During January we ran a reduced price on the membership - full membership for just £20. This was successful in encouraging a small flurry of new members, and so we've decided to keep the new rate (and have reduced the directory only/jobs only/community only to £14)  with the hope of encouraging even more new members and activity on the site.

I'm afraid we can't back-date any recent renewals/memberships at the old rate, but if any existing members have a renewal forthcoming you may be advised to cancel your existing subscription and re-start at the new rate. Of course, if you'd like to give the site your support, you don't need to do anything to keep renewing at the old rate

David, your membership descriptions talk about 'the Forums' but don't make it clear that access to the Private Members/Lounge is sometimes excluded, perhaps it would be a good idea to make it clear which membership package(s) allows you in?

thanks - can you point me to where you mean please?

On the page with all the membership options and prices listed.

I thought PM and the Lounge was open to all members.

Thanks, yes you're right it just says 'the forums' whereas the private members and lounge forums are only for paid-up members I'm afraid. Still, I hope there's enough to give you a feel for the site elsewhere.

Yes, but what I meant was that it is not clear that trial membership does not allow access to PM/Lounge and perhaps it would be fairer to point this out when laying out the options for membership.

When I said members having access to PM and the Lounge, I was referring to paid-up members.

I guess that when people are considering paid-up membership it would be helpful to say that there are other forums that they can access when they join, if that's what you mean. Sorry if not. I am being particularly thick today.

Hi David - When our memberships do auto renew- mine won't be till end of year- at what rate will it renew? Or are you saying we all have to cancel  existing membership and start it again? Or do we have to all change our means of payment to the correct amount now?
 I can probably find the ans' around the site somewhere for this but do you take cheques? I ended up paying twice last year on Pay Pal which you then refunded which seemed unnecessary curfuffle at the time and I do have a dusty cheque book around somewhere... MC

I guess that when people are considering paid-up membership it would be helpful to say that there are other forums that they can access when they join

Yes, that is pretty much what I meant, it being the flip side of not being able to access them unless you're a paid-up member. Of course, as a trial member, you soon find out that you can't access PM/Lounge, but the blanket term 'access to the Forums' shouldn't really be applied to the description of trial membership.
Edited by tatterdemalion at 12:32:00 on 09 February 2014

To be fair, it does state that trial members get access "to the public forums".

I suppose this could be considered a little ambiguous but, to be honest, I've never seen this raised as as issue before. Perhaps it could be helpful to state somewhere that the "Private Members" and "Lounge" forums are only available to subscribing members (although I'm sure it does already say that somewhere). Just a thought.

The 'public' was my attempt at improving the text yesterday.
alex - yes I'm afraid it means cancelling the current subscription (though not the ww account of course, just the papal subscription)

the papal subscription)

Is he a member?

Is he a member?

Hmmm, I wonder what username he's using? * off to check the profiles of the entire WW membership...*

sorry not sure what you mean? I was responding to alex - for current paid-up members when it comes to auto-renewal of membership.