Joining the NRA = Worst thing I have ever done

[msimonds]

I listened to my friends and they all told me that I should join the NRA. They stated that my membership money would be used to help fight for my rights, so I believed them. Now while it was only a one year membership, I did feel like I was being cheap by only joining for one year @ $25.00

So I got my membership package and sticker for my car and I thought that was it. BOY was I WRONG. This is worse than those credit card mailings I get all the time and other coupons. I am constantly receiving items from the NRA, all of them asking for money so they can fight this and fight that, magazine offers, car insurance discounts for the NRA. These are all from third party companies, which means that they are giving out my address to third party's.

Today they sent me something else and guess what they want more money. This is the biggest mistake that I have ever done with regards to joining a group.

Sure glad I only joined for a year and I can guarentee that I will never join the NRA again, but I am sure that I will continue to get the mailings from them and other companies


I am sure that I will get hammered by everyone on this forum/community but honestly I do not care

Also I am not trying to offend anyone or their beliefs, I am just expressing my own feelings

Thanks
Mike

 

[lanternlad1]

+1

The mass mailings I get are a serious turn-off. I hate giving someone my money just to have them ask for more money. The NRA needs to consider this in their marketing strategy.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Uhh, just ask them to stop sending it.

I get 3 or 4 pieces of mail a year from NRA.

 

[msimonds]

see what really pisses me off though is that they are selling our membership information to third parties for a fee I am sure. I get insurance and magazine subscription things in the mail all the time and to be honest it is a real beating

I thought that associations such as the NRA were here to protect our rights, not sell them off to make money!!

 

[RNB65]

Mountains out of molehills.

Call and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

Voilà, no more mailings.

 

[msimonds]

I called and talked to membership services and while this will get you off their mailings and stop your information from being given out anymore, they cannot guarantee that your address wont be used by those third party companies any longer and that they could also give your information out.

They said that they are receiving tons and tons of complaints and I canceled my membership

So that is that. I mean really how can a company that is supposed to protect the rights of its members, sell your information!!!!!!

 

[Werewolf]

Like others have said:

Just call and ask to be removed from their mailing list. From that point on you'll get 2 or 3 things in a year from the NRA and maybe another 2 from a third party associated with the NRA. At least that's all I get.

Takes about 5 seconds a piece to toss 'em in the trash if that is your want.

There are more important reasons to disapointed with the NRA than junk mail - but then that's another discussion entirely.

 

[rkh]

Signing up for an organization that actively supports your rights, but sends you bulk mailings that you can opt-out of is the "worst thing [you] have ever done?" Are you a cloistered monk?

:banghead:

Please take a moment to think about how absurd your statement really is.

 

[average_shooter]

Not to mention all the money being spent on the mailings could (should) just be spent to further truly fight for RKBA. I hate giving money to an organization then getting "gifts" that negate the amount I donated. Really, what's the point?

 

[mjrodney]

It takes money to influence the political machinery in this country and lots of it.

Few gun owners contribute regularly to those who fight for our rights on capitol hill, so ad agencies come into the picture to continually ask for contributions.

Make the call, but keep your support strong.

The ad agencies will stop with the mailings.

 

[beaucoup ammo]

There IS a fight going on and it needs funding. Sort of like getting defense bills through congress. It's a pain, but it's got to be done. Use the junk mail to start a fire this winter!

 

[Mark_from_Iowa]

I mean really how can a company that is supposed to protect the rights of its members, sell your information!!!!!!

-Getting a packet of junk mail every so often is a normal part of living in the 21st century.

-The NRA is not compromising your Second Amendment rights through mass mailings.

-You are simply overreacting.

If that is not apparent to you, then try re-reading the above verrry slooowly.

PS: Junk mail can be disposed of in any approved wastepaper receptacle.

 

[Vonderek]

Sorry you feel that way. I've been a member for many years and only get a few mailings per year. I think you can go online and check a box to stop the solicitations in the future. As far as "selling your rights away" I don't know what you mean by that. In this day and age everyone sells info to everyone else. They are selling info, not your rights. I'm not thrilled about info selling either but all those companies have an affiliation with NRA and offer discounts to members. I've used some of those companies a few times and saved some money. And if NRA can raise more cash doing so then I'm not that opposed to it. Bottom line, whether you like them or not they are the 500 pound gorilla in the 2nd Amendment arena and offer us the best hope in defending our rights on the national and state level. If you drop your membership at least be a member of some gun rights organization. Nothing pisses me off more than gun owners who have no problem spending $1000 on a gun but don't bother spending $30 on a membership to an organization defending the right to own that gun.

