Should I cancel my National Trust membership?

Quentin

It's much cheaper to join the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (eg family membership is $79, around £41 including international postage) . They have reciprocal agreements with the NT/Scottish NT/English Heritage etc for free entry to their sites.

wearside_2

Quentin wrote: »

It's much cheaper to join the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. They have reciprocal agreements with the NT/Scottish NT etc for free entry to their sites.

I see that if you join, you can also have entry to both English Heritage and National Trust which would be a bargain.

The full list is:

• National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• National Trust of Scotland
• National Trust of Jersey
• English Heritage
• National Trust of Australia
• Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation (USA)
• Japan National Trust
• Zimbabwean National Trust
• Gelderland Trust for Historic Houses & Gelderland Trust for Natural Beauty (Netherlands)
• National Trust for the Cayman Islands
• Bermuda National Trust
• Manx National Heritage
• Barbados National Trust
• National Trust for Historic Preservation (USA)

For me and my wife it would be NZ$50 plus $10 International Postage which converts to £31.41. Seems too good to be true. I must explore further!

Quentin

wearside wrote: »

I Seems too good to be true. I must explore further!

It is true!


And they have held their prices for a long time!

If you decide to join, note they only issue one card for a joint membership, so select "Mr & Mrs" as your title and put in both names (ie Mr Davexxx Wearside & Mrs Annexx Wearside), and the card comes showing both your names as joint members.

sunshinetours

Quentin wrote: »

It is true!


And they have held their prices for a long time!

If you decide to join, note they only issue one card for a joint membership, so select "Mr & Mrs" as your title and put in both names (ie Mr Davexxx Wearside & Mrs Annexx Wearside), and the card comes showing both your names as joint members.

This has been around for a long time. Just makes ure if you do this spend some money at least at NT or EH sites otherwise these charities are getting no money from you

We have not rejoined NT this year but have joined RHS and next year maybe EH. you get the benefit of joiner rates and also support different charities each year and visit fresh places

sunshinetours

tuftyclub wrote: »

Sorry to hijack here -but you seem like the people that might know :-)

Like many, I joined under quidco -direct debit and only used it for a few visits (usefully car parking in walking spots). I cancel the DD when I knew I wouldn't renew. I got a renewal pack sent to me - which I ignored as I didn't want to renew -then they sent me a new membership card and a bill! (no parking sticker!) which went in the bin as I hadn't chosen to renew..... (and obs never used - went straight in the bin) and today I recive a letter telling me my card was issued and I owe then 50 quid!

Are they trying it on? It feels a bit like spam mail -and if I call them they know I exist, but I cancelled the DD and ignored the renwal so I don't know what's going on.

Am I liable for anything? - generally I would ignore this - but I am thinking of applying for a mortgage in a year or so and am worried this unpaid bill may affect my credit rating.

Thanks for any advice that you can give.

You signed up to DD membership and didn't bother to tell them you weren't renewing. Admin costs of charities comes straight out of their operating income so you are costing a UK charity money with your laziness about not sending one email or picking up the phone.
Hopefully it won't affect your rating but maybe deal with things properly?

Quentin

sunshinetours wrote: »

This has been around for a long time. Just makes ure if you do this spend some money at least at NT or EH sites otherwise these charities are getting no money from you

There is no need to feel any "guilt" like this. Entry to these properties is a benefit of membership, not a fiddle!

Members of the NT/EH etc all get free admission to the NZ properties without being urged to give them money!

sunshinetours

Quentin wrote: »

There is no need to feel any "guilt" like this. Entry to these properties is a benefit of membership, not a fiddle!

Members of the NT/EH etc all get free admission to the NZ properties without being urged to give them money!

Depends on how you view your UK heritage - never said it was fiddle just that NT doesn't get any money from doing it this way

Its a bit like outsourcing jobs to India etc. Yes its cheaper but does it ultimately help the UK economy?

Quentin

sunshinetours wrote: »

Depends on how you view your UK heritage - never said it was fiddle just that NT doesn't get any money from doing it this way

Its a bit like outsourcing jobs to India etc. Yes its cheaper but does it ultimately help the UK economy?

This is a money saving website!

Maybe expressing your concern over NT not getting any money from members of other trusts is misplaced here?

(And why do they charge extra to people agreeing to gift aid their entrance fee than the standard admission price at their sites - surely they make more out of the gift aided entry anyway?)

tuftyclub

sunshinetours wrote: »

You signed up to DD membership and didn't bother to tell them you weren't renewing. Admin costs of charities comes straight out of their operating income so you are costing a UK charity money with your laziness about not sending one email or picking up the phone.
Hopefully it won't affect your rating but maybe deal with things properly?

fair point , it was lazy -but I assumed that not replying to the new forms and cancelling the DD was sufficient. (and I agree a bit rude)

I joined at the cheaper rate to trial it. It wasn't really for me. I could give lots of reasons - but not really relevant to this thread.

Thanks for the reply I will email them and confirm.

Quentin

tuftyclub wrote: »

Are they trying it on?

That's it in a nutshell!

There is no commitment to renew (unlike the "autorenew" clause in many car insurance policies).

They know when you cancel a DD as they get informed by the bank.

Yet they send out an unsolicited renewal pack!

(And there is no fear they could blight your credit record)