Ownner Club

[dillyman]

I don't want to rock the boat but I would welcome the opinion of the posters on this site.

For some years I was a member of the D.O.C. and even turned up several times to the A.G.M. But I eventually resigned. Why?

No, I had not fallen out with anyone or their views and opinions.

I belong to quite a number of clubs while I have owned vehicles appropriate by make. I name a few. The Velocette Owners Club;
The L.E.Velo Club; The Saab owner Club: The Rover P4 Driver's Guild; The Rover Sports Register; The Chester Vintage Club; The Wirral Classic Car Club; The B.M.W. Owner Club; The National Autocycle and Cyclemotor Club. There have been others.

Almost all those Clubs have had cheaper subscriptions and more to offer in the way of magazine and events than the D.O.C. I simply do not believe that the subscription rate is justified.

Now of course I realise that there are far fewer owners of Dafs around than those of the other Clubs, and I don't expect to be able to attend more than a couple of events in any year, perhaps not even that - and I don't expect a flash mag. like the Saab Owners or the B.M.W Owners (motorcycles) Clubs, but I do think that the subscription should reflect what is on offer.

Many years ago Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club reckoned that the sub. should not exceed the cost of a tankful of petrol. By those standards perhaps the present sub is O.K. - but that was long ago and they were, after all, Rolls Royces!

If you all dump on me as being niggardly I will gladly accept the censures and re-join - what do you all think?

Marcus H.

[scooters]

understand where you are coming from - I had 8 different classic car club memberships which cost me about £100 a year.

However, £30 is not unreasonable especially for a small club. The Volvo OC is £26 and is an invaluable resource of information. Also I more than got my owner's club fee back on discounts I was entitiled to

[daf44]

hi all.

i must admit that i have not joined yet despite getting lots of advice on the forum but the price does seem reasonable for a small club.

i will join soon but i have spent all my available money on the car.

hopefully i will meet some of you at an event soon .

paul44

[spunkymonkey]

Ditto to daf44's comments. And to the lack of funds thanks to actually getting the car - plus spray kit, plus materials, plus a keyring(!!!!!!!!!!)

Certainly doesn't seem bad for a small club - administration, printing and so on costs are not proportional to membership.

[ericthered]

hi all,

i have my membership form filled in and ready to send tomorrow, i dont know what i will get in the way of mags etc but without fees car clubs will just die!

without owners clubs spares become even harder to get and ultimately owners suffer, clubs also hold a little sway no matter how small when it comes to the government trying to get us off the road with c**py laws , when lots of clubs get together they have a decent sized voice.

if the club makes money (normally they struggle!), the money can be saved and one day perhaps they can get rare parts remade and held in stock till we buy them.
as long as the guys running the coffers dont waste the money and have the best interests of the owners and cars at heart it helps keep the cars on the road.
they also put people of similar interests in touch with each other and give the cars a focal point.

one day you might need the club, and if its not there its then you know why they are valuable.

i am also in the Jensen owners club and it costs £30 as well, but the cars are considered expensive and there are 1600 members so their income is good.
we get a very expensive glossy A4 sized club mag (every 2 months) with full page adverts for specialists and full page pictures of the same cars over and over again, i never really read them cos theres not much in them, waste of cash.

had my say (no i dont secretly work for the club ;D)

best wishes,
Eric.

[graham]

currently not a member because im scraping the barrel for sandpaper at the moment but what else can you get for £30 my pug now takes £70 to fill !!!!!!!!!!!!!! if nothing else its got to be worth £30 a year (when ive got it the taxman has just screwed me) for the stars alone.

[Simon66Coupe]

I will declare my interests up front, I have been a member of the DAF Owners Club since 2001 and a committee member since 2004. The following is my own personal view and not club statement.

I have saved many times over the cost of membership, in all the years of membership of the club. This is quite easily done,

By buying spares through the club at advantageous price.

Reduced insurance costs, my insurer gives a 5% discount
if a member of a recognised car club.

Friends I have made through attending club event have been
generous with help and spares.

I view my £30 as an investment in helping me keep my DAF on the road and not an expense. The club does a great deal of work on our behalf, and costs are always a key consideration. As a small club we are unable generate bulk discounts offered by bigger clubs or advertising revenue. This can also be a benefit of the club in that everyone is an enthusiast and are working for the good of all the membership, and are not trying to make money out of our hobby.

What you put into the club I think is directly proportional to what you get out. There’s nothing wrong with just visiting the website, but it's far better coming to an event and seeing the cars hearing them, and talk to the owners, you'll learn so much more I know I did.

Another example of how open and friendly the club is there is no bar to using the club website whether you are a member or not, a lot of clubs have hidden members only sections such as For Sale section etc.

The club needs members and if you own or are interested in DAF you need the club, its a thing of mutual benefit to everyone
So please give the club your support

I'll put my soapbox away now
Regards
Simon Westerby
( Mines the yellow 66 coupe on DAFDAFFER’s video from the 2007 Autumn Frolic )

[veeruk]

It's my first year subscription to the DOC and I still don't feel guilty about paying £30 for it. As everybody says, the forums on here are always very friendly and helpful and there are no hidden area's. I have tried to talk to people on the Dutch site and nobody seems to be interested in talking to a "strange bee in the hive". It's is still only £2.50 a month, a classic magazine would cost you more. I think it is a very fair price to pay for a club membership. Te 2CV club is £24.50 plus £15 for the handbook. I am saving up to join them as well now ;D

[dafdaffer]

When i joined the club in 2001 the fee went up from £25 to £30 i must admit that i was not impressed at the time when it did and yes there were other clubs that were cheaper (obviously not daf),

there was an official meet at one of the AGM's to discuss the future of the club.

there had been a suguestion that either the subs went up to £30 or the club disbanded as there was sufficent money to keep it afloat.

we all agreed that it would have been sad to end the club as we has become such good friends and there was some very fond memorys.

when you think that (at a guess) there are 45 members
45 mags x3 a year dosent give alot of discount at the printers, dont forget P+P as well.

also dont forget that the DOC is a club for a marque not a model so spares are remade and held for all the Daf range not just lets say a ford cortina mk3,

then we attend venues for free! like princethorpe, there are no paid staff in the doc and it is all done for the love and survival of the daf and the club.

personally i think that this is cheap as the subs went 8 years ago how much has petrol and other stuff gone up???

i know that we are not all flush with money me without a doubt, but i am very happy to pay £30,
save a £5 a month and you would all have been paid up members by now!!!

if you want a brilliant mag, good freinds, great days out and to be accepted no matter how tatty or bodged your daf is (like mine can i add) then you will not be disapointed

Paul

[dillyman]

Thank you all for the imput. I happily accept the majority view and I particularly thank Simon and Paul for the careful and comprehensive responses which they made. My application to re-join will be made immediately.

Marcus

[dafdaffer]

Thats the spirit marcus,

we would love to see that wonderful and only to my knoledge mk2 44 estate again (dilly) ;D

[daf44]

hi everyone.

my application form has just gone into the post.
when i sorted out the insurance last week i asked how much discount they gave for being a member of a car club (they would accept any car club). they could not give me a percentage for the discount but it would bring the premium below £100. This would actually save me [glow=red,2,300]£27[/glow] a year.

well worth the £30 members fee.

saving money AND supporting the club.
what a result.

paul44