TOO-FREQUENT MAILINGS FOR RENEWING AARP MEMBERSHIP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gatorgorilla]

Astraea,  Your organization and follow-through are thorough and impressive!  Thanks for sharing.  Pam

[ASTRAEA]

It might be extra administrative effort, but I keep a list of charities, magazines & memberships I have, with columns for each contribution & renewal with period & amount. When I get a new solicitation or renewal reminder, I check that list. I make note of repeat reminders/solicitations, and if they get too frequent, I write to the head of the organization with the exact dates I've gotten their mail.

Many organizations start "reminding" you to renew 6 months before a membership/subscription expires, so that they have the money in-hand at the beginning of the next period. I've told more than a few charities that their repeat requests indicated inefficiency & inconsiderate operations IMHO, and if they didn't stop, I'd stop donating.

Although I'm not old or "forgetful", I certainly can't memorize all that important information, but it's there when I need it.

[WebWiseWoman]

Agree Debbie (and Bob),

Hate the waste of paper and somewhat deceptive practices; think it's okay for some (like my mom who isn't digital savvy) but is also deceptive as I bought her lifetime membership when I finally qualified ten years ago and she still receives that renewal carpola, plus we baby boomers started the eco-friendly movement so strongly dislike AARP's waste. Heck I even feel guilty discarding their renewal emails...

Thanks for your post. Excellent!

denese

[Debbie6250]

My husband and I have been AARP members for almost ten years now. (We normally buy a 3-year membership.) But then AARP sends us a "RENEW NOW!" packet every few months! After my 93-year-old grandmother died, we discovered that she had "renewed" her AARP membership at least 4 times in 1 year (with a 3-year membership fee each time!) She overpaid AARP by a LOT, and AARP never bothered to tell her she was overpaying. So you get a "HURRY UP & RENEW" packet every 4-6 months, and some people believe that their membership is about to expire. Why does AARP do this? Isn't it obvious? It's a SCAM! Magazine companies do it all the time! Our current membership doesn't expire until December 2015! But we still get the "HURRY UP & RENEW" packets...wasted paper & wasted AARP money. Lay off!