond to any of it until I confirm its authenticity. That said, the publication could be handy to have.. I use my member rosters from other groups when I need to ask about certain details on similar cars I am tinkering with.However, I do not like to have email come in posing to be something other than 100% from the actual suggested source.. The AACA is a "club" but the "club" is operated as a business, this it must generate income based on membership fees and fund raisers..... If we "members" are treated as MEMBERS, then we should be included in the decision making process..... Since the board entered into this agreement with the company that sent out this offer, it was an agreement to SELL A PRODUCT TO CONSUMERS FOR PROFIT, that makes everyone of us, not members but CUSTOMERS of the retail business called AACA..... Not Nice at All.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I'm new to this club about 1 1/2 yrs so here is what I think. First at a reduced rate on membership you could have the by-monthly magazine on line. You can put a roster in with the on-line magazine. This on line magazine can be apart of the AACA webb site in a members only section. You can also at the current membership price provide the magazine and at a nominal fee a roster supplement. This dosen't have to be fancy, just membership information.Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I also received the post card and immediately recognized it as I belong to a number of other organizations. That said I do agree with the many of the other persons that it would have been a better post card if it would have said something like.Dear AACA Member,AACA has contracted with the ( company name) as a fund raising activity and service to publish a member directory with the opportunity to have a picture of your car(s) included in the directory. The directory will be (fill in details like is it color pix, etc here) and will sell for $x.00. Please call this number 1-877-XXX-XXXX for details and how to order your book.Regards,Your Pres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I received the postcard in the mail the other day. While reading it my Marketing B.S. detector went off before I walked 10 feet away from the mailbox. I received the email a few minutes ago, read it and laughed. Steve, did the contract that AACA sign with Harris give Harris the ability/right to call members or is it strictly the AACA members decision to call Harris??? Hopefully, AACA Members will not be receiving any phone calls from Harris during dinner (or any other time for that matter). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest windjamer Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 OK,I made my thread befor I saw this one,sorry bout that. With that said ,im not sure how I feel about the situation,if the club makes a buck thats good,but I admit I thought the post card came from AACA HQ. I think the book co. is down right sneeky if not a little shady,just my H.O. I dont think I will buy the book,I will wate for the movie.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Oh yeah this is wonderfull. The club not only fed my name and address to a hi pressure marketing company but my Email address too. I'm sure Harris Direct won't sell it a gazzillion spammers hawking everything from new cars to tire chains to phishing equiptment. What were you guys thinking?...............Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 As I said earlier, I probably will not buy the book. I probably will not call the number either. However, I don't see the need to continue to beat up on the Board or the Staff too much on this issue. The Harris Privacy Policy, as listed in the email notice, seems OK to me.Here is their policy:Privacy PolicyMaybe it is not the best decision ever made, but remember, the only people who make no mistakes are those who do nothing. I am glad to see that AACA's board continues to explore new and different ideas as they try to guide the club in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. Ballard 35R Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 After calling Harris yesterday due to the postcard I received and being told that I could send a picture of virtually anything, I asked that my name be deleted from their data base. Guess what, this morning I receive an email of the exact postcard but with a different ID#. I called and spoke to a Laurie McCormack who again told me that I could send in a picture of a street rod or whatever I wanted. No mention whatsoever that the car had to be an AACA recognized vehicle.I too am disappointed that my email address is now in an additional data base. Steve, you posted yesterday that Harris had been given specific instructions about what to say. I don't think they got the message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marlin65 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Just got an email thanking me for my info about my car.I never gave them a thread of info. Another email gave me the chance to "opt out" of this deal.But when I clicked on it it came back as an invalid adddress! This has all the makings of a real dog&pony show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I also got the e-mail today. And clicked on the link to have our e-mail address removed from their list for further offers. I just got a confirmation that I had been "unsubscribed" as I requested. So the opt out option worked when I used it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I also got the e-mail today. And clicked on the link to have our e-mail address removed from their list for further offers. I just got a confirmation that I had been "unsubscribed" as I requested. So the opt out option worked when I used it.