Pilote Owners Association – £16 to become a Member ?

[keithchesterfield2]

I've owned a Pilote for a few years and have occasionally submitted questions and answers on the Pilote Owners Association website forum.

Today I've tried to access the forum and failed.

I now find I have to become a Member of the Association at an annual cost of £16 to be able to access the forums.

I realise there are other benefits of Membership but I am only likely to access the forums to help and be helped by other Owners and I don't require Newsletters or intend attending Meets.

Do other Motorhome marques have a similar set-up requiring payment to join or is it only Pilote that wishes to have my money to post and read on their forums ?

 

[drago35uk]

Yes this one just covers a few more marques is all.

 

[scotjimland]

Hymer Club International ..

SUBSCRIPTIONS - Administration Fee £5 plus Subscription £1.25 per Month

was a member for a year but it's so old fashioned, printing forms out and sending a cheque.. EACH YEAR

they all cost time and money to run,

Most decent forums are subscription

subscription forums that come to mind

MHFs
Wild Camping
Motorcaravn Club
SBMCC
Adria Club
Bailey Owners
Swift Owners

 

[hilldweller]

Easy -- swap your MH. Swift forum is free.

 

[mike mcglynn]

Autosleepers Owners club is £20.

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[TheBig1]

paying for a web address, database tools and hosting cost quite a bit every year. Moderation and admin costs a lot of time daily for any forum. Why should this all be provided for free?

 

[Lenny HB]

Hymer Club International ..

SUBSCRIPTIONS - Administration Fee £5 plus Subscription £1.25 per Month

For the last 10 years it's been £15/ year or £39 for 3 years and you can now pay by Bank Transfer.

Carthago Club used to be free but now £10/year I think.

 

[Bedspring]

Its funny how we make financial decisions. You have a motorhome that will have cost a bob or two, and you must put fuel in and all sorts, yet balk at £16.

Not a critcism, I do the same sort of thing, just interesting to observe.

What can you get there but not here?

 

[tonka]

Looks like there is a Facebook group for them..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilotemotorhomeowners/

That will be free.

 

[Lenny HB]

Looks like there is a Facebook group for them..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilotemotorhomeowners/

That will be free.

Probably need to be a paid up member to access it that how the other clubs do it.

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[rb62]

I've owned a Pilote for a few years and have occasionally submitted questions and answers on the Pilote Owners Association website forum.

Today I've tried to access the forum and failed.

I now find I have to become a Member of the Association at an annual cost of £16 to be able to access the forums.

I realise there are other benefits of Membership but I am only likely to access the forums to help and be helped by other Owners and I don't require Newsletters or intend attending Meets.

Do other Motorhome marques have a similar set-up requiring payment to join or is it only Pilote that wishes to have my money to post and read on their forums ?

Seems strange,I've just been in and had a look round,as I've done in the past.

 

[mikebeaches]

There is a Rapido facebook group - Rapido Owners Group UK - which has over a 1,000 members and is quite active. No fees.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RapidoOwnersGroupUK/

 

[Wagoneer]

Carthago Club used to be free but now £10/year I think.

Correct. £10/year. Webpage + closed Facebook page. 450 members.

 

[scotjimland]

For the last 10 years it's been £15/ year or £39 for 3 years and you can now pay by Bank Transfer.

I was only a member for a year, I paid £5 admin + £15 subs, = £20 and could only pay by cheque.

I never renewed, so wasn't aware they had 'modernised' and gave discount for paying 3 years subs, and don't see it on the application form

http://www.hymerclub.co.uk/Application Form Oct 2017.pdf

but in any case, the point wasn't about the cost, or how it was paid, it was replying to the OP that there are other marques and forums requiring payment to join..

 

[rich g]

Autosleeper's Forum free

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[Khizzie]

I was only a member for a year, I paid £5 admin + £15 subs, = £20 and could only pay by cheque.

