Clubs

[Jim Rimmer]

Anyone here get suckered into a mail order woodworking club (no name jsut for safety's sake) that offers a free gift and then opportunities to shop test tools which you will then get to keep? The price was low so I thought I would give it a shot. I figured I would take the free intro gift and maybe one of the tools to test would be worth the joining fee. It was less than $20 IIRC. Well, it took a month to get the freebie and no test tool offers yet. So far just a bunch of junkie emails and I think I got one magazine. At least I didn't waste a lot of $$ on this.

[John Pratt]

I fell for it some time ago after seeing some of the tools they were sending out to be tested by members. The only tool they ever sent me to "test" was a sanding sponge. Kind of frustrating and not worth the money and hassle to maybe get "selected" to test one of their tools.

[Pat Germain]

I first got an offer to join that club back in the mid 1990's. I went to rec.arts.woodworking and found everybody reported the same thing. Never, not once, had anyone ever, at any time, received a tool to test.

I recall reading awhile back where someone actually calculated how many tools they'd have to send out in order to make it even remotely likely most members would receive one. The numbers made it clear it was impossible to do so. (In, fact, it may have been here on SMC where I read that.)

Anyway, you've learned the lesson many other woodworkers have learned. If that membership was a dollar, it would be a dollar too much. But, as you said, at least it's not a very expensive lesson.

[Jim Rimmer]

Just to provide an update on this "club'. Today I got my first test tool along with a book I had the opportunity to purchase. I forget the title but it was some kind of tips and techniques. It was a nice book; vinyl binding, glossy pages with nice color photos and only $10 but it didn't have any info I need. Anyone interested in joining this club to test drive tools (or foolish enough to join) probably already knows what was in the book. They were nice enough to provide a prepaid shipping label to return it. However, the next test tool comes with the next book. Oh, well. I've learned my lesson. BTW, the test tool was a set of three broken screw extractors made in China.

[Myk Rian]

Sounds like the H****man club. I subscribed, got a few things to test. Still have a funnel that has a screen in it. Everything else was cheap junk.
I lasted 1 year and dumped them. Their website is no better than the ragazine.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I got my first one in about 5 years tonight when I got home. I looked at the envelope return address, ripped it in half and filed it in the appropriate lidded container.

[Matt Meiser]

Mine came yesterday. I was considering stuffing it all back in the return envelope and sending it back to them so they could recycle it but I didn't feel like walking all the way back out to the mailbox.

[Jon Lanier]

This... con...errr I mean strategy for companies is a common occurrence. Same thing happens with the golf world, tennis world and my wife informed me sewing world.

[Jim Rimmer]

Just to provide an update on this "club'. Today I got my first test tool along with a book I had the opportunity to purchase. I forget the title but it was some kind of tips and techniques. It was a nice book; vinyl binding, glossy pages with nice color photos and only $10 but it didn't have any info I need. Anyone interested in joining this club to test drive tools (or foolish enough to join) probably already knows what was in the book. They were nice enough to provide a prepaid shipping label to return it. However, the next test tool comes with the next book. Oh, well. I've learned my lesson. BTW, the test tool was a set of three broken screw extractors made in China.
I just read my post again and guess I should correct it and say the screw extractors were for broken screws. The extractors weren't broken. Bit of a misplaced modifier. :p

[Matt Meiser]

I think you meant to say "broken yet."

[Pat Germain]

This... con...errr I mean strategy for companies is a common occurrence. Same thing happens with the golf world, tennis world and my wife informed me sewing world.

Indeed! Last week I received an "invitation" to join a fisherman's club. "Test our gear!" said the teaser. I don't know why I was so priviledged to have received such an exclusive invitation. I don't even own a fishing pole.