------------------------------------------------------------------------- The point should be made that people shouldn't have to option out in the first place. They should have the option to be IN if that's what they desired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) -------------------------------------------------------------------------The point should be made that people shouldn't have to option out in the first place. They should have the option to be IN if that's what they desired.I understand that point. Bill and I are very careful about destroying paperwork with information on it that could lead to identity theft, etc. I only wanted to say that when I opted out it worked. It hadn't for marlin65.This is one of those cases where what's done is done. Steve now knows that there are folks that are not happy about the way this was done. I am sure he, and the others that made the decison this time, will take that into account the next time when they are considering options for fundraising for the club. Edited April 14, 2011 by Shop Rat Missed a word that needed to be in there. (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts_DG8 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Please bear with me as I’ve read all the feedback here and find a lot of it interesting but find that I had to share my thoughts on this topic. I personally chose to join the AACA after following along for some time first as a general visitor to the AACA site and then after joining the AACA site I continued to learn who and what the AACA was all about. The AACA view/charter of preserving through maintenance and/or restoration of vintage vehicles closely matches my own, that being said I decided to join the AACA as a member. Since joining I’ve see some turbulence now and again on the site but for the most part the site matches the view/charter of the club, in my opinion.So, what’s this got to do with the Card/Roster/Offer? I did receive the card in the mail and I for one am not going to throw my hands in the air or stomp my feet on the ground regarding what has transpired, that’s history already and yes I mostly don’t agree with the decision but that’s ok. I think that sometimes when an opportunity presents itself ideas and opportunities grow legs quickly and if it’s presented well then I can see where this opportunity looked good on paper. There has already been some evidence of interest, it may in the end not meet everyone’s expectations but it is a hit of some sort based on the sales reported.I asked myself what other choices would I might have made if I was asked how to beef up the club earnings? First, I personally would consider raising the membership fee to $50, that’s still a heck of a deal for the membership and the beyond excellent Antique Automobile Magazine. I might also look at different levels of membership, there is a big gap between the current $35 per year and the $600 Life Time, I would be considering other small perks that might support an in-between (5 Year?) membership or maybe raise the annual and discount an in-between (5 Year?) membership. I’ve got a couple other thoughts on this but at least they are thoughts of how to offset costs to support both maintenance and growth of the club. I’m not happy my info is out there like so many on this thread has posted their opinion on but again it is done, and I believe that point has been clearly made.I myself would much rather spend the $120 on another 3 years of membership as I do get the magazine and personally can’t see that perk/jewel not showing up in my mail box, I also have the interactive asset this forum provides. Yes, I know you don’t have to be a AACA member to access it (Hey wait, maybe there’s another income opportunity:D), but I can reach out to a lot of members here that have a lot more experience than I and observe/learn how many things get done or could be done.Just remember the clock does not go backward, I for one got the point clearly on how a lot of people feel about this and again for the most part have the same or similar feelings on what was done. I’m heading back to reading some other AACA posts where I can either learn from or get a warm fuzzy feeling from now. Scott… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Took most of those words right out of my mouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2dameron Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 When Harris Connect was hounding ATHS members to buy the truck book I probably got about 20 phone calls (that I did not answer, thanks to Caller ID) and a half dozen or more postcards that got more and more urgent as time went on. Since I knew I was not going to spend $130 for the book I did not want to talk to them and resented my information being given to them. Apparently ATHS did not furnish email addresses or my server deleted them as spam. If they call me this go around I will report them to the Do Not Call registry. Being a member of the AACA does not mean I have done business with Harris Connect so they have no right to call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I also received two phone calls from Harris last evening, one at 5 and another at 8:30. I'm sure the sales people work on commission and like most telemarketers will tell you about anything to make a sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hill Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I am "semi" okay with the postcard, not so much with the email BUT if I start receiving phone calls from them I will be extremely pissed!!!! I do not like my private time at home to be interrupted by a telemarketer and will not appreciate it at all. Just saying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbirchmire Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I have gotten the post card but have not received a phone call or e-mail as of yet.Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I also received two phone calls from Harris last evening, one at 5 and another at 8:30. I'm sure the sales people work on commission and like most telemarketers will tell you about anything to make a sale.Before receiving these phone calls from Harris, had you called them or contacted them in any way? If these phone calls were unsolicited then I would imagine that some AACA Members might have a problem being bothered with these calls. If Harris is indeed call AACA members without first being contacted by said members, this could make for interesting member roundtable meetings at upcoming AACA Meets. Based on the posts in this thread, I think that the AACA Officers need to implement an official policy regarding their use of Member Information (name, address, email address, phone number, etc). That policy should include the ability for a member to allow or not allow the AACA to share their member information with other businesses or organizations. That way in the future, members will be in control of their information so that those that wish or do not wish to participate in endeavors such as this will have their wishes accurately communicated to the AACA Decision makers.Let me also say that I am all for exploring new sources of revenue for the club.Just don't have those deals impact the lives of AACA members that do not wish to participate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I did in fact contact Harris first, listened to their spiel and told them I was not interested so I doubt if members