 

[quatin]

I subscribe to GUNS magazine. Before I even got the first issue I was getting spam from the NRA every other week asking for money. I had considered it, but by the 7th spam letter which included one from the VP that talked about how the communists were coming. I decided not to.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Joining the NRA = Worst thing I have ever done

You must live a pretty charmed life if the outcome of the worst thing ever done was just get some extra junk mail. Especially when you can mostly undo the sheer horror of getting extra solicitations by... *GASP* just asking them to stop.

I get insurance and magazine subscription things in the mail all the time and to be honest it is a real beating

It's very brave of you to go out to the mailbox each day, not knowing the terrors that await you. Be strong!

Sorry, but I don't have much sympathy for you. There have been plenty of threads discussing both the amount of mail and how to make it stop.

 

[ArmedBear]

Uhh, just ask them to stop sending it.

I get 3 or 4 pieces of mail a year from NRA.

Yeah. Same here. Shrug.

As far as their collecting money for mailing lists, more power to the NRA for it. Any creative way to collect money, as long as it's legal and doesn't hurt anyone, is a good thing, as long as the money is used for good things.

 

[RNB65]

I had considered it, but by the 7th spam letter which included one from the VP that talked about how the communists were coming.

The Communists are already here. Don't believe me? Go to Wal Mart (or any other retailer) and count all the "Made in China" tags.

 

[bender]

it's S.O.P. in the business world. Your info gets sold after almost anyplace you join... internet sites, magazines, groups, whatever.

I subscribed to one gun mag, and now I'm getting mail solicitations from several other gun mags, and I am also receiving lots of mailings and catalogs from "outdoor" companies I have never heard of. My wife has been complaining about my mail lately...

 

[xsquidgator]

How to stop the mailings but keep the important stuff (like membership renewals) From the NRA's website https://www.nramemberservices.org/members/faq.asp

Q: How can I reduce the amount of mail I receive from the NRA?
A: Simply email us at [email protected] or dial 800-NRA-3888 and request to be placed on the "Do Not Promote" list. This will significantly reduce the amount of mail you receive without affecting important mailings, magazine service, or your membership renewal.

 

[ArmedBear]

Get a hunting dog puppy.

We did, and now I'm glad for all the junk mail we get. Gives him something besides the furniture to chew up.

Here he is, checking what's on the kitchen counter.


Just toss him some junk mail, and he's busy for 20 minutes, shredding it. The varied texture of cardstock, newsprint, and letter paper keeps him interested.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I hate giving money to an organization then getting "gifts" that negate the amount I donated.

They usually have a check box somewhere that says they can keep the gift.

 

[camslam]

I've said many times before, no organization is perfect, but they do a lot more than most when it comes to defending our 2nd amendment freedoms.

I'll be renewing my membership next year.

 

[Zundfolge]

I listened to my friends and they all told me that I should join the NRA. They stated that my membership money would be used to help fight for my rights

Not to mention all the money being spent on the mailings could (should) just be spent to further truly fight for RKBA.

Two common misconceptions about the NRA.

The NRA is NOT a political or lobying group; the NRA-ILA IS.

The NRA is an organization promoting the shooting sports, gun safety and peripherally gun rights via the ILA, but that is NOT the primary function of the NRA.

So you want to support gun rights, give money to the NRA-ILA, not just the NRA.

 

[230RN]

vonderek said,

Nothing pisses me off more than gun owners who have no problem spending $1000 on a gun but don't bother spending $30 on a membership to an organization defending the right to own that gun.

To which I can only add, nothing pisses me off more than gun owners who have no problem spending $1000 on a gun but don't bother spending $30 on a membership to an organization defending the right to own that gun.

 

[msimonds]

sorry i did not mean to say >"selling your rights away"

I meant that they were selling our private information/membership information. Address and stuff like that

And I am not overreacting at all, but your going to say what you want

Sure I am a pussy, think what you want, sure I am acting like a kid

Thing is if I would have known that they would sell my information to make a quick buck or send me crap all the time asking for money, they I would have never joined

Sure I can stop the future stuff from the NRA from coming, but I cannot stop the crap for the third party companies unless it is from ones that I already have like triple AAA.

I asked the NRA when I canceled my membership to please give me a list of all the companies that they have given my information to and they said that could not be done, that was privileged information

So call me what you want, say what you want, but that is just the way that I feel