The NRA just ticked me off good...

[Low-Sci]

When I was at SHOT in February, I applied for membership with the NRA. Paid my registration fee, submitted all the paperwork.

Since then, I have heard exactly nothing from them. Absolute silence. No member ID number, no letter of acknowledgement, nothing. Until Friday.

Then they sent me a letter saying they needed my help (read: money) to fight S.450, the count every vote act. They don't even acknowledge me as a member, then they have the gall to ask me for help and more money? I'd send them an angry e-mail if they had bothered to give me an ID number so they'd actually listen to me.

Anyone else have an experience like this?

 

[30-06 lover]

I had a similar experience with them...paid and did paperwork only to have them get back to me in 6 months after I complained. But, overall I like them very much. I may not agree with 100% of everything they do or say, but I don't agree 100% with anybody or any platform. They are the best thing you can do to protect the Second Amendment. The best thing to do is write to them and express your dissatisfaction with what happened to you so they can correct it in the future. You can also request that they send you no "Ask for money" mail, only important mail like "time to renew" stuff. I know it can be frustrating, but stay with them, you will be glad you did in the long run.
-Mike

 

[tjy2001]

GOA did the same thing to me, after joining last year. They didn't send anything that acknowledged me as a member (or anything else - total silence) until this year when they wanted me to sign up for another years membership. I get more stuff from GOA now as a non-member than I did when I was a paying member!

 

[Bruce333]

You guys need to be more assertive. I would have only given them at the most 6 weeks before I started asking where my membership materials were. You can't expect individual attention with large organizations like this. Some people are going to slip through the cracks and get lost in the internal workings of the org. (guess what, you're one of them. Go buy a lottery ticket!). If you don't let them know they screwed up they will never be able to remedy the situation.

 

[Norton]

FWIW, the same thing happened with my Garand Collectors Association membership. Sent my check in September and received no magazines for almost 6 months and pretty much forgot about it. Then finally got the summer issue saying that membership was due in September again. They made good on it and sent me back issues.

 

[JoseM]

Yeah, they're annoying with the begging for more cash...but I've always did my renewal through the nra website and I've always gotten the material very quickly.

When I first joined they made me mad though by asking me for additional money with the first (or second) correspondance. Something along the lines of a special deal for doing a 2 or 3 year membership....I filled out their form and said "If I wanted a 2 year membership, I would of originally PAID for a two year membership." Since then, I haven't gotten any more correspondance in the mail asking for money (that was 2 years ago). Although I still get emails asking, but that doesn't bother me at all.

 

[CalamityJane]

I joined through the website, and hadn't received anything from them for about a month. This did not seem unusual to me, but then I wanted to join a gun range, and could get a discount if I provided my NRA membership number. I sent an email to NRA, explained that I hadn't received my packet yet, but needed to know my membership number. They responded later that same day, sending me my number and a short note.

The packet showed up about a week-10 days later. I was actually fairly impressed about getting an email reply the same day.

They do ask for money often, but hey, like my mother has always said, "no harm in asking". The giving of my money is always up to me, so that's not really a problem.

 

[Capital Punishment]

I joined about a month and a half ago for a 1 year membership. A week or so ago i got something in the mail from them and I thought "Goodie! My stuff came in!". It turned out to be a bunch of papers offering 'accidental death insurance'. ***? I still havent gotten anything acknowledging that i joined.

 

[Cacique500]

If you guys don't want the spam mail they send then call them and ask to be removed from the solicitation list. I went from tons of 'junk' mail to none in very short order.

Now just sit back and enjoy their magazine every month.

 

[hotpig]

I stopped sending them money years ago because they wasted my money sending me junk mail and their magazine that just ends up in the trash.

I started up again when they stopped sending junk mail several days a week. I requested them to hold the magazine, but they still send it. Now they use phone solicitors to harass me. I just blow a whistle in their ears and hang up. I do not for see wasting my contributions on them anymore.

 

[Q-Lock]

"I just blow a whistle in their ears and hang up. I do not for see wasting my contributions on them anymore."

Albeit, they are annoying..but that hardly deems blowing a whistle in the messenger's ear necessary.

 

[hotpig]

Yes it is, I pay for my phone for my use. I do the same to all phone solicitors.

The solicitors always call keep calling if you hang up or say rude things. If you blow a compressed air horn or whistle in their ear the normally do not call back for a few days.

 

[hksw]

My solicitation for funds for various legislative actions did increase from zero to about once a quarter when I first joint via mail. I also did not receive my official documents for a few weeks, IIRC. But, considering the increase in solicitations since sending in my first payment (I had upped for the installment life membership) I had figured out I was accepted and given a number, etc. They just hadn't gotten to me yet. Not a big problem with me, I'm very patient and didn't need any membership information for any transactions immediately.

Before the NRA sends out the official cards and letters concerning membership, I'm guessing they wait for a certain number of applications to pile up before sending in an order to print up all of the documentations and cards in batches. Could be the reason why their response isn't instantaneous.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I just blow a whistle in their ears and hang up.

You're opening yourself to legal liability on this one. If a telemarketer claims you permanently damaged his hearing, you're liable.

 

[B36]

Low-Sci--Call their 800 number. 877 NRA 2000. This is the membership account information number.