will be bothered if they did not initiate contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonHeberle Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I have received the post card and the email but fortionately after learning about this effort from this site, I have not responded to either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I did in fact contact Harris first, listened to their spiel and told them I was not interested so I doubt if members will be bothered if they did not initiate contact.Thanks that is good to know.Sadly, they did not take "No" for an answer and called you twice after you had declined their offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nho1973 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I see the value in a Membership Album, but $100 + S/H (hard bound) or even $80 + S/H (soft cover) is a bit steep. I've got 4 cars and would like to know who else has the same kind...but to pay that much for a book that may be wildly outdated within a year or two just doesn't seem prudent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdsbob Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Got the postcard on Monday and the e-mail today.In the e-mail it had:"If you do not wish to receive future e-mail from the Publication Office as it pertains to this project, please click here and you will be removed from our list."When I clicked on "click here" it opened my address book for me to save them as a favorite!So, I just clicked my email box and had it marked as "spam"...That has been pretty effective way to stop unwanted e-mails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24T42 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 In the past, the AACA roster has been updated and printed yearly. Is this a one-time deal with Harris? If so, what will happen next year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24T42 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 According to the Policy and Procedure manual, "A copy of the Roster of Members is distributed annually to each Region and Chapter President." I would only assume that this service will be discontinued! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Judy, from what Steve posted earlier, it looks like there are plans to make it more easily accessible than the current annual printing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24T42 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Matt,I saw that post but didn't want to stir the pot any more. I will just say I am not in favor of the roster going on-line.I realize that printing a hard copy is expensive. (I can't read it without a magnifying glass.) However, CDs are cheap - probably less $.25 each at the bulk rate. Why not just furnish the club roster on CD?Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I like a membership roster, and have used them from other clubs I belong to. Imagine reading an ad for the car you always dreamed of and finding another AACA member in the same town to check it out for you. Or wishing you could find somebody else that shares your passion. We, the Forum users, do it, but other members could do the same without the Internet.I guess I missed the story that this was coming, but I got the postcard and an email, and I'm still unsure if it's pay to play or all inclusive. I don't want a full page, but being listed like in a phone book is fine with me.I might even call them.Lets get back to talking old cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packards1 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) I am curious if the written contract the AACA entered into defines exactly how the members phone and email address will be handled and protected. Has the marketing company been prohibited by signed contract from giving our data to a third party? Also, who exactly the "sales" people are and if background checks were performed and documented before they were given our information. Also does the AACA have documented assurance of how our information will be destroyed after this project is over. What procedure has the club put into place to ensure the marketing company indeed destroys all of the data? AACA please comment. Edited April 16, 2011 by Packards1 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I made the mistake of calling them. Once I found out what it was going to cost I simply said no thank you, but this was after giving them more information than I should have, because I thought it came from Headquarters. Then I received the email, and I spammed the email. There was a time when no private company could get the mailing list. I don't understand how this could have happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldenguy Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 I have followed this thread but have yet to receive any info (snail mail)other than at this site. It appears that there was not any info solicited from the club membership to guide this direction. Major changes should be addressed through the voting members. If the changes are unknown and "dropped" in your lap, then IMHO it is the politics of the board of directors.---Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Are all AACA members FORCED to have their info listed, or can you ask to be removed from this directory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maudsley Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 2 things. First, some people have consistantly asked about the money the club will, or has made exactly and no one has properly answered that question.secondly. This thread has been going on way to long....as we knew along time ago how the "Bobs" feel about this subject. 'go polish your car, you will have more fun, and your heart won't race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Packards1 Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 If a fellow club member has comments on the subject they would like to make that is great, no matter your opinion. It is not for one club member to say the thread has went on far to long when other fellow club members still have someting to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wldavis Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 lt wouldn't be a "proper" directory if some of themembers names were deleted from it.My problem with any directory is that as soon as it isprinted, some things (addresses, phone numbers, carsowned, etc.) have changed. ls it possible to have a "living" directory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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