I've been banned

[Reg]

Hi All,

Hopefully, I have a few people's attention because what I have to say could be important if you are interested in joining a prospecting club.

For starters, no, I am not banned from Rob's forum. At least, not yet but I do pick on him enough as many know. I do that because we are friends and it is in fun. Rob knows I am always just kidding him. At least, I hope he does.

Anyway, getting back to the club problem, I would have preferred to exchange emails even though they were getting rough, but I was informed my emails were now being blocked. So, my emails are now banned from going to the Roadrunners prospecting club.

Now, to bring people up to speed, I joined the Roadrunners many years ago. I faithfully paid for years but as I approached the end of my payments, the club offered a discount if I paid in full which I did. So, I didn't pay the full $1500 but it was reasonably close.

Now, Roadrunner members receive a newsletter and in that newsletter there are always lifetime memberships for sale that are quite reasonable. I could have purchased one of them and saved a lot of money, but I thought I would help the club and pay the dues on a timely basis since it wasn't breaking me financially.

Now, fast forward to about two years ago when I heard there was a fee of $20 added on. I called the number on their website and I was told I didn't owe any more money and the $20 was to cover the cost of the newsletter, which I don't read anyway. Living in Colorado and only visiting AZ a couple times a year for a week or so, makes it impossible to attend meetings or the outings, so the newsletter is of little value to me.

Well, I recently received what I considered a letter demanding I pay the $20 fee. Well, I went to the website and guess what, the cost of joining is the same as when I joined. Also, the $20 was imposed but the site states I would not receive the newsletter or couldn't attend the steak fry or whatever. Again, none of this is important to me, living several hundred miles away.

Well, I thought I would be a nice guy and pay the $20 anyway, but I preferred to pay using typical methods commonly used today, meaning I would pay by credit card or Paypal. So I sent an email asking if they took them and if so, who did I contact.

Well, I received an email telling me this "How can we justify added costs for the club when members haven't payed their fair share." He then went on to inform me that I hadn't paid my fee, which I already knew.

Well, the emails went down hill from there since I informed him that I was paid up in full and that I had contacted them a couple years ago and was told the fee was for the newsletter.

Meanwhile, my question was a simple one, do you take a credit card or Paypal. I get what I considered a bs answer, blaming me and any other fully paid member for not paying our fee and the club was suffering. I was also told "But when you joined the claim fee was only a few dollars a year." Excuse me but I went out of my way to pay almost the entire amount of the $1500 when I could have bought a membership for $500 or so. Guess that makes me the dumb one huh. Well, so much for trying to do the right thing.

When I asked why they don't set up a simple Paypal account or even a credit card setup, I was told this; "Setting up paypal for a handful of members is not in the plans. All of you want service and things done your way."

Excuse me!!! The rest of the business world runs on credit cards and many now take Paypal, but because I thought it might be a good idea and the club might want to consider it, I want it my way? Anyone who has run a business knows the downfalls of taking private checks and the hassles that come with one that bounces. That is why so many companies and small business will not take personal checks any more. Today, most responsible business prefer a credit card and now, Paypal has become quite common.

I was informed by the board member that "I have worked my ass off for the club on the board for 7 years now". Great but what does that have to do with payal or taking a credit card. Me, being me, informed him that he might try using the other end, his head instead. I informed him again, I was paid up and I honored my end of the contract, and I didn't need the newsletter.

I also informed him again I originally wrote the email because I thought I would help the club by paying if it were convenient. Actually what I said was this it was a pain for me to send a check and offered the suggestion of alternative means of paying like; "Setting up a paypal account or even a credit card setup could be done and include the costs of handling it. It would be easy for me to pay $21 annual fees via paypal or even via a credit card, with the $1 extra to cover the cost of the account, rather than having to type a letter, making out a check, and mailing the stupid thing."

I also felt that if it were easier to pay, it is quite possible people might join just because they would have a place to go, so it just might help get new members, if it were easier to get started. BTW, I also told them their website sucked. Sorry, but for a club with a $1500 fee, one would think they would at least list the total amount of land they have available to hunt and might have a lot of pictures of gold found on their claims. I also thought and mentioned they may want to take advantage of the fact gold is high and run the club business like a business and promote the club while making it easier to join.

Instead I get this response from the board member; "I am amazed that a piece of crap like you was ever allowed in a club. Your selfish, think you are god like and no one counts but yourself. "

Well, thats me!!! I hoard all my technical knowledge, don't tell anyone anything that I feel might be in their best interest, and certainly as they say, I am a piece of crap like they say. Now, as for me being "god like", did I tell you I can walk on water? It is easy for me when I pick the right time and the right place. I could do it a little sooner and longer each year if I lived back in Michigan or one of the other northern states.

