Membership fees!

[ruexup]

Hi again people just a quick question hope someone can help?
I am in the process of getting my 3 visits completed to obtain my UKARA membership and after the 3rd visit the site in question wants a fee of £45 pounds to become a member, which they state includes free registration for UKARA.
I thought UKARA was free anyway, is that right?
The reason I am asking is I don't think it's fair as I won't be doing airsoft that often (once a month, 15 times a year at most) and I would like to try different sites often as there are a few locally.
Can they make my become a paying member or do I have the right to just request my 3 stamps and deal with UKARA directly?

Really sorry about the questions I want to be a regular air softer but not at the same site and I don't want to be forced into paying for a membership I don't think is fit for purpose.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[BALBOSA]

Re: Membership fees!

thats wrong dude =/ (unless things have changed since i got mine) mine was free and never payed a penny

[HuntR]

Re: Membership fees!

Your paying for site membership. They are fobbing you off, just demand your UKARA form get's stamped and send it off to a UKARA registered retailer. They may say you have to be registered with the site also as your UKARA number would be your unique member number

[ruexup]

Re: Membership fees!

Cheers mate, but if I don't pay am I not techinaly a member therefore not able to purchase a RIF?
See the only benefit of paying them is a fiver off green fees every visit but I will not be going to that site all the time, I don't see that as cost efficient.
That £45 can buy another battery!!

[ruexup]

Re: Membership fees!

Sorry to be dumb, what do I do if the retailer says I need to be registered to a site?

[HuntR]

Re: Membership fees!

You don't "HAVE" to be UKARA registered to buy a RIF mate. It just makes it easier to do so. What you'll need to do is provide contact details for your site and your name, address and postcode on the phone before you order. All you have to do then is hope your site play ball and confirm it.

[BALBOSA]

Re: Membership fees!

find a different site if you can dude =/ they seem to be taking the pee

[HuntR]

Re: Membership fees!

+1 to what Balbosa said. They appear to be playing on the site membership number. as it does appear that you'll need one to get on the UKARA database. Thus forcing you to shell out the fee.

Personally i'd find a new site or just do what i said in the post above.

My local charge a £10 admin fee. Which i refused to pay as i feel even that itself is unreasonable. £10 to stamp a form and print off a membership card. I think not...

[ruexup]

Re: Membership fees!

Oh ok. Cheers I just want to do the right think and protect the sport for everybody but not get ripped off in the process, it's expensive enough already I dont even have a gun yet! Every thing I look at I think "could I use that for skirmishing" it's not healthy!!!! Lol

[ruexup]

Re: Membership fees!

Just so you all know I have not approached the site in question about this yet, I just needed the advice so I don't get caught out and pay for something I don't need. They may not have an issue with it, it's just the wording on the website lead me to believe I had to shell out the membership fee.

Thanks again for your advice this is by far the most friendly and helpful forum community I have ever come across!

[mack]

Re: Membership fees!

if you can prove your a regular mate, just buy second hand off here . you dont have to have a ukara/site number to buy a RIF. Theres plenty of good deals to be had. Whorver your site is is taking the piss.

[BALBOSA]

Re: Membership fees!

its a pleasure mate there is a possibility they've worded it dodgy and there isnt a fee. 45 squid sounds one hell of a joke to me. as hunter said all they do is fill out the form and post it off. mine was free and i got a little card to prove the ukara number so its defiantly not a standard.

also that's a brilliant attitude to have man its a fragile sport and hobby and must be protected. just not for 45 quid :P

good luck! and if there's any other questions dont hesitate to drop me a message il try help as much as i can.

[Longshot]

Re: Membership fees!

For the best reply you should probably ask this in the VCRA/UKARA section where the people in the know (mainly rockinrobin) will give you a definite answer. The answers so far have all seemed sensible enough, but I think there is a key point being missed (I say think, because I'm not entirely sure sinec it's been a while since I looked into it myself).

As people have pointed out you don't need to be UKARA registered to buy RIFs, but you do have to be a 'regular skirmisher' to join the UKARA scheme or to buy RIFs, and I think that to be considered a regular skirmisher you have to be able to prove not only that you have played 'three games in no less than two months' (the one thing that everyone always goes by) but also that you play at a site with the correct public liability insurance.

Whether that means you have to be a fee-paying member of that site is debatable, but if you decide you want to go the UKARA route it should also be noted that there is no such thing as a 'UKARA number' either; your UKARA number is just your site membership number. This makes me think that if your site doesn't give you a membership number (because they want you to pay for it) you also can't get UKARA.

[jagillham]

Re: Membership fees!

It's a steep fee no doubt. Suppose you only need to go 9 times in a year though.

(p.s) If you paying £45 for a battery you truly are being done over!

[Marshi]

Re: Membership fees!

Its worth it are going to play more than 9 times a year. My fao silver membsrship cost £60, but i get 3 free games a year, £5 off each game and store discounts.