yho@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (yue-shun.e.ho) (06/25/91)
In article <1991Jun21.143535.24649@cbfsb.att.com> I write: >Has anyone experienced problems with IEEE membership renewal? This is > the second consecutive year that I have such experience. Is this > just bad luck, or is this a bureacratic problem with IEEE? > Here is my story: > [...] > >If this is just bad luck, then too bad for me. If I am not the only > one, maybe we can trigger an investigation into their membership > department. Meanwhile, I think I shouldn't be too optimistic about > whether my membership renewal will *finally* be processed. > Yes, my membership renewal is finally processed. It was processed TWICE!!! I received a letter from IEEE's "Office of the General Manager" yesterday afternoon (postmarked June 22) saying that my IEEE membership has been discontinued. Later in the evening, I got home and received my credit card bill. Guess what? I found TWO postings of IEEE membership charges - one dated June 6 and the other dated June 7. It's time to call VISA for a stop payment, I guess. It's hard to imagine a professional organisation would have such a lousy membership department. Yue-shun E. Ho
shaw@plains.NoDak.edu (Ronald Shaw) (06/26/91)
In article <1991Jun25.150016.18991@cbfsb.att.com> yue-shun.e.ho writes: >In article <1991Jun21.143535.24649@cbfsb.att.com> : >>Has anyone experienced problems with IEEE membership renewal? This is >>If this is just bad luck, then too bad for me. If I am not the only >> one, maybe we can trigger an investigation into their membership >> department. Meanwhile, I think I shouldn't be too optimistic about >> whether my membership renewal will *finally* be processed. >> > >Yes, my membership renewal is finally processed. It was processed TWICE!!! > I too have been having problems with my membership. I was a student member until 1985. (or so I thought). Then I became a member. (or so I thought) It turns out the I was raised to MEMBER status in 1984, dropped to STUDENT status in 1984/1985. Then became an ASSOCIATE member in 1985. I have been trying to get this fixed for 2 years now. The last time I asked they said send in the dues and they will issue me a card with MEMBER status. I replied, send me an invoice with MEMBER status, then I will send in the money. Well, the invoice never arrived. So I never sent in the money. Just the other day, I was sent a form to re-establish my membership. Just a form letter and form application. But nothing with my name and the status of MEMBER on it. So until they send me somthing with MEMBER Ronald D. Shaw, they will not get one cent from me. -- Ronald D. Shaw shaw@plains.nodak.edu (Internet) uunet!plains!shaw (UUCP) shaw@plains (Bitnet)
seaney@robios2.me.wisc.edu (Steve Seaney) (06/26/91)
Here's another on IEEE and membership. Last Fall my girlfried was asked to join ACS by her advisor. When she got the form to send in we found out that the total bill would be about $120.00!!!!! That's for a graduate student in chemistry that makes $13,000 per year BEFORE taxes and tuition. I was outraged that a professoinal society would charge so much for a graduate student to belong. I even used IEEE as an example of how a society should treat its student members. A few months later it came time to renew my IEEE membership. I found that IEEE now has special rates for graduate students -- rates that increase with the year you are in school. I feel like they are trying to get blood out of a turnip. I've sent in TWO letters asking them to please explain their reasoning and the only reply I've received is processed checks (they accompanied the letters). Aren't the peronnel at IEEE intelligent enough to realize that: 1. We don't have to belong. 2. If they are nice to students we will probably be strong members later. 3. There are other Professoinal Societies out there (granted they aren't nearly as good). By the way. I still haven't received all the periodicals I subscribed to! It's only been 4 months, maybe it'll just take them a little time. -- seaney@cae.wisc.edu * University of Wisconsin - Madison ****************************** 53C Mechanical Engineering 608 / 262-7463 * 1513 University Avenue 608 / 255-9341 * Madison, Wisconsin 53706
ce1zzes@prism.gatech.EDU (Eric Sheppard) (06/26/91)
yho@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (yue-shun.e.ho) writes:
.In article <1991Jun21.143535.24649@cbfsb.att.com> I write:
.>Has anyone experienced problems with IEEE membership renewal? This is
.> the second consecutive year that I have such experience. Is this
.> just bad luck, or is this a bureacratic problem with IEEE?
.> Here is my story:
.>
.[...]
.>
.>If this is just bad luck, then too bad for me. If I am not the only
.> one, maybe we can trigger an investigation into their membership
.> department. Meanwhile, I think I shouldn't be too optimistic about
.> whether my membership renewal will *finally* be processed.
.>
.Yes, my membership renewal is finally processed. It was processed TWICE!!!
.I received a letter from IEEE's "Office of the General Manager" yesterday
. afternoon (postmarked June 22) saying that my IEEE membership has been
. discontinued. Later in the evening, I got home and received my
. credit card bill. Guess what? I found TWO postings of IEEE membership
. charges - one dated June 6 and the other dated June 7.
.It's time to call VISA for a stop payment, I guess. It's hard to
. imagine a professional organisation would have such a lousy membership
. department.
.Yue-shun E. Ho
I also am having problems. I graduated from one school last year, and
then went into a second. I have just received my last invoice; they are
telling me to cough up the extra money for regular dues despite the
fact I am paid up as a student. I notified them about my change of school
a long time ago, but I still haven't gotten my current membership card.
I can't even get them on the phone. Is it really worth the trouble anymore?
Eric
--
Eric Sheppard Georgia Tech | "Of course the US Constitution isn't
Atlanta, GA | perfect; but it's a lot better than what
ARPA: ce1zzes@prism.gatech.edu | we have now." -Unknown
uucp: ...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,seismo,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!ce1zzesieeug330@Eagle.oscs.montana.edu (Mark Wistey) (06/26/91)
>.In article <1991Jun21.143535.24649@cbfsb.att.com> I write: >.>Has anyone experienced problems with IEEE membership renewal? This is Only one. My student membership went through fine--in 3 months. Instead of starting my subscriptions with Spectrum and others then, they sent me *back issues*. Way to keep us up to date... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mark Wistey... gmw1142%msu3.dnet@mtsunix1 (BITNet) | Bicycling, Apple II's, gmw1142%msu3.dnet@terra.oscs.montana.edu (InterNet) | Christ-like living, 513 S. 9th, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA (BikeNet) | Music, and Physics :-)
rys@inf.ethz.ch (Michael Rys) (06/26/91)
In article <1991Jun25.150016.18991@cbfsb.att.com> yho@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (yue-shun.e.ho) writes: >In article <1991Jun21.143535.24649@cbfsb.att.com> I write: >>If this is just bad luck, then too bad for me. If I am not the only >> one, maybe we can trigger an investigation into their membership >> department. Meanwhile, I think I shouldn't be too optimistic about >> whether my membership renewal will *finally* be processed. >> > >Yes, my membership renewal is finally processed. It was processed TWICE!!! > >I received a letter from IEEE's "Office of the General Manager" yesterday > afternoon (postmarked June 22) saying that my IEEE membership has been > discontinued. Later in the evening, I got home and received my > credit card bill. Guess what? I found TWO postings of IEEE membership > charges - one dated June 6 and the other dated June 7. > Ah, they charged my Credit Card twice but gave a refund shortly after the second charge. Only problem is that I lost about 2 or 3$ because of a bad currency exchange rate $ vs. sfr.. Michael Rys >Yue-shun E. Ho Sorry, but my mailer needs the lines.