Sorry if this question has been asked before.

I agreed my Platinum RSFC membership to be renewed.

In its email, the RSFC states about Shine A Light

"Here is what you can look forward to as returning Platinum Fan Club member
...
Later this year Martin Scorsese and The Rolling Stones will bring audiences the most extraordinary musical film event of the year when they release their concert film 'Shine A Light'. Fan Club members will have a chance to experience this film like no one else'

Do you have a clue about what it means? The phrase "will have a chance" sounds like a contest.

i suspect it means that we will have a chance to experience the film just like everybody else,
except that our awareness that we are RSFC members will make us feel ... well ... "special" is one word for it

Hey...a few minutes ago (8am) I WON 4 tickets (2 passes - 2 people per pass)
to the sneak preview (4/1) of SHINE A LIGHT in Milwaukee.
I won them for being the 20th caller to my local classic rock radio station (WKLH).

It will be shown at the newest/finest movie theater in the area.....not at
out local iMax theater.

I had also submitted my name thru the RS website to win tix....no need for those now.


IORR............but I like it!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-24 15:09 by sweet neo con.

Has anyone EVER received the premiums they were supposed to get from the Stones Fan Club? I joined n '02 and again in '07 and NEVER got the caps or the DVDs or any of the stuff that was supposed to be a part of the deal.

The RSFC is a scam as far as I'm concerned.

Quote
R
Has anyone EVER received the premiums they were supposed to get from the Stones Fan Club? I joined n '02 and again in '07 and NEVER got the caps or the DVDs or any of the stuff that was supposed to be a part of the deal.

The RSFC is a scam as far as I'm concerned.

Same here. Rolling Stones Fanclub Membership = Fraud & Rip-Off.

This RSFC is very bad.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-24 16:03 by carlostones10.

even though i was tempted...glad i didn't get involved with RSFC.

did anybody have a positive experience with RSFC?


IORR............but I like it!

For all the bad rap about the RSFC there were some incredible experiences for us:

1. We got tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime Cirkus theatre show in Stockholm in 2003. We would have never gotten them anywhere else except through RSFC (unless we paid $2000 each for Fan Asylum that is)

2. I received the Fan DVD (two copies) in 2005. Not the greatest but a nice souvenir.

3. I got 9 ball caps sent to me!

4. I got seats right by the catwalk to Gillette Stadium in 2003.

5. I got 6th row seats to Ottawa in 2005.

For the four times I paid the Premium price I think that was well worth it. I wish that folks who had good experiences would write more. There is far too much flaming of the RSFC by people that I suspect never paid anything and only snipe at it.

Very positive experience.

In 2002, my credit card was rejected by the RSFC for a US club show, because I had not a US billing adress at that time.

The guy there offers me in exchange a link to buy a European club show in 2003.

Thanks to the club, I also made Vredenbug, Astoria and Circus in Sweeden.

Nothing much to complain.

yeah, except for the years waiting for that DVD we finally got in 05 or whenever it was
and the years waiting for the next dvd that no one's gotten yet, i don't feel too badly treated.
it is the Rolling Stones, after all.

Well I'm glad SOME people had a decent experience. I sure as hell didn't.

I've, so far, declined the "offer" of continuing my memberships, but I did write mails to the fan clum, asking about where my DVDs were, and the gifts, and why the presale codes only gave access to crappy tickets. Here's the answer:

Greetings,

We have received word from management that the Fan Club DVD has not been released yet. This DVD will be shipped out very soon! As soon as we start shipping them out we will put a post on the messageboard. Even if you have cancelled your account before the DVD has shipped we will still send the Fan Club DVD.

Please let us know if you have any question or concerns.

Regards,
Matthew
Customer Support

As you can see, there's no mention of the codes or the pre-sale. So I think I'll just save the money this time around.

Quote
Addicted
I've, so far, declined the "offer" of continuing my memberships, but I did write mails to the fan clum, asking about where my DVDs were, and the gifts, and why the presale codes only gave access to crappy tickets. Here's the answer:

Greetings,

We have received word from management that the Fan Club DVD has not been released yet. This DVD will be shipped out very soon! As soon as we start shipping them out we will put a post on the messageboard. Even if you have cancelled your account before the DVD has shipped we will still send the Fan Club DVD.

Please let us know if you have any question or concerns.

Regards,
Matthew
Customer Support

As you can see, there's no mention of the codes or the pre-sale. So I think I'll just save the money this time around.

I was personally told in a phone call to them that the DVD was being finalised and it was about to be shipped.

That was last July.

The previous DVD arrived 18 months to 2 years after it was supposed to have been sent.

'Very soon'? Its like asking how long is a piece of string.

Quote
ron091
There is far too much flaming of the RSFC by people that I suspect never paid anything and only snipe at it.

That's hard to believe.

anyway I paid and never got anything of 'em.
I'll call it scam. period

Maybe I recieved the stuff that was meant for you then, open-g...