I never renewed, so wasn't aware they had 'modernised' and gave discount for paying 3 years subs, and don't see it on the application form

http://www.hymerclub.co.uk/Application Form Oct 2017.pdf

but in any case, the point wasn't about the cost, or how it was paid, it was replying to the OP that there are other marques and forums requiring payment to join..

I won't bother either.. Don't have a Hymer Lol

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I've owned a Pilote for a few years and have occasionally submitted questions and answers on the Pilote Owners Association website forum.

Today I've tried to access the forum and failed.

I now find I have to become a Member of the Association at an annual cost of £16 to be able to access the forums.

I realise there are other benefits of Membership but I am only likely to access the forums to help and be helped by other Owners and I don't require Newsletters or intend attending Meets.

Do other Motorhome marques have a similar set-up requiring payment to join or is it only Pilote that wishes to have my money to post and read on their forums ?

I got a year's free membership when I bought my new Pilote. Took one look at it and decided not to bother.........

 

[keithchesterfield2]

Seems strange,I've just been in and had a look round,as I've done in the past

I've just had another try and it won't give me access to the Website Forum - could just be me .........

I know it's only £16 and my MH cost thousands but with the BBC perhaps wanting me to pay for my licence in the next year or two it would deplete my meagre bank account even more - and it's only a Forum with minimal use by Members.

Thanks for your replies.

Off for a lie down .....

 

[pops]

Kieth I have just got in by renewing my password.
If they got rid of us two there would be nobody to answer any questions

 

[trophychap]

I got a year's free membership when I bought my new Pilote. Took one look at it and decided not to bother.........

Sounds exactly like us but there again I don't reckon there can be many anywhere who know as much about Pilotes as our dealer does, so if entirely puzzled and perplexed - we'd just ring Bill !

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[keithchesterfield2]

Kieth I have just got in by renewing my password.

I'm not sure how to change my password - when I click on the box 'Website Forums' (which seems to be the only access to the forums) a little yellow blob with an exclamation mark appears - and that's as far as I can get.

We're doomed I tell you, doomed !

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Sounds exactly like us but there again I don't reckon there can be many anywhere who know as much about Pilotes as our dealer does, so if entirely puzzled and perplexed - we'd just ring Bill !

Same dealer!! Good service on both the Pilote and the Le Voyageur

 

[pops]

Keith,I click on login and it went to ProBoard and ask for my email and password. Could not remember mine so clicked on forgot password and renewed. Went back to login and went straight in. Have tried a few times and gone straight in.
Terry

 

[Neilfg]

Was a member of the POA, we did meet up for a rally in France last minute, they are a great bunch and the rallies are very well organised, it was the first time we had been able to sit down and compare notes with other owners look at their mods etc... Not a member anymore as it lapsed and we could not see ourselves making use of the rallies. Joined a facebook group which is very handy at times along with this forum

But the POA forum appears to be seperate and freely available you do not have to pay to be able login, as just logged in and had a gander but as said not alot of activity.

 

[Spriddler]

There's a cost to running websites. Generally, if a website is free then YOU are the product being marketed to advertisers.

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[TheBig1]

£16 a year is £1.33 a month or 33p a week. a fortune to some folk

 

[Steve N Tracy]

Dethleffs owners club is £15.00 but worth every penny with some free issue parts.

 

[PORKSTER]

I used to refuse to pay for forums some of the best ones used to be free

 

[138go]

Easy -- swap your MH. Swift forum is free.

Don't say anything NAUGHTY though otherwise you may find you have been BANNED .. They really don't like people who express an opinion about their crap Dealers and even crappier MHs. They just like people who say how nice they are.

 

[Blue Knight]

We were part of the Pilote Owners Club for 18-months and IMO it was well run and the events were interesting and coordinated.

We only terminated our membership on the sale of our Pilote otherwise for 15 or 16 quid a year it was well worth it.

Some people are tighter than a ducks chuff.

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