Membership Changes and the NEW Basic There Membership

Posted by Robert Gehorsam
Chief Executive Officer
http://info.there.com/

 

Yup, it’s true: based on what we’ve heard from the community, we’ve decided to make some changes to the pricing of There – and adding a Basic membership is one of them.

As you’ve pointed out, the Basic membership will allow more people to join There, without having to make much of a financial commitment. Plus, many current members can obviously benefit from it, too.

WHEN WILL THE CHANGE TAKE EFFECT?

The pricing change is officially effective as of October 14, 2004... and unofficially available to our current or past members for the next 30 days, starting September 14th.

BASIC MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

·    $4.95 Activation Fee
·    Basic Access to There (Voice, Music and the Explorer Pack are extra, and 
     you don’t get Therebucks when you sign up)
·    Duration: 1 Year (When your Basic membership ends, you have the option to sign up for one of the programs offered then – all of your belongings, Therebucks and premium services will be transferred over for free)
·    Limited Time Promotional Offer (i.e. Act now)

MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP CHANGES

·    Increase in monthly Therebucks allowance: T$8,850 (instead of T$3,000).  The T$8,850 equates to a pure T$ purchase with your monthly fee.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CHANGES

·    Increase in Therebucks received at signup: a whopping T$80,000 (instead of T$25,000).  The T$80,000 equates to a pure T$ purchase with your annual fee.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF THE NEW MEMBERSHIP PLANS?

	Annual Membership	Monthly Membership	Basic Membership
Activation Fee	$49.95	$19.95	$4.95
Monthly fees	0	$4.95	0
Voice sign-up	$10	$10	$20
Explorer Pack sign-up	$10	$10	$20
Music sign-up	$5	$5	$10
Trial Period Current (new)	14d (3d)	14d (3d)	3d
T$ included (old)	T$25,000	T$15,000 + T$3,000/mo.	n/a
T$ included (new)	T$80,000 ($44.77)	T$15,000 ($8.39) + T$8,850/mo. ($4.95)	0
Full package* cost	$74.95	$44.95	$54.95
Full package* cost minus T$ value	$30.18	$36.56	$54.95
T$ Credits for Switching to Basic Membership within X days of annual activation	Within 30 days – T$55K 31-60 days – T$35K 61-90 days – T$15K	0	n/a
Program Transition (cost)	Optional (Basic)	Optional ($4.95)	n/a

*Full package = Membership activation fee + voice + explorer pack + music

CAN I SWITCH TO THE BASIC MEMBERSHIP?

·    Annual Members: Yes! You don’t have to pay the $4.95 fee, and if you switch within 90 days of your original activation date, you just might get a Therebucks credit. (Get the details below.)
·    Monthly Members: Yes! Just pay the $4.95 activation fee and you’re set.
·    Lifetime Members: Um, yes, but you already have the best deal ever.

HOW DO I SWITCH PLANS?

To switch plans, just go to your There profile starting September 14th.  Click “Member Info” and you will find instructions about how to switch.

Please see below for alternatives to credit card payment.

WHICH ANNUAL MEMBERS GET A THEREBUCKS CREDIT?

·    Annual members who switch within 30 days of their original signup get T$55,000
·    Annual members who switch within 31-60 days of their original signup get T$35,000
·    Annual members who switch within 61-90 days of their original signup get T$15,000 

All other annual members are not eligible for a Therebucks credit, but can still take advantage of the new Basic membership deal

HOW LONG WILL YOU BE OFFERING THE THEREBUCKS CREDIT TO ANNUAL MEMBERS WHO SWITCH TO THE NEW BASIC MEMBERSHIP?

Qualified annual members who switch to the new Basic membership will be eligible for the Therebucks credit offer for the next 30 days (through October 14, 2004).  In other words, don’t delay! 

DO ANNUAL OR MONTHLY MEMBERS WHO SWITCH TO THE BASIC THERE MEMBERSHIP HAVE TO PAY AGAIN FOR VOICE, MUSIC OR THE EXPLORER PACK?

No, of course not! If you’re an annual or monthly member and you want to switch to the new Basic membership, any premium features that you have will be automatically carried over, at no additional cost. All you have to pay is the standard $4.95 activation fee.

DO I HAVE TO CHANGE MEMBERSHIPS?

Nope. If you’re happy with your membership, be it monthly, annual or lifetime, you can keep the same one.

WHICH MEMBERSHIP PLAN IS BEST FOR ME?

·    Basic Membership: Best for those who are looking for the least expensive way to join the community, either to try it out, or if you don’t want to make much of a financial commitment. But note that, because of the low activation fee, the cost of the premium services is a little higher than that of the monthly or annual plans.
·    Monthly Membership: Ideal if you’d like to have a monthly allowance of Therebucks and get the premium features at a discount.
·    Annual Membership: Great for those who want to start out with a windfall of Therebucks and get the premium features at a discount.

WILL THE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP CHANGE?

Nope. The lucky beta members who snagged this amazing, one-time-only deal will not see any changes to their plan, unless of course they choose to go with the new Basic plan. Please note: If you have a lifetime membership, we recommend that you hold on to it. It’s the best deal we’ve ever offered.  Once you switch, you will not be able to switch back.

IS THE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP CHANGING?

Yes, the trial membership now lasts three days (instead of 14). The T$5,000 are also no longer included in the trial.

CAN I PAY FOR A MEMBERSHIP WITHOUT A CREDIT CARD?

Yes, in addition to credit card payment, we also accept payment via PayPal, checks or money orders.

·    PayPal: From www.paypal.com, send a payment from your account to There’s PayPal account: paypal@there.com. You must include your avatar name and your contact information. Note: Any transactions that do not reference your avatar name will be returned. We will process your payment when the funds are received by our account.
·    Check/Money Order: To pay by check or money order, mail your payment to:
There
1855 S. Grant St.
3rd Floor
San Mateo, CA 94402

Attn: Sally London
Please remember to include your avatar name and contact information when you send the payment.

CAN I SUSPEND MY THERE MEMBERSHIP WITHOUT CANCELING IT?

Sorry, but we will no longer process temporary account suspensions. However, if you have a monthly membership and you think you’ll be away from There for a while, you can switch to the Basic membership for just $4.95, and that’ll be the only amount you pay for a year.

We hope you enjoy these new membership plans. Thanks for the suggestions, and we look forward to seeing you in There!

Robert Gehorsam
Chief Executive Officer