IanH replied on 01/05/2016 16:36
Posted on 01/05/2016 16:36
Having reached a certain age earlier this year, I rang the National Trust to ask about the reduced membership fee (the one they don't advertise too much).
It appears that our joint membership was taken out all those years ago with MrsH as the 'first named' member and me as a joint member. No problem, they can swap us over and we would benefit from the reduced fee.
They then wrote to me confirming the change.
They wrote again, asking me to set up a new direct debit.
They wrote again asking me about them claiming the tax relief.
I rang and asked them to simply take the payment from the same account that they had always used. No, no.....we cannot do that, because that account is in MrsH's name........but it's joint membership, I said......no can do - it must be an account in your name. So I gave them details of an account in my name.
We'll write to you to confirm this, they said. Please don't, it's not necessary, said I. There is no choice......the computer just does it anyway. So we received a fourth letter.
Last week, MrsH received a letter enclosing our new membership cards and saying that they would take the full membership amount (not the reduced fee) from her account.
I rang them again and pointed out the change. Ah yes, but our mail is done three months in advance and there is no way of stopping it going out.
Is it me?
IanH