Within 15 minutes of being posted on "their" website, someone ALWAYS posts it here or on Fireengines.net

The shipping rates have gone up but the privilege of free shipping is no more (not that this was applicable to me, but to many of you it was--especially if you lived overseas--my condolences, Pete!)

No rewards.....that's nice considering I was one more order away from my next reward. But I think you had to see this coming--the program sucked from day one!

All of the certified dealers sell the pieces at the Club Price anyway and I CAN ACTUALLY CALL AND TALK TO AN ALWAYS COURTEOUS, HELPFUL LIVE PERSON if there is an issue with an order.

To me, the 20 bucks gets you nada, zilch, zero......

So love me, hate me, agree, disagree.....that's how I see it.

Can't wait to here what the rest of you have to say!

To whit:

Personally, I see no point in shelling out $45 ~ $50 on yet another "Big City" piece when the only major difference from the other "Big City" pieces are a few numbers on the door. Even the paint job is the same.
But, to each his own.

On the other hand, there was that little plastic ape on one engine. Boy, that was exciting!.....Oh, and the Texas long horns. Out of control!......Hell, even I bought the "pinstriped" pumper. But then again, I'm a Yankee fan.

Bottom line: If Code 3 can sell you practically nothing or a bag full of tchotchkes for $20, they'll do it. People buy stuff like club memberships because they like to have an "in." Most collectors really won't benefit much from membership, maybe the big spenders will see a return.

Hello,

How do you go from a Platinum club member to Red overnight?? I am not the sharpest tool in the box but I did not see that comming. Glad I got the order in for L-10 while it was free shipping for me to the UK!!! I confess I do order most pieces but there again I do like most of them and thats what counts in the end. My membership renewal now looks doubtful at the end of this year as all the benefits have disappeared. And as poeple have mentioned in other threads, it is possible to get better service from other dealers who also have the added benefit of being on the other end of a telephone. I have been a International member since 1999 and to me the reduced and then free shipping became a bonus and counteracted the high custom charges and import taxes. I am sure Pete (UK) will agree. Slightly disappointed with this months release and wont be going for them.

Location: Hartlepool,Cleveland,UK

Darren, the membership levels are predetermined by the previous years sales.
The free shipping you got all thru 2006, was because of the amount of money you spent in 2005, ie, $2400 equals 12 points for platinum level.(free shipping)
So, all thru 2006, you need to spend the same, to qualify for 2007.
As for not seeing it coming, you only have to check your awards status in your acounts section, and that tells you all thru the year, how many you have.

Location: London UK

I agree with John, and I saw it coming, with one exception, I thought that Code 3 would lower the membership price (to $9.99), as all you get with the membership now is the workshop, and the "discounted" price when ordering direct.

Well I was planning on taking my business else where and after using up my remaining rewards last month I was ready to let my membership expire this year. At least now I do not have any second thoughts about letting it run out.

Thanks for dropping all most all of the remaining benefits Code 3, now I have almost $20 to spend elsewhere.

Hello,

Thanks Pete for the explaining it to me. Checked my account and I have 5 points moved to next years status so I better hope this year has some great rigs for me to order to push up my status so I can get discounted shipping. But there again I get the impression from all the threads that the benefits are going full stop. Still not sure how I have dropped all the way to red, thought gold would have been first stop? Last year was the first year I did not order every model from them. I didn't bother with the Beverly Hills rig. Obviously the multiples of L-10 DP I ordered for friends here in the UK will be moved to next years status, correct??

Location: Hartlepool,Cleveland,UK

flame me if you want for saying this.i don't have a real big personal interest in wether code 3 stay's in buisness or circle's the drain.i'm not a big 1/64 scale fan.i am by far primarily a 1/87 fan with lately fewer and fewer other scale's thrown in.if people don't like what code 3 is coming out with or their company policies HIT EM' IN THE POCKETBOOK !.
STOP BUYING THEIR STUFF !.either they will start listening to what their customer's want or they will drop the fire aspect of their product line.over the year's i've picked up a few code 3's.i've sold most of them off.and yes i've made a pretty nice profit on a few of them.now i would not consider buying anything code 3 unless it came from the state,town or county i live in.and a few did come out for the state i live in,and i still didn't buy them.i don't like what they did to the mom&pop retailer's that helped make them the mfg.that they have become.they basically cut them out of the mix with how many piece's they have to buy from them to place an order.it seem's like they are making more and more disatisfied customer's as time goes on.good job code 3.keep up the good work ! .

Given that Code 3 is releasing most of its models in very small numbers now, I think the bottom line is that folks who want to be sure they're going to get a model will have to stay in the Club to be able to order ahead of the general public. Of course you can get them from dealers but no guarantee that they also won't commit all theirs before you get one. I only bought 2 or 3 models last year so it doesn't matter much to me, but how many have been sold out before non-Club members even had a chance to order? Some folks might think that alone is worth $20.

Mr. Williams is right.
The only advantage of being a member now is the ability to place an order on the day a model is announced.
I'm not sure if that's enough to keep me in the club anymore. But for the avid collector, it's worth the $20 to make sure you can add the models to your collection.

I agree with Andy...who agrees with Mr.Williams. I can think of a true waste of $20...like taxes.

Whats the advantage of early club member orders when you can pre order from PTH or FIRE and COP, or Westchester, the same day they are shown on the Code 3 site ? The only advantage I see is the so called club only release's that are few and far between.

I wonder how many charter year members are going to be left after this last email. I will not renew my membership. I was there from the beginning and have recieved perks in the past but that seems all gone at this point.