Now, getting back to the important issue, writing a check is a pain in the assssss. I don't do it for any of my regular bills, so why start with them, especially after such an enthusiastic level of communication.

The reason I am posting this is because now, I do not trust Roadrunners or more specific, the particular board member I was communicating with. I have no idea of what they will try next, if anything. So, I thought I had better go public, so other people may know what might happen.

If you read their website and the basic payment plan, they go to great detail to tell you once you have paid your lifetime membership fee, there are no more payments required. Read it for yourself. Here is the quote

"When you have paid in a total of $1500, you become a "lifetime" member, and make no further payments. " I don't think it can be any plainer than that.

Here is the link;

http://roadrunnergold.com/faqs.htm

Ok, people, am I wrong and thinking the wise thing for the club to do is have an easy means of payment? No club is going to survive without getting new members, so why not make it as easy as possible for them?

I am also writing this for the older retired members who joined many years ago and lived by the original contract. I personally, can afford to pay, but I am sure there are others who can't especially with everything going up in price today.

Finally, if he would have just stated that payment by any other means than a check wasn't available and left it at that, I would have accepted his answer. However, once he started blaming the woes of the club on "non paying" members who are paid in full, I took exception.

Reg

[grubstake]

Don't feel like the lone Ranger REG. a club did that to a few of us too! We went several months without membership cards, and cought hell for asking them to be sent. We no longer belong to thgat club, they lost 5 paying members because of that. Welcome to the real world. Grubstake

[Nuggetdigger]

damn

now you see why i just stick to doing my own thing.,........sounds like a bunch of hassle to me..lol

[nuggethunting]

Hello Reg,

That's unfortunate that happened. The Roadrunner's at one time was probably the best prospecting club around here in Arizona. I know a couple of years ago I didn't pay that "FEE" and was told I wouldn't receive the newsletter, my ad would be pulled & I couldn't attend the outings.

I agree with you, I could have purchased a lifetime membership for $400-$500, but thought I would help the club by purchasing a full membership. I believe I paid $120 up front and $10/month. I think I still owe like $100 and then I will be a life member.

I've watched over the last couple of years and they have had a handful of board members turn over.

Real surprised someone from the Board would send much emails to you. That don't make the club look good at all.

Hope you can get it resolved if you're willing.

P.S. I agree, the club should set up a Paypal account or some type of Credit Card link for renewals, fees and new members.

Rob Allison

[AZNuggetBob]

Reg I think I would sell your membership and cut your losses. I would be a little bit leary of sending my money to a P.O. Box? Who owns it these days I cant find any names on their site???AzNuggetBob

[Reg]

Hi Rob,

I will tell you what I mentioned in one of the emails and that was "Personally, I have only used the club claims a few times in all the years I have been a member, yet I have paid out the lifetime membership. So, I have more than paid my dues for what I have received."

My best guess is I have probably spent a half a dozen days on their claim in all the years I paid in. I guess that is also part of the problem.

I also stated "Personally, I could have just went on the claims without anyone knowing since I am there so seldom. However, I felt that wasn't correct and that is why I joined and paid my lifetime membership. Then along comes people like you who make me think that I should have taken the other route and just hygraded the claims. "

So, I am also to blame for the heated emails. I just get pisssst when people make, what I call accusations that are totally uncalled for. As I said, I went through the effort to call a couple of years ago and was told very explicitly, the fees were basically for the newsletter and they weren't necessary to use the claims. Next thing I know, I am called on the carpet for not paying them. Just for the record, as I mentioned before, I hate to make out checks and send them and I did have intentions to do that, but other priorities came up and I forgot.

Now, if you look at the club's website, it is lacking a whole lot of information including the officers, etc. The pics make it look more like a social get together, rather than a prospecting club. Finally, in my opinion, the site certainly doesn't do much for making any person enthusiastic about joining. At least it doesn't in my opinion.

My opinion, which obviously isn't worth much, is this. If you are going to run a prospecting club today and need members to pay all the costs involved, then you need to make the club readily available and appealing information that may cause one to consider joining. Just as important, make it extremely easy to join. Now, it almost appears the RR club would rather remain inbred rather than try to get others to join and rely on trying to squeeze lifetime members for any additional costs. This, in my opinion is B...Sh.t especially, when they joined and paid their dues under different circumstances, and that is what it appears they are trying to do now.

I know there are a whole lot of people who would love to go prospecting but have no where to go or who to talk to. In fact, I have been in communication with a guy who has another detecting website.

A smart club will cater to such people and charge a reasonable fee for a "week" of prospecting on their claims. Of course, the fee would count towards the actual membership should the decide to join the club. By making this type of a feature available, many of the unknowing or hygraders may just try the week's venture to check it out.

