u2.com Subscriptions Extended

Original story by Harry Kantas (2015-11-30)

One of the reoccuring issues with the u2.com fan club is a number of subscribers who fall into the renewal period which coincides with the announcement of the new gift. Often these subscribers are faced with renewing before a new gift is announced and are faced with either letting their membership lapse or renewing and sorting out getting the proper gift after the fact.

In 2008 the issue was addressed for some subscribers. On November 17th, 2008 U2.com announced they were working on an annual gift and, aware that subscribers were due to start resubscribing, advised them to do so even though the gift had not been announced—assuring them that everything would be sorted out later. Then, on November 28, U2.com announced that fans’ current subscriptions would be extended so that they would not expire. Many subscribers had their renewal date switched to March. In this communication the fan club specifically asked fans NOT to resubscribe even if they were to receive a resubscription notice—the opposite of what the previous communication had instructed. Several months later, on February 24, 2009, the new gift was finally revealed, along with an announcement that the price for a fan club subscription had risen from $40 to $50! That year’s gift was Medium, Rare and Remastered.

Just today it has been announced that a similar extension has been granted to subscribers whose subscriptions fall between October 1, 2015, and January 31, 2016. “I let my subscription lapse after October 1, 2015. Is it correct that my subscription has now been re-activated and will now expire on Sunday, Jan 31, 2016? Yes, if you did not renew after October 1, 2015, we have re-activated your subscription and it will now expire on Sunday, Jan 31, 2016. We wanted to make sure you had all the information on the 2016 subscription offer before deciding whether or not to renew.” For those who have already resubscribed in the period after October 1, 2015, they have the following information: “I have already renewed my subscription after October 1, 2015… when will that subscription term end? If you’ve already resubscribed for 2016 AND your expiration date was between Oct 1, 2016 and Jan 31, 2017, you’ll also receive an extension. Your renewed subscription term will now end on January 31, 2017 and you’ll be sent the 2016 subscription gift once this is available.”

An email that was sent out to subscribers in this position further expanded on this:

Towards the end of each calendar year we reveal news of our annual subscription offer.

With details of the 2016 offer set to be launched in January, a little later than usual, we don’t want our subscribers disadvantaged in any way.

As a result all subscribers whose current term ends between October 2015 and January 2016, will now have their subscription period automatically extended until Sunday January 31st 2016.

If you’ve already signed up again for 2016 – with your renewed term ending between October 2016 and January 2017 – you’ll also receive an extension. Your renewed term will run until January 31st 2017 and you’ll receive the 2016 gift as soon as it’s available.

We’ll bring you information on the new offer in January, giving you time to decide if you’d like to renew.

A friend has confirmed that her subscription, which lapsed in October of this year, and which she never renewed, is now currently active again with a renewal date of January 31, 2016, and she can once again see downloads she was eligible to receive as a paid subscriber. A friend who did recently resubscribe, and who already received Another Time Another Place just last week as her subscription gift, reports that her subscription now no longer falls on October 31, 2016, but now shows January 31, 2017. The change in renewal date does not affect those who had a renewal date outside of the October 1 – January 31 window. My own subscription renews in March, and still lists my usual renewal date.

Further information can be found in the u2.com FAQ available here.

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