They accidently sent everything to me twice. I've got 2 caps, 2 copies of 40Licks and 2 dvds. can't complain.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-24 20:53 by therollingmanu.

Quote
ron091
For all the bad rap about the RSFC there were some incredible experiences for us:

1. We got tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime Cirkus theatre show in Stockholm in 2003. We would have never gotten them anywhere else except through RSFC (unless we paid $2000 each for Fan Asylum that is)

Agreed. They were good value in 2003 for that reason alone. But that was five years ago. They havent been since. With no theatre shows since then that have had fan club presales, its hardly the same attraction.

Quote
ron091
2. I received the Fan DVD (two copies) in 2005. Not the greatest but a nice souvenir.

18 months after it was promised. Congratulations. Was it worth waiting on and paying $100 for? Honestly? I suppose you signed up in mid 2004 for those legacy codes when they promised presales for shows which the band had no intention of announcing for at least a year?

Quote
ron091
3. I got 9 ball caps sent to me!

Due to an oversight thanks to incompetence or because you bought 9 memberships? Seriously - how much does a cheesy baseball cap cost? Who needs 9 anyway?

Quote
ron091
> I got seats right by the catwalk to Gillette Stadium in 2003.

Nothing you couldnt have got had you been patient and tried in a public sale, in fairness.

Quote
ron091
5. I got 6th row seats to Ottawa in 2005.

fair enough. However, I got 4th row for both Twickenham and Glasgow in a public sale 3 months after the onsale date in 2006. I also got 6th row in Block A for the final 02 shows last year without the fan club - it was the 2nd drop of public tickets I'd bought that were better than what I was offered by RSFC. yet the best I was offered in a presale for the same show was in Block C. Yet you paid $100 for your 'privilege'. I had around 5 or 6 fan club memberships during the two years of the ABB tour. At some shows I was offered very good tickets on presales, but there wasnt a single one of them where I couldnt have found public tickets that were better at a later date. Another example - I got two $160 tickets in a fan club presale for the first of the two Jan 2006 MSG shows. For the second show two nights later, I used an Ameriquest presale password which someone had posted online and which cost me nothing to use. I literally got the same seats that I had for the first show, but ONE row further back. Hardly worth that extra $100.

Quote
ron091
For the four times I paid the Premium price I think that was well worth it. I wish that folks who had good experiences would write more. There is far too much flaming of the RSFC by people that I suspect never paid anything and only snipe at it.

What a load of absolute bollocks.Now you're simply insulting everyone's intelligence.

No comment on the luring people into paying for memberships to what turned out to be non-existent theatre shows? Or the decision halfway through the membership year to change the options of the membership (without telling the members, as they were too busy being bombarded with mailshots for overpriced kitsch) which meant that your membership automatically defaulted to 'auto renewal' - meaning that hundreds or thousands of people found that their credit cards had been debited for another $100 without them knowing or applying for renewal?

Quote
R
Has anyone EVER received the premiums they were supposed to get from the Stones Fan Club? I joined n '02 and again in '07 and NEVER got the caps or the DVDs or any of the stuff that was supposed to be a part of the deal.

The RSFC is a scam as far as I'm concerned.

Why dont you phone them about it? Their contact info is on the website.

Seriously - its ridiculous that people just shrug their shoulders and accept this. There seems to be some conflict here (I dont mean by you, personally) that fans will accept being ripped off by an organisation just because it happens to be associated with their favourite band. Loyalty works both ways. No one would accept that level of customer service from anyone else.

I eventually got stuff out of them after I'd sent several e-mails which were met with nothing but automated messages. It took a while, but I eventually got what I had been promised plus my refund.

And then they sent me the refund again a couple of months later. ><



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-24 21:00 by Gazza.

Hmm, maybe I should give it another go.

Gazza, how long did you hang on the phone to the U.S.?
...and should I drink a bucket o' coffee or take a pill to calm me down?

Glad to hear one person thought the membership was worth it, I never used my code to get tickets cause I did better just getting them during the public sales. Did the same to get my Beacon ticket.

Charging people just for a chance to get tickets and throwing in some baseball caps seems like a kick in the balls to me. Even worse they mentioned club show dates at the start of the ABB only to never have any, I know a few people that bought the membership just cause they mentioned doing to club shows that never happened..

I got Neil Young tickets recently, didn't have to pay any charge and I got his new cd for free. No strings attached.

Can't quibble too much about the RSFC. I got a ,,, DVD, a cap (which my wife wears) a membership card and seats right next to the B Stage at the O2.

I've received emails from "Matthew" at RS.com as well.

Gazza's posts are absolutely bang on. People who have commented that you don't buy the membership for the DVDs, etc, are also correct - but when the ticket quality is less that you'd buy on the open market, it is adding insult to injury and these sophisticated businessmen know better (maybe that's the problem).