As for keeping the claim locations secret, well that is a joke today. Most claims can be investigated on line as to the ownership. All one has to know is the general location and go from there.

If we put this all in perspective and look at other clubs available such as the Havasau Gold Seekers, who charge $30 a year, then I would have paid for over 40 years of use. Actually, it would be 50 if we didn't take into account the initial fee to join.

Reg

[nuggethunting]

Hello Reg,

I think the Havasu Gold Seekers and Weaver both have it together. They charge in the range of $30-$50 for a yearly membership. For guys that might come out and only hunt the claims a few times it's worth the investment.

I've tried to talk Elly (24K Gold Hunters) into doing daily and weekly memberships for the guys that will only be able to visit a few days or up to a week. However, she had no interests at the time.

I thought about claiming a bunch of good nugget hunting areas and doing the same, but it's too much headache to run and maintain.

Talk with you later,

Rob Allison

[Bandana Don]

Here's my 2 cents worth Reg concerning the RRPC: I think I know who the person who responded to your emails, etc. Personally I have no problems with that person. Keep it in mind that all persons who fill positions on the RRPC Board are volunteers and generously give of their time to help make the club function.

Regarding the Web site for the club I agree it doesn't really do much for the club and it could be improved.

I do not attend meetings because it would be a +200 mile round trip for me just to attend and frankly, for obvious reasons, I don't desire to be in PHX at night.

Have I found enough gold on RRPC claims to justify my dues and $20,00 claims maintenance fee. Yup, sure have! One nice specie I found is probably worth a heck of a lot more than all of what I've paid over the years into the club.

Yes, I go to the steak fry's and have returned home well satisfied. Of course it always helps when I draw for and win a small gold nugget. I've not yet volunteered to help out the club but I plan to do so for the next staek fry.

I also am a member of Havasu Gold Seekers but it's a long drive over to the club. HGS has a nice club building in which they serve meals at times. Their base camp is very nice. Only problem I see is that the Snow Birds get there early and occupy all the pads with their motor homes. Think they should have some only SHORT TIME or 3 Three DAY WEEK END stay pads. Last year a membership card was not issued after I paid my dues and this didn't sit too well with me.

Reg it's too bad you had a bad experience with RRPC since I believe the club honestly trys to do the best it can.

Don

[Reg]

Hi Don,

So far, I don't have a problem directly with the RR club, but with the attitude of one person, who has taken the position of representing the club.

I do have an major problem of his bs concerning the $20 fee when I was told very clearly before that the fee was to cover the newsletter and it would simply stop if I didn't pay. Then along comes this guy and "blames" the woes of the club on me and other non paying paid up members. B*ll SH*T!!!! That irrigated me and still irrigates me.

Now, his following statement didn't help my enthusiasm either. Here it is "With any luck you will never come back here and dirty our name with your bullshit."

I am considering selling my membership now. That way I won't dirty RR's name by being a member. I just haven't decided at this point. Besides, at my age, hygrading sounds more like fun, he he Catch me if you can may be my new motto. After all, I am just using the detector to search for water, right? Actually, I am thinking more along the lines I don't want my name associated with them, rather than the other way around.

I have always tried to be honest and up front by joining all the clubs in the area where I plan on hunting, so I am not on claims without authorization, even though I am only down in AZ for a couple weeks a year. Heck, my last trip down I stopped and paid at the Weaver Mining district and paid Elly at the 24K club.

Here is the funny part, make it easy to pay and I would gladly pay the $20 per year. It certainly won't break me. I JUST HATE TO WRITE CHECKS and then mail them!!!!! For me, it is a royal pain in the donkey.

Now, you think you have a long distance to go to attend the club meetings. Try 1200 miles round trip. That is what I would have to travel.

I joined the Tucson Desert Golddiggers club when I decided to try down by Tucson, but let the membership lapse for the same reason, and that is I just simply hate to make out checks and send them. Somehow, I could never get around do simply sitting down and making out a check and mailing it to them. I do need to call them and see if they have an alternative pay setup.

Geez, one would think one of the key members would have a paypal account and work with the club if they are that enthused about it. Charge and extra dollar or two for handling the money so there are no losses on their part.

If nothing else authorize the club president or treasurer to have a paypal account or a means to pay by credit card. It really wouldn't be that difficult or expensive for the club. I suspect there are more people like me than not.

As I told the guy, make it easy to join and pay and I have no doubt people wanting a place to hunt will join. However, the club's website should be more appealing and have a lot of pics of the gold found on their claims.

Oh well, I guess I am just being selfish, and of course "god like" by thinking this way.

With a new attitude of catch me if you can, I should have a nickname, so how does the "geriatric hygrader" or maybe the "geriatric gold bandit" sound?

I have come to the conclusion the world sucks. If it didn't, wouldn't all things not nailed down just float away?

Reg