Deceptive Request for AARP Membership Renewal

[ms67795507]

My (5-year) was not due until 2021, but that didn't stop AARP from soliciting...was eventually renewed for another 5 years, in 2017. Keep receiving solicitations for membership that is NOT DUE. Have now requested a refund and have been told that the check is in the mail. We'll see...Very concerned about their practice, which feels like senior abuse at this point

[ms67795507]

In my opinion, its to AARPs advantage to send out all the inappropriate mailings to EVERYONE, even those that are "Life Members". It may cost them too much to separate Life Members from others, but just think, if someone's membership does not expire until 2021, why solicit to them? Because AARP can make a lot of money they are NOT entitled to, thats why. Very anti-senior and abusive.

[AARPTeri]

@JB536233 

First let us apologize for any frustration you are experiencing.  AARP has become aware that some mailings inadvertently had this included error.  We have verified your auto renew will not auto renew until June as you have confirmed.  If you would like to discuss this with someone directly, please call our membership number at 1-888-687-2277 and they can provide additional information for you.

[AARPTeri]

First let us apologize for any frustration you are experiencing.  AARP has become aware that some mailings inadvertently had this included error.  We have verified your auto renew will not auto renew until June as you have confirmed.  If you would like to discuss this with someone directly, please call our membership number at 1-888-687-2277 and they can provide additional information for you.

[Epster]

Hi @JB536233 Nicely stated.

You are certainly not alone in feeling this way: people come on here regularly to voice such reactions to the AARP membership renewal mailing protocol.

Me, I hate junk mail enough to not only register on all the opt-out services, but, as I'm in my 50s, I took the step of getting a lifetime membership from AARP. Now most everything that comes from them ends up in our recycle bin unopened.

This being said, I'm sure AARP is not trying to annoy members. I'm sure their mailing protocol has much more to do with the numbers such as 'it requires an average of X number of reminders to get a paid renewal'. 

Last I knew the actual statistics, only 10% of recipients responded to direct marketing (mailings). Still, with all that waste, it is considered a far more cost effective form of advertising than magazine, TV and radio advertising. But take heart: new statistics show that the most effective advertising is now social media memes and videos. So in time AARP will start leaving our mailboxes alone. Yay!

[JB536233]

Hello,

I am very disappointed in a letter I received from AARP warning me that I needed to renew my membership because "Your current AARP membership will expire soon, unless you renew it now."

Has anyone else been bothered with this deceptive practice? 

I wanted to share the complaint letter I just sent to AARP headquarters. 

 Here's my reply:

On Feb 16, 2018, I received your mailing prompting me to renew because "Your current AARP membership will expire soon, unless you renew it now."

I am very disappointed and angered by this apparent predatory solicitation for AARP renewal.

Because I have set up a recurring bank payment for AARP renewal, I know my AARP membership is good through June 1, 2018.

To aggressively solicit renewal almost 6 months in advance is preying upon the elderly you claim to represent.  Why doesn't your solicitation indicate the true due date for renewal???

Unless someone looked up their past membership payment, they could easily pay multiple times per year, assuming that AARP would contact them for renewal only when it was truly due.

Up til now, I felt confident that AARP looked out for the interests of its members. But I find this practice highly deceptive and it makes me suspect that AARP is not a brand to be trusted.