 

[Supertac45]

No problems

A while back, I upgraded from a Life Membership to a Endowment Member. My new membership packet came within 10 days, and my magazine reflected my new membership the following month. It's a great group that we should all join. Yes they ask for money a lot; but, it's true. Freedom isn't free. I know dozens of gun owners that think it's impossible to take guns away from us. The gun grabbers are not going away, and its going to take big bucks from all of us to keep our basic rights intact. Just look at the Clinton's and Kerry's of this world along with George Soros's money, and listen to their message along with the message from the United Nations. Please join now if your not a member, and if you are, please upgrade your membership. Thank you.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

The solicitors always call keep calling if you hang up or say rude things. If you blow a compressed air horn or whistle in their ear the normally do not call back for a few days.

I sincerely doubt the computerized dialers care much if you blew a whistle into the phone the last time you called. All you're doing in abusing some college kid who made an unfortunate part-time job choice and ensuring that you will continue to get calls.

If you actually want to stop the calls, sign up for the "Do not call" registry. That will knock down your calls to almost nothing. Then, make sure that companies that you do deal with, such as your credit card company, no that you don't wish to be contacted. Instead of blowing a whistle, simply say, "I'm not interested, please take me off your call list."

It really does work.

 

[tension]

The NRA got you this!

If it wasn't for the NRA we wouldn't have concealed carry all of the places we now have it. They may be slow and always asking for money but concealed carry is worth it.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

This is typical of the NRA, and why I pretty much ignore all their mailings. I am a member ONLY so that my number is added to the membership roster in case anyone of Washington cares, but in reality I think the NRA is a despicable, greedy, money-grubbing, self-serving organization.

 

[akodo]

I too got my original NRA membership at a gunshow type event. They had a special price deal.

I too had to wait a long time for the membership, but I was told this was because when you get a special deal at a gunshow or something, the host of the event is paying part of the tab for joining, and depending on when or how he pays, there can often be delays.

 

[Barbara]

The guys at gun shows are actually paid I think $10.00 per membership. I believe this is the same as the company who does the regular memberships gets. When you get a deal, its coming out of the recruiters pay. Since most of them have regular jobs, too, it sometimes takes them longer to send in the information, etc. But personally, I'd rather pay a person who is willing to stand at the gun show and get memberships for the NRA than a media company.

 

[ARperson]

Yeah, you can join the DNC list...and contribute to yet another government regulation that has no business existing. Okay, I know. Not the time or place to step up on that soap box.

Suffice it to say that your credit card companies do NOT have to abide by the DNC list since they already have an existing relationship with you. You would have to officially let them know that you did not want to be solicited via telephone, email, etc. But just by registering you number on the DNC will not stop them from calling. Same for any other business entity with which you already have an existing relationship.

There's always been a law on the books that says that companies must honor the request to have your name/number removed from their solicitation list. I personally like to have fun with the callers.

As far as the original point of the thread, a few things come to mind.

1. Do you always pay for something and then passively wait to see if things work out? Not a criticism. Just curious.

2. Did you call them to see if maybe, perhaps they had sent your membership materials and it got lost in the mail? Or maybe, perhaps there was a foul-up and your application stuff got lost? (Did the charge or check show up on any subsequent statements?)

Membership indicates an interest in gun rights/ownership, even if indirectly. They need money to run their organization and fight (even if we don't always agree with the path or tactics, that's a completely different thread ) for our rights. They assume you might want to help. The answer to an unasked question is always 'no.' Can't blame them.

 

[Freeze N]

I waste enough money each month, much less in a year on things that don't matter to me, things I don't need. I think 35$ a year is something I can give to a cause that is at least supporting something that I believe in.

If not for the NRA, things would be totally different today.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Two main points I'd like to make:

1. If you don't like solicitations from the NRA, ask to be put on their reduced mailing list. It will dramatically reduce the constant pleas for money.

2. One of the reasons you get constant pleas for money is because the NRA charter doesn't allow them to use membership dues for lobbying/legal work. Those dues only go to promote firearms safety, new ranges, and to give politicians heart palpitations when they hear about 4 million NRA members. If you want the NRA to get out and work for you, you need to send money to NRA-ILA or NRA-PVF (or answer one of the pleas you get in the mail when you can)

I figure that I can spare the price of a box of premium hunting ammo for the NRA a couple times a year in order to protect my rights.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Suffice it to say that your credit card companies do NOT have to abide by the DNC list since they already have an existing relationship with you. You would have to officially let them know that you did not want to be solicited via telephone, email, etc. But just by registering you number on the DNC will not stop them from calling. Same for any other business entity with which you already have an existing relationship.

Perhaps you missed it in my original post due to my typo, but I said this: "Then, make sure that companies that you do deal with, such as your credit card company, no(know) that you don't wish to be contacted." I'm aware of the fact that existing relationships allow for calls, thus my suggestion you let them know when they do call. However, you're still stuck with calls on behalf of politicians, surveys, and charities, although I know most charities will remove you if you ask. The one that really gets me are the recorded ones that don't give you an option to be removed and don't identify who they are from.

To steer back on topic, I'd follow the advice of the other folks here and give them a call. Sounds like a simple administrative mistake. Good luck with that.