The DVD was supposed to be exclusive to the fan club, and various people have been told it was in process, completed or sent to all members weeks / months ago by bulk mailing. Few have received it and Gazza mentioned in an earlier thread that the DVD he finally received was the same as was sent the year before.

I'm following up with Ultrastar, suggest anyone else call who hasn't received this.

The only reason the bastages didn't get to scam another $100+ from my credit card is because my wallet was stolen and the number was cancelled - so I guess I've just about broken even on the theft. That they would try to milk more money with no tour in sight is really galling.

(I should note that I joined the Clapton fan club to try to get better tix to MSG and received the promised loot within 6 weeks.)

Ultrastar: 1-888-782-7999

Earlier thread: [www.iorr.org]

UPDATE: Called Ultrastar and was advised that the DVD advertised in 2007 is not yet even produced, let alone available or sent. Apparently they have had many complaints. When I called in February I was offered a $20 refund and declined. This time they offered to refund the membership, which I accepted. Phrases like "goodwill" and "consistently inaccurate information" and "breach of contract" seem to be effective. Recommend a call - and best of luck. (When I asked what new members could expect in terms of the current inducement, a "unique way to experience Shine a Light" I was told that they would post that to the website closer to the release date of the film! Caveat emptor!)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-24 22:27 by SomeTorontoGirl.

Quote
open-g
Hmm, maybe I should give it another go.

Gazza, how long did you hang on the phone to the U.S.?
...and should I drink a bucket o' coffee or take a pill to calm me down?

No longer than normal. In fairness, their staff were very courteous and helpful, and followed up my enquiry with an e-mail soon after.

Then again, theyre probably not responsible for whatever passes for the organisation's 'policy'.

To add to what SomeTorontoGirl says above, if you dont have access to the 1-888 number, you can contact Ultrastar as follows :

(this information is on the rs.com site)

[www.ultrastar.com]
45 Main Street, Suite 636
ULTRASTAR
Brooklyn, NY 11201
T. 347.282.2273
F. 718.855.1851

>UPDATE: Called Ultrastar and was advised that the DVD advertised in 2007 is not yet even produced, let alone available or sent. Apparently they have had many complaints. When I called in February I was offered a $20 refund and declined. This time they offered to refund the membership, which I accepted. Phrases like "goodwill" and "consistently inaccurate information" and "breach of contract" seem to be effective. Recommend a call - and best of luck. (When I asked what new members could expect in terms of the current inducement, a "unique way to experience Shine a Light" I was told that they would post that to the website closer to the release date of the film! Caveat emptor!)


Words fail me, for once. Cant wait to read what the cheerleaders and lemmings have to say about this one

Quote
The Joker
Very positive experience.

In 2002, my credit card was rejected by the RSFC for a US club show, because I had not a US billing adress at that time.

The guy there offers me in exchange a link to buy a European club show in 2003.

Thanks to the club, I also made Vredenbug, Astoria and Circus in Sweeden.

Nothing much to complain.

I'd be interested to hear about the timeline for that 'exchange'. I doubt it was right away.

The US tour was announced in May 2002 and ran from early September to late November.

You couldnt buy a fan club membership entitling you to presales for those US theatre shows unless you had a North American address.

The European dates were announced at the very end of the American tour. There were no remaining US theatre shows left by that stage. At that point they launched the "International" fan club and tickets and memberships were then made available to fans worldwide (unlike the US dates)

Interesting (and great) that you made 3 theatre shows in Europe thanks to the fan club. The thing was that they stated clearly on the site that only one membership was allowed per hosuehold and that any multiple purchases would be cancelled. Quite a few fans didnt take the chance and only went for one theatre show because of this. Of course a few months later, some fans tried their luck for multiple shows with no problem.

[Edit]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-04-15 05:13 by SomeTorontoGirl.

Gazza:

I think I had a good phone contact with the guy at RSFC. So he made a promise and he kept his word.

In fact, it was four theater shows in Europe - I got 2 x Paris, 2 x Vredenburg and 2 x Circus and I trade one Circus for one Astoria.

I also purchased on e-bay a Tower tix at Philadelphia.

As for the household limit, it did'nt work for me. Lucky me! as the Vredenburg wristlet read.

very honourable of him. Something like that if always good to read. Great you got to so many theatre shows. Persistence pays off.

I think we ended up with about 5 fan club memberships in 2003 taken out between my wife and myself, on 5 different credit cards. I didnt dare risk two memberships on the same card.

It was too late to get me into more than one theatre show (Astoria) unfortunately, but it did the trick for both Dublin and one or two of the Glasgow/Wembley shows.

Aside from the geographical limitation for the US shows (which stopped me from getting tickets for Roseland and Wiltern), it was a good system for fans who wanted tickets for the theatre gigs. Just a pity they didnt make it publicly clear that you could buy more than one membership though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-24 23:58 